12 Best Sales Management & Leadership Books To Add To Your Reading List [2024]

In the world of sales, staying ahead requires hard work and a continuous investment in personal and professional growth.

For sales managers and leaders, this means constantly refining skills, expanding their knowledge, and embracing new strategies.

And, whether you’re at the helm of a sales team or stepping into a leadership role for the first time, the power of insightful reading cannot be understated.

That’s why we’ve handpicked a selection of 12 of the best sales management and leadership books you should read in 2024.

These books will empower you with the tools, strategies, insights, and innovative approaches you need to excel in your role.

So, if you’re ready to discover books that will help you confidently navigate the complexities of sales leadership, keep reading!

1. The Sales Acceleration Formula: Using Data, Technology, and Inbound Selling to go from $0 to $100 Million

This first sales leadership book was written by Mark Roberge, an MIT alum with an engineering background.

It offers a groundbreaking approach to scaling sales teams and accelerating revenue growth using data, technology, and inbound selling.

In this book, Roberge challenges conventional sales methods by applying a metrics-driven and process-oriented approach.

Drawing from his experience as SVP of Worldwide Sales and Services at HubSpot, where he led the company to acquire and retain over 10,000 customers globally, the author shares his proven formulas for success.

Features of this book

• Includes specific formulas for hiring, training, managing, and generating demand among sales teams.
• Draws on Roberge’s firsthand experience scaling HubSpot’s sales team and customer base internationally.
• Offers a systematic approach for consistently growing revenue.
• Focuses on leveraging inbound selling to attract and retain customers.

Who should use it?

This book is ideal for sales managers, investors, startup founders, and sales executives looking to implement a modern sales strategy that’s both efficient and scalable.

Final thoughts about the book

“The Sales Acceleration Formula: Using Data, Technology, and Inbound Selling to go from $0 to $100 Million” stands out as a transformative read for anyone looking to revolutionize their approach to sales.

Through a blend of personal experience, data-driven insights, and actionable strategies, this book not only charts the path Roberge took to lead HubSpot to remarkable success but also serves as a blueprint for others to follow.

Pricing

As of 2024, this book is available for $16.79 for the hardcover edition and $16.00 for the Kindle edition.

2. Cracking the Sales Management Code: The Secrets to Measuring and Managing Sales Performance

“Cracking the Sales Management Code: The Secrets to Measuring and Managing Sales Performance” is a must-read for sales leaders seeking greater control over sales performance.

Written by Jason Jordan and Michelle Vazzana, it presents a best-practice approach to how top sales forces measure and manage their sellers.

Unlike generic leadership or coaching manuals, this book dives deep into the mechanics of sales management by offering a blend of research-based insights and practical tools.

Features of this book

• Identifies five fundamental sales processes that can be managed to achieve desired business outcomes.
• Provides a practical approach to identifying and implementing critical sales activities and metrics.
• Offers examples of actual tools and frameworks for sales managers to use in daily operations.
• Provides advice on how to change sales force behaviors to improve sales performance.

Who should use it?

This book is ideal for sales managers, executives, or sales operations professionals.

Final thoughts about the book

It’s an invaluable resource for sales leaders aiming to move beyond traditional sales metrics and towards a more strategic and impactful approach to sales management.

Overall, Jordan and Vazzana’s insights are a game-changer for anyone striving to unlock the full potential of their sales force.

Pricing

As of 2024, this book is available for $15.74 for the hardcover edition and $15.52 for the Kindle edition.

3. The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation

“The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation” by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson presents a transformative approach to sales that challenges conventional wisdom.

The book debunks the traditional belief that building relationships is the basis of sales success.

Instead, it introduces the Challenger model, a strategy where salespeople actively teach their clients, tailor their sales approach to the customer’s specific needs, and take control of the sales conversation.

Features of this book

• Describes the five distinct sales profiles (The Challenger, The Relationship Builder, The Hard Worker, The Lone Wolf, and The Reactive Problem Solver), focusing on why Challengers are the most effective.
• Advocates for sales based on providing new insights and challenging customers’ assumptions rather than merely building relationships.
• Offers actionable strategies for sales professionals to adopt the Challenger model and improve their sales effectiveness.
• Provides a detailed exploration of the Challenger approach.
• Grounded in exhaustive studies of thousands of sales representatives across various industries and geographies.

Who should use it?

This book is a top resource for sales professionals, sales managers, and business leaders looking to revamp their sales approach.

