Product Description

Having strong social skills is crucial for anyone who wants to be successful in the workplace or in social situations. Yet when it comes to making small talk, most people find themselves literally at a loss for words. Now from the best-selling author of How to Say It comes a quick reference guide that provides readers with a fast fix for everyday conversations at work and in social situations. The Art of Talking to Anyone leads readers quickly and easily through conversations and situations they previously found intimidating and shows them effective techniques for every situation, including small talk at work, in meetings, at social events, on the phone, in public places, with friends or family, and even in romantic situations. Maggio discusses how to incorporate other successful elements into small talk, such as body language, eye contact, and whether and how to touch another person. For each type of conversational situation are: "If they say...You Say..." sections that provide actual dialogue, including multiple responses readers can give to typical questions that are asked in each situation. Bulleted dos and don'ts that offer quick, practical guidelines Tips on how to handle special situations, including what to do if a conversation turns difficult Lists of topics that are great to use for each type of situation Closing lines that allow you to gracefully move on, change topic, or get to the business at hand Quotations that add insight into using conversation for success in each situation With The Art of Talking to Anyone, readers will learn to be confident and interesting - and successful - in all work and social situations.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #214868 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

From the Back Cover
Yes, you can learn to talk to anyone, anytime, anywhere.
And here's how.

Conversation is one of the most decisive factors in our success in business and in life. It's also an art anyone can learn'with the help of a few simple tips, guidelines and techniques.

The Art of Talking to Anyone makes it easy. Using sample scripts, real-life situations, and surefire strategies, this all-in-one handbook provides everything you need to become a more successful conversationalist. Whether you're chatting with co-workers at a conference, meeting new people at a party, or just talking on the telephone, this confidence-building guide can help you jumpstart your own unique skills and make a positive, lasting impression. You'll be surprised by how easy it is to express yourself, how self-assured you'll feel, and how well people respond to the right words at the right time. Filled with ready-to-use conversations and useful suggestions, this life-changing book shows you:

-How to be universally liked
-How to listen successfully
-How to keep a conversation going'and how to end one
-How to ask and answer questions
-How and when to tell jokes
-How to deal with difficult conversations
-How to charm and persuade others

Nothing reveals more about who you are than what you say. And no book offers practical and easy-to-learn keys to successful conversations like The Art of Talking to Anyone.

About the Author
Rosalie Maggio is the author of 19 books, including How to Say It: Words, Phrases, Sentences, and Paragraphs for Every Situation, which has sold over 1.5 million copies since 1990. She is also the author Great Letters for Every Occasion, The How to Say It Style Guide, and several word finder books and collections of quotations.

Customer Reviews

Limited scope leaves little to gain
I usually find books like this leave me impressed with the understanding the writer has of the subject, but I was disappointed and found this book limited.

There were a few useful points early on, but there was a lot of repetition, and I thought the scope of the book was very narrow. Areas I thought wuld be explored as a matter of course were not covered and there seemed to be a large focus on social conversations with people you work with. Perhaps the biggest impression this has left me with is the difference between American and British conversation; samples phrases given as examples were generally the type seen as cheesy and false by the British but work well in the States. It was hard to read without an American accent in my head.

Essential areas I expected but were not covered included:
Assertiveness
Dealing with confrontation
Persuasive techniques
Calming aggressive people
Getting quiet people to talk
The role and use of open and closed questions

Instead the repetetive returns to social work settings had me flicking back through the book to see if I'd accidentally put my bookmark in the wrong place and was re-reading an old chapter.

I think this may be useful to people who really do have a difficulty in talking to anyone, but to those with limited skills looking to understand conversation better, I would not reccomend this book.