Book Description

In Here's My Card, Bob Popyk shows how something as simple as your business card can help you make more sales, create more customers, and increase your business overall.He shows how to use those business cards with a little cleverness and creativity, and how to use them the right way.Networking smarts also help, as the author clearly points out.You also need a plan, a specific goal in mind, and a little creativity as well.There are a raft of these ideas in this easy-to-read, easy-to-implement book.

This interesting book on personal promotion and networking is not as much about designing a card, but on how to use your business card to actually create more business.Exchanging or handing out business cards has become one of the most common forms of introduction, surpassed only by the handshake.As the author states, "If your business card makes the first impresssion, then shouldn't it make a GREAT impression?Otherwise you can just write your name and phone number on the back of a napkin, toss it on a table and leave it at that.You might save a few bucks that way, but you could be losing a lot of new business, repeat business, and more business".

The techniques highlighted in Here's My Card have not only worked for the author, but are a compilation of great ideas from his columns, research from his staff, and input from his audiences at seminars and conventions all over the country. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A new business's helper.
You are trying to start a business, you meet people and give them your business card, you get no responses. You are looking for a new job, you hand your card and no response. Doing something wrong? After reading Here's My Card there may be a lot you're doing wrong.

Bob Popyk has given you a great way to meet new people, communicate ideas and get your name out there for others to notice, and it all starts with the business card. Popyk has over 35 years in sales and knows what it takes to get ahead, now he gives his ideas and tricks to you.

Follow along and you'll finds ways to network your business, get more referrals, more customers and increased sales, all this without the use of computers. You business card or people linker as the book refers, will help give you the quality of life you have always dreamed of.

This is not a once read and do book, this is a read over and over and practice book. From Networking know how to personalized presentations to the design of the card, it's all here and waiting for you. The cost is minimal compared to the possibility of what you gain.

A must read for anyone in business
This book is helpful and insightful for anyone in any type of business. A business card is something everyone has (or should have) which is a valuable sales tool that is highly underated. Mr. Popyk has many fresh ideas for using and designing your card, and I recommend it for everyone. It should be a must read for everyone in your office! It is an easy read and clever. It is something offices, entrepreneurs, those new to sales, and business veterans who are looking to sharpen their networking skills alike can benefit from.

BETTER THAN A SCIENTIFIC STUDY...REAL DOWN TO EARTH IDEAS
I read this book. It was exactly what I was looking for. How to get more business using my business cards. No stupid studies, graphs, charts or scientific BS. Just things to do to find customers, build business, and get my name out there. If you can't find a few ideas to put to use, you shouldn't be in business. I liked this book so much I ordered a few more as gifts. Gave one to my boss. He held it up at a sales meeting and said everyone should read it. Mentioning that it came from me didn't hurt. I am glad I took the advice of the other postive reviewers of this book! Get one for yourself!

If you're in business, this is a great book to read
I write a column for a number of trade and business publications. Recently I reviewed this book and gave it an excellent rating. Whether you've been in business for a long time, or are just starting out, one good idea put to use could increase your business nicely. Not every idea is for everybody. Some are clever. Some are creative. Some are just plain fun. Some take some planning, and some you can just put to use right away. If you don't already have a great card, skip to the back chapters, design your card, and then the author will tell you how to creatively network with it. This book is inexpensive, easy to read, and a lot of the ideas are something probably everyone in business forgets to do, one time or another. Great for reference, or just sharing with your business colleagues. I liked it.

First book I am returning
This is the first book out of many I have purchased at Amazon.com that I will be returning. I expected much more out of a book that is rated 5 stars by the seven reviewers before me.

Here's what I really wanted - tips on card design with statistics on what works and what doesn't. For example - what to put where on the card and perhaps some test marketing and statistics to show what information is important on a card and what should be left off.

Then I wanted a rational scientific approach to networking with the card - with an evaluation of effectiveness of approaches depending on the situation.

Instead what I read was a few gladhanding techniques - none of which were new to me.

Get the book if you are absolutely brand new to business and you have no idea on how to use your business cards. Otherwise, I recommend a pass. ... Read more

Book Description

Say goodbye to the dull and deadly!Siberman's back--and better than ever!

Think about your last meeting. Was it boring? Meetings often are. You might be yawning just thinking about it. You're not the only one!

Those who attAnd stale meetings are as bored with them as the people responsible for running them. "Dull and deadly" is never the way to get things done. In his latest book, active training specialist Mel Silberman packs 101 tools, tips, and techniques guaranteed to brighten your next meeting. You'll move the action along while successfully fulfilling genuine business goals and objectives. This is a resource for everyone!

"Mel has done it again! Use just a few of the more than 200 ideas in this gem of a book and never again will you hear 'ugh, another meeting.'"--Glenn M. Parker, team building consultant; author, Team Players and Teamwork; co-author, Teamwork and Teamplay

You'll get the basics on:
• Preparing a meeting
• Engaging participants right away
• Stimulating discussion
• Prompting creative problem solving
• Managing conflict
• Building consensus
• Creating an unforgettable closing . . . and much more!

Stop yawning! No need to be bored when Silberman's on the scene.A special BONUS is the "nuts and bolts" section that contains 140 field-tested facilitation tips! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Getting Meetings Moving!
This book is the best I have seen (and I've seen several) for a quick reference to meeting activities. Moreover, the activities are incredibly easy to understand and implement and are, in a word, fun! This is a great reference to have on any facilitator's desk, or for the person who leads meetings for his/her company. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Whether you seek protocol on accepting a formal invitation, turning down a job offer, challenging your credit record, writing a condolence letter, or penning a collection letter, How to Write It can help. With precision and humor, Sandra E. Lamb provides reliable guidance on all forms of written correspondence; for each type of communication, she considers such issues as content, wrong messages (how to eliminate them), format, effective writing, and editing. What in other hands might have been a dry reference manual takes on its own personality in the hands of this competent stylist. Lamb's advice for writing a memo, for instance, includes "Don't use an autocratic tone," "Don't assign blame," "Don't whine," "Don't pad," "Don't hedge," and "Don't use officious, stuffy, or formal words." Lamb is part etiquette adviser and part good-business guru. Perhaps her guide's most important message is that the general decline of written communication both socially and in business actually benefits those who still rely on it, as its impact is even greater than it once was. --Jane Steinberg ... Read more

Reviews (17)

How to Write It: A Complete Guide to Everything You'll Ever
This is comprehensive reference tool for all sorts of business and personal situations. If you're a skilled writer or if you feel your writing needs polish, this book provides great guidelines for drafting letters, memos, reports, and resumes. It is especially helpful when you need to write letters for unpleasant situations such as annoucing a divorce, laying off an employee, or to offer condolence.

essential reference work
Short of teaching you how to write War and Peace, this marvelous reference book covers absolutely all the bases. Business letters, career-oriented letters and personal writing of all kinds are included. Everybody's library needs this--and your kids will crib from it.

