Book Description

Life’s a Pitch TM is a lighthearted "how to" book that provides practical ways to make positive, memorable first and lasting impressions. Topics addressed can benefit all ages, lifestyles, and professions; from high school and college students to job seekers, entrepreneurs, and top executives. Like it or not, admit it or not, many of us could benefit from working with a communications coach. In Life’s a Pitch TM, author and communications professional, Soni Dimond, guides us in knowing how to effectively interact with others in various social and professional situations, and she has all the bases covered.

Part One, "Pitch with Panache," deals with skills that even the socially savvy need to know: how to apply common sense manners, the art of polite conversation, how to dress appropriately for various occasions, dining do’s and don’ts, telephone etiquette, and the value of showing exceptional appreciation to others.

Part Two, "Pitch Like a Pro!," helps those looking to boost their professional careers with communication skills that complement the positive impressions they present on their resumes and cover letters. Soni then moves on to job interviewing skills and handling negotiations fairly and respectfully. Next up is how to effectively "work a room" with the goal of building relationships first and enjoying self-promotion as a result. Chapter 9, "Be Positively Fabulous, Dahling!," drives home the fact that using positive, confident verbal and body language in any communication can have a powerful effect on your message.

Part Three, "Enrich Your Pitch," deals with sharpening communication skills and overcoming the paralyzing fears of public speaking. This part of the book is an empowering page-turner for those who need speech rehearsal or media training. It reveals speakers’ secrets, from presenting yourself to an audience of any size in the best possible manner to working proficiently with a camera and microphone. Soni targets the tips that pundits know and spokespeople need. She applies more than twenty-five years of newsroom and public relations experience to help readers work with both print and electronic media.

Part Four, "The Ceremonial Pitch," addresses handling celebrations with savoir-faire, from hosting and toasting and being a thoughtful guest to handy tips for handwriting notes. And to start training for a super self image and public image, Soni recommends personal reassessments at the start of each new year. Ask yourself, "If I’m ready now, why wait?"

Get out of the dugout! Anytime is the right time to hit a homerun in personal and professional image enhancement. As Soni says, "Life’s a Pitch! Have a ball!" This book is a fun read. We can laugh out loud and more importantly, laugh at ourselves. It’s all about how each one of us can learn to win…if we know how to play. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s game time! ... Read more

Reviews (20)

A Classy, Upscale Guide
Most men won't ask for directions, let alone buy a book on them, but this one is a must read. Full of good quick tips, it really helps get down to the basics and then builds you up from there. A great primer for people who want good, basic advice.

Excellent, altough a bit too american
One of the best books on appearance out there.

Finally!
My son has needed a book like this for so long and now, finally, he won't look like a college student during his interviews.

Thank You!
My man needed so much help. Hi idea of dressing up was to put on his good boots and a shirt with sleeves. I gave him this book for Christmas and he has really improved himself. It was perfect!

Awesome Graduation Gift
I just graduated from college and my girlfriend's parents got me a copy of this book. It's a good reference book and will help me in my new career. ... Read more

Book Description

Breakthrough Neurolinguistic phone skills for profit and enlightenment. Written as a novel, yet filled with applicable fact. The Phone Book treats every phone call as an exciting adventure. Who is it? What did he say? then what happened? Zarro and Blum are expert Neuro-Linguistic Programmers who know how to establish rapport with their readers. The result is a book on communication which will actually reach out and touch someone. That someone just might be you. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Presents little known communication skills/phone as tool
Written in an interview/conversational format as a man who earns his living through telephone sales learns how we establish rapport with others, effective communication skills and how to overcome his personal phobia of the telephone, etc.

I have given copies of this book to others, who thoroughly enjoyed it and they in turn have also given copies of the book to others.

Communication and understanding of what produces desired interaction in this language driven world of ours is looked at critically with some very helpful, easily understandable and useful suggestions and/or ideas.

The reader also learns about how the mind processes information and in so doing assists the reader to tear down walls that separate us as individuals from others in the very human desire to make worthwhile human connection with others.

Enjoy the fun of learning how one's primary/preferred neurological stimulus affects our every day decisions and even the words we primarily use.

I very highly recommend "The Phone Book" by Zarro, et al. to anyone who communicates and desires to do so more effectively. This short, easy read paperback book is packed with facts and information that is a must to all. A true classic!

