10 Best Books to Help You Become a Better Communicator

Communication skills are an invaluable asset in every aspect of life — particularly business. From knowing how to convey a clear message to building trust, good communication can significantly improve your quality of work and life. Therefore, if you want to work on yourself — this is a good start.

Luckily, there are plenty of resources on communication that can help you become a better communicator both in the workplace and outside of it. 

In this guide, we’ve compiled a list of 10 best books to help you get your message across more effectively. 

Let’s start!

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It 

Amazon: ★★★★★ 4.6 (55 ratings) | Goodreads: ★★★★★ 4.36 (152,794 ratings)

Our first book on the list comes from Chris Voss, a former hostage negotiator for the FBI. Never Split the Difference outlines the 9 key principles that helped Voss and his colleagues successfully negotiate during crises when people’s lives were at stake. 

With over 2 million copies sold, now in its 3rd edition, Never Split the Difference will teach you how to master the art of negotiating as if, well, your life depended on it.

Authors: Chris Voss, Tahl Raz

Quote:

“Negotiation is not an act of battle; it’s a process of discovery. The goal is to uncover as much information as possible.”

What you’ll learn:

Even if the stakes of your negotiations are not as high, this book can help you:

• Win discussions and become a successful negotiator by developing strong emotional intelligence and empathy.  
• Ask the right questions. Never split the difference suggests that one of the most valuable skills is active listening — the more information you have, the better you’ll be at negotiating. The book emphasizes that figuring out what the other party needs is the single most important piece in the process.
• Get people to trust you and share information with you (just, don’t abuse this knowledge).
• Understand that “No” is not necessarily a bad word — it’s an opportunity (both for you and the other party) to clarify what you want by eliminating what you don’t want. According to the authors of Never Split the Difference, that’s often when the real negotiation begins.

How to Win Friends and Influence People: Updated For the Next Generation of Leaders

Amazon: ★★★★★ 4.7 (31,194 ratings) | Goodreads: ★★★★★ 4.42 (1,074 ratings)

How to Win Friends and Influence People was released almost a century ago (in 1936, to be exact) and since then, it has sold over 30 million copies. 

In the newest edition of one of the best books on communication, the author’s daughter, Donna, updates the book to align the original ideas with the specific experience of current-day communicators and the communication environment.  

This timeless bestseller teaches you:

• 6 ways to make people like you, 
• 12 ways to win people to your way of thinking, and 
• 9 ways to encourage people to change without triggering resentment.

Author: Dale Carnegie

Quote:

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” 

What you’ll learn: 

You’ll learn exactly what the title says: 

• How to win friends by showing genuine interest in other people and making them feel valued and important,
• How to manage and lead people by refraining from criticizing, complaining, and arguing (if possible), and  
• How to influence people by focusing on them — or, as Dale Carnegie put it, “The only way on earth to influence other people is to talk about what they want and show them how to get it.”

How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships

Amazon: ★★★★★ 4.5 (12,718 ratings) | Goodreads: ★★★★☆ 3.72 (34,197 ratings)

We all know at least one person who seems to be liked by everyone: 

• People want to be their friends, 
• They successfully climb the corporate ladder, and 
• They somehow have a way with everyone.

What’s their secret?

They probably mastered the art of successful communication and relationship building described in the book How to Talk to Anyone. The good news is — you can learn that too. 

Author: Leil Lowndes

Quote:

“Great posture, a heads-up look, a confident smile, and a direct gaze.The ideal image for somebody who’s a Somebody.”

What you’ll learn:

• Body language tips to make a great first impression (the way you look and move is more than 80% of someone’s first impression of you),
• How to master both the small and “big talk”,
• How to establish deep subliminal rapport with anyone through active listening, asking good questions, and authentic and specific praise, and 
• How to make your phone a powerful communication tool.

Power Questions: Build Relationships, Win New Business and Influence Others

Amazon: ★★★★★ 4.5 (917 ratings) | Goodreads: ★★★★☆ 3.83 (1,430 ratings)

Never underestimate the power of good questions.

One of the best books on how to communicate better — Power Questions: Build Relationships, Win New Business and Influence Others — reveals a set of thought-provoking questions that will: 

• Transform your conversations, 
• Lead the discussion where you want it to go, and 
• Let you express your thoughts more clearly. 

Power Questions also includes examples of conversations with CEOs and billionaires, as well as authors’ clients, colleagues, and friends.

