Sales and marketing are the bedrock of nearly every business.If you can’t sell your product or service, your business won’t be around for long.But both selling and marketing are an art – you’ll never be perfect at either one, and there’s always more to learn. What’s more, there are always new developments in each area, especially with the fast-paced digital world that we live in.One of the ways you can stay on the cutting edge is to read the newest books on each subject. Mix these in with some of the older classics, and you’ll have a strong marketing and sales foundation.With this in mind, here are the four best sales and marketing books for entrepreneurs in 2017…
1. Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade by Robert Cialdini
If you’ve been involved in the sales world in any capacity, you’ve probably heard of Robert Cialdini.He’s the author of one of the greatest sales/communication books of all time – Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.And he has another big hit with this new book in 2017.In this book, he tackles the all-important moment before you deliver your message or sales pitch.This “privileged moment” prepares people to be receptive to your message before they receive it.Cialdini outlines how you can use specific techniques related to this moment in your online marketing campaigns, to help you crush it for 2017.Favorite quote: “In large measure, who we are with respect to any choice is where we are, attentionally, in the moment before the choice.”
2. The Art of People: 11 People Skills That Will Get You Everything You Want by Dave Kerpen
To be great at sales, you need to understand people. And as Kerpen reminds us, this understanding is an art.To master the art, you need to master certain skills – specifically, the skills Kerpen lays out in the book.In it, you’ll learn how to ask important questions to win attention in meetings, the keyword to networking, and more. It’s been described as the How to Win Friends and Influence People for today’s world.Favorite quote: “There’s no better way to show that you care about the person you’re meeting with than to genuinely, authentically ask her what you can do to help.”
3. #AskGaryVee: One Entrepreneur’s Take on Leadership, Social Media, and Self-Awareness by Gary Vaynerchuk
Gary Vaynerchuk, the author of Crush and this new New York Times Bestseller, is one of the biggest influencers in the marketing world.He’s always on the leading edge of new platforms and figures out how to market on those platforms quicker than anyone else.In #AskGaryVee, he showcases the most useful and interesting questions that he’s addressed on his popular show.You’ll learn things like how to use Twitter to launch a small business, how to hire superstars, how to effectively launch products and more.Favorite Quote: “Put out quality content every day and engage around it.”
4. Small Data: The Tiny Clues That Uncover Huge Trends by Martin Lindstrom
Want to market your business as effectively as possible? Well, to do that, you need to know what drives your audience. And the story of that motivation lies in the data.Martin Lindstrom spends 300 nights a year in strangers’ homes, carefully observing their behavior to uncover their hidden desires, and ultimately, the clues to a multi-million dollar product.He uses these experiences, as well as intricate research, to show you how data uncovers significant trends – and how you can use these to your advantage.Favorite Quote: “Desire is always linked to a story, and to a gap that needs to be filled: a yearning that intrudes, agitates and motivates human behavior both consciously and unconsciously.”
Conclusion
Marketing and sales are two of the most important elements of nearly every business. However, they’re constantly in flux. To make sure you stay on the leading edge, you should read the latest books. That way, you can continuously apply the newest lessons to your business and help drive it forward.
