Amazon.com
Usability design is one of the most important--yet often least attractive--tasks for a Web developer. In Don't Make Me Think, author Steve Krug lightens up the subject with good humor and excellent, to-the-point examples.
The title of the book is its chief personal design premise. All of the tips, techniques, and examples presented revolve around users being able to surf merrily through a well-designed site with minimal cognitive strain. Readers will quickly come to agree with many of the book's assumptions, such as "We don't read pages--we scan them" and "We don't figure out how things work--we muddle through." Coming to grips with such hard facts sets the stage for Web design that then produces topnotch sites.
Using an attractive mix of full-color screen shots, cute cartoons and diagrams, and informative sidebars, the book keeps your attention and drives home some crucial points. Much of the content is devoted to proper use of conventions and content layout, and the "before and after" examples are superb. Topics such as the wise use of rollovers and usability testing are covered using a consistently practical approach.
This is the type of book you can blow through in a couple of evenings. But despite its conciseness, it will give you an expert's ability to judge Web design. You'll never form a first impression of a site in the same way again. --Stephen W. Plain
Topics covered:
- User patterns
- Designing for scanning
- Wise use of copy
- Navigation design
- Home page layout
- Usability testing
Book Description
Five years and more than 100,000 copies after it was first published, it's hard to imagine anyone working in Web design who hasn't read Steve Krug's "instant classic" on Web usability, but people are still discovering it every day. In this second edition, Steve adds three new chapters in the same style as the original: wry and entertaining, yet loaded with insights and practical advice for novice and veteran alike. Don't be surprised if it completely changes the way you think about Web design.
Three New Chapters!
- Usability as common courtesy -- Why people really leave Web sites
- Web Accessibility, CSS, and you -- Making sites usable and accessible
- Help! My boss wants me to ______. -- Surviving executive design whims
"I thought usability was the enemy of design until I read the first edition of this book. Don't Make Me Think! showed me how to put myself in the position of the person who uses my site. After reading it over a couple of hours and putting its ideas to work for the past five years, I can say it has done more to improve my abilities as a Web designer than any other book.
In this second edition, Steve Krug adds essential ammunition for those whose bosses, clients, stakeholders, and marketing managers insist on doing the wrong thing. If you design, write, program, own, or manage Web sites, you must read this book." -- Jeffrey Zeldman, author of Designing with Web Standards
Customer Reviews:
Mandatory reading for developing on the Web.......2007-09-28
As it promises, Steve Krug's Don't Make Me Think: 2nd Edition, is a quick, but extremely usable, guide to Web usability and design. The book took me less than a day to read (less than 3 hours), but has become, in my mind, a requirement for even beginners (like myself) of Web design. Since everyone who develops for the Web should have some idea of design and usability, this book should really be a mandatory requirement for said work.
In short, there's no reason not to read this book if you're developing for the Web (writing content, programming, etcetera), or working with a team that does so.
Good content, poor binding.......2007-09-27
Others have said that Krug's book (2nd edition) is for those with little experience. That is exactly why I found it so useful. There are lots of concepts that are common sense, sure. But until they were pointed out I had not even considered them. His point about the usefulness of tabs was particularly useful to me. I am creating a site now and will incorporate them into my design.
My only complaint is with the binding. The book was so poorly produced that pages began to loosen and fall out before I was finished with the first reading. I am now looking for a big rubber band to hold everything together. I just hate it when that happens.
Simple--Concise--Easy to Read.......2007-09-27
As an owner of two online businesses I found this book to clarify and outline what most owners and developers fail to understand...which is usability / navigation of their sites..this book nails it. A must read for anyone involved in managing of paying for a web site. JLW.
Not just for beginners-- a must have for website designers.......2007-09-26
It's a good sign when a usability expert's book is highly usable, and so this one is-- a fast read, very scannable, makes substantive points quickly, then follows them up with illustrative examples and lots of nice graphs and pictures. I've seen a couple people here comment that this book is only for beginners, but given the state of MOST sites that I find on the web (yes, this includes e-commerce sites and big brand sites that OUGHT to be very usable), I'd say this book is for ALL LEVELS OF WEB DESIGNERS. Consider it your basic reference for features that every site ought to have in order to be usable and marketable. Also, its a handy source to show to your boss/client when they want to do something silly with their site design-- it's highly quotable and is written to appeal to a business audience.
Impress your clients.......2007-09-16
Steve walks the talk with this beautifully laid out and wonderfully structured book about usability. This book is perfect for anyone who wants to understand how real people use the internet, indeed, how real people read just about anything. Steve provides lots of great examples you can use with clients who want a beautiful website design but have no idea that some of their choices will turn their customers off. This book is amusing and very easy to read - it's the best book on web usability I've found.