Errors
While a great reference, this book has many typographical and gramerical errors. It also is not categorized properly and reiterates the same facts over and over. It does however have great pointers on what to say in a letter. However its view is too simplistic for business writing. I would not suggest this book for a professional opinion. I would suggest it however for a day to day reference on personal letters.

Excellent Resource
This book proves that even the most experienced writer can still benefit from outside guidance! I have written business correspondence througout my career, and have recently taken a position that requires almost nothing BUT writing. Being inspired 8 hours per day, 5 days per week can be a bit overwhelming, but in the first three weeks on the job I have turned to this book AT LEAST once a week, and have found wonderful suggestions for a sympathy note, employment candidate rejection letter, fundraising appeal, you name it! I am happy to have this book on my shelf! Don't hesitate to buy!

Essential book for EVERYONE
Have you ever been stumped on how to write something? I know I have and couldn't believe how much use I'd get out of this book!

There is sections for everything from business life to personal life. Almost any situation and anything you might ever write will be found in this book!

Although, of course, you won't find exactly what you're looking to write in this book (you supply the 'text', not the book)...you'll find out HOW to write it, WHAT is effective, and EXAMPLES of what it should look and read like.

The books price is inexpensive for something you'll probablly use many times throughout the year (or like me every week!)

Bottom line: Get the book and have one less headache in your daily writing life! ... Read more

Book Description

Say The Right Thing-In Any Business or Social Situation! Each year thousands of executives pack Dianna Booher's seminars to learn to express themselves more clearly and confidently at work and at play. Now this master communicator has distilled over 600 of her proven speaking and listening tips into a single fast-access primer-one that can help you think on your feet, organize your ideas for impact, build credibility and loyalty, and instantly answer questions from customers... bosses... coworkers... even your spouse! With Communicate With Confidence You'll develop the skill to: win people over to your ideas; hold your own in meetings; give-and get-advice; say "No" without hurt feelings; criticize without crippling; resolve conflicts without blows; respond to insults and abuse; talk across gender line-and more! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

What is communication any way?
This book is for those that really want to COMMUNICATE -- not simply write or speak well. It includes over 1000 (yes I said one thousand) tips taught in 23 situational lessons. I found Booher's writing style to be conversational and easy-to-follow. After reading the book cover-to-cover, I also find it a straightforward reference where I can "look up" how I might handle "special" circumstances. There's also a full list of all the tips in the back that I used to highlight a few goals that I want to put in practice in my professional and personal life.

There isn't anyone who couldn't use these practical tips.

Communicate with Confidence! contains over 1000 communication tips, arranged in a quick-read format. Brief, practical tips are found easily under category headings such as "Conversing One on One," "Asking the Right Questions without t Being Intrusive," "Criticising Without Crippling," and, "Taking the Sting Out of Criticism Leveled at You."

The inside cover is replete with endorsements from a dozen high-powered corporate hanchos, but the advice in this book is helpful and immediately-usable for anyone who has to interact with anyone else.

Essential for anyone
While this book has a business focus, there are many techniques shown that can be used in all facets of life - in the family, with friends, or in organizations and sports teams. It's a huge (1000+) list of tips for various situations. How do you deal with someone who's not pulling their weight? You don't have to be a manager at work - you can have unresponsive kids, friends who take much more than they give, and committee members who are just along for the ride.

All the points are obvious, but in real life we forget, communicate badly, and then make a bad situation worse. This book has the sort of information that someone gives you when they say, "In that situation I always do . . ." and you could hit yourself for not thinking of it at the time. If you read and re-read this book you'll begin to have these ideas when you need them, not afterward.

The tip formula is excellent. Too many books try to put ideas across in ordinary text and become confusing and unclear. Each tip and its supporting text is complete. You won't be left wondering what the author meant.

I teach people to make presentations and there is plenty here I intend to pass along. My order is in for Booher's forthcoming "Speak With Confidence," because if it's even half as good as this book, it will be invaluable.

One last thought. Think about the times you didn't communicate that well. Think about the stress, the bad relations with other people, and all the negative things that resulted. Now look at the price of this book. Isn't it worth that price just to communicate effectively one time, let alone all the times this book will save the day?

RIP OFF
The only thing exciting about the book is the title. I could not wait to get the book and read it. I can't remember being this disappointed in a book - ever. There is nothing of any value in this - just warmed over hyperbole. I am so po'd that I wasted money on this rip off.

One of the best!
I have used this book as a reference in the many business seminars that I conduct. When it comes to "Communications", Dianna Booher's tips and practical advice are the best I've seen. It also "works" for my international clients. A great all round practical guide to communications improvement. ... Read more

Book Description

The tools to inform, persuade, entertain an audience of any size, and to ultimately win more business.

From informal luncheons to formal meetings before selection committees, more than one million business presentations are given in the United States every working day.Unfortunately, very few efforts succeed, primarilybecause the professionals making them don't place a premium on the real power of the presentation: the pitch that will win the business.Instead, they get hung up on writing proposals or creating PowerPoint slides.

The ability to powerfully present oneself can be many times more valuable than technical knowledge and experience, according to training expert Gary Hankins.For the first time, he has outlined his proprietary formula that will virtually guarantee success for sales, marketing, advertising, and public relations professionals and executives at all levels.