Like his other books by master teacher Richard Zarro, this is a welcome addition to anyone's library. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Good Read!
International Business Etiquette is an informative mix of fact and opinion about doing business in Europe. With each chapter devoted to one country, the factual sections provide data on airports, currency, weather and other general travel topics. The far more entertaining opinion sections provide a subjective overview of local customs and manners relevant to conducting business within each country's borders. Taken as a whole, the chapters provide a good preview of what business travelers can expect once they set down across the pond. While we [...] recommend this book to any professional with a European trip on the calendar, International Business Etiquette also will provide an enjoyable diversion for any curious readers, who are bound to pick up some useful tips and interesting cocktail conversation.

Success at the Executive Level
A quick read of the section on Belgium provided valuable insight and helped with preparation for an executive level meeting. I adjusted my attire for the more formal environment and prepared handouts to address all issues planned for discussion as suggested. The meeting went extremely well, we solidified our relationship with this global account and secured a $1.5 million order. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (9)

A very helpful book............
Thank you for helping me to advance professionally in my career as an
Administrative Assistant. I have been searching for a way to gain respect
from my Directors. I have tried many things to gain respect I became more
organized, learned to improve my communication style and to act more
professional. However, something was still missing. It was the way I
dressed and I did not realize it until I had the opportunity to speak with
Dawn and read her book.

Prior to reading the book, I would look through clothing catalogs and find
really cute clothes. They may have been cute to me but they were not
professional. I was so thrilled and excited about the tips you gave me to
"professionalize" my wardrobe because of the upbeat and positive way you
presented the information. Immediately, I began to change the way I
dressed and soon I began to reap the results I wanted. The Directors
began to listen to me, I was handed high profile projects and people took
notice of me and have complimented me on my new look. Even more important,
I feel more positive at work and can concentrate on getting my job done no
matter what the world hands me that day.

Best Impressions: How to Gain Professionalism, Promotion and
I was very disappointed in this book. The information can be found in lots of magazines - nothing new.

Transitioning
I am transitioning my career and was at a loss on how to present myself in my new career direction. This book provided me with the information I needed to be me and present myself professionally. That's what unique about this book compared to others - Dawn show's you how to be your own person. Thank You!

Not a bad book, but not terrific.
Although I picked up some good ideas on wardrobe planning, much of the advice on improving your appearance is just common sense (wash your hair, manicure your nails). Also, her color scheme system was difficult to understand and apply. I never did figure out where I fit! There are better books out there.

Great guidance for using appearance as a professional tool.
This book helped me feel better about continuing to dress professionally even though my work environment has been changed to business casual. Like it or not, appearances DO count and we only fool ourselves if we think otherwise. The impression and personna we present to our superiors and co-workers is enhanced or hindered by the way we dress. Dawn tells us how and why we should look professional (at whatever level our occupation requires) at all times, and defines the different levels of business casual and business professional attire. A good reference book which to be kept for review and referral. Thanks, Dawn! ... Read more

Book Description

no description ... Read more

Book Description

A profile of 23 men and women who have had mixed success in forging business ties with the Japanese. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good book to point out importance of relationship in Japan
This book contains about 23 short stories about Americans and Japanese dealing with each other. However most of the stories deal with American students going to work in scientific labs in Japan. The author was responsible for sending interns from an American University to Japan so she uses a lot of these experiences for her book. This limits the usefulness of the book for other involvement. The author tries to tie the stories together with 4 stages of progress in the relationship but I found it hard to make the connection. The book is very readable. I finished it within 24 hours of receiving it. The stories are each little dramas and I was captivated to find out how each person would do. In sum, a good starter but I think there is much more to the subject.

Lived it and learned it...
Gercik's book is full of interesting cases demonstrating the differences and difficulties most Americans face when confronting the Japanese. Whether personal or business, these two worlds are diametric - neither truly understands the other. The analyses after each chapter provide insight for a successful Japanese-American relationship. Having myself been an intern in Japan, I can safely say that her words of wisdom are worth reading. ... Read more

Book Description

Culture Shock! Success Secrets guides give relevant practical information with real-life insights and cultural know-how that can make the difference between business success and failure. ... Read more

Book Description

Designed to answer specific etiquette questions for the busy professional, this book will become your best quick reference resource for answers on how to deal with new situations and with answers to recurring etiquette questions. Readers will learn poise, build confidence, and appear professional by using the essential information in this book and by learning from the practical examples of important etiquette practices in today's changing work environment.Topics include: first impressions; business relationships; communications; business dining and event etiquette; successful meetings; and cross-cultural etiquette.A necessary handbook for anyone in business who wants to avoid etiquette pitfalls. ... Read more