Final thoughts about the book

By challenging the traditional notion of relationship-based selling, the book provides a refreshing perspective on how to drive sales success in complex B2B environments.

It offers a practical framework for achieving higher levels of customer loyalty and growth.

Pricing

As of 2024, this book is available for $15.00 for the hardcover edition, $12.99 for the Kindle edition, and $16.99 for the paperback edition.

4. The Sales Development Playbook: Build Repeatable Pipeline and Accelerate Growth with Inside Sales

“The Sales Development Playbook: Build Repeatable Pipeline and Accelerate Growth with Inside Sales” by Trish Bertuzzi is a comprehensive guide aimed at businesses seeking explosive growth through effective sales development strategies.

Drawing from three decades of experience, Bertuzzi presents six key elements for building a robust pipeline and accelerating revenue growth with inside sales.

Features of this book

• Offers a complete roadmap for building and scaling inside sales teams to achieve high growth.
• Presents six essential elements for success in sales development, including strategy, specialization, recruiting, retention, execution, and leadership.
• Includes actionable advice on creating a repeatable sales pipeline, accelerating revenue growth, and aligning sales strategies with the buyer’s journey.

Who should use it?

Sales leaders & managers seeking to optimize their sales development processes and drive business growth will find this book super helpful.

Final thoughts about the book

This is undoubtedly one of the best books for sales leaders. It’s a well-rounded guide that covers the A to Z of inside sales, offering readers the tools and knowledge needed to achieve sales excellence.

Pricing

As of 2024, this book is available for $5.49 for the Kindle edition, and $11.65 for the paperback edition.

5. Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions: A Tactical Playbook for Managers and Executives

Next on our list of the best sales management and leadership books is “Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions: A Tactical Playbook for Managers and Executives.”

Authored by Keith Rosen, the book delves into the intricacies of effective sales coaching, positioning it as a crucial element in developing high-performing sales teams.

Rosen’s methodology is rooted in practicality, offering a blend of tactical advice, strategies, and real-world scenarios to enhance the coaching skills of sales leaders.

Features of this book

• Teaches how to confidently facilitate impactful coaching conversations, enabling team members to solve their challenges and take ownership of solutions.
• Offers a turnaround strategy for transforming underperformers into productive team members within a month.
• Introduces Keith Rosen’s L.E.A.D.S. Coaching Framework™.
• Provides a comprehensive library of coaching templates and scripts for various scenarios.
• Offers powerful coaching questions.

Who should use it?

This book is ideal for sales managers, executives, and anyone in a sales leadership role who wants to master the art of coaching.

Final thoughts about the book

By emphasizing the importance of observation, feedback, and the development of a coaching mindset, Rosen not only enhances the effectiveness of sales teams but also contributes to their personal and professional development.

Overall, this book equips leaders with the skills to inspire, motivate, and develop their sales teams into high performers.

Pricing

As of 2024, this book is available for $19.00 for the Kindle edition, and $22.48 for the hardcover edition.

Related: Sales Playbook: Creating effective sales process SDRs will follow

6. Sales Management. Simplified.: The Straight Truth About Getting Exceptional Results from Your Sales Team

If you want to learn the essentials of effective sales management, you’ll enjoy reading this book.

Written by Mike Weinberg, a renowned sales consultant & speaker, the book tackles the common pitfalls and misconceptions in sales management while providing clear, actionable strategies for leading sales teams to achieve top-notch results.

Weinberg’s approach is direct and uncompromising, advocating for simplicity in crafting winning sales strategies and fostering high-performing sales cultures.

Features of this book

• Offers guidance on conducting productive sales meetings that drive results and keep the team focused and motivated.
• Explains how to create a compelling compensation plan that rewards top performers and motivates the entire sales team.
• Explains how to conduct effective sales calls.
• Shares strategies for coaching sales teams to success, including regular, focused one-on-one meetings and actionable feedback.
• Provides advice to help readers place the right people in the right roles and retain top performers.

Who should use it?

This book will prove to be a valuable read for senior executives and sales managers.

Final thoughts about the book

“Sales Management. Simplified.: The Straight Truth About Getting Exceptional Results from Your Sales Team” offers a potent mix of practical advice, real-world examples, and engaging storytelling.

It book demystifies the complexities of sales management, presenting clear, actionable strategies that leaders can employ to revitalize their sales teams and drive great results.