The Power of the Pitch shows readers how to incorporate into their own presentations the same techniques and strategies Hankins and his team use to coach thousands of professionals in a variety of industries.Examples include:
* Vital steps to be taken before and after every presentation
* How to get prospects to like the presenter withinthe critical first 30 seconds of a presentation
* A powerful way to organize the content of any presentation
* Ways to grab an audience, keep their attention, and leave them wanting more
* Tips on effectively using technology, such as Web conferencing, videoconferencing, and teleconferencing

Unlike most communication books, The Power of the Pitch provides a comprehensive, time-tested formula for successful presentations that can be followed from the moment the appointment is made until the prospect says"yes."Also included is a list of books, newsletters, Web sites, and downloads that will aid in creating increasingly more successful pitches. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A Pragmatic, All-Inclusive Guide to Persuasion
"Pitch" may have a negative connotation to the same group of people who regard "sales" as a less than legitimate profession. Hankins has the courage to show us that any communication with intent to persuade is a "pitch" and that sure makes us all salespeople much of the time. You may not appreciate his button-down, rules-oriented approach if you're a free spirit with an irrepressible ego, but you'll glom onto the numerous templates and procedures once you see that they all but guarantee success! Hankins' combination of well-tested practices with the technically sophisticated tools available today and the acknowledgement of an over-saturated public give this book a gritty realism that is unabashadly prescriptive. He knows these things work and has earned the right to tell us about them. Frequent references to his daughter's wisdom, his own foibles and personal stories of friends and clients provide a warm contrast to the otherwise mercantile feel of the journey. You'll come away knowing not only Hankins' philosophy and tricks, but also his underlying humanness. Combined with the generous listing of helpful websites and open-door view of his reference library, the author has given until he can give no more. This is a one-evening read that you will want to come back to for years.

Tackle Your Greatest Fear - Public Speaking
The Power of the Pitch is a practical, well-organized book for anyone who makes presentations. It contains excellent examples and stories that will inspire you to become a more persuasive speaker. It offers great suggestions about how to grab attention from an audience - you will never start your presentations in the "same old way " after reading the Grabber chapter.
Our sales department was given this book at a recent conference, and their feedback has been that this book is now a useful reference tool when preparing for client proposals. This is a book you will use to helpyou improve your public speaking skills - don't we all want to improve in that arena ?

Easy to read and retain info to make a powerful presentation
Transfrom Yourself Into a Persuasive Presenter and Win More Business.

"Presentations Magazine estimates that businessmen and women give over one million presentations in the United states every business day. When you factor in the cities worldwide, the number of presentations could easily be in the tens of millions."


Gary Hankins says that most of the presentations fail because not enough emphasis is placed on the power of persuasion or the pitch. Instead, time is spent in trying to meet with decision makers or prospecting for clients. And usually the pitch is delivered hurriedly on the way to a meeting. Hankins has tooled and re-tooled the presentation strategies in this book over 30 years of giving speeches, hosting radio and TV, and giving many, many sales presentations. HIs audience for workshops have been Fortune 500 companies, sports teams, both professional and collegiate, and associations. Hankins gives you all the tools in The Power of the Pitch to deliver a successful, persuasive presentation and create more business than you every dreamed.

Hankins helps you in defining your rock star attitude, how to make people like you in the first 30 seconds, and how to brand yourself. You can create positive nonverbal facial and hand gestures that work in your favor with Gary Hankins' professional techniques. Learn to "dress to your success" with actual photographs for the level of success you wish to achieve for both men and women with very specific tips.

In addition to the appropriate business look, you need "power in your voice" with enthusiasm and correct grammar. Gary Hankins gives failproof ways to deliver your presentation without embarrasement. The first part of the 3-part pitch strategy is gaining or "grabbing" the attention of your audience. Secondly is persuading them with the ISB Model (you have to read it to find out), and the third-part is the effective power close.

Gary Hankins ends with topics of: excellent presentation pointers, how to tell an interesting story and using humor effectively in your presentation. Included are resourceful Web sites and the download URL for forms that included such as: "The Power of the Pitch Outline", "The Power of the Pitch Audience Debrief Form", "The Power of the Pitch 360° Feedback Form".

Opinion by Reviewer:

I enjoyed the excellent easy-to-read information from Gary Hankins' more than 30 years of experience. It has great tips for honing your persuasive pitch presentation. Incorporating Gary Hankins' success formula into your presentation is the difference between sales or no sales. I highly recommend The Power of the Pitch to those readers who really want to transform their presentations.

Incredible Addition to Your Business Tool Kit
This book out lines the "details" which are crucial to giving a successful presentation.The book is not just a "How to do it" text, it is a reference guide that can be used time and time again.It is a keeper for the brief case when on the road pitching business or for discussion with your team.

Incorporate just a few concepts that Gary mentions and watch the $$$ add up!

Pitch For Success
Most sales endeavors involve establishing strong personal relationships and building trust with the prospective client. It is usually that trust that "gets you to the dance", but if you don't know how to "dance" you are going to fall on your feet and lose the opportunity to shine. The "Power of the Pitch" gives you everything you need to take what's inside of you and allow it to shine. From how to dress, how to look, and to speak, what to say and when to say it, Gary's book provides a step by step formula to help even the most apprehensive speakers put together a powerful presentation and "wow" your clients or customers.

In the commercial real estate brokerage business, pitches are a way of life, but it is shocking at how lacking many seasoned professionals are in delivering them. I have witnessed first hand, the unfortunate results of a poor pitch when the business was already won before walking in to the presentation. I purchased several copies of the book and made it mandatory reading for my team.

I encourage anyone who is serious about improving their performance in pitches to get this book, read it and practice it...and pass it along to your friends and even your children to help them present themselves as they wanted to be seen and heard. It is an easy read and a great resource to keep close at hand for reference whenever you are preparing for a presentation, speech or interview.

Buy it for yourself....you will be richly rewarded! ... Read more

Book Description

Unless you live alone in a cave, you spend a good part of each day negotiating – with your boss, your staff, your vendors, or clients, with your spouse, your kids, and even your neighbor with the rambunctious rottweiler. Negotiating is all about getting what you want in life. And whether it’s closing a multimillion-dollar deal, buying a home, or debating body-piercings with your teenager, the basic negotiating skills required are always the same.  You’d be surprised how quickly you can master those skills, with the right coach to guide you, and you’d be amazed at how you’re life can be transformed once you do.