Book Description
Investing is all about common sense. Owning a diversified portfolio of stocks and holding it for the long term is a winner’s game. Trying to beat the stock market is theoretically a zero-sum game (for every winner, there must be a loser), but after the substantial costs of investing are deducted, it becomes a loser’s game. Common sense tells us—and history confirms—that the simplest and most efficient investment strategy is to buy and hold all of the nation’s publicly held businesses at very low cost. The classic index fund that owns this market portfolio is the only investment that guarantees you with your fair share of stock market returns.
To learn how to make index investing work for you, there’s no better mentor than legendary mutual fund industry veteran John C. Bogle. Over the course of his long career, Bogle—founder of the Vanguard Group and creator of the world’s first index mutual fund—has relied primarily on index investing to help Vanguard’s clients build substantial wealth. Now, with The Little Book of Common Sense Investing, he wants to help you do the same.
Filled with in-depth insights and practical advice, The Little Book of Common Sense Investing will show you how to incorporate this proven investment strategy into your portfolio. It will also change the very way you think about investing. Successful investing is not easy. (It requires discipline and patience.) But it is simple. For it’s all about common sense.
With The Little Book of Common Sense Investing as your guide, you’ll discover how to make investing a winner’s game:
- Why business reality—dividend yields and earnings growth—is more important than market expectations
- How to overcome the powerful impact of investment costs, taxes, and inflation
- How the magic of compounding returns is overwhelmed by the tyranny of compounding costs
- What expert investors and brilliant academics—from Warren Buffett and Benjamin Graham to Paul Samuelson and Burton Malkiel—have to say about index investing
- And much more
You’ll also find warnings about investment fads and fashions, including the recent stampede into exchange traded funds and the rise of indexing gimmickry. The real formula for investment success is to own the entire market, while significantly minimizing the costs of financial intermediation. That’s what index investing is all about. And that’s what this book is all about.
JOHN C. BOGLE is founder of the Vanguard Group, Inc., and President of its Bogle Financial Markets Research Center. He created Vanguard in 1974 and served as chairman and chief executive officer until 1996 and senior chairman until 2000. In 1999, Fortune magazine named Mr. Bogle as one of the four "Investment Giants" of the twentieth century; in 2004, Time named him one of the world’s 100 most powerful and influential people, and Institutional Investor presented him with its Lifetime Achievement Award.
Customer Reviews:
Valuable Investment Advice.......2007-10-02
I have been "investing" for years without a sustainable strategy. The information provided in this book is educational, reassuring and eye-opening. Mr. Bogle showed that Investing need not be complicated and provided many examples and facts to support his assertions. If you need good, sound proven financial advice from an industry giant, this is invaluable and a must-read book. I bought 5 copies (one is audio CD) and gave them to my friends and sister.
An aptly titled book.......2007-08-14
As a professional portfolio manager since the 1960's [now retired] I most highly recommend this book. I have purchased copies for my adult children, as well as for some for-profit and non-profit boards on which I serve. I am telling all that this easy, one-day read has the potential to be a financial life-enhancing event, if they agree with the basic premise. And that there is no reason not to agree with the premise. I very much like that Bogle includes supporting data at the end of every section. A true five-star book.
Index investing is good but not perfect.......2007-08-08
I don't disagree with the doyen of Index investing.
There is no doubt that Index investing is the best way to maximize returns using a passive "buy and hold" strategy
and in many ways superior to most actively managed funds.
However, what the book fails to explain is the fact that Index investing is not immune to systematic risks. The index will crash if there is a bubble similar to what we witnessed in 2000. Index funds are based on efficient market hypothesis- if all known information is already factored into the price, there is no room for arbitrage.
But,if all investing were to become index based, EFT and electronic, who will actively seek information other than what is disclosed as per law by publicly traded companies? We should not forget that dot coms and Enron were also part of the index at some point. The duration of holding is also relevant, as investors close to retirement still need to follow the good old rule of thumb, your age is the %age of bond/money market holdings in your portfolio,which probably explains why even Vanguard is offering life cycle funds.
If not for John Bogle and Vanguard, we would not even had an alternative to complacent, fee-hungry fund managers.
The Best Advice Ever.......2007-08-06
The Facts Are In The Numbers
There is a repetitive theme in this book, not redundance. And it's supported by expert analysis, portfolio comparisons, and the numbers: "humble arithmetic." Over time Index Funds out-perform most managed mutual funds. The longer the amount of time, the more detrimental the damage - if - you own managed funds. "Where returns are concerned, time is your friend. But where costs are concerned, time is your enemy."
