Maximize Your Sales Success: The Power of Reading, Writing, and Speaking in B2B Sales

Unlock the hidden advantages of reading, writing, and speaking to elevate your B2B sales game and stay ahead of your competitors.

Why Continuous Learning through Reading Is Crucial for B2B Sales Professionals

I am never without a book, whether it’s a hardcover or an audiobook. If I’m doing anything that allows me to listen to a book, you’ll find me with an audiobook. I used to buy books for my clients, only to see them collect dust, unopened and unread.

Right now, the One-Up Book Club is on its second round. The first five books include Nate Silver’s On the Edge, How Migration Works by Hein de Haas, Overruled by Neil Gorsuch and Janie Nitze, Minds Wide Shut by Garry Saul Morson and Morton Schapiro, and Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari.

The idea behind the One-Up Book Club is that B2B salespeople should know things and develop a perspective on how the world works. Reading to enhance your sales strategy is like sharpening the sword of your intellect. It prepares you to cut through complex conversations with clients, and share ideas and insights when meeting with decision-makers and buyers.

There are two major types of salespeople. The first group consists of those who don’t read books. These non-reading salespeople fail to acquire the knowledge that might help their clients. The second group is made up of those who invest time in reading, allowing them to show up to meetings like a well-oiled machine, ready to operate smoothly in any situation.

If you want to be a better salesperson, you’re better off reading books that give you a deeper understanding of important subjects. In addition to reading consequential books, you can improve your sales approach by reading newspapers—though you should avoid the propaganda and media narratives that often run rampant. Avoid television news altogether, as it’s like trying to get a clear view of the world through a dirty window clouded with divisive fog.

How Writing Sharpens Your B2B Sales Insights

If you want to solidify insights and make them your own, there’s no better way than writing your version of those insights. It’s one thing to read a book and another to engage with it on a deeper level. Writing to improve your sales performance is a method that takes the ideas you read in books and turns them into actionable knowledge. One way to become a better salesperson is to read a chapter of a book and summarize it. Doing this strengthens what you’ve read so you can be sure you’ve understood it. Keep your summaries so you can refer to them later if you want to remind yourself what you learned from a particular book.

When you find an insightful book, highlight quotes or passages that you can share with your clients. Write them down and include a few notes about why they are relevant. By writing about what you learned and what it might mean for your clients and their future, you’ll reinforce your understanding. Writing about each chapter will help you retain what you pick up as you go.

I like to write a summary of each chapter because I don’t want to read a book a second time. Instead, I can get a refresher by referring to my notes. Once I’ve done this, I can move on to another book. You can write your summaries and keep them in the book itself. If you need to review something later, your notes at the end of each chapter will likely contain what you’re looking for.

Mastering Speaking Skills to Gain an Edge in B2B Sales

Reading, writing, and speaking are three pillars that support your growth as a trusted advisor. They will help you become the second type of salesperson, who knows things because they’ve read more than their clients and competitors. Speaking confidently in B2B sales meetings is crucial. When you’ve done the reading and writing, you know that your insights can help your clients.

Curious salespeople have an advantage over those who aren’t interested in understanding the world around them. Curiosity is the compass that leads you into deeper conversations and fresh perspectives. The more you speak about the new ideas you’ve been developing, the more the content of what you read and write becomes something you truly know.

Elevate Your B2B Sales Strategy by Becoming a Lifelong Learner

If you want to be a trusted advisor, you’ll need to know things that benefit both you and your clients. Becoming a lifelong learner in B2B sales will enable you to be a much more capable salesperson than non-readers. Those who don’t invest in activities that broaden their minds are operating on autopilot, while you’re flying the plane with purpose and direction.

Practical Tips for B2B Sales Professionals: Maximizing the Benefits of Books

I buy hardcover books for my library because I prefer to read physical books. However, I also buy the audiobook version of the hardcover, as I believe I retain more through listening. I listen to books in the shower or when I’m driving. Sometimes, I’ll listen to the same book twice, and my retention improves.

If you buy a book and find it isn’t right for you or your clients, gift it to a friend who might benefit from it. Anytime a book doesn’t resonate with you, set it down and pick up another. You should never feel obligated to finish a book. Your time is limited, so don’t worry about reading something cover to cover if it doesn’t grab you.

If you’re interested in a particular topic, pick up a significant book that will allow you to explore that interest. The more interested you are in a topic, the more likely you are to finish the book. Reading to expand your B2B sales skills is not just an act of consuming words; it’s an investment in your own growth, and every book is a new tool in your arsenal.