Get ready to be transformed. Negotiating For Dummies offers a new approach to getting what you want in life, based on personal integrity and persuasion, not tricks and coercion. In plain English, master negotiators Michael and Mimi Donaldson explain the six steps to successful negotiations and arm you with tested-in-the-trenches techniques that help you:

• Get people to do what you want without threats or deceit
• Always negotiate from a position of strength
• Achieve win-win results in every negotiation
• Build trust, goodwill, and mutual respect
• Communicate more clearly and effectively
• Advance your career
• Reduce stress in your everyday life

Stop spinning your wheels in endless debate and miscommunication. Discover how much easier and more rewarding life can be once you’ve mastered the simple, easy-to-master methods for:

• Identifying your values and creating a mission statement
• Developing a plan based on thorough research and putting it into action
• Setting limits and sticking to them
• Maintaining your emotional distance
• Fine-tuning your listening skills
• Communicating clearly and handling hot -button issues with grace
• Reading signs of resistance and receptivity
• Dressing for success
• Monitoring and controlling your body language
• Closing the deal

How well you do, how happy you are , and whether you get what you want, or get passed over, have a lot to do with how good a negotiator you are. Let Negotiating For Dummies show you how to become a master negotiator. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Dry and humorless
The "For Dummies" series is way over-done. The original publisher made a lot of money and has moved on, and maybe so should you. Like the vast majority of its siblings, Negotiating for Dummies is dry, poorly organized, poorly indexed, and just not funny. If someone is really a dummy he'd expect a clear step-by-step guide, which this book is not. ...

A definite for those who are new to the negotiating game.
Having spent time negotiating sports sponsorship contracts, I have a new found love for negotiating. In reading this book, the authors have laid out a clear and concise program in which to begin, work through and close negotiatings. A great book for beginners and a good brush up for intermediates and pros.

GREAT BOOK
This book gives you everything you need and then some.

Look elsewhere
This book is very unorganized and not well presented. It's obvious that the author, who is a lawyer, has no experience writing books. I strongly believe that the author and the publisher have the ability to do a better job.

You have to dig through a lot to get negotiating nuggets.
There were a few good tips on negotiating in this tape but they were burried among lots of other almost meaningless stuff. For instance, the author makes it a point to set your mission and values before beginning negotiations. OK, good point. But then he proceeds to spend 10 minutes or so on the subject instead of referring the reader to a book on the subject. Other suggestions include speaking clearly ... making sure the other party hears "five" instead of "fine". Later in the tape he cuts short some negotiating tips for lack of time and suggests that the listener buy the book! ... Read more

Book Description

Packed with essential tips for today's competitive business world, these low-priced paperbacks are ideal for anyone interested in improving their business skills.

Perfect for the briefcase or portfolio, these four new guides in the Essential Managers series are ideal for experienced or novice managers in companies both large and small. Having sold more than 2 million copies worldwide, these books are relevant to every work environment. Concise treatment of dozens of techniques, skills, and methods make Essential Managers the most accessible guide to business available. ... Read more

Book Description

This course will help you with all the meeting essentials—planning, creating an agenda, moderating conflict, and summarizing action items. Match the meeting structure to your goals. Solve common meeting problems. Stimulate discussions and participation.

Learning Objectives:To show how to conduct productive meetings.To present techniques for high-quality decision making.To provide meeting leadership skills. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Effective Meeting Skills
Nice, short, concise format for managers. Gets to the point with some meaningful tips beyond introductory level, going to addressing meeting problems and meeting follow-up and evaluation. Simple quizes to evaluate your understanding of the books content as you go. Example checklists help you get the meeting right. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

business communication basics
This book gives a great overview of the basics of communication in business, including examples. Also provided are examples to write better and more effective persuasive letters, complaint letters, and difficult to write bad news letters. I highly recommend! ... Read more

Book Description

Five core assumptions characterize invitational rhetoric:(1) the purpose of communicating is to gain understanding; (2) the speaker and the audience are equal; (3) different perspectives constitute valuable resources; (4) change happens when people choose to change themselves; and (5) all participants are willing to be changed by the interaction. The goals of invitational rhetoric are to clarify ideas and to create an environment in which growth and change can occur for both audience and speaker. Speakers can facilitate the exchange of ideas by creating conditions of freedom, safety, value, and openness. Freedom is at the heart of an invitation to transformation--the freedom to choose to change; safety generates confidence for all participants to express ideas; value recognizes and appreciates the intrinsic worth of all participants; and openness is a willingness to explore diverse perspectives. This ideal environment increases the possibilities of achieving mutual understanding. The authors designed the book as a concise guide for becoming adept and creative presentational speakers. Sample presentations reflect the diversity of interactional goals, focus, frames, organizational patterns, forms of elaboration, and connections discussed in the text. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

This text makes a difference!
If you are interested in helping your students move from averageto really engaging, effective, and ethical public speakers, you really ought to check out INVITING TRANSFORMATION.

Finally, here's a public speaking text that teaches sound theoretical principles for communication in a contemporary context. Students are provided with scores of explanations and examples to help them create presentations that are dialogical (speaking "with" audiences) rather than monological (performing "for" audiences). The result is that students' presentations are more focused and engaging--not "cookie cutter" or trite.

The theory of inviting transformation is one that makes sense to students, and it shows, as their presentations are markedly improved after learning it. My colleagues across our campus have told me that they can identify the students who have had my public speaking course by their effective presentations.I attribute this success to Foss and Foss' ideas in INVITING TRANSFORMATION.

Certainly, this text will be a part of every public speaking course I ever teach. You really ought to check it out.

Thank you for the unique invitation!
Finally, a public speaking text unlike all the others. Foss and Foss offer students and teachers an approach to communication that privileges values so vital to out country's multicultural landscape such as safety, value, freedom, and openness.
One of the difficulties in teaching public speaking has always been the fear factor: most people are terrified to speak in public. Because "Inviting Transformation" conceptualizes the role of the speaker in partnership and community with the audience, rather than in control of them, the students see themselves working WITH an audience rather than against them. By focusing on concepts such as safety and value in a communication context, I have also discovered that this approach has helped make students more reflective of their listening and participation skills. Overall, we begin to see how all aspects of our communication can be conducive to an environment of dialogue.