The final chapter of the book lists 200 additional questions that help navigate professional challenges more effectively. 

Authors: Andrew Sobel, Jerold Panas

Quote:

“If you knew you had only three years to live, what would you hope to achieve personally and professionally?” 

What you’ll learn:

This book is especially useful for professionals, leaders, job seekers, and everyone navigating the business world. However, even if business communication is not your primary focus, you can still learn:

• What questions work and what don’t, 
• What questions are best to ask (good questions trump easy answers, they are often more powerful than answers), 
• How questions can solve problems in your daily life, and 
• How the quality of the questions people ask and their ability to listen can help you accurately gauge their level of experience and insight.

Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone

Amazon: ★★★★★ 4.6 (2,338 ratings) | Goodreads: ★★★★☆ 4.05 (9,051 ratings)

If you want simple, yet powerful techniques to get through to anyone — from stubborn clients to unreachable bosses — Just Listen can help. 

Combining scientific research with his background in psychiatry, business consulting, and coaching, the author, Mark Goulson, teaches us the art of effective communication and turning negative interactions into positive ones.

Author: Mark Goulston 

Quote:

“One absolutely crucial element in moving your brain from panic to logic is to put words to what you’re feeling at each stage.”

What you’ll learn:

• How to make a powerful first impression by not trying to be interesting and being interested instead,
• How to listen effectively (even in high-stress situations),
• How to talk an angry or aggressive person toward a more productive mindset, and
• How to achieve buy-in — the linchpin of all persuasion, negotiation, and sales.

Five Stars: The Communication Secrets to Get from Good to Great

Amazon: ★★★★★ 4.4 (318 ratings) | Goodreads: ★★★★☆ 3.96 (880 ratings)

Do you consider yourself a good communicator? Well, it’s time to become a great one!

Carmine Gallo, the author of our next item on the list of best books on communication — Five Stars — shared the secrets to becoming a more persuasive communicator.  Gallo talked to neuroscientists, economists, historians, billionaires, and business leaders of companies like Google, Nike, and Airbnb to show how they use their words to influence people.

As technology and artificial intelligence keep evolving, communication is becoming more and more important — not less.

Author: Carmine Gallo

Quote:

“Your career is your business. You are its CEO. Complacency breeds failure. As the CEO of your career, you must continually improve your skills, especially the art of communication.”

What you’ll learn: 

Five stars teaches you how to be an effective communicator, as well as:

• What skill, according to Warren Buffet, will raise your value by 50%,
• Why you should speak in third-grade language to persuade adult listeners,
• What brain hack helped Steve Jobs, Leonardo da Vinci, and Picasso unlock their best ideas, and 
• How better communication skills help you stand a much greater chance of landing a leadership position.

Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds

Amazon: ★★★★★ 4.5 (4,141 ratings)  | Goodreads: ★★★★☆ 3.88 (18,524 ratings)

Do you fear public speaking? 

Do you experience intense and paralyzing fear and anxiety every time you need to present at or facilitate a meeting at work? 

Another book by Carmine Gallo on our list uncovers the secret of how to successfully and persuasively communicate your ideas. 

Talk Like TED analyzes hundreds of TED talks and reveals a step-by-step method anyone can use to master public speaking and deliver engaging presentations. 

Author: Carmine Gallo 

Quote:

“You cannot inspire others unless you are inspired yourself. You stand a much greater chance of persuading and inspiring your listeners if you express an enthusiastic, passionate, and meaningful connection to your topic.”

What you’ll learn: 

Whether you’re anxious about presenting in front of a large audience or a team meeting, this book will help you: 

• Overcome any fear of public speaking, 
• Learn the 9 secrets of effective TED presentations, 
• Identify the ideas that matter most to you, 
• Get the techniques you need to communicate ideas you are passionate about, and 
• Deliver a dynamic and engaging presentation. 

We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations that Matter

Amazon: ★★★★★ 4.4 (1,088 ratings)  | Goodreads: ★★★★☆ 3.97 (4,500 ratings)

As one of the most widely spread communication myths suggests, our biggest problems in communication start from assuming that communication has taken place. 

Celeste Headlee, the author of We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations that Matter, explores the disconnect we often experience in modern-day communication and offers solutions and methods to help us improve our communication skills and connect better in the workplace and outside of it.  