Bogle notes (like so many others) how fund advertisements mislead and outright lie by stating that "X fund has an annual average return of 12% per yer," but omits the costs: portfolio transaction costs, Load charges, 12-1bs, and taxes accrued on realized gains. (And inflation must always be factored.) The S&P 500 rose by an average of 12 percent for twenty years, but most managed mutual funds got far, far, lower returns than that.
The 4 E's: Enemies of Equity investors are Expenses and Emotions, according to Warren Buffet.
Financial Intermediation has created enormous fortunes for those n the fields of managing other people's money.
One example:
Merrill Lynch is the largest brokerage firm in the world. One of its biggest marketing and profitable successes also created one of the biggest losses for investors. At the height of the bubble in 2000, Lynch launched two new funds: the "Focus Twenty" and the "Internet Strategies" Fund. Like clockwork, at the height of the bubble frenzy the consumers were drawn in. The best time to sell a fund is the worst time for consumers to buy it. $2 billion dollars poured into Merrill Lynch. "Internet Strategies" sank almost immediately and lost 86 percent, while the "Focus Twenty" (which comprised the top 20 favorite stock picks of Merrill Lynch managers) lost 28% in 2000, 70% in 2001, and 39% in 2002 (p. 106). Ouch. A lot of funds declined in this three-year period, but not nearly as much. Funds chosen by managers earn 40 percent less than index funds, in general (source, NY TIMES).
But it's not just John Bogle that states this. Bogle hits home with his "Don't take it from me" passages throughout the book, quoting and sourcing what other financial minds say about managed vs. index funds, and organizational and individual investment psychology. There are tons of exhibits and tables with comparisons. Sources are provided throughout.
Relation to 401K and IRAs:
IMO, regular non-IRA (non tax deferred) index funds can be a vehicle that supersedes endangered Defined Pension Benefit Plans for those wanting to add more than the limits, or simply supplement the IRA and 401K limits to retirement accounts. Or, add more diversification and control over one's portfolio. Indexing can also be useful for those that don't have the two tax-deferred options available to them and is another choice because of low taxation and low expense costs.
Including indexing another but related topic, company pensions can inhibit and limit the worker. They often anchor employees into a company or industry. Many want to change, but stay and wait to cash out. The pension fund makes the rules. They tell you how long to stay to receive X amount.
This the best investment book I've ever read. It's also been the most honest.
Greatest Investing Book Ever!.......2007-07-28
What an incredible, straight forward book about investing! It should be required reading for every high school class in the country. Another great job Mr. Bogle!
Amazon.com
Invoking the words and spirit of Thomas Paine, investor-turned-historian John Bogle concedes that his ideas for revamping the mutual-fund industry are perhaps "not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favor." But despite likening the "ills and injustices suffered by mutual fund investors" to those "our forebears suffered under English tyranny," Bogle--founder of the Vanguard Group--makes a strong case for index funds with this exhaustive study of investing.
He begins with primer-like essays on investment strategy, championing mutual funds for their inherent investment value, and then grinding each point home with a bevy of graphs, charts, entertaining anecdotes, and common sense. He repeatedly stresses time as a basic tenet for investing, listing these simple rules: "Time is your friend"; "Impulse is your enemy"; "Stay the course." And then he proceeds to blast fund managers, who have become marketers rather than managers.
The trade-off between the profits that accrue to fund shareholders and the profits that accrue to the fund management companies seems subject to no effective independent watchdog or balance wheel, despite the fact that the shareholders actually own the mutual funds.
It's an interesting concept: smart, reasoned investors can all but secure their financial future, but the system itself, run unchecked by fund managers, needs a major overhaul. And considering the amount of reasoned, historically based support he includes, readers will have a hard time finding fault with the sometimes controversial Bogle. Equal parts instructional and crusade, Common Sense on Mutual Funds deserves the attention it's likely to receive. Recommended. --Rob McDonald
Book Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER!
"Cogent, honest, and hard-hitting-a must read for every investor." -Warren E. Buffett
Praise for Common Sense on Mutual Funds
"Invoking both Thomas Paine and Benjamin Graham, Jack Bogle outlines a supremely logical plan not only to better investors' returns, but to improve the whole fund industry. This isn't just the best book yet by Bogle, it may well be the best book ever on mutual funds." -DON PHILLIPS, President & CEO, Morningstar, Inc.