A different look at public speaking
Sonja and Karen Foss give a different perspective on presentational speaking. The audience is to be valued and invited to change -- just as the speaker is valued and comes to a speaking situation willing to change. This book gives us the opportunity to look at all types of communication not just public speaking. A great text for any speaking course or anyone looking to improve their presentational speaking.

It's not like the others -- and that's the point
I've read and taught from many different texts on public speaking.If you need or want a traditional approach to public speaking, then you have dozens from which to choose.This text takes a refreshingly different route.

The authors stress the relationship between the speaker and the audience, and emphatically do NOT define communication as persuasion.Instead of focusing on the speaker's individual goals, for example, they focus on the goals that can be reached WITH the audience, thereby allowing for the possibility that all parties can be transformed through the interaction.

One chapter that I've found especially beneficial is the chapter on speech designs ("Constructing Connections").Most texts give the exact same five or six major speech designs (problem-solution; categorical; chronological; etc.)This text gives twenty.Many texts use the same speeches as examples (from Ronald Reagan, Barbara Bush, Martin Luther King...).This text uses non-traditional examples from various speaking contexts.

You get the idea.

Some folks will find this approach surprisingly challenging.But that, in itself, is part of its appeal to me.

Invitation Accepted
I was lucky enough to recently teach two courses of public speaking using Sonja and Karen Foss' text. The book provided the guidance I needed and the framework my students needed to truly tackle and excel at the task of public, or presentational, speaking.The book's contents are the foreground to a highly evolved, and in no way excessively bulky, philosophy that promotes sensitivity to audience and to self. This philosophy is set out in a simple and straightforward manner that allows students to ease into the often intimidating process of public speaking while staying honest to their values and goals, as well as to the values and goals of their audiences.I found the book to be revolutionary in its emphasis on safety, freedom, value and openness as central to all successful presentational speaking. The book offered brief and helpful descriptions and examples, as well as helpful exercises to engage students in an experiential learning of the contents and an understanding of the authors' philosophy. The environment the book helped to foster in my classroom offered fertile ground to a diverse population of students, not only in the realm of public speaking, but also in the realm of their own personal growth and their understanding of their interpersonal communication. I highly recommend the book to any instructor or professor who is interested in challenging students and encouraging positive and aware growth while they meet those challenges.

Tema Milstein, Communication and Journalism Instructor, University of New Mexico ... Read more

Book Description

Whether you call it a team, a task force, a committee, a congregation, a crew, a board, or a council, chances are you belong to or are responsible for leading a group. Together, you can make magic happen.

If you are involved with a group that wants to get something done, the organizational development experts of Howick Associates wrote The New Compleat Facilitator for you. This easy-to-use book is a reliable, everyday reference for both and new and experienced facilitators. Useful for everything from training to troubleshooting, this unique guide can help you become a "fearless facilitator.' This second edition is chock-full of tips and tools.

Discover what thousands already know: The New Compleat Facilitator is the practical, indispensable handbook for facilitating group work! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An excellent primer for facilitating group work
For people who lead and/or work in groups, this is a terrific little how-to book, practical and readable.I sit on a number of non-profit boards, and I've given it as a gift to all my board members to help us have more effective meetings. I also gave it to everyone in my department -- the book's advice on groundrules and agenda-building has helped us cut our meeting times in half.The book is so well-organized that I can take it into meetings with me and access information and tips quickly and easily.It doesn't load the reader down with theory and jargon.I'm an experienced meeting-manager, and I've read lots more advanced books on the topic, but I still like The Compleat Facilitator the best of all the facilitation books I own -- it's just so useful! ... Read more

Book Description

Have you ever needed to express yourself but did not because you could not find the right words? Have you ever walked away from a situation and thought of the perfect thing to say AFTER it was too late? Have you ever given a long explanation and wondered-is there a faster, more effective way to communicate?

PowerPhrases(tm)! is the answer to those problems and questions. PowerPhrases(tm)! provides a toolbox of the perfect expressions to get your point accross clearly and confidently. This book provides powerful words when you need them most. You will learn the exact words to assure common understanding, clear up conflict, establish a connection, get what you want and refuse what you don't want. Knowing what to say results in increased confidence, enhanced self-esteem, refinement and professionalism and the ability to slide out of sticky situations with grace and ease. PowerPhrases(tm)! tells you exactly what to say. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

This is what PowerPhrases can do for you!
I have always felt awkward in new situations where I have to make small talk with people I've just met. I become nervous, self-conscience and end up just putting my foot in my mouth! Well, those days of awkwardness are over! PowerPhrases gave me the tools and insider tips that make people successful conversationalists. Author Meryl Runion gives examples and hints that you read and then store away in your mind for future use. Once I read the chapter: Small Talk PowerPhrases to Break the Ice", I noticed other chapters that I needed help in: PowerPhrases for Saying "No", PowerPhrases for Negotiations, Communicating with Co-Workers, etc.-before I knew it, I'd read the whole book! I would recommend PowerPhrases to ANYONE that has ever worried about not saying the right thing. It will change your life!

Good resource for brevity and clarity
Most of us (especially myself) tend to ramble when we attempt to explain things. This is true when either promoting ourselves, our ideas or our products. Power Phrases teaches you how to avoid rambling and make your words more potent and concise at the same time. While it is geared somewhat towards the sales profession with chapters on negotiation and Powerphrases that sell, it is still a good book for anyone wanting to improve his skills in influence. There are parts that are a little hokey and at times I caught myself saying 'yeah right.' but it is still a book you will read more than once.

A "must-read", particularly in this internet era
Power Phrases!: The Perfect Words To Say It Right And Get The Results You Want by international speaker, trainer, and power motivator Meryl Runion is a solid, useful communication reference for everyone, from laymen to business executives. Its direct, simple presentation of how to phrase things in English to communicate intent as clearly and effectively as possible makes Power Phrases! a "must-read", particularly in this internet era of high-tech misinformation!