Whether you’re a seasoned sales manager seeking to refine your approach or new to the role and looking for guidance, this book offers invaluable insights that can transform your sales leadership practice.

Pricing

As of 2024, this book is available for $13.49 for the Kindle edition, and $15.69 for the hardcover edition.

7. The Accidental Sales Manager: How to Take Control and Lead Your Sales Team to Record Profits 

By reading this book, individuals in sales management roles can discover how to succeed in these positions and drive their teams toward achieving record profits.

The book aims to rescue these ‘accidental’ managers from the sales management trap—a situation where they continue to sell instead of leading their team, thereby exhausting themselves without effectively driving team performance.

Features of this book

• Offers real-world advice for transitioning from a top salesperson to an effective sales manager.
• Provides insights on how to transform sales meetings into productive, engaging, and actionable discussions.
• Highlights the seven roadblocks that prevent B players from becoming A players.
• Advises on how to recruit the best sales talent by hiring for traits rather than just skill sets.
• Includes tips on how to better manage time between selling and managing roles.

Who should use it?

This book is ideal for new, accidental, and experienced sales managers.

Final thoughts about the book

This book proves to be a comprehensive guide that addresses a unique and often overlooked segment of the sales leadership market.

By focusing on the challenges faced by new and accidental sales managers, it fills a critical gap, providing readers with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed in these roles.

The practical advice provided by its author, Chris Lytle, makes it an invaluable resource for anyone looking to excel in sales leadership.

Pricing

As of 2024, this book is available for $17.00 for the Kindle edition, and $19.14 for the hardcover edition.

8. The Sales Manager’s Guide to Greatness: 10 Essential Strategies for Leading Your Team to the Top

If you’re looking for an insightful book that will empower you to enhance your team’s performance, this is a great choice.

Authored by Kevin F. Davis, an expert in sales leadership, the book addresses the critical aspects of managing and leading a sales team effectively.

It delves into the challenges sales managers face and offers actionable strategies to overcome them. This in turn facilitates not only the growth of sales figures but also the professional development of the team members.

Features of this book

• Offers 10 proven strategies for overcoming common sales management challenges.
• Shares the seven keys to hiring great salespeople, ensuring teams are composed of individuals capable of driving success.
• Provides strategies to help readers achieve better coaching outcomes.
• Addresses common pitfalls in sales forecasting and provides strategies for submitting more accurate forecasts.
• Guides readers on how to blend the buyer’s journey into the sales process.

Who should use it?

This book is a must-read for sales managers at any level seeking actionable insights and strategies to enhance their effectiveness and leadership.

Final thoughts about the book

Overall, this book is a treasure trove of strategies, skills, and tools that sales managers can use to overcome obstacles and lead their teams to success.

It will challenge its readers to rethink their roles, fostering a culture of accountability, strategic thinking, and customer-centric selling.

Pricing

As of 2024, this book is available for $9.99 for the Kindle edition, and $15.45 for the hardcover edition.

9. Sales Manager Survival Guide: Lessons From Sales’ Front Lines

This book comprehensively covers the multifaceted aspects of sales management, from coaching, team building, and performance analysis to hiring, onboarding, and dealing with market shifts.

It’s undoubtedly one of the best books on sales management, and it was authored by David A. Brock.

Brock, drawing from extensive experience across various sales and executive roles, provides practical advice, strategies, and insights to address the challenges sales managers face daily.

Features of this book

• Shares secrets, tools, and best practices that sales managers can use to achieve success.
• Properly explains all the roles and responsibilities that sales managers must attend to, including coaching, recruitment, performance reviews, and more.
• Explains common pitfalls to avoid in sales management.

Who should use it?

This book serves as an indispensable manual for front-line sales managers, as well as sales executives.

Final thoughts about the book

Brock’s ability to distill decades of experience into actionable insights provides readers with a clear roadmap to excellence in sales leadership.

With the knowledge and tools contained in this book, sales managers can survive & thrive in their roles and enhance their teams’ performance.

Pricing

As of 2024, this book is available for $9.95 for the Kindle edition, and $18.95 for the hardcover edition.

10. The JOLT Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision

“The JOLT Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision” presents a fresh, data-backed perspective on overcoming customer indecision.

Its authors, Matthew Dixon and Ted McKenna, unearth the crucial role of addressing customers’ fear of failure to unlock sales success.

Contrary to traditional advice that emphasizes convincing customers of the benefits of a purchase, the authors reveal that success hinges on mitigating the risk of failure once a buying intent is established.