Book Description

Coworker relationships influence quality of life, both on and off the job.Wess Roberts shows how workplace colleagues can get along, whether their natural personalities mesh like gears or clash like cats and dogs.It Takes More Than A Carrot And A Stick provides practical tips and surefire tactics for working with anyone.The book addresses how to get along with the 15 self-limited character types commonly encountered at work, from "Imperious Jerks" to "Perpetual Victims."Roberts walks the reader through each character type, giving concrete advice on how to thrive with others. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Cartoonish Exagerations, but the message is clear
I think the book is helpful to anyone having difficulty with any person (coworker, boss, subordinate) at work--but while reading you need to keep in mind these examples are extreme cases.

You can find the characteristics described in these caricatures in any person if you look hard enough, so be careful that your personal biases do not affect your interpretation of the material and/or the personality at work causing you grief.

Insightful, Entertaining, and Practical
An absolutely wonderful book -- Wess Roberts has truly done it again! With a fresh synthesis of insight, humor, and practical advice, this book is a great read and a useful guide to solving one of the most perplexing challeges of everyday life: turning dysfunctional relationships into functional ones. I particularly enjoyed his analyses of "Imperious Jerks: Masters of the Universe," "Androids: The Blindly Obedient," "Gatekeepers: The Empowerment Police," and "Perpetual Victims: The Whiners and Bitchers." While reading the book I found myself contemplating the frequent nuggets of wisdom, laughing hysterically, taking notes, and thinking about ways to implement his insights.
The true power of the book is that it opens our minds to looking for opportunities to make the best of our relationships at work. How we deal with dysfunctional people is a matter of personal choice: we can wallow in frustration or try to develop something positive. Wess Roberts offers some terrific ideas, not as "silver bullets" to make the problems go away, but as primers for us to apply our own creative thoughts and ideas to make the most of the unique relationships in which we find ourselves every day. -- Christopher D. Kolenda, Editor and Co-Author: Leadership the Warrior's Art.

Not what I expected
When I picked up this book I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I only knew about Attila the Hun and didn't expect Attila the "Get along with others." The book is terrific. It gave me some real insights about getting along with my employeer.

I have better relationships
I have followed Wess Roberts' career. This is by far his best work with how to deal with other people that you really can't get away from. I have used this work in my personal, private, and corporate life. Unlike most of the books I own, I didn't put this on my shelf. I keep it around when ever I have problems with my employees. I give it a 5.

Real World Advice
I think It Takes More Than a Carrot and a Stick compares favorably to Who Moved My Cheese? in that it makes you think and react. This isn't so much a business book as it is a book of common sense for the workplace. This book makes you realize that your day-to-day focus needs to be on accomplishments, not obstacles. In other words, spend your time and energy being constructive instead of straying off course into the world of pettiness. I really enjoyed Wess Robert's practical advice for the real world. ... Read more

Book Description

Animals have been taking care of business much longer than humans and they do it with instinct few humans possess.

Yes, we can learn a lot from the animal kingdom and that is why I decided to write this book. Having been an avid animal behavior student for many years, I have observed their lessons and been awed by them. For example, young clown fish brush themselves against the tentacles of sea anemones to inoculate themselves to get immune to the poison. In time, they are able to dive into the tentacles and live there safely. Clown fish have instinctively understood the effectiveness of vaccination for thousands of years before humans discovered it.

It's a Jungle Out There!! is an upbeat and fun book to read that draws analogies from animal behavior and transposes them to human society. The book will help people learn lessons that they might not learn from a didactic or abstractive book. It illustrates with stories about animal behavior how everyone can learn and improve, not only their businesses, but also their lives. I decided to write this book after I searched high and low and could find no other book on the market that showed how humans could learn from animal instinct. Perhaps this book shows that animal instinct we used to survive in the age of dinosaurs are just as valuable today in our 21st century high tech jungle--albeit a slightly different jungle. Corporations and individuals still face the same primeval battles of supremacy--of predators and prey--in the workplace today. It's a Jungle Out There!! will be indispensable to their survival and prosperity. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

just the right book for toilet reading. :)
The things that he has talked about are mostly common sense. Of course, if you don't observe, you won't know. And some of the samples are really just made up stories. And some of stories are not his observations; he must have spent quite some time watching those animal programs on TV.