Powerful!
I love this book! I have learned to communicate in a more direct, effective way. PowerPhrases(TM) gives me explicit examples of how to gt my message across without being passive, agressive or passive-agressive. I am better able to say no (or yes or maybe!) politely and firmly, and have gained control over my time and comitments. As I read the "don't say this" section, I recognized many things I had been using with my mom which never worked. Now I use positive, effective PowerPhrases and they work! As Meryl Runion says, "say what you mean, mean what you say and don't be mean when you say it."

Using Words to Get Your Results
A critical tool in changing your speaking/writing style is to have a comparison of what not to say vs. what to say. Ms. Runyon provides that in this book.

It's easy to read and understand and extremely practical in its approach to getting results. This book is an essential tool for anyone who wants to develop or enhance their effective communication skills. ... Read more

Book Description

This beautifully illustrated book is the first complete handbook to visual information. Well written, easy to use, and carefully indexed, it describes the full range of charts, graphs, maps, diagrams, and tables used daily to manage, analyze, and communicate information. It features over 3,000 illustrations, making it an ideal source for ideas on how to present information. It is an invaluable tool for anyone who writes or designs reports, whether for scientific journals, annual reports, or magazines and newspapers. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Dramatically improved by graphic communication skills
I have an array of powerful graphics tools ranging from Microsoft Excel's rich charting add-in, to Visio Professional and Harvard Instant Charts. Despite my technical skills that allow me to quickly produce just about any kind of chart or graphic imaginable, I was never such how to select the best graphic or chart to convey information in the most efficient way before I got this book.

This book is a catalog of ideas and a guide for selecting the best possible way to display information in graphical format. Now, instead of floundering around playing with two or three ways to graphically depict information I turn to this book and pick the most appropriate graphic type. My ability to communicate has dramatically improved because now that I have confidence that I am using the optimal method to display information I find myself using graphics not only more effectively, but more wisely.

Prior to this book my graphics tools were implements that more often than not produced inappropriate charts, giving credence to the adage that "A fool with a tool is still a fool". Since this book I now use my software tools like a skilled craftsman who has the perfect blueprint. With 450 pages of illustrations that show how to depict information visually in the best possible way this book is my perfect blueprint.

Consultant's best friend
As a consultant in the computer industry I often wonder if I am a technical specialist or a technical writer because of the high volume of writing I do. While I have honed my writing skills through both experience and training in Information Mapping, I used to be at a loss about how to best portray technical data in my documents.

Information Graphics: A Comprehensive Illustrated Reference changed that. With this handy reference, which is never far from my keyboard, I have a 450-page catalog of ideas and guidance. What is remarkable is that in the 450 pages are 4,000 illustrations (nearly 10 per page). This book has allowed me to measurably improve the quality of my proposals and deliverables by picking the best possible way to convey information.

Don't let the fact that I am in the computer consulting industry deter you from buying this book - if you are in business, graphic arts, advertising and marketing or just about any other profession that uses data this book will be worth its weight in gold.

Unimaginative textbook
Be forewarned that this is a boring (but thorough) textbook on presenting data graphically. The intended audience must be students, beginning researchers, and untrained graphic artists. It tells readers how to graphically present data in the driest possible way and is illustrated with thousands of extremely boring and unimaginative line drawings. Do not look to this book for inspiration or for advanced design concepts. I returned my copy immediately.

Information Graphics is a great reference tool
This is a very useful compendium for information graphics designers, business professionals and casual chart readers. Graphic terminology is categorized alphabetically and interpreted using easy language and clear illustrations. Examples are sometimes repeated when there is more than one variation in a term. Browsing through the pages brings to mind a wish list of every chart you ever wanted to make!

Explains how to visually represent many types of information
This book is an overwhelming reference to all types of graphs, maps, tables, diagrams, and charts. Most of the graphics are accompanied by one or more examples along with explanations for when and how to use them. A fun book to browse. ... Read more

Book Description

Brevity is the soul of wit.
And when it comes to business, it's the secret of success.

Lean. Trim. Clear. Concrete. In a world where decisions are made between two rings of a cell phone, this is what a successful business proposal must be. It's a lesson entrepreneur Patrick Riley learned after one too many potential partners ignored his painstaking (but long and forbidding) proposals. And now, in The One-Page Proposal, he shares his secret strategy -- the one that he has parlayed into a multimillion-dollar business career. Riley describes every important element of a successful business proposal -- from the basic message to the financial details. Step by step, he outlines how to create the perfect attention-grabbing pitch, offering dozens of strategies to help organize your research, focus your message, eliminate unnecessary language, and anticipate potential reservations. Learn how to:

• Use active, positive wording
• Compress data without losing important content
• Tactfully ask what you want
• Prioritize information, including only what's necessary
• Get the tone and voice right
• Tailor the product to your target reader

Reviews (4)

Big things come in concisely small proposals
All I can say is that I no longer pull my hair out when a client says "send me a proposal". I have a form, which I received in this book that helps me create proposals in less than an hour (that's if I have to so some research) or I can use a proposal I previously created and just "critique it". In the past year, since the book was recommended to me, I have not been asked once to provide a "larger" proposal... this one page has been "it".

My clients don't believe how e-z it is to use, until they try it themselves. I highly recommend this book for you to write proposals that will get read, because they're short, sweet, thorough and to the point. Why not 5 stars? I found the beginning of the book a little boring. Once he got into the "guts" of the proposal making, I couldn't wait to finish.

This Is Genius!
Ultra successful entrepreneur and business leader, Patrick Riley, has carved out a masterpiece with this book. He's also done what true geniuses have a knack for doing; he's taken the complicated and made it simple.

"The One-Page Proposal" is NOT just for sales and business people, but let's start there.

How many of us have, at one time or another, submitted proposals (solicited and/or unsolicited) that were written out over numerous pages, complete with graphics and all the bells and whistles, and thought, "Wow - this has got to impress my prospect", only to find out we didn't even make the first cut?

I know many sales and business people who now cringe at the thought of even being asked to submit a proposal because, quite frankly, they know they are going to spend hours and hours writing it, and then not even have it seriously considered.

This is where Patrick Riley comes in.

He will show you how to "craft" - and I do mean craft - a one-page proposal which is incredibly persuasive. Never again will sales and business people who read this book be trapped into writing long, mind-bending proposals that don't get read (and, the author, early in the book, explains why it is that so many of these types of proposals never do get read) and, instead, will be the person who stands out above the crowd.

