Recommit to Your Professional Development: 9 B2B Books for Marketing and Sales

By Maria Geokezas, Vice President of Client Services

During these last few days of summer, as kids head back-to-school, the weather cools and you finish that chewing-gum-for-your-brain beach read, it’s the perfect time to recommit to your professional development goals by picking up one of these B2B business books.

Finding the right one can be intimidating.  When you search Amazon for “marketing and sales books” 60,000+ options pop-up.  That’s why I’ve pulled together some of my favorite marketing and sales books. And what better time than now to share with back-to-school on the horizon.

Best marketing and sales books to recommit to your professional development:

Getting Naked by Patrick Lencioni

This book is all about showing your vulnerability in the business world and how it helps to build your client rapport. It’s so easy to lose sight that you are selling to another human who has feelings and emotions rather than to a big company name. Getting Naked explores the idea of how to be more human in the world of business.

Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni

Another great book by Patrick Lencioni who digs into what can be one of the most frustrating moments in your day…meetings. Here, he shares a blueprint for leaders who want to eliminate waste and frustration among their teams, and create environments of engagement and passion. Read this to learn how to keep your meetings effective and keep your people involved.

The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier

Want a refresher on your coaching skills? The Coaching Habit really reveals how to unlock your peoples’ potential and how to create a truly excited and motivated workforce by asking the right questions. Bungay Stanier combines insider information with research based in neuroscience and behavioral economics to turn practical advice into practiced habits.

Procrastinate on Purpose by Rory Vaden

One of the most nagging problems we have in our lives–both personally and professionally: time management. Rory Vaden presents the five permissions that set us free to do our best work – on time and without wasting energy battling stress and anxiety. Read this for better time management.

Moments that Matter by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

This book is filled with remarkable tales and practical insights that proves we all have the power to transform ordinary experiences into unforgettable ones. Chip and Dan Heath explore the real stories of real people who have created standout moments for their customers through their business. They have truly captured inspired moments which can bring about inspired marketing and sales strategies and content for you.

No Forms, No Spam, No Cold Calls by Latané Conant

If you want a fresh perspective on B2B marketing and sales, Latané’s approach flies in the face of traditional strategies, tactics, and technologies.  She shows us how she’s led 6sense to deliver breakthrough results with an account-based, customer-first approach. Read this to uncover how you can dive right into the next generation of account-based sales and marketing.

The Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer

Selling doesn’t have to be hard and it certainly doesn’t have to be intimidating. This book combines stories and strategies from a lifetime of experience which you can quickly apply into your own sales approach forever. Read this to learn about his 12.5 principles of sales greatness and start applying them today.

Contagious: Why Things Catch On – by Jonah Berger

Everything today is online which means you can’t hide behind the four walls of your office space and hope your strategies work. There’s a reason that products or services go viral. There’s a reason they catch on. Here, Berger provides specific, actionable techniques for helping information spread—for designing messages, advertisements, and content that people will share. Whether you’re a manager at a big company, a small business owner trying to boost awareness, a politician running for office, or a health official trying to get the word out, Contagious will show you how to make your product or idea catch on.

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

While not specifically a book dedicated to marketing and sales, this book explores the inner workings of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. Kahneman engages the reader in a lively conversation about how we think and reveals where we can and cannot trust our intuitions and how we can tap into the benefits of slow thinking. Useful tool for anyone and everyone regardless of the business they run to make better, smarter decisions for the long-term.

Which book will you start reading first?

P.S. If books aren’t your thing, here are some of the best marketing and sales blogs this fall.  Full Disclosure: The Heinz Marketing Blog made the list!  😉