Each page has one sample, and very short. This is the right book for toilet reading. It is just an entertaining book when you are bored. You can't really learn how to run a business just by reading this simple book.

This book also has some grammar mistakes.

One of the best books ever published on Self Improvement
Animals have been taking care of business much longer than humans and they do it with an instinct few humans possess. Yes, we can learn a lot from the animal kingdom and that is why the author decided to write this book. Having been an avid animal behavior student for many years the author has observed their lessons and been awed by them. For example young clown fish brush themselves against the tentacles of sea anemones to inoculate themselves and thus get immune to the poison. In time, they are able to dive into the tentacles and live there in safety. Clown fish have instinctively understood the effectiveness of vaccination for thousands of years before humans discovered it. This is an upbeat and fun book to read that draws analogies from animal behavior and transposes them to human society. The book will help people learn lessons that they might not learn from a didactic or abstractive book. It illustrates with stories about animal behavior how everyone can learn and improve, not only their businesses, but also their lives. There is no other book on the market, which shows so well how humans could learn from animal instinct. Perhaps this book will show that the animal instincts we used to survive in the age of dinosaurs are just as valuable today in our 21st century high tech jungle - albeit a slightly different jungle. Corporations and individuals still face the same primeval battles of supremacy - of predator and prey - in the workplace today. This book will be indispensable to their survival and prosperity. ... Read more

Book Description

New economies are developing in the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong--and Western technology, management expertise, and capital are helping to fuel them. But every gain is hard won and Western businesspeople who are successful need to know the ins and outs of Chinese bureaucracy, political systems, and the Chinese character.

In this new edition of Chinese Etiquette & Ethics in Business, Boye Lafayette De Mente, who has lived and worked in the Far East for over thirty years, reveals the historic factors, collective traits, and individual qualities that determine how the Chinese do business today and the direction their economies will take in the future. His is an insider's view, whether he is discussing the overhaul of laws controlling business development or the importance of good social relationships to successful business relationships. If you are a businessperson who'd like to do business with the Chinese successfully--Chinese Etiquette & Ethics in Business should be at the top of your "must read" list.

"Boye De Mente is a life-long student and observer of Asia; an unchallenged authority on Asian etiquette and ethics in business. Few books are so well documented, with so many tips and things to know about today's China. Chinese Etiquette & Ethics in Business is must reading for anyone contemplating a business venture there."
-- Professor Andrew C. Chang American Graduate School of International Management

Reviews (3)

A Very Superficial Book
I returned this book after reading half of it and skimming the other half. I can't find a single original observation to point to, and many of the observations about "Chinese etiquette" are really just observations about etiquette in general - such as the universal practice of starting a conversation with small talk.

One particularly annoying part of this book is the author's practice of compling long lists of Chinese vocabularly, phrases, place names, and historical references, and then failing to provide the character or "tone" marks. As anyone with an even cursory knowledge of China knows, Chinese is a tonal language and, hence, without tone marks a vocabulary item is completely useless to a foreigner. Moreover, the author misspells many of the pinyin transliterations, and often provides phonetic transliterations that are non-standard or inacurrate.

De Mente's book fails to account for regional differences.
After reading Boye Lafayette De Mente's Chinese Etiquette and Ethics in Business, I felt it imperative to respond because I found major flaws in his analysis. De Mente has spent thirty years in Japan and East Asia, but is clearly not an expert on Chinese etiquette and ethics in business. He appears to have collected information from a wide variety of sources and thrown them all together claiming that he is writing about Chinese business etiquette. However, he does not distinguish which Chinese culture he is referring to and often mixes characteristics of the etiquette observed in different Chinese subcultures. Many of the tips he gives as things to do in Chinese etiquette would cause serious social blunders in Shandong business culture. He frequently mixes Cantonese customs and northern Chinese customs which, under certain circumstances, are incompatible. I have included a few examples of where De Mente's analysis does not fit in the business culture found in Shandong Province.

De Mente obviously does not have a clear understanding of the northern Chinese psychology when he states that Chinese downplay the status one's friends and employer. This would certainly depend on who is present when the "downplaying" occurs. Northern Chinese often laud their friend's accomplishments in order to give them face and would never speak in a negative fashion about their employer while he or anyone who might inform him of what was being said was present because of the obvious consequences. Furthermore, the essence of interacting within northern Chinese culture is personal friendships which can be very intimate rather than being between organizations as De Mente purports. Normally, Shandongnese businessmen do business with an organization because of the personal friendship between two members of the respective organizations.