But, as Mr. Riley advises us; don't confuse briefness with a lack of preparation. He lays out a game plan for research and preparation. The more you know in advance, the easier it is for your one-page proposal to be a winner.

As alluded to earlier, this book is not just for the salesperson asked to submit proposals, or for the business person trying to find a financial backer. It's for anyone and everyone!

What a valuable gift to give to your children looking to find a job. They will have the "unfair advantage" in their job search. It will be difficult for anyone to compete with their one-page job proposal (please do not confuse it with a resume; it's an entirely different "animal").

The person starting low on the totem pole in their company can utilize the one-page proposal to submit their ideas and begin the process of advancement through adding value.

"The One-Page Proposal" is a complete communication tool. It is benefits-oriented (the "other person's" benefits, which is what is important) and self-clarifying.

I was glued to practically every page of this book By the way, one terrific thing he (or the publisher) decided to do is to format it giant-sized in shape, while only 100 pages in length. This makes it very easy to read, and with lots of room for highlighting and note-taking, of which I know I did plenty. And, the examples of actual one-page proposals in the back are excellent, and very duplicable.

"The One-Page Proposal" will occupy a space right near my computer, as I'll refer to it continually throughout the rest of my business career. Meanwhile, I'll most likely by a lot of them to give as gifts.

This book, plain and simply, is a winner!

I instantly recommended it to my clients and my friends
Although it's a fast read, the One-Page Proposal is a breath of fresh air offering a new perspective on a topic others have written about in "predictable" ways.

I was so excited when I discovered this that I immediately e-mailed 20 of my friends and told them to immediately order it, and I've recommended it to all of my clients.

The One-Page Proposal gave me a totally new perspective on of my least favorite tasks. It showed me how wrong my previous approach to preparing proposals had been. It showed me how to build my proposal around what my client really wanted, rather than what I wanted to sell.

Chapter 4, "The Road Map--Putting It All Together," presents the new model of the proposal with easy-to-follow clarity. You'll learn how to spend your time planning your proposal, identifying your prospect's needs, and making it easy for them to say yes. Excerpts and annotated samples drive each lesson home.

This is not a superficial, "formula" book. It doesn't do the work for you. Rather, it teaches you how to do the work better and more efficiently. It will change the way you think about and prepare future proposals. You'll soon be preparing more proposals in less time--and enjoying the resulting additional profits.

You'll learn that proposals are not sales "closers," but can be "door-openers" to new opportunities.

I've consulted with hundreds of clients and written 37 books with a total circulation of 1.6 million copies--and I'm erasing my old proposal template and have turned into a Patrick Riley One-Page convert.

Concise and to-the-point! A great book!
This book really cuts to the chase by showing you one means of putting information together in a way that senior manangement at many firms want to see it. It doesn't advocate skipping out on researching all the details of a standard proposal, but it does say that most of what constitutes a typical proposal today is way too much information for a decision document. Mr. Riley makes a good case for telegraphing the information down to the bare essentials of what is needed to make a decision. The rest of the detail one typically finds in a proposal will find its way into the appropriate hands once the proposal has been accepted, but is only IN a proposal now to back up the core arguments! I enjoyed Mr. Riley's method of laying out the idea, and while I found the name-dropping a bit excessive at times, on the whole think that the worth of what he is attempting to get across far exceeds the pain caused by such small matters. ... Read more

Book Description

This is a handy, quick-reference guide that gives you what you need to write virtually any kind of business letter, including sample letters you can adapt and use right now. A must for any business office, home office or home, this newly updated classic has been a best-seller since it was introduced in 1991. It's packed with the most concrete information, useful techniques, and practical tips available. This fourth edition also includes a CD-ROM with ready-to-use templates for all of the sample letters included within the text. This book can help you, or any member of your office staff cut the time spent letter writing in half, and get the "right" word or phrase or the correct format immediately. Includes letters for: sales and promotion, customer relations, collections, letters to the media, letters of condolence and goodwill and many, many more. These effective letters can be copied, modified, and customized to fit your requirements. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Dear Sir or Madam - This is a good book.
Just the ticket a quick template and short tips.

When they talk about busy people they are serious. This book is not full of chapter upon chapter of what to do. Rather it is templates for almost all occasions with marginal notes expaling what to add and why.

A Great Timesaver !

For virtually any kind of business venture
From sales and goodwill letters to collections letters and those covering employment, this revised and updated fourth edition of Business Letters For Busy People which provides templates and samples which can be quickly adapted to suit virtually any kind of business venture. The accompanying CD-ROM contains the templates for all of the samples in the text, further reducing the time needed to quickly locate and utilize a professional-sounding letter.

A Great Resource For Anyone Who Writes Business Letters
Jim Dugger has done a great job writing a book for us pragmatic business people who want to write the most appropriate letter in style and structure) for any given situation but don't want to spend hours learning how. I'm an Entrepreneur, work fast paced hours and sometimes take on multiple tasks in my company. This leads me to have to write sales letters, customer relations letters, internal memos, etc. To do this I need to be flexible in my communication with various people and this book helps me do just that. I keep this book handy on my shelf, and so far I haven't been disapointed. It will provide you with two primary things: quick advice for writing letters in professional situations and over two hundred business letter formats for easy reference. The book is organized in such a way that you can easily flip through it, find the type of letter you want to write, and find the best format to follow with a breakdown of each part of the letter and what it's function should be, as well as some general information about that specific type of letter and a visual representation of the letter itself. The over two hundred letters cover almost any type of letter you will have to write as a business person. I would have given the book 4.5 stars if it was possible, but I chose not to give it five stars because I would expect a book on business letters in today's day and age to now include at least some information on e-mail letters, or letters written in the context of e-commerce. I think that if the author came out with an equivalent book for writing e-mails or business letters for people in e-commerce situations, or perhaps made an addition to this book, it would provide important additional resources to the average user given the popularity of new internet technologies. Otherwise the book is excellent, and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants a quick reference and guide to writing business letters! ... Read more

Book Description

The next business revolution--using the power of stories as the ultimate source of influence and impact.

