The greatest thing about living and working in 2018 is that we don’t have to know everything. We just need to know how to find out about everything. This is Skynamo’s list of four essential books for every sales manager.
With these four books, you will have access to what you need, right now.
1. “The Accidental Sales Manager” by Chris Lytle
Why we like this book: It’s got a 21st century approach to sales, which means it takes the wisdom of the greats like Dale Carnegie and Zig Ziglar and brings it into the world of the internet. It has good ideas, tactical advice and lots of anecdotal stories to keep you reading and learning.
Favourite quote: “Bad sales managers push two buttons: ‘more’ and ‘panic’. Great sales managers have one more button to push: the ‘how’.”
2. “Cracking the Sales Management Code” by Jason Jordan
Why we like this book: This book takes you deep into the science of selling and removes any fears you may have that selling is a talent or an art. It’s not. It’s a series of activities, which can be managed, tracked, measured and adjusted to achieve results. This book takes you through how to think about sales, how to set up a structure that gives you feedback, and then how to turn that information into action.
Favourite quote: “Activities can be managed – outcomes can’t.”
3. “Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions: A Tactical Playbook for Managers and Executives” by Keith Rosen
Why we like this book: So often we think the problem is that our salespeople aren’t good enough – they don’t have the skills, natural ability or the experience – to be genuinely great. However, with the right support even mediocre salespeople can become champions, and if any book is going to help you work out how to do it – it’s this one. It’s practical, filled with stories and actionable steps to get your sales team performing.
Favourite quote: “I ask managers, ‘What exactly is it you manage?’ Although they say they manage people, the truth is that managers today spend most of their time managing processes, projects, data, problems and information. If you don’t have a defined process that moves your people forward, so they can achieve GREATER RESULTS, then what is it you are managing? You’re managing the status quo.”
4. “The Sales Development Playbook” by Trish Bertuzzi
Why we like this book: Its shows us how to win. And by win we don’t mean meet your targets, we mean smash your targets and reach numbers that quite frankly terrify you. As with all the books in this list, this one is a practical guide that takes you through the six phases of growing pipeline and revenue in B2B businesses.
Favourite quote: “Vision without execution is hallucination.”
Did we miss any you feel we should have included? Please let us know what books you think we should add to this list in the comment section below.