"Buffett cannot teach you or me how to become a Warren Buffett. Bogle's reasoned precepts can enable a few million of us savers to become in twenty years the envy of our suburban neighbors-while at the same time we have slept well in these eventful times."-PAUL A. SAMUELSON, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Economics
"After a lifetime of picking stocks, I have to admit that Bogle's arguments in favor of the index fund have me thinking of joining him rather than trying to beat him. Bogle's wisdom and his commonsense way of explaining things make this book indispensable reading for anyone trying to figure out how to invest in this crazy stock market."-JAMES J. CRAMER, Money Manager and Senior Columnist for TheStreet.com
"Written in his characteristic forthright and visionary style, Bogle penetrates the myths and jargon to shed a powerful light on the central issues that confront every investor, no matter what their level of experience or sophistication." -MARTIN L. LEIBOWITZ, Vice Chairman and Chief Investment Officer, TIAA-CREF
"Jack Bogle is one of the great pioneer/visionaries of the investment business. In this book, he shares his knowledge, experience, and judgment to enable us to become better investors. The final philosophical chapters provide insights that may help some of us become better people." -BYRON R. WIEN, Chief U.S. Investment Strategist Morgan Stanley Dean Witter
Customer Reviews:
This book did it for me........2007-10-04
Very detailed and informative book. I still read it from time to time to keep my investment perspective. It lead me to index investing a number of years ago, and I've never been sorry!
Excellent Complete Guide on Investments.......2007-09-27
This book reads like a college text (easier version from Bogle would be the little book of common sense investing) but it has all the information you will need to become a proficient investor of mutual funds. What impressed me the most was the use of data going back several hundred years for the case of asset allocation, the use of diversified equities, and cost containment.
Common Sense on Mutual Funds.......2007-08-26
Very good analysis of how mutual funds work and how difficult it is for a fund manager to provide the outstanding management necessary to beat the market average. But, it ignores the possibility of beating the market by using index funds and/or international funds to beat the US market, and by using the best funds available, regardless of the fund family.
I have read other books about investing in mutual funds that were much more help to me.
a must read for investors.......2007-03-22
This is by far the best investment book I have ever read. The analyses are brilliant,Mr. Bogle pulls back the curtain on the mutual fund industry.
A Really Good Book... It Will Change One's Perspective.......2007-02-15
This book is a great insight into one of the finest minds on wall street... except he has a heart. Unlike most people in the financial market who desire to separate ordinary people from their money, he strives to enlighten minds and illuminate the journey with sage insight. Proof? Simple, he was the founder of Vanguard Investment Company with the widest selection of LOW COST funds available. He is a fine gentleman in his personal life and an apostle in the world of investing for novice and experienced investors alike. I loved the book and have given several copies as gifts. I would rate it six stars if this was an option. P.S. If reading a book like this is holding you back, get the audio book and listen on the way to work. Makes it easy. :)
Book Description
More provocative business thinking from the bestselling author of Purple Cow and All Marketers Are Liars
As one of today's most influential business thinkers, Seth Godin helps his army of fans stay focused, stay connected, and stay dissatisfied with the status quo, the ordinary, the boring. His books, blog posts, magazine articles, and speeches have inspired countless entrepreneurs, marketing people, innovators, and managers around the world.
Now, for the first time, Godin has collected the most provocative short pieces from his pioneering blog—ranked #70 by Feedster (out of millions published) in worldwide readership. This book also includes his most popular columns from Fast Company magazine, and several of the short e-books he has written in the last few years.
A sample:
• Bon Jovi And The Pirates
• Christmas Card Spam
• Clinging To Your Job Title?
• How Much Would You Pay to Be on Oprah's Show?
• The Persistence of Really Bad Ideas
• The Seduction of “Good Enough”
• What Happens When It's All on Tape?
• Would You Buy Life Insurance at a Rock Concert?
Small is the New Big is a huge bowl of inspiration that you can gobble in one sitting or dip into at any time. As Godin writes in his introduction: “I guarantee that you'll find some ideas that don't work for you. But I'm certain that you're smart enough to see the stuff you've always wanted to do, buried deep inside one of these riffs. And I'm betting that once inspired, you'll actually make something happen.”
Customer Reviews:
Another winner- big time!.......2007-09-10
I think that Seth's books are getting better. But this is not a book book, its a collection of articles, newsletters and blog posts. But it is real, quality, and very useful. Such useful ideas as, " The best marketers, of course, use the needle and the vise at them same time:. They don't assault, they don't demand, instead they earn attention. And they apply their marketing pressure so consistently and in such a measured and relentless way that sooner or later, they profit from it. " A great book if you want it in small lumps or more, It would be a good plane ride book, but bring a highlighter! I love this one
"I. Humans tend to work on a problem until they get a good enough solution, not a solution that's right.
2. The marketplace often rewards solutions that are cheaper and good enough, instead of investing in the solution that promises to lead to the right answer."
