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28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Talk So People Listen, February 21, 2002
This review is from: Talk Your Way to the Top: Communication Secrets to Change Your Life (Hardcover)
A better title for this book would have been Talk So People Listen. There is very little about climbing the ladder of success and very much about effective communication. Something that Hogan does here and not in his other work is the regular reminders of key concepts and ideas. Throughout the book you find almost 200 boxed and bolded concepts that really encapsulate the core of the message of Talk Your Way to the Top. This highlighting of key ideas worked. The first two chapters read like a good motivational speakers best presentation. Mixing fact with enthusiasm the author lays out the reasons to learn how to communicate (talk and listen) better. What attracted me to reading the balance of the book (as I don't prefer the motivational aspects as much as some certainly will) is Chapter Three which provides a brilliant distillation of eliciting values from others and gently utilizing that information to build rapport and learn more about others. His touching story in Chapter Four about meeting the little girl in a wheel chair at a book signing gone wrong literally brings you to tears and the entire chapter not only educates but works. Chapter Five isn't as on target as the rest of the book. The communication skills for success aren't original though they certainly are effective in the workplace. Understanding Personality Traits (Ch. 6) is a treat. The author takes Carl Jung and does Jung justice in expanding on how to communicate effectively with different types of people with different personality quirks and traits. The examples and detail of the chapter are worthy of merit. Can You Hear Your Body Talking (Ch. 7) is the strongest chapter in the book. Here Hogan clearly details difficult to understand nonverba communication theory. This is one of Hogan's strength's. Teaching the individual the process of thinking and evaluating the communication of others while staying in the moment. The nonverbal tips and techniques are well structured and provide enough detail for any reader to feel they got their feet wet. The next few chapters were probably written as one long chapter then divided by divine fiat as they are collectively quite good. Here you learn the 8 Habits of Highly Ineffective Communicators. If you are like me you will feel a bit uncomfortable at times as you read about yourself in some of the styles of communication. The highlight of these chapters is the simplicity and easy "dosing" of criticism that you accept and understand as you go through these chapters. It's not easy to read about your weaknesses, but without these chapters you may only have a surface value book instead of something that actually creates change within. These chapters worked even though they were a bit awkward. The chapter on dealing with Well Intentioned Dragons (individuals who both have bring out the worst in you yet are obligated to communicate with regularly) is well done and not an easy topic to handle. Dealing with Emotional Vampires isn't easy and this chapter succeeded at helping understand just how to do it. There is an interview with a talk show host that doesn't really work and then a well thought out exposition of evolutionary psychology in what is a very spiritual book. I'm not certain how they all fit together. Most of the balance of the book is quite good if not in tune with the first half of the text. Overall this is an excellent book and worthy of being on the salesperson's shelf. This is probably not Hogan's finest work. That would have to be reserved for The Psychology of Persuasion and perhaps Irresistible Attraction. This is an excellent text for nurturing communication in relationships in business and personal life.
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28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally something that teaches good communication skills, October 16, 2001
This review is from: Talk Your Way to the Top: Communication Secrets to Change Your Life (Hardcover)
This book is filled with very good and interesting information. From my standpoint it was very interesting because in my occupation I am the one who is sent in when a customer is unhappy and have to try to save the project. I am very successful at that but have had a very hard time training others in how to get to the root of a problem and find a way to work it out to regain a working relationship. As I read through this book I recognized item after item that I do easily and naturally. This book finally quantifies those items and does so in a way where a person can train themselves to deal with difficult people or difficult situations. Of course, it would be even better to know these principles from the beginning so that you don't get into those awkward situations to begin with. Unless you are a complete hermit who does not deal with anyone on a regular basis, this book can prove helpful to you. Read it, practice it, read it again. Don't believe the title that this is just about talking your way to the top of an organization, it is an excellent book about communication and getting ahead in all aspects of life. I even passed it along to a teenager who is having problems with social acceptance at his school. I advised him to pick a chapter and try the techniques in it on purpose for a week, then pick another chapter and concentrate on it for a week. After three weeks he indicated that people no longer turn away from him when he approaches, say hello to him on the streets, etc. It is taking hard work for him but the results are nothing short of amazing. I did not care for Chapters 11 and 12 where he moves from communication with and between others to a form of self therapy. Perhaps others will find it valuable but I did not. There are better books where the whole book deals with self-talk and personal therapy of various types. That being said, it is still the best book that I have found on communication skills and how to deal with other people. It is in fact just what it says, communication secrets to change your life. It just became required reading for project managers at my company.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spirit touches science to help you succeed, September 25, 2001
This review is from: Talk Your Way to the Top: Communication Secrets to Change Your Life (Hardcover)
I bought this book because I wanted to communicate with my customers better. I certainly got that out of this book but I got a lot more. I also learned how to communicate with myself, my two girls and my boyfriend in a deeper and more meaningful way. Talk Your Way to the Top gives you the insights of a caring writer and someone who has done his homework. There are a lot of specific techniques to improve your communication. Some of the things I really liked in this book were the golden nuggets that appear on just about every page. There are hundreds of them. Here are some of my favorites. 1. Help people see that they are part of something bigger than themselves.
2. Help people create a believable future that will help them shape and make who they want to be real.
3. If you try to change people, they will resent you. Avoid the temptation.
4. If you accept people for who they are, without demanding change from them, you are likely to gain their ear and respect.
5. Jesus knew what it meant to brief and profound. He made his point and sat down.
6. By making others feel special, they will realize how special you are.
7. Become fascinated by what others can share with you.
8. One of the keys to being a great communicator is to really understand yourself and be able to rapidly gain an understanding of others.
9. Recognizing that people are shaped by their past is one thing. Realizing that their communication skills are linked to their past is a life changing revelation.
10. People love their individuality, yet they need interconnection with others for fulfillment and long term happiness. There are more than quips that makes sense. The book contains specific chapters related to selling better and ethically, understanding peoples values and working with specific communication styles. A particularly freeing chapter was about talking to well intentioned dragons which is about dealing with people who are in your life who are sharp tongued and unkind but not necessarily that way on purpose. The insights about charismatic communication and talking in the workplace round out probably the best book I've ever read about intrapersonal and interpersonal communication. This is a wonderful book that takes on a lot and fulfills on almost every level including the spiritual. Five stars.
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