How to Say It At Work: Putting Yourself Across with Power Words, Phrases, Body Language, and Communication Secrets (Paperback)

by Jack Griffin (Author) "The following is a simple diagnostic test..." (more)
Key Phrases: Interview Kit

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Jack Griffin argues that it's vital to sell yourself--and your ideas--every day. In How to Say It at Work: Putting Yourself Across with Power Words, Phrases, Body Language and Communication Secrets, he offers practical advice for making your case whether your target is a supervisor, colleague, subordinate, client, vendor, or lender. Part 1 has a self-test for evaluating your current skills and also includes a toolkit for improving your overall communication at work. Part 2 lists specifics for dealing with key individuals and includes helpful (and harmful) words, phrases, body-language strategies and other techniques that can help you be a better communicator at work. --Howard Rothman

From Booklist
Griffin is a communications consultant whose aim is to provide a contemporary guide to persuasion in business. He addresses the art and science of "putting yourself across," which is a critical necessity in business today. In part one he lays the foundation for effective communication, using self-tests that can evaluate communication skills. He also offers advice on building a vocabulary of business words and phrases to be used or to be avoided. Part two covers a wide range of communication challenges, including guidance for interviews and conversations with everyone from the boss, colleagues, and subordinates, to clients, vendors, suppliers, and investors. With his emphasis on verbal as well as nonverbal (body) language and his tips on meeting a wide variety of difficult situations in the workplace, the author provides important guidelines for getting what needs or wants in business. Communication skills or lack of them can make or break a career, and the author's self-tests are a valuable feature of the book. Mary Whaley

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Product Details

• Paperback: 394 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall Press; 1 edition (May 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735200122
• ISBN-13: 978-0735200128
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #200,215 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and essential book for everyone, October 6, 2004

By	David Field (Merrimac, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I started teaching people to make PowerPoint presentations around 1992. Around 1995, I realized that many people were talking about themselves, so I suggested that the most important word they could use was "You." In 2003, I realized that people who wanted to be accepted by their audience should use the word "We." And then I picked up this book and read that the the three most important words in a business person's vocabulary were "we," "us," and "our." And that was on page eleven. At that point I was sold.

It's very easy to open your mouth and say your message in a way that alienates people. Very few people can negotiate difficult communications, but this book will help them do this. The book shows you words, phrases and body language to use and to avoid. It has numerous samples of conversations you can have with your fellow workers to put yourself in the best position.

The book covers all kinds of spoken business communications - the four largest sections include Getting a Job, speaking with your Supervisors, your Colleagues, and your Subordinates. Other groups are Prospective Clients, Current Clients, Handling Credit, Collection, and Customer Complaints, Vendors and Suppliers, and Lenders and Investors. In many cases you'll see the traps you can fall into.

You need to use this book with a little thought, in that the circumstances are usually similar to what you have to deal with, but not identical. But a few minutes' reading will change you from being a tongue-tied person to someone who achieves what you want.

I feel sorry for people who dismiss this and other similar books as "just common sense." I've known few people who possessed even a fraction of the skills shown in this book, and my own experience shows that I spent over ten years learning the information that appears in the beginning of the book.

Definitely a must-have, and a good book to build your general communications skills. And you'll stop coming away from meetings thinking, "I wish I could have said that better."

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Communication techniques for the work environment, June 21, 2002

By	Harold McFarland (Florida) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Communication skills are both some of the most important skills you can have and at the same time some of the most lacking skills in most people. In this book Jack Griffin provides helpful advice on how to evaluate and improve your communication skills. The book is filled with self-tests so you can evaluate how well you handle various communication skills. From there he provides an in-depth analysis of the most critical components of those skills followed by positive methods to improve your skills.

All of the most common communication needs in a work situation are covered whether it is dealing with a supervisor, subordinate, customer, potential customer, creditors, customer complaints, vendors, investors or job interviews.

One of the unique things about the book are the lists of words and phrases to use as well as ones to avoid and why. A recommended read for anyone seeking to improve their communication in all aspects of the work environment.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good ideas for the tongue-tied., February 19, 2004

By	Reader Girl - See all my reviews

This is an excellent book for anyone who thinks of the right response about three days too late. This book also provides a good framework on which to base verbal communication. It is especially useful for anyone that is shy, non-assertive, non-confrontational, or simply wants to put forth a professional image. I use it as an example in my Customer Service and Career Search classes and the students love it!

I don't agree with absolutely everything in the book (I had a few problems with how to treat a tyrant boss), but overall, it was very good.