Customer Reviews

How to Persuade People Who Don't Want to be Persuaded: Get What You Want-Every Time!

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Having had the pleasure of listening to Mr. Bauer speak, I eagerly looked forward to reading his co-authored book. His commanding "Stage Presence" dressed in a tailored suit stands in my memory like a spot light in the night. This presence, one which ultimately mesmerizes you into believing that what ever he says is some how correct.

That said, I eagerly picked up his book and started reading, only to bog down every time I picked up! With massive effort I finally finished the material and was left wondering what "The Heck I Had Read"?
Was this a Sales Training Book, Was This a Simply Magic Tricks Book, or was this just a way to get published?
The book is filled with slight of hand, misdirection and numerous illusions all illustrating anything but The Title of the Book!
It is unlikely that anyone would be able to persuade anybody to do anything after finishing it...But Entertain You Might!

This book is truly simplistic but masterful in its ability to make much out of little! It is also unlikely the average reader of this book would ever resort to the slight of hand or magic tricks purported as Ice Breakers in any sales presentation. Perhaps more usable at the next family reunion or reception.

Granted if you already have a background in magic this book would likely be most entertaining. It is also unlikely that any body would be fooled by the presentation or intent of this message or your implementation in a business setting.

Perhaps after four or five martinis the story would be different

In summation....to utilize a famous marketing quote.....Where's the Beef?
Or in this case ...substance.

This book was short on useable content and is geared more for the person wanting gimicks and tricks to attract people passing by on a busy trade show floor. I think that some of the tricks he shares do have value in driving your point home but pursuading people who don't want to be persuaded... so, so. I'm glad he made tons of money as a magician/entertainer and just made more on a less than stellar writing venture. I believe this could be used as a platform to begin being creative in you own enviroment.

Most books about developing effective persuasive techniques are based on traditional debate methods and on fine-tuning ethos, logos and pathos to convince people to do things your way. Authors Joel Bauer and Mark Levy acknowledge the benefits of earlier approaches, but entertainment and fun are their attention getters of choice. The authors advocate "infotainment," adapting pitching techniques used by flamboyant non-business people, such as gamblers, carnival barkers and magicians. They may have a point. Some of their techniques, including the use of tricks and props, might help you seize an audience. (Warning for the fumble-fingered, some of these magic tricks literally require sleight-of-hand practice.) Determining if these games would work in most traditional corporate settings, or on a repeated basis, is another question. We recommend this book to particularly adventurous marketing and sales presenters. Only certifiable extroverts need apply.

2 years ago I attended a Joel Bauer closed-door, industry specific, private seminar designed for people who work in similar fields & arenas as he. It started at 8 PM and ended at 6:30 AM!!!! Why did everyone stay glued for so long?.. And how did he do this? It?s simply because he knew what he was talking about, knew it so well, and no one wanted to miss out on the practical, strategic, methodologies only he could share. Joel Bauer has spent his life defining and refining original methods that get people to take action on your thoughts!

I took notes all night (as fast as I could) and began to archive and expand on them the next morning, as much as my then weary mind allowed. These notes were golden to me...

Untill... I picked up a copy of his book the day it was released. It?s more concise, more to the point, and more immediately applicable than my treasured notes. It?s clearly written and understandable to anyone who works with people on any level?And if you?re reading this?THAT?S YOU!

So, In a nutshell if you interact with people for a living, you can?t live without this book.

If you?re my competition, you can.

Kerwood

If your interested in reading the same old tired crap that only appeals to out of touch corporate executives, then this book is for you. As I read the first few chapters, I couldn't help but feel like I was buying a used car.

The content of this book is elementary and perhaps better suited for those wanting to learn a few basic magic tricks rather than those interested in the psychology of influence.

This is not a book that I will keep on my shelf for future reference.

I loved this book! The authors share technqiues from carnival barkers, magicians, and tradeshow pros who know how to grab attention and captivate any audience. While some books provide only principles, this book gives you step-by-step magic tricks, persuasion mechanisms and techniques that anyone can apply.
Written in a conversational tone, this entertaining book tells you the why and the how of persuasion.

Diane DiResta, author, Knockout Presentations

Despite being quite a nice read, this book does not live up to it's title!

Rather than being a book on 'How to persuade people who don't want to be persuaded', it explains in great detail how to entertain people who want to be entertained - and use it to drive home your point in the process.

This book is probably most valuable to you if you are in the entertainment business, or have a talent as an entertainer that you want to exploit in a business setting. It will certainly make your arguments more LIVELY - but it has to fit your style, otherwise the techniques will be useless to you.

Being a psychology student myself, I prefer the hardcore scientific approach so I ordered Cialdini's Influence after finishing this book. Looking forward to reading that.

Glad I only borrowed this book from the library. It was a waste of time. It was completely flimflam, conman, pitchman, pick one. There was very little usable content in the book. Look elsewhere. While the author may be good in person, the writing leads much to be desired.

If you are looking for scientific explanations of emotional and psychological triggers that have been driving all human kind to action since the cave man, skip this book and pick up a copy of Robert Cialdini's "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion."

But if you are looking for real-life tips you can start using immediately to grab and hold attention of your audiences or clients, you will find this book a treasure chest!

Joel Bauer and Mark Levy give practical tips and tools for commanding attention and persuading people who are numbed by millions of marketing messages, bored by their busy lives, and jaded by being over-promised and under-delivered to in the past.

After reading this book I started using several of the entertainment and fun-focused strategies and tactics to command attention of my audiences and drive home hard to explain, complex concepts. It works like a charm!

Adam Urbanski, "The Marketing Mentor"