Features of this book

• Introduces the JOLT method (Judging the indecision, Offering recommendations, Limiting exploration, and Taking risk off the table) aimed at overcoming customer indecision.
• Based on a study of more than two and a half million sales conversations, offering robust, data-backed insights into sales performance and customer behavior.
• Highlights the three main reasons for customer indecision: fear of choosing the wrong option, concern about insufficient research, and fear of not receiving the expected value.
• Suggests creative solutions for mitigating customers’ perceived risks, enhancing their confidence in making purchasing decisions.
• Provides insights into specific behaviors and techniques of high-performing salespeople that differentiate them from their average-performing peers.

Who should use it?

This book can be read by a wide range of sales professionals, from front-line sales representatives to senior sales leaders, coaches, and managers.

Final thoughts about the book

If you’re involved in sales or interested in understanding the nuances of customer decision-making, then this book is for you.

Through a compelling blend of data analysis, real-world examples, and innovative strategies, Matthew Dixon and Ted McKenna provide invaluable insights into overcoming one of the biggest hurdles in sales: customer indecision.

Overall, the book’s focus on addressing the fear of failure as a key to unlocking sales success offers a fresh perspective that challenges traditional sales tactics.

Pricing

As of 2024, this book is available for $16.99 for the Kindle edition, and $19.29 for the hardcover edition.

Related: 11 Effective Ways To Improve Sales Conversations & Drive More Revenue

11. The Qualified Sales Leader: Proven Lessons from a Five Time CRO

Another top sales leadership book, this work by John McMahon tackles the pervasive challenges in sales leadership, such as high rep attrition, ineffective coaching, and inaccurate sales forecasting.

McMahon, a highly experienced Chief Revenue Officer with a track record of success across multiple public enterprise software companies, shares insights into the critical aspects of building and leading a successful sales team.

The book argues that a significant portion of sales failures stems not from an inability to sell but from systemic misalignments within sales organizations.

Features of this book

• Offers practical advice and insights for sales leadership, focusing on overcoming common pitfalls in enterprise SaaS sales.
• Teaches how to forecast accurately by understanding and controlling opportunities.
• Stresses the importance of knowing the ideal customer profile for targeted and efficient sales efforts.
• Details a prescribed sales process with measurable steps, ensuring salespeople know what to do and when.
• Introduces a clear qualification methodology to understand deal status and required efforts to move forward.

Who should use it?

This book is particularly beneficial for sales managers and sales leaders within the tech and enterprise SaaS industries.

Final thoughts about the book

“The Qualified Sales Leader: Proven Lessons from a Five Time CRO” demystifies the process of achieving excellence in sales leadership.

Its blend of strategic insights and actionable advice ensures that readers can understand the concepts and apply them directly to their sales environments.

Pricing

As of 2024, this book is available for $9.99 for the Kindle edition, and $17.99 for the paperback edition.

12. The First-Time Manager: Sales (First-Time Manager Series)

“The First-Time Manager: Sales” by Mike Weinberg is a compelling guide aimed at new and aspiring sales managers navigating the complex transition from top-performing sales professionals to effective sales leaders.

Part of the widely acclaimed First-Time Manager Series, which has sold over 500,000 copies, this book serves as a critical resource for understanding the challenges and opportunities that come with a managerial role in sales.

Features of this book

• Offers hands-on advice and strategies for new sales managers.
• Emphasizes the importance of adopting a managerial mindset, focusing on leading rather than doing.
• Discusses ways to hold salespeople accountable and create a winning team culture.
• Provides insights into effective leadership and coaching techniques to drive team performance.

Who should use it?

While this book was mainly written to help first-time sales managers, seasoned managers will gain a lot from it as well.

Final thoughts about the book

Weinberg’s expertise shines through in his practical advice, straightforward style, and real-world examples, making complex managerial concepts accessible.

This book tackles the challenging transition from salesperson to manager with clarity and depth, focusing on the mindset shift necessary for success.

It’s a valuable asset for leaders who want to thrive in their new role & create high-performing sales teams.

Pricing

As of 2024, this book is available for $12.99 for the Kindle edition, and $21.74 for the paperback edition.

Improve Sales Rep Productivity Using AI

In conclusion, reading these books will help you enhance your sales leadership and management skills, empowering you to guide your team toward sales excellence.

And, as you strive to maintain a culture of continual learning, remember that you don’t have to do it alone.

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