24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Information You've Never Seen Before!, March 28, 2010
This review is from: Winning Body Language: Control the Conversation, Command Attention, and Convey the Right Message without Saying a Word (Paperback)
I own virtually every major book that's ever been written on the subject of non-verbal communication and body language, and I've learned something of value from all of them-even if for the repetition of important concepts. Mark's book is different, however; my highlighter was busy, and I closed the book repeatedly, taking time to reflect on one profound idea after another. I'm better because of this book, and my clients will be too!
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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Turbo Charge Your Communications, April 21, 2010
This review is from: Winning Body Language: Control the Conversation, Command Attention, and Convey the Right Message without Saying a Word (Paperback)
The book starts with a quote from George Bernard Shaw, "The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place." Unfortunately we have far too many instances when we fail to communicate.
We go to great lengths to choose the best words to deliver our message. But we often neglect the fact that words account for only a small percentage of the message being communicated. According to studies done by UCLA professor Albert Mehrabian, body language accounts for 55% of the receiver's understanding, the tone of voice accounts for 38% and the actual words account for only 7% of the receiver's understanding of our message. If you have ever had a disagreement that included the words, "It was not what you said, but the way you said it" you know first hand the truth of this study.
This book is all about the effective use of our body language to improve our communication. Mark Bowden has devoted his life to the study and teaching of effective use of body language to improve communication. He has condensed his knowledge into an easy to read book that gives us some very specific ways to improve our communications by the effective use of body language.
We either build trust and improve communication with the proper use of body language or we move our audience in the totally opposite direction. Bowden gives very specific information and examples on what to do and what not to do. He starts with the simple hand gestures and the subconscious messages we communicate with them.
He teaches how we can use our breath to improve our message. Breath incorrectly and we automatically weaken our message. He teaches how to inject excitement into your communication and when to stay away from this technique.
There are countless other specific examples and techniques throughout the book. Bowden gives sufficient background information on all these theories. He goes into great detail to explain the psychological impact of the different techniques.
The book is very user friendly - the layout is very easy to read. There are specific exercises to do at the end of each chapter.
Here is a summary of the benefit to be derived from this book, "Your greatest business achievements will boil down not to a genetic disposition for success, but to your ability to handle the information that you give and receive in such a way that it is distilled into valuable meaning for other human beings: Intelligent communication."
If you wish to be more successful in business and life, you need to learn to improve your communication. And that means you must learn to communicate using effective body language.
Interesting and highly valuable information.
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stand Out, Win Trust and Be Heard, August 4, 2010
This review is from: Winning Body Language: Control the Conversation, Command Attention, and Convey the Right Message without Saying a Word (Paperback)
I wish I'd known Mark Bowden when I was an HR executive at Coca-Cola. When I joined that great company, training on presentation skills was the number one request from people at all levels of the organization. We tried many methods to develop great presentation skills, and many different service providers, but there was always something missing.
I now realize the missing element was trust. After working with Mark through a number of high stakes situations I have come to respect and admire his ability to always create an environment of trust and credibility. He deeply understands the way the human brain functions (and dysfunctions in times of stress). And he is exceptional at using body language to inspire confidence - even before a formal presentation begins.
With his usual great generosity of spirit, Mark shares his secrets in this book. The intelligence he offers here, especially combined with his insightful coaching, will guarantee that anyone can quickly learn exactly how to Stand Out, Win Trust and Be Heard.
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