What are some of the tools and resources that you use to improve your sales skills and knowledge?

1 Books and podcasts

Learning from the best in sales is easy and accessible through books and podcasts. These can provide valuable insights, tips, stories, and strategies from successful salespeople, experts, and thought leaders. You can find books and podcasts on a wide range of topics such as sales psychology, communication, negotiation, prospecting, closing, and more. For example, The Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson; Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz; Sell or Be Sold by Grant Cardone; The Sales Acceleration Formula by Mark Roberge; The Sales Hacker Podcast by Max Altschuler; The Salesman Podcast by Will Barron; and The Brutal Truth About Sales and Selling by Brian Burns are all highly recommended.

2 Online courses and webinars

Improving your sales skills and knowledge can be done through taking online courses and webinars. These structured and interactive learning experiences can provide you with the opportunity to learn from experts, instructors, and peers. There are a variety of platforms that offer these courses and webinars, such as LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, Coursera, Skillshare, and more. We recommend the following courses and webinars: Mastering Sales Skills: How to Sell Anything by Brian Tracy; Sales Training: Practical Sales Techniques by Chris Croft; Sales Negotiation Skills: Close More Deals by Jeff Bloomfield; Sales Enablement and Strategy by HubSpot Academy; Sales Secrets: The Ultimate Guide to Landing Any Job in Sales by Brandon Bornancin; How to Sell Anything to Anyone by Dan Lok; The Ultimate Cold Calling Course for B2B Sales by John Barrows.

3 CRM and sales software

Improving your sales skills and knowledge can be done by using CRM and sales software. CRM and sales software can help you manage leads, contacts, accounts, deals, activities, and pipelines. It can also automate tasks, track performance, generate reports, and optimize the sales process. There are a variety of platforms available for CRM and sales software, such as Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, Pipedrive, and more. We recommend Salesforce for its comprehensive suite of tools and features for sales, marketing, service, and more. HubSpot offers a user-friendly platform with a free plan that integrates with various tools and apps. Zoho is a cloud-based platform with a low-cost plan that includes tools for sales, marketing, service, analytics, and more. Pipedrive is a simple CRM platform that focuses on pipeline management and sales activities. Close integrates with various communication channels such as email, phone, SMS, and video.

4 Blogs and newsletters

Reading blogs and newsletters is a great way to stay informed on the latest trends, news, best practices, and tips in sales. For example, Sales Hacker offers content, events, webinars, podcasts, and courses for sales professionals. HubSpot Sales Blog has resources, tools, and templates for sales professionals. Gong Blog offers research, data, and insights on sales conversations and performance. SaaStr provides content, events, podcasts, webinars, and courses for SaaS founders and sales leaders. Additionally, The Sales Blog by Anthony Iannarino offers books and courses on sales mindset, skills, and strategies. With these sources of information at your disposal, you can be sure to stay up-to-date with the world of sales!

5 Mentors and coaches

A fifth way to improve your sales skills and knowledge is to find mentors and coaches who can provide personalized guidance, feedback, advice, and support in your sales journey. Mentors and coaches can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, set goals, develop an action plan, and overcome challenges. Platforms such as MentorCruise, GrowthMentor, CoachHub, and more can be used to find mentors and coaches. For example, Tony J. Hughes is a sales expert and coach who helps sales leaders and teams achieve revenue growth; Mark Hunter is a sales expert and coach who helps salespeople master prospecting, negotiation, and closing; Jill Konrath is a sales expert and coach who helps accelerate sales cycles; John Lee Dumas is a podcasting expert and coach who helps entrepreneurs launch and grow their podcasts; Steli Efti is a SaaS expert and coach who helps SaaS founders and sales teams scale their sales.

6 Communities and groups

A sixth way to improve your sales skills and knowledge is to join communities and groups. You can find these on various platforms, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Reddit, Slack, and more. For example, r/sales is a subreddit that offers a space for sales professionals to discuss topics, ask questions, and share experiences. Sales Humor is a Facebook group that provides funny memes, jokes, stories, and videos related to sales. Sales Best Practices is a LinkedIn group that shares best practices and tips. Sales Stack is a Slack community for discussing sales tools and software. Plus, the Sales Hacker Community provides an opportunity to network, learn, share, and collaborate with other members of the Sales Hacker website.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?