Now that all the presents have been unwrapped and all those holiday goodies have been devoured, it’s time to set our goals for the new year. There’s no better time to step up your career than right now.

We’ve got you covered with our list of the top channel sales books for you to consume not just in January but all year.

Building Successful Partner Channels by Hans Peter Bech

Channel selling will always be part of a successful sales strategy regardless of how the direct and channel sales teams work together. If you want to build a successful partnership, read Hans Peter Bech’s book. Using the business mode environments and frameworks developed by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur, learn when to use an indirect go-to-market approach, channel partner recruitment, and a partner program that covers every level of channel seller partnerships.

Transforming Your Go-to-Market Strategy: The Three Disciplines of Channel Management by V. Kasturi Rangan and Marie Bell

If it feels like your channel partnership is outdated, it probably is. Despite changes in the market and with technology, most channel partnerships suffer from a lack of leadership and unwieldy processes that prevent all parties from reaching success. Don’t wait for changes to happen, be the force that makes the change by Transforming Your Go-to-Market Strategy. Rangan and Bell outline the three disciplines to perfect channel management: mapping the industry channel, building and editing your channel continuously to serve customers best, and aligning and influencing your channel value chain to ensure all parties reap appropriate rewards.  

Making Channel Sales Work by David Davies 

Create a world-class channel selling program with this reimagined approach to the Sandler Training method. It works no matter the business type, whether you already have a partnership, have multiple independent sellers, or are working with an agency. Navigate this complex partnership with ease with the ten tools to create a world-class third-party selling program.

The Challenger Customer: Selling to the Hidden Influencer Who Can Multiply Your Results by Brent Adamson, Matthew Dixon, Pat Spenner, and Nick Toman

Everyone wants to sell to eager customers. Unfortunately, just because they seem interested doesn’t mean they can help you close a deal. Don’t fall prey to “Talkers,” or customers who show interest but lack the ability to get the rest of their organization on board. Instead, look for the “Mobilizers,” the champions that can get their people on their side. Find out who these “Mobilizers,” are and how to use them to get the whole organization on board with your solution with the Challenger Customer. 

Channel Sales A Complete Guide – 2020 Edition by Gerardus Blokdyk

Become a channel sales master with this complete guide to everything channel sales. Based on past and current successes, this book has everything you need to know to overcome any channel sales challenge. With an updated Channel Sales Self-Assessment and Channel Sales Checklist, learn where you stand and how to become the best at third-party selling.

The Channel Advantage by Tim Furey and Lawrence Friedman

Still considered the industry standard for channel sales, Furey and Friedman cover how to get ahead of the competition and develop strategies to stay there. Understanding that it’s not what you sell but how you sell, these authors explain how to use the strategies of leading companies to connect customers with solutions and how channel sales fit into the puzzle. 

Leading from the Middle: A Playbook for Managers to Influence Up, Down, and Across the Organization by Scott Mautz

Some people are lucky enough to be their own bosses, but the rest of us have to learn to lead from the middle. Being an effective leader when you have a boss and are the boss is no easy feat. The same applies to channel sales managers who have to answer to their partner organization and lead their team of channel reps to success. Learn how to navigate complex multi-level and multi-organization challenges with Leading from the Middle.

A Field Guide to Channel Strategy: Building Routes to Market by Dr. Anne T. Coughlan and Dr. Sandy D. Jap

Take the mystery out of channel sales strategy with A Field Guide to Channel Strategy. Don’t let your strategy topple like a tower of blocks. Instead, create a flexible strategy that can withstand changing partners, products, and market paths. This guide gives you the tools you need to build a foundation that is resilient, responsive, and gives you a competitive advantage.

The Manager’s Guide to Distribution Channels by Linda Gorchels, Edward Marien, and Chuck West

Channel management has become a make-or-break for many organizations. Which means errors in channel management can cost more than revenue for the organization; it can cost careers. The Manager’s Guide to Distribution Channels gives managers and decision-makers practical tools and strategies to improve channel strategies and manage distribution relationships, as well as self-assessment tools, real-world cases, and examples that offer a practical blend of insightful ideas and hands-on tactics.

Growth IQ: Get Smarter About the Choices That Will Make or Break Your Business by Tiffani Bova

There are only 10 simple paths to growth, but people misunderstand how these paths actually work. The tricky part is finding the right combination and order of these paths for your current situation. Growth IQ can help you navigate the opportunities and pitfalls that come from using these growth paths. Grow your company confidently by growing your Growth IQ.