A Shot in the Arm.......2007-08-24
Whether you're an internet entrepreneur, a New Economy worker, or a creative-type, you'll find something of value in Godin's riffs. Written with a dose of humor, and short enough to be devoured in a trip to the bathroom, these think pieces are just what the doctor ordered to stir things up and give you a new perspective on the business of business.
I have reviewed business books for years and can smell BS a mile away. Godin is one of the few "experts" who really get it. Highly recommended. Buy a copy because you'll want to read it again and again.
For the marketing- minded and money- making only ... .......2007-08-20
Seth Godin is a supersalesman of the NetAge, a wonderblogwhiz successful to the manymillions. He puts in print for us here eight years of his previous postings packaging it anew for paperback bucks. He hypes and rehypes a number of key formulas for making the reader a riskier retailer of his own personal product. He gives us a variant of E.M.Schumacher's 'Small is Beautiful" and tells us 'Small is the New Big" He explores endless examples with small stories which show us how to better be the respectful, rightthinking managers of our own mental means.
He teaches us how to live and think faster and better, and make it all work for us.
However between his message and my execution of it falls the abyss. NO KLUTZES WANTED HERE this book seems to say, and all I can do is go round and round and round with my own worried words never able to sell them not one single little bit. (Dig-a-bit?)
In any case if you are of another mind, more practical, realistic, technically competent, marketing mindful- this work can provide plenty of fodder for the moo.
Get a Great Creativity Boost.......2007-08-07
Reading this book was like hooking up to a battery charger for business creativity. The book doesn't read like a typical "how to." There are just short bursts of genious that jump off the page and make you think about how and why you do what you do. I keep the book at my desk at the office and I often refer back to it when I'm trying to solve a marketing or operational challenge.
Seth is a red rubber ball.......2007-07-19
As I read this book, I thought "Seth Godin is like a red rubber ball." You know, you throw a ball against a concrete wall and it just bounces off. It looks pretty and makes a nifty noise. But the wall doesn't move.
And that's Seth Godin. A lot of action, but no real impact. This book is a big idea without a next step. A complaint without a solution. Seth is the guy who stands up to start a standing ovation, but does it so awkwardly that no-one joins him. This book is a celebration of everything Seth abhors about marketing and business and management, written with the luxurious smugness of someone who cannot suggest a practical alternative.
I can understand why Seth's rant seems to be "everyone is afraid of change". That's what my rant would be if I had a lot of ideas, but couldn't actually convince anyone to follow my suggestions. I'd think "it's them! They're all stuck in the status quo!"
To illustrate the point, Seth recalls a time a salesperson tried to pin an executive down to make a yes or no decision. The exec was non-committal, and then showed the pushy salesperson the door when she asked the exec to sign a document giving her permission to take the offer to a competitor. Seth uses this as evidence that some people are afraid to make a decision. I say, if a salesperson tried to force me to make a decision on the spot, they'd get shown the door too. But this just proves the point. An inability to influence is somehow the other guy's fault.
Actually, I think it's Seth who is stuck. His book "Small is the New Big" reads like it was written by a 14 year old boy - where everything is black and white (you change or you die) and he's discovering things other marketers have known for a long time (it's not about needs, it's about wants).
Yawn.
On the positive side, Seth has some creative ideas and a lively writing style. He's obviously an observer and a collector of little marketing nuggets. But after reading about 50 pages it all became very monotone and self-aggrandizing.
Judging from the reviews on Amazon, it looks like Seth has touched some people's lives for the better. So there must be something there. But for me, this is like listening to a first-year MBA student fumbling through a bad business plan. Bounce, bounce, boing, boing.
Book Description
Invaluable." --SUCCESS. "In simple, straightforward language, Fournies offers practical solutions to the problems of employee performance ... [This book] should be on the desk of anyone who manages others."--ENTREPENEUR. THE TOP 10 REASONS EMPLOYEES DON'T DO WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO:
10. They don't know why they should do it;
9. They don't know how to do it
8. They don't know what they are supposed to do
7. They think your way will not work
6. They think their way is better
5. They think something else is more important
5. They think they are doing it
4. They are punished for doing it
3. They are rewarded for not doing it
2. It's beyond their personal limits
1. No one could do it
This book tells you how to avoid or handle each situationÑand the 6 other reasons that comprise the total list of reasons employees don't do their jobs. Universally praised and a perennial best seller, this book made The New York Times business bestseller list in early 1998--10 years after it came out! Why? Competition to attract and keep good employees is fiercer than ever. Today's employers need the no-nonsense people-management skills this book teaches. Based on real experiences of 25,000 managers surveyed by a Columbia Graduate School of Business professor, this results-oriented guide--newly updated for todayÕs changing workplace--provides proven, straightforward methods that work on real jobs, in real businesses, in the real world. This updated edition also gives you new input from 5000 additional managers, plus more help with temp workers, service industries, flex time, computers, telecommuting, stress, and safety!