Author: Celeste Headlee 

Quote:

“You must commit to a conversation, even the brief ones, or walk away. If you’re too distracted, admit that to both yourself and the other person. Be present or be gone.”

What you’ll learn:

The author offers actionable steps to becoming a more skilled communicator through several key concepts including: 

• Be there or go elsewhere — Reminding us that, despite our best efforts, we are essentially incapable of multitasking, especially in communication. To be able to connect and hear each other, we need to focus on one communication situation at a time.
• Check your bias — Suggests that we need to keep our biases in check to ensure our flawed patterns of thinking and false assumptions don’t impede our communication and relationships as a whole.
• Hide your phone — Implies that, to be fully present and engaged in our conversations, we need to move our phones entirely out of sight. Namely, our phones are causing distractions simply by being present in our vicinity, according to research cited in the book. 

Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most

Amazon: ★★★★★ 4.7 (21 ratings)  | Goodreads: ★★★★☆ 4.07 (17,614 ratings)

The Harvard Negotiation Project — a program focused on developing the theory and practice of conflict resolution and negotiation — brings a practical guide on how to handle difficult conversations at work with grace and turn them into constructive and productive interactions. 

Now in its 3rd edition, the book gives practical advice on how to step into our more assertive and regulated selves while discussing some of the most anxiety-inducing topics. 

The latest edition has been updated to include important issues including: 

• Race, 
• Gender, 
• Culture, 
• Power, 
• Social media, and 
• Communication technology. 

Authors: Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, Sheila Heen 

Quote:

“Remind yourself that if you think you already understand how someone feels or what they are trying to say, it is a delusion. Remember a time when you were sure you were right and then discovered one little fact that changed everything? There is always more to learn.”

What you’ll learn:

Difficult Conversations uses practical everyday examples to walk you through key lessons in tough conversations including: 

• How to manage strong emotions — both yours and those of your interlocutors, 
• The fundamental structure and challenges of the difficult conversation at hand,
• How to initiate tough conversations without causing defensiveness,
• How to maintain balance and composure regardless of the other person’s response, and 
• Why incorporating relationship building and learning are the core objectives of getting to the bottom of issues.   

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High

Amazon: ★★★★★ 4.7 (2,717 ratings)  | Goodreads: ★★★★☆ 4.06 (70,389 ratings)

Do you tend to break under pressure when being faced with a high-stakes conversation? 

Whether you have to attend a critical client meeting or discuss important family matters with a spouse, keeping a cool head when emotions are running high is one of the key factors that can determine your success in achieving the desired results. 

Crucial Conversations teaches you how to use best-practice tools and develop the skills to respond instead of react in some of the most defining conversations and moments in your life.

Authors: Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, Emily Gregory 

Quote:

“People who are skilled at dialogue do their best to make it safe for everyone to add their meaning to the shared pool — even ideas that at first glance appear controversial, wrong, or at odds with their own beliefs. Now, obviously, they don’t agree with every idea; they simply do their best to ensure that all ideas find their way into the open.” 

What you’ll learn: 

After studying successful communicators for 25 years, the authors of Crucial Conversations summed up what they learned and wrote a book that teaches you:

• What crucial conversations are and how to master them,
• How to make it safe to talk about almost anything,
• How to speak persuasively, but not abrasively,
• How to respond and not react when faced with a crucial conversation, and 
• How to communicate more effectively across different communication channels and tools. 

Become a better communicator with Pumble 

Your career success relies heavily on your ability to effectively communicate and collaborate. 

And, while the books on communication offer valuable resources for understanding the underlying frameworks of effective workplace communication, the key step to improving your communication skills lies in applying all the learned principles and techniques. 

This is where an all-in-one team communication app, such as Pumble, becomes the perfect medium where you can implement and test all the lessons and methods from these books on communication that resonated with you. 

Pumble offers a dynamic digital environment where you can fine-tune and integrate communication skills practically. 

If your team uses Pumble, you’ll be able to improve your team communication and collaboration in many different ways:

• Send direct messages to practice one-on-one communication, 
• Use Pumble’s video conferencing feature to refine your team connection and communication, improve your body language, and practice your public speaking and presentation skills,
• Collaborate and share files in real time, or
• Set up different channels where your team can unwind and share their main takeaways from their favorite books on communication.

To experience firsthand how Pumble can help you apply communication skills practically, try Pumble for free today!