A great resource to get you thinking along the right lines: the book Spin Selling[1]. This book is about doing selling involving long sales cycles, where it could take you a good amount of time to close the deal. This is often the case with enterprise software.

An example of a great concept from this book that has shaped the way I approach things: You've heard of the concept of closing, where you ask the customer to buy the product. Spin selling extends that concept in the realm of a longer sales cycle that involves many steps such as demos, consulting sessions and so on. Every interaction you have with the customer has some desired outcome that eventually leads to the final sale. For example, your initial contacts with the prospect, the goal of those initial interactions is to get the demo scheduled. Or perhaps it's to introduce you to someone closer to the decision maker. In each interaction, you keep a goal in mind and close towards that goal.

Three other books that were amazing and formative for me are below. These aren't about sales in particular but about making your own business in general, which includes sales in various degrees: 2. Good to Great 3. Crossing the Chasm 4. The E Myth

Also an honorable mention goes to this book, which is more about marketing than sales: Winning Through Intimidation. The book isn't actually about intimidating people, but it's about branding, image, and approach. Despite the evil sounding title, it's an amazing resource.

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Spin-Selling-Neil-Rackham/dp/05660768... [2] https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0... [3] https://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-3rd-Disruptive-Mainstr... [4] https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About... [5] https://www.amazon.com/Winning-through-Intimidation-Victor-B...

The book you're looking for is Spin Selling by Neil Rackham.

What sets this book aside is that's it based on research of top sales people not just anecdotes and hearsay.

I would recommend this to anyone who is intersted in any type of selling.

http://amzn.to/xUcrR3

Here's a review from amazon.

"I have attended numerous sales courses and read every book under the sun covering basic sales skills to more complex sales strategy. Rackham and co are the first, in my opinion, to approach the topic from the psychology of the buyer and not primarily the seller. What "pain" does the exec feel, not what product or features should I sell. I moved from selling basic individual life insurance products in SA to major IT solutions all over Europe, Middle East and Africa within 18months. Regardless of what you are selling, where and to whom - this book keeps you focused on what is important i.e. the business drivers of the individual/s and not the organisation alone."