Customer Reviews:
Why Employees Don't Do What They're Supposed to Do and What To Do About It.......2006-08-30
Lot's of effective hands on things you can use immediately. Great use of your time & enjoyable to read as well.
A common workplace question definitively answered........2006-05-02
The truth is that in this book, as in others expressing simple truth, the value may be in the reminder. Others who have reviewed this book seem to think that its content may be somewhat simplistic, or maybe just basic stuff. My observation is that yes, for me, much of the information in the book is basic, the ideas are not new to me, nor are the recommended responses. The fact remains that in too many work places productivity is less than optimum and is not what it might be because of the specific reasons offered in this little book.
Whether you have ever been expected to manage employees or not, you will relate to the content of this small volume. Those who manage others will gather hints on how to better understand their reports and will receive suggestions that if used will allow them to become better managers. All employees will gain a perspective from which they will be better able to communicate the frustrations they may be experiencing in their work situation.
This short book should be read by all who work.
Good Basics and Several Great Tips.......2006-05-01
Talk about a super long title that clearly states what a book is about! When you pick up "Why Employees Don't Do What They're Supposed To Do and What To Do About It" by Ferdinand F. Fournies, there's no doubt what you think you are getting. The question is of course if you DO get that and how valuable the information is.
There are apparently 16 different reasons why an employee might not do what they should. These are: They don't know why, they don't know how, they don't know what, they think your way won't work, they think their way is better, they think something else is more important, there are no positive consequences, they think they ARE doing it, they are rewarded for NOT doing it, they are punished for doing it, they anticipate negative consequences, there are no negative consequences for NOT doing it, there are obstacles they can't fix, they have personal limits, they have personal problems, and the task is simply impossible. That's quite a lot of reasons for one "problem"! Just having that list can really be helpful. A manager who thinks "My employee is simply an idiot! I told him what to do!" might take a step back and realize there really IS a problem that can be fixed, once it is identified.
I realize that a lot of these items are common sense - but it's amazing how many times in the workplace that I've seen bad managers completely ignore the real problem and just yell at an employee. That rarely helps!
Now, while the basic list is good, I do have some issues with this book. The first is that the book opens telling you "Now a manager could be assaulted or killed by the employee [for not handling problems effectively]." Good God Almighty. Talk about a nasty way to sell a book - "read me or you could DIE!!!"
The book does a good job of laying out each type of problem in detail, and then giving specific solutions. You might say "they're common sense" but obviously if so many managers out there are NOT handling these situations well, they need a little kick in the behind. Maybe they're just too stressed and aren't actually thinking about the problem. Maybe this book will help give them that extra insight they need into using a good solution.
One thing that bothers me is that the book makes it seem that every problem CAN be solved by following these few easy steps. There's a small FAQ in the back that says in essence "Oh yeah, sometimes this fails and you'll have to demote or fire the person." It would have been more helpful if in each section there were the regular tips, but also "drastic steps" and then "when to give up". I suppose they want to be positive - but if they give you only a few things to try, and they aren't working, it would be good to have a progression of what to do next. To keep trying those same things becomes an exercise in futility and frustration. In fact, it's sort of funny, he says at one point that, if these tips don't work, go buy my next book to learn what to do then :)
Still, it's a good basic primer for the new manager of how to handle a variety of situations. I definitely have worked in many situations where managers did NOT know these things and the environment suffered because of it. If you feel like you already know these things, borrow the book at the library and skim through - you might pick up a tip or two. If you're a new manager, then I would suggest buying this. It's the sort of book that you read in the bathroom, going just over a single chapter, and focussing on how to handle that one specific issue. You're probably going to run into all of these issues over time, if you stay on a managerial path.
Why Employees Don't Do What They're Supposed To Do and What To Do About It.......2005-09-03
This is a well written, easy to read, common sense guide for managers and supervisors of all levels of experience. You don't have to be an MBA to understand and use the information provided.
Good Stuff.......2005-08-30
This is a basic book for all new managers. It tell you about all the things they don't teach you in school and gives you concrete action plans to take away the negative impact of the problem. The key areas are ranked as to their occurrence in the management environment. It is a quick read and an even faster process of applying the essentials. Great Book! I am recommending it to my students.
