The Elements of Persuasion: Use Storytelling to Pitch Better, Sell Faster & Win More Business (Hardcover)

by Richard Maxwell (Author), Robert Dickman (Author)
Key Phrases: five story elements, storytelling space, mirror neurons, Mary Kay, Marine Corps, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

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"The ability to persuade by spinning an intriguing narrative is an essential career skill." -- Newsweek

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"The ability to persuade by spinning an intriguing narrative is an essential career skill." (Newsweek )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperBusiness (August 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061179035
• ISBN-13: 978-0061179037
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #101,703 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Up-dating the Ancient Science of Rhetoric, August 30, 2007

By	Richard Wechsler (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In The Tycoon, a recent New Yorker Magazine article about Mort Zuckerman, the billionaire communications mogul and back-channel ambassador, the author pointed to Zuckerman's skill in telling stories, some true and some anecdotal, as one of the strongest arrows in his Zuckerman's quiver as a consumate persuader and power broker.

Shortly after I read the article, I came across Maxwell and Dickman's excelent handbook, The Elements of Persuasion, a brilliant analysis of the components of every compelling story-whether it's talking a cop out of a parking ticket, getting that last stand-by seat to get to a wedding, or making a memorable presentation that doesn't end up in the PowerPoint land fill.

Maxwell and Dickman offer a five-element matrix, rooted in greek philosophy and confimed by the most recent discoveries of cognitive science, that can be used to create compelling narratives, whether simple or complex. I found this book imminently readable, entertaining and immediately applicable.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but uneven, August 18, 2007

By	Michael P. Maslanka (dallas, texas United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This short book covers some interesting territory: how the Ritz hotels interview people to get the ones they want(ask the applicant if she likes to help people, get the standard answer, "oh yes" and then spring on her, "give me an example"?); the way the Marine Corps builds their internal brand, creating a sense of one for all and all for one with their shared physical challanges and drilling; the study of mirror neurons and how they create the mental sense of empathy; the role of the antagonist in storytelling(a business can have several but make sure it is an authentic antagonist, not a straw one.) Real world apps? Do physical stuff with your employees, because like the Marines, it imparts a sense of shared struggle and feeling of one unit. Uncomfortable with your story telling skills? Go out in the forest and yell out loud your main points( some good advice---from Asian culture--- on getting to the core of your message but yelling in the woods?) Their main point though is that "stories are facts wrapped in emotion "and it must have emotion, a hero, a protagonist and transformation.' A lesson that bears repeating. While they try to impose some order on the book's contents with these key elements, it falls short. Feel free to flip though the chapters and not constrained to read through from front to back.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars These authors are magicians!, October 9, 2007

By	Michael J. Liebman (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The authors' passion comes through loud and clear and they wrote the entire book in humorous examples of their story telling model. They walk the talk and your world will look quite different after walking with them.
Technology opened the floodgates of information but how one presents new ideas to a society drowning in data is an enormous challenge. As a college educator and Organizational Development consultant I need to be the heroic role model of communicating creative ideas and managing change. Inspiring others is my passion; digital distraction and information overload are my adversaries.
The Elements of Persuasion is truly a book about magic. It is about the magic of relating, the magic of communicating and the magic of keeping others on the edge of their seats. At my earliest opportunities I used this story telling construct and the outcome was pure magic; my entire audience actually got it. The Elements of Persuasion is now required reading for all of my students and clients.