How to Work a Room, Revised Edition: Your Essential Guide to Savvy Socializing (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This is the fully revised and updated edition of the ground–breaking self–help book on improving communicating and socializing skills in business and life. How To Work A Room lays down the fundamentals for savvy socializing, whether at a party, a conference, or even communicating online. RoAne clearly shows how to overcome the five roadblocks that keep most people from making new contacts; mix chutzpah and charm to start and end conversations smoothly; know when to use humor––and when not to; and follow simple rules of etiquette. Incorporating years of feedback from hundreds of presentations, as well as anecdotes from around the globe, RoAne keeps How To Work A Room fresh and on target. New chapters include: strategies starting, maintaining, and exiting conservations; and advice on commutating effectively in today's tech driven world.

About the Author

Susan RoAne is a bestselling author, an in-demand keynote speaker, and a communications coach. She has shared her strategies with audiences in corporate, convention, and university America as well as on radio and television around the world. Susan has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, The Financial Times of London, msn.com, and businessweek.com. She is the author of four books, including The Secrets of Savvy Networking, What Do I Say Next? and How To Create Your Own Luck. Susan lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; Revised edition (April 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061238678
• ISBN-13: 978-0061238673
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #40,480 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a lot of substance here , May 7, 2008

By	Julia Flyte - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I picked up this book hoping to get some tips on networking and building social connections. While it's a quick and easy book to read, I found that most of the tips are highly topline and essentially common sense. For example, her advice on coming up with topics to talk to people about? Read today's newspaper. The best opening line to use? Say "hi" or "hello". How to develop personal charm? Think of someone charming (eg George Clooney) and try to do what they would do. How should you prepare to work a room? Think about what you want to get out of it. You get the idea.

As another reviewer has commented, essentially this book is one long pep talk rather than a source of useful how-to advice. It's far too general and short on specifics - much like reading a magazine article. You may pick up the odd idea here and there, but I'm sure that better books exist on this topic. Incidentally, while the book claims that it is equally relevant for business and social situations, in fact most of the advice is very business focused.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Help for 93% of us, November 20, 2007

By	Brad Shorr "Word Sell, Inc." (Geneva, IL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Susan RoAne claims 93% of all people consider themselves shy. She says more people are afraid of entering a room of strangers than of public speaking. As someone who has always had trouble mingling, I found those two facts reassuring. Still, I was expecting lots of instruction, but be advised, this book is about 50% pep talk and 50% technique. Well worth reading, but may leave you feeling hungry for more.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Silly self promotion, April 4, 2008

By	P. Lester - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This writer seems more interested in self promotion than teaching you anything all that amazing. There are constant references to other books that she has written (sorry, one was plenty), and in the appendix there are several pages devoted to listing all the organizations that have paid her to speak. Sure glad I am paying for a promotional brochure. Then there are all the silly trademarks. She actually trademarked the title of her book. How to Work a Room (tm). My personal favorite: converSENsations(tm). Yes, really. How about gimme a break (tm)?

Want a better book? Try the Art of Mingling.