Book Description
* Do taxes help more than they hurt?* What effect does redistributing wealth have on our economy---and those who participate in its redistribution?* What is the role of government?* How does an economy work?James Gwartney, Richard L. Stroup, and Dwight R. Lee are three of the most prominent economists today, and in Common Sense Economics they show us why economic understanding is an essential ingredient for life in today's society, a key element that empowers those who possess it to better take charge of their own lives and their own responsibilities to their society. In clear, powerful language free of any hint of jargon or obscurity, they illuminate the basic principles of supply and demand, private ownership, trade, and more. In a world where free trade, taxes, and government spending are issues everyone needs to understand, Common Sense Economics is a lucid, simple explanation of how and why our economy and our world work the way they do, and how and why individuals and nations prosper.
Customer Reviews:
Understandable Theory.......2007-08-27
A well written book. I do not believe in all that was stated in free trade but that would only be my opinion. The very best and why this should be mandatory reading in high school is the final thirty pages or so explaining compound interest, saving, investing and paying for college. I strongly believe each young man should share in the cost of college. If we are going to compete in a world market we better learn that college is for filling the head with knowledge and not the belly with beer. Unless you wish to be a telemarketer for some third world country with your degree.
Free Market.......2007-05-07
Excellent, should be required reading for all 8th graders and socialists. Gives a down to earth understanding of the advantage to ALL with free market economics and the adverse effects when the government tries to do too much.
Common Sense Economics.......2007-01-10
Easy to read, easy to understand. The last time I tried to understand economic principles was in required college courses, and barely made it through any of them. This book clarifies the often deliberate obfuscation of this subject, and reveals what every American ought to know about how our system is supposed to work, but a lot of times doesen't. A must-read for every conservative concerned about liberal economic ideas and governmental meddling in Capitalism.
A good introduction to economics for libertarians.......2006-04-18
The authors of this book present an introduction for readers who have not studied economics before and who are predisposed to accept the a priori approach to economic theory advocated by libertarian economists and political thinkers.There is a major error that is presented on p.93 in a discussion of government spending and deficits.The authors claim that J M Keynes favored deficit finance in order to stimulate the economy during economic downturns.This is simply false.Keynes never favored deficit finance.Deficit Finance is the brain child of Abba Lerner's functional finance.Lerner's approach influenced American Keynesians such as Alvin Hansen and Walter Heller.Keynes's approach,as opposed to the American Keynesian School, emphasized continuous low rates of interest and the avoidance of excessive debt-speculative finance,based on,for example,margin loans.Keynes would have suggested that the central bank implement a policy of skewing credit availability away from loans for speculators,greenmailers,leveraged buyouts,hostile takeovers a la Icahn,T Boone Pickens,etc.
Common Sense Read For a Sometimes Dry Subject.......2006-02-17
This is essentially a newer edition of a book previously released by the author. The writing is clear and concise on many basic economic principles. If you are looking for an indepth analysis of how economics effects socio-political issues, this is not the book you are looking for. However, if you are looking to begin setting a solid foundation for economic understanding there is perhaps no better place to begin.
Book Description
Designing the Obvious belongs in the toolbox of every person charged with the design and development of Web-based software, from the CEO to the programming team. Designing the Obvious explores the character traits of great Web applications and uses them as guiding principles of application design so the end result of every project instills customer satisfaction and loyalty. These principles include building only whats necessary, getting users up to speed quickly, preventing and handling errors, and designing for the activity. Designing the Obvious does not offer a one-size-fits-all development process--in fact, it lets you use whatever process you like. Instead, it offers practical advice about how to achieve the qualities of great Web-based applications and consistently and successfully reproduce them.
Customer Reviews:
Philosophy for UI/UX designers.......2007-08-22
This book is deceptively thin but it took me a long time to read it because I kept stopping every few pages or even paragraphs to reflect. The points that he brings up and the examples he presents are great and he gives me a framework for how to think about designing applications. A lot of of the ideas in this book like inline validation and reducing features are things I already knew. Hoekman just puts all this information in an short and sweet book. I've already started using some of the suggestions to solve design problems on various projects.
Solid.......2007-07-15
As a UI designer I enjoyed the book. It was clearly written with many useful nuggets of wisdom for those of us building web apps. Typically books like this deal with informational websites or ecommerce, this one covers the missing gap. While most of the examples were fairly light-weight web apps, the foundations covered in this book apply across the board. Usually I skip around in these books since the writing is so dry. Robert has written this one in a conversational tone and I read it cover to cover. Recommended.
Not a bad book.......2007-06-08
Focuses less on actual design tips, but more on the design mentality - being willing to cut stuff out and focus on what's important. It was a good read, had some good examples, and reference good websites to check out.
Advice so obvious you never would have thought of it.......2007-05-30
The danger in reading a book that tells you to do obvious things is that you may find yourself thinking that since you could have thought of each piece of advice on your own, you would have. Alas, unless you have the depth of experience that someone like Robert Hoekman has acquired by working on dozens of projects, chances are there is at least one obvious thing in this book that you have missed in your last project.