De Mente also suggests to "look the other party directly in the eyes, and say something simple in Chinese" in order to break the psychological block many Chinese have a! bout Chinese speaking foreigners. This tactic may appear to be effective in the immediate encounter, but it would be much too direct for most northern Chinese to accept. Furthermore, it would be a direct affront to their face. Rather than facilitating interaction with them, in the long term, it would more than likely cause them not to want to interact with an individual even though he has the ability to speak Chinese. Because one can speak Chinese, the expectation is that he also has a certain level of understanding of the culture. Therefore, this very un-Chinese behavior would be more damaging than not interacting in Chinese at all.

In his chapter on eating and drinking etiquette, De Mente states that the host is seated nearest the door and that "In Chinese etiquette, the left side is the seat of honor." However, in Shandong banquette culture the principle host is always seated furthest from the door and the seat of honor is always to the principle host's right. Furthermore, if a Shandong host were to only sip his alcoholic beverage while his guests were drinking full glasses, as De Mente suggests is the case, he would be seen as not fulfilling his responsibilities as host. Moreover, such an action would be a direct affront to his guests' face. Refusing to drink with someone, which includes the amount that is consumed with each drink, is tantamount to refusing to give that person face. This type of host would also be deemed as not being forthright because he refuses to drink to his ability. Thus, Shandong guests would not want to conduct business with such a host because he is not willing to reveal everything about himself to them.

Also, De Mente translates suiyi as 'to sip.' Sip might be what some guests do when the host tells them to suiyi, but suiyi does not mean to sip. This is a phrase commonly used by hosts to accomplish one of three tasks. One, it is a means for calling a time out in the performance. Actors can then eat a few bites of food and chat freely. This suiyi can be transla! ted as 'as you please.' Suiyi can also be used by hosts to display to the guests that he is performing his duties as host. In this usage, it should translate something roughly equivalent to 'Make yourself at home.' The third use of suiyi comes in the drinking context. Sometimes it means '[we are not going to play the Shandong banquet game today.] Don't stand on formalities.' However, when used in the context of drinking wars, it should be translated as 'Since you can't handle drinking very much, you do not have to drink your entire glass.' Combine this with the fact that glasses are filled almost to the point of overflowing, and the result is De Mente's 'sip.'

Finally, one glance at De Mente's glossary should inform the reader of the book's major flaw. It is a hodgepodge of Cantonese and Mandarin terms thrown together without being distinguished. Were the reader to adopt many of the phrases listed in the common business vocabulary section, he would have great difficulty being comprehended by Shandong businessmen.

Therefore, I would not recommend the person not familiar with Chinese culture who can not distinguish among the regional subcultures to use this book as a guide to interacting with Chinese professionals. The notion of subculture must be considered when professionally interacting with Chinese businessmen.

Well written; long on descript. of problem; short on advice
De Mente is an excellent writer who provides a good description of why the Chinese behave the way they do, and how they behave (which, I have decided, is enough to drive most western businesspersons mad). I found the book slightly lacking in practical advice, and suspect Mr. De Mente has few good stories to tell that he didn't. But overall quite good and well worth reading if you have any ideas about getting rich in China (don't quit your day job) ... Read more

Book Description

If you ever had a dream, but felt it was out of reach, this guidebook is for you!

Through guided assignments, real life stories & quotes, you will be able to:

* Turn your dreams into goals
* Explore your past successes
* Work through obstacles
* Identify the people to help you
* Create an action plan ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A useful and practical "must-read"
Ably written by Carolyn Starry (a graduate of the Protocol School of Washington), Surviving The Business Lunch: 25 Tips In 25 Minutes is a very savvy guide to the ethics and professional decorum of a business lunch. From what to do if one's host is tardy; to how to discreetly step away from the table if one must; to handling the coat check, and more, Surviving The Business Lunch is a useful and practical "must-read" for anyone looking to brush up on what manners are expected at any lunch, brunch, breakfast, or dinner where doing business or establishing a networking contact is the reason for sharing a meal. ... Read more

Book Description

This book explores the reasons for persistent differences in work practices both within and between industries. The authors found that the strategy that a firm chooses to follow often determines the kind of work practices it fosters.Therefore a firm may not adopt the approach now advocated by many management thinkers--in which decision-making is pushed down to the lowest level of the firm--because this choice may not be consistent with its competitive strategy.The authors discuss the ways that public policy can aid workers without subverting the strategic choices made by firms. ... Read more