What's your story? Who are you? Where do you come from? What do you want? When you seek to influence others, you face these questions and more. Whether you're proposing a risky new venture, trying to close a deal, or leading a charge against injustice, you have a story to tell. Tell it well and you will create a shared experience with your listeners that can have profound results.

In this highly accessible and groundbreaking book, Annette Simmons reminds us that the oldest tool of influence is also the most powerful. Showcasing over a hundred examples of effective storytelling drawn from the front lines of business and government, as well as myths, fables, and parables form around the world, Simmons illustrates how story can be used to persuade, motivate, and inspire in ways that cold facts, bullet points, and directives can't. A great read, The Story Factor will guide and inspire you to become a more effective communicator. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Learning a Critical Leadership Skill
I am responsible for leadership development in the largest healthcare system in the country--the Veterans Healthcare Administration. As part of a rigorous two-year leadership development program for mid-management high potentials, we use this book to not only highlight the power of communicating through storytelling, but we give participants experience in finding, constructing and telling their own powerful stories by using the guidelines in the text.

We floundered in this part of our curriculum until we found The Story Factor, which combines the "why" and the "how" in a very easy-to-understand fashion. The frequent examples from the business world help to overcome the resistance of the physicians and other "reluctant yarn-spinners" in the room.

If you need a "how-to" on storytelling, this is your book. And if you appreciate listening to an author's unique voice as she speaks with passion, it's for you, too. Useful AND enjoyable!

The Story Factor is a rare gem ... worth six stars plus
I first read The Story Factor by Annette Simmons after completing the book "The Story" by Hollywood screenwriter Robert McKee. I was fascinated by a Harvard Business Review interview with McKee on the use of story in influencing business decisions. Annette Simmons has taken story telling to an entire new sphere of communications with this book. Besides being exceptionally well-written, it is superbly emotionally satisfying and a joy to read. Every page is literally filled with nuggets of truth about story and the effect it plays on our human emotions and psyches. The story is the king of human communications. No wonder Jesus wrapped The Truth in story to be told as parables.

Amazingly Annette Simmons is herself a masterful student of story telling. The breadth of her references and her story examples come from the reality of using story to make the communications connection between humans. There is hope and joy to be obtained from reading this book that overcomes cynicism and the sense of victimhood which embellishes so many of our contemporary institutions.

I've read dozens of business books on leadership, communications, collaboration and the like. Personally I have found no equal to this amazing little book which is so humanly valuable. Following Mortimer Adler's advice on reading a book three times to extract all that is there, I have just finished my second reading and savor the experience of reading it again in the coming months.

A major contribution to organizational storytelling
This book does what any book about applied storytelling should do: it describes how to apply storytelling without compromising storytelling's artistic heart.

Annette offers the book as a way to achieve "inspiration, influence and persuasion." By the end of the book, the reader learns that the "secret" of influence is, in fact, what has drawn so many fans to the art of storytelling: stories persuade because they lead us to the common ground of mutual respect - not by giving one party a secret weapon with which to manipulate the other. In Annette's words:

"Story doesn't grab power. Story creates power.... As a storyteller you borrow a story's power to connect people to what is important and to help them make sense of their world." (Page 29).

"The Story Factor" is my favorite "storytelling in business" book. To be sure, I had the pleasure of writing the forward to it. I did so in part because Annette has been my student in storytelling as well as my mentor in my own work with businesses. But I would never write a forward to any book in which I did not believe as deeply as I believe in my own books. I receive no payment from sales of "The Story Factor."

Here are some particular things I liked about "The Story Factor":

1. The description of the "Six Stories You Need to Know How to Tell" is worth the price of the book. People want the answers to certain questions before they'll give you a chance to persuade them of anything. These six stories achieve some of your essential interpersonal goals right away, and lay the groundwork for you to achieve the others.

2. In the chapter called "What Stories Do That Facts Can't," Annette shows how your stories can de-escalate conflict, side-step traps laid for you, avoid the "because I said so" kind of arguments, broaden a discussion by grounding it in a wider reality, etc.

3. One of Annette's chapters takes up one of my least favorite questions: "How do I tell a good story?" Why do I dread being asked that question? Because it seems to pre-suppose that there is a recipe for telling stories that works in all situations. In her characteristic Aikido-like way, however, Annette directs her readers to follow solid, easy-to-use advice that doesn't lock them into a limited formula. She briefly and convincingly outlines nine key points to keep in mind - that will nearly guarantee good telling.

4. Annette's tone hits that "sweet spot" between the hype of so many pop business books, on the one hand, and the dense, soggy prose that deadens so many academic-type books on communication, business strategies, etc., on the other. She speaks to her reader with conversational ease - but without "selling" or oversimplifying.

5. Annette's book is filled with memorable, well-told stories. Some are brief enough to throw into a conversation; others could be the keystone of a speech. The story about the red and green shoes is now part of my permanent mental landscape, as are the burning piano and the silent door-to-door salesman. With few exceptions, Annette integrates the stories into her chapters, rather than separating them into self-contained boxes. She never says why; I'll bet, though, that it's because she believes that stories persuade best when they aren't self-consciously introduced as "stories," but when they flow out of your very being, your attitude toward your listeners, and your commitment to your message.

If you care at all about using storytelling in an organization, for persuasion, or to get across a personal message, you'd be foolish to pass up this book. Beginners in the use of story will be well guided; experts will find great new stories to tell as well as a clear, systematic exposition of how story works in practice - and, underlying it all, a refreshing, inspiring perspective about how humans actually persuade each other. This book is not only about influence; it has already become highly influential. Miss it at you own risk!

Storytelling eye-openers - how to reach people
I highly recommend Annette Simmons The Story Factor for a new and different look at the way we communicate. I especially found it useful in analyzing how people process information, and then applying that to how to reach people on difficult topics.
Storytelling is a fine art in the entertainment world, and there are many sources to hone your skills on this. But Annette has provided insights and practical tips that have been particularly useful for me using story-telling in the working world. There is nothing more painful than learning that your work or project is ending or not being used. With some of the strategies in this book, I have found ways to help people recognize and be satisfied with what they have done, and continue on to the next project with a shorter "grieving" cycle, so we can all become more productive again quickly. Also, I have found ways to use story to help build our work teams to quickly