If you're like me there is probably considerably more than one thing.
Hoekman lays out the basic principles of web application design clearly and succinctly. He starts by describing some of the practices that designers should adopt in order to understand how their users actually behave and what they really need. These practices are meant to cure readers of the habit of asking users what they want, which frequently results in honest but inaccurate answers. Hoekman's tools of choice for generating understanding are various forms of shadowing users while they do the tasks your application will perform, and his preferred method of documentation is the use case. No one who has worked in software development for any period of time will be surprised at the use case rules he lays out, but the example he gives is a rare glimpse into how the mind of an expert polishes a basic use case into something truly professional.
He next tackles the question of what features to put into your design and which to leave out. Here Hoekman is firmly in the minimalist camp exemplified by 37 Signals. He advocates ruthlessly stripping out "nice to have" features, and simplifying the rest. Although I had previously read much the same argument in "Getting Real", ([...]) once again I found that the example at the end of the chapter gave greater practical insight into how to actually select features to remove.
I found the chapter titled "Support the User's Mental Model" to be the most valuable in the book. As someone who is more often on the project management than the implementation side of web applications, I have often had an engineer propose a feature or refinement that makes perfect logical sense, but for some reason doesn't feel right. After reading this chapter, all of those vague feelings snapped into focus for me. Engineers are so deeply immersed in how the application works, and the possibilities that are available, that they sometimes want to structure interactions in ways that reflect the logic of the code rather than the logic of the activity. Previously I had been attributing most of these errors to the desire to provide more options to the user. Being able to distinguish between the two should help me in approaching these proposals better in the future.
The chapters on helping first time visitors become intermediate users quickly and on handling errors were also valuable, mostly because they focused on the introductory experience. There are dozens of books on design and interactions, but I have yet to see one that focuses exclusively on the crucial first visit of a user to a new site. Since this is where most of our products either succeed or fail, it's great to get some practical advice on how to gently guide a neophyte while still preserving the power a more experienced user will demand. Once again the blow by blow examples that tackle specific interaction problems and solve them are worth their weight in gold.
The rest of the book emphasizes the value of uniformity and novelty, and seemed less useful to me. It's possible that at my intermediate level of knowledge, those were the obvious things I HAVE thought of!
I only had one quibble with the book. Hoekman includes lots and lots of references to web sites and online articles that could be helpful, but each one is buried in the text. A page at the back that simply listed each of these sites would have been very helpful. Or better yet, list them on the author's web site and keep them up to date! What better way to promote yourself as an author long after the original book is dogeared and falling apart?
But this book is an invaluable resource, and one I expect will still be on my shelf long after all the sites it references have gone offline.
A new permanent addition to my library.......2007-05-23
This is one of a small collection of work-related books that I read cover to cover and it was completely worth it. The perspective and insight that this book provided has given me more to consider when building applications. Within minutes of finishing the book, I found ways to simplify and enhance applications I was working on.
If you don't have it, get it. If you have it, make sure you read the whole thing, this isn't a book that you flip through, this is a book you read from beginning to end.
Book Description
Paine was the impassioned democratic voice of the Age of Revolution, and this volume brings together his best-known works--"Common Sense," "The American Crisis," "Rights of Man," "The Age of Reason," along with a selection of letters, articles and pamphlets that emphasizes Paine's American years.
Customer Reviews:
What a useful collection........2007-07-10
It's good to have all Paine's material in one handy volume. Plenty to read and think about. It's a pity he's not better known in the USA, considering his significance in the existence of the country.
We have it in our power to begin the world over again.......2007-07-06
This was a required reading for a graduate humanities class. John Keane's biography succinctly showed that Tom Paine (1737-1809) was the consummate revolutionary and a daring adventurer. Not only was he an important figure in the American Revolution, but he also traveled to France in 1791 to give that revolution a push. Paine traveled from England, just in time to stoke the flames of the revolution with his pamphlet Common Sense, in January 1776. To call Common Sense a sensation in the colonies is actually a bit of an understatement. It was an unparallel sensation and monumental work of Enlightenment rhetoric that quickly fanned the flames of rebellion throughout the colonies. In four months, over 120,000 copies were printed in the colonies--over 500,000 copies by years end. No other pamphlet printed in seventeenth century America came close to its success. Most importantly, Common Sense served to get the colonial patriots to drop their fear of open rebellion, and also emboldened those delegates who favored declaring independence from Britain. The delegates now had the confidence that a large segment of the colonists would support rebellion. Similar to the Declaration of Independence, the