The 8 Best Sales Books to Read in 2025

“For the best return on your money, pour your purse into your head.”

So said our old friend Benjamin Franklin. And though he wasn't talking about improving your sales process or sales strategy through continuous learning, he was talking about the importance of continuous learning in life.

What he meant was this: that the best way to get ahead and achieve your goals is to invest in your won learning. And the great thing is that this is actionable advice for sales professionals; by taking the time to complete some essential reading from some of the world's forefront sales leaders (past and present), you're putting yourself in the best possible position to bolster your sales knowledge, boost sales, and become the ultimate sales machine.

So for sales reps looking for ways to get ahead, this post is essential. Not only will you enjoy the ride, with anecdotes and practical advice to entertain you along the way, but you'll massively increase your employability and career prospects.

By reading our list of the 8 best sales books to read this year, you're one step closer to your dream sales profession.

Disclaimer: of course, there are many hundreds of fantastic sales books out there. Our list is by no means complete; its purpose is to give curious sales reps and sales professionals a springboard from which to discover key strategies for business success.

Let's get right into it:

To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others by Daniel H. Pink (2012)

When it comes to mastering soft sales skills, Daniel H. Pink's 2012 book is a must-read. With a background in behavioral science, he provides a fresh perspective on the art and science of selling, exploring the psychology of persuasion in everyday interactions.

The main draw of this book is that it provides practical advice that will stay with you your whole sales career, no matter what position you hold.

Pink's step by step guide to persuasive social selling (the new ABCs of selling: Attunement, Buoyancy, and Clarity - for more on that, you'll have to read the book) is critical for any sales professional who wants to improve their personal selling skills.

Find out more about To Sell Is Human on Pink's website.

The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson (2011)

What's one of the biggest challenges faced by sales reps today, especially those involved in B2B solution selling? Customers are more clued-in and demanding than ever.

Adamson and Dixon address this issue, introducing the 'Challenger sale' model, which emphasizes teaching, tailoring, and taking control of the sales conversation. Essentially, it's about how to challenge customers' thinking by offering unique insights.

And it's not all theory, either: the sales book is actually based on a comprehensive study of thousands of real-world examples from sales reps across various major industries.

So if you're finding it hard to get appointments with your current sales strategy, discover more about The Challenger Sale on HubSpot.

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss (2016)

Incredibly well-rated, Voss's sales book takes a unique approach to sales conversations - that's because it's not entirely about the sales process. You see, Voss was a former FBI hostage negotiator - really - and took the time to lay out everything he'd learned about the world's most powerful negotiation techniques.

With practical advice on proven strategies like 'tactical empathy,' 'mirroring,' and 'labeling,' this sales book has everything a sales rep or sales manager needs to knock that next sales meeting out the park.

Trust us, this book is filled with practical insights from the mouth of a seasoned expert. Check out Never Split the Difference on Amazon.

SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham (1988)

You may be thinking this sales book is a little on the 'antique' side for modern sales - and it's true that CRMs and AI automation weren't exactly big in 1988. But SPIN Selling remains a classic book among sales professionals even today.

That popularity is probably down to its simplicity: Rackham introduces the SPIN (Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-Payoff) technique, a consultative selling approach based on extensive research into thousands of sales calls - a sales strategy that still offers a structured approach to consultative selling today.

What's more, this sales book was actually based on one of the largest research studies ever conducted on sales effectiveness, so there a few other texts as useful for sales conversations as this.

Learn more about SPIN Selling.

Fanatical Prospecting: The Ultimate Guide to Opening Sales Conversations and Filling the Pipeline by Leveraging Social Selling, Telephone, Email, Text, and Cold Calling by Jeb Blount (2015)

Despite its less-than-catchy title, Blount's all-time classic book is actually filled with concise, practical tips any sales department can take advantage of. Sales professionals and entrepreneurs focused on building and maintaining a robust sales pipeline won't want to miss this sales bible.

Particularly insightful (nine years after it was published) is Blount's emphasis on multi-channel lead generation. As sales managers and sales leaders the world over know, engaging prospects in as many places as possible has never been more important - and here's how to do it.

Discover more about Fanatical Prospecting and Blount's other masterpieces on his website.

New Sales. Simplified.: The Essential Handbook for Prospecting and New Business Development by Mike Weinberg (2012)

With increasing competition in the market, a strong foundation in prospecting is more important than ever. That's where Weinberg's no-nonsense approach to sales process fundamentals comes in.

As the title suggests, his sales book focusses on identifying new business development opportunities through better prospecting and building a consistent pipeline. What's more, the trusted sales expert helps sales managers create a compelling story that resonates with leads, aiming to simplify and streamline the all-important sales process.

We needn't say much more; New Sales. Simplified. is often voted among the best sales books of all time. Check it out for yourself and see what you think.

The Sales Acceleration Formula: Using Data, Technology, and Inbound Selling to Go from $0 to $100 Million by Mark Roberge (2015)

No one who's spent a single day in sales management, sales training, or as a sales rep won't have heard of HubSpot. Well, the author of our next sales book was CRO of HubSpot from 2014 to 2016. And his sales book reflects it.

If you're looking to learn more about the data and technology side of sales strategy, this book's for you; Roberge shares his data-driven approach to scaling sales organizations, leveraging data to improve predictable revenue and even hiring practices.

So anyone interested in scaling their successful sales team and building their sales development playbook need look no further - Roberge's blog has everything you need.

Emotional Intelligence for Sales Success: Connect with Customers and Get Results by Colleen Stanley (2012)

Sales leaders, sales managers, and in fact anyone who wants to improve their interpersonal sales skills shouldn't miss out on Colleen Stanley's ground-breaking deep dive into Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in the sales process.

With a ton of practical tips and actionable advice on managing emotions and using empathy and active listening to build relationships with potential customers, this sales book is a must-read for all sales professionals at any level in their sales career.

Discover more about Stanley's books on the Sales Leadership website.

Upgrade your sales strategy and become the best sales rep on your team

There's no shortcut to a successful sales career. But there are important steps that any sales professional can take today to improve their sales performance, eliminate sales problems, and start closing more deals. And the best sales books are the best place to start that journey.

Here, we've given you a list of 8 of the best sales books we think ambitious salespeople should be reading in 2025. Some have been sales staples for decades, others are new kids on the block, but all are sales classics that will continue to educate and advance sales professionals for years to come.

If you're reading this, you're probably looking for expert insights and actionable tips you can leverage in your day-to-day sales life. The good news is it doesn't end here: we have dozens of unmissable articles on everything from lead generation to appointment setting over on our blog - so if you want to up your sales game for free, visit the Leadium blog!