5 Books All Salespeople Should Read This Summer

Whether you’re on the beach, at the airport, or just relaxing in your favorite chair at home, these five books—some sales-specific, others not so much—will provide a trove of new and interesting insights all summer long.

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey

I want to share this one, not only because its fresh in my mind, but I truly think we could all learn from what Dr. Ratey has to say in this book, backed by solid research. The book connects exercise and activity to our ability to LEARN. And if there’s one thing that we are constantly doing as sales professionals and sales leaders, it’s learning—learning about our customers, their businesses, their marketplaces; learning new or better skills we need to be successful in the market place. And so why shouldn’t we do something that helps us learn and retain information better? As you enjoy your summer, now that exercising isn’t just to get (or keep) that beach body, it’s also allowing you to learn more effectively!

Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All  by Tom and David Kelley

This one is on my list and here’s why: this is a skill more of us need (including me), especially in sales management today. Some of you may already know this, but CEB research has found that one critical skill of sales manager effectiveness is one’s ability to innovate, creatively, at the deal-level.  And that takes a very different approach than what most of us do in “deal reviews.”  From my initial glances, this seems to be a great primer on how to unlock your innate creativity. It also shares the skills and mindset we need to have creative problem solving.

Think Like a Freak: The Authors of Freakonomics Offer to Retrain Your Brain by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen Dubner

Building on the previous book’s theme, this book dives into the skill of problem solving.  And who doesn’t like the sound of “thinking like a freak”? This is one on my list that I hope to tackle soon, but the previous books from these two have been enlightening. And one step that I know you all will agree with as sales professionals: “Take a master class in incentives, because for better or worse, incentives rule our world.”

To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink

I’ve recently blogged about Daniel’s message, so I won’t go back into it.  But he’s got a few great insights as he brings together a variety of past research. And he’s revised the ABCs to no longer be “Always Be Closing.”

Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt by Michael Lewis

First off, in my opinion, anything by Michael Lewis (author of Moneyball, Liar’s Poker, The Big Short and many more) is worth reading. I’m sure at one point this year you’ve heard about the book at these “dark pools” within some of the largest banks. This book digs into what is going on in the financial markets and the impact of “high-frequency trading.” If you’ve got your money in the market, it’s worth a read. I found it informative and, honestly, scary.

And of course, if you haven’t read it, please get with it already and read The Challenger Sale by my colleagues Matt Dixon and Brent Adamson.

What will you be reading this summer?  What would you suggest others read?  Add to the list!

Related Blog Posts:

What Salespeople Should Read This Summer (2013)
What Salespeople Should Read This Summer (2012)
What Salespeople Should Read This Summer (2011)