I would argue against this comment... it is very useful to actually learn the culture and the techniques. Not that the general advice here is in poor taste, just saying that simple concepts won't help you fully understand something that is inherently complex.
And I would disagree with your comment on similar grounds. There is undoubtedly a lot of nuance and experience in sales, technical requirements depending on the industry, but forgive me, I’m not going to outline everything in a comment.
I am arguing that a book won’t cut it and may do more harm than good. Advice from great salespeople must be taken with a grain of salt. Because the core of sales, making deals, is more feeling than logic.
I’ve seen people sell extremely well with zero experience as well as seasoned pros who are inherently terrible at the job. Salespeople overthink the strategy and lose sight of what really makes money: making that motherfucker say yes. If you want to do that then you need to really embrace your role properly and forget about being a shark or a shooter or whatever. You are helping someone or some organization either make more money, save money, or do their job easier than before. Everything else is bullshit strategy for guys who don’t actually believe in what they are selling.
Edit: that reply could be misconstrued as aggressive but I’m set in my ways, which I know work best.
If OP doesn’t want to mentor under a sales manager in a business and learn the job that way, then as a practical suggestion:
Skip the self help books. Zig Ziggler and how to make friends and influence people, etc etc. Skip all that.
Get a College textbook on being an Entrepreneur. Something that will help you with the nuts and bolts backend stuff.
