Top Books for Sales Success in 2025

One of the more common questions I receive from our clients has always been, “Hey Mark, what books are you reading this year?” Now, if you know me, you know that I am an avid reader. Saint Augustine was quoted as saying, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” There is no question that successful salespeople are lifelong learners who consistently read. In fact, I recently saw a statistic that revealed that the typical CEO reads between 40 to 50 books each year.

And yes, I can hear you now saying, “But I don’t have time to read…I’m too busy.” To that, I simply say stop it. You have the time to read—you simply choose not to. You have other priorities. And that is fine. But please don’t say that you do not have time to read.

Mark’s Current Favorite Books for Sales Success

So back to the question at hand: what are some of the books that I have been digging into for sales success in 2025? Here are three good ones:

• The Accidental Salesperson by Chris Lytle
  This is my favorite book that I have read in 2025. Lytle makes the point that most salespeople did not choose sales as their career path but rather sales chose them. They wound up at some point working at a company that required them to sell (whether they wanted to or not). The book is full of techniques and tactics that will make you stronger, more assertive, and someone that your prospect finds engaging.

• Talk Like TED by Carmine Gallo
  This book is all about unlocking the nine public speaking secrets that have been mastered by great presenters. Gallo looks at the techniques used by some of the most popular TED presenters and presents his findings in such a straightforward way that you will immediately improve your presentation skills. I love his quote: “Ideas are the true currency of the twenty-first century.” If you want to succeed in sales, you better be able to sell yourself—and your ideas—with a high degree of persuasion.

• The Introvert’s Edge by Matthew Pollard with Derek Lewis
  While I am personally quite extroverted, many of the people I coach and train are introverts—who can sometimes struggle with sales because they must leave their comfort zone. This book is an excellent way for you introverts out there to have just as much sales success as your extroverted colleagues. Pollard quotes David Ogilvy when he writes, “In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative thinker unless you can also sell what you create.” Many experts believe that nearly 50% of the world’s population leans towards introversion, and there is a path forward to sales success for you introverts just as much as for the extroverts.

So, there you have it—three really good book suggestions. Remember what Mark Twain said: “The person who can read but chooses not to has no advantage over the person who simply can’t read.” The choice is up to you.

Author:

Mark Trinkle, Chief Growth Officer
Anthony Cole Training Group

As Sales Experts, we’ve written a few books of our own! Download them for free HERE

Learn More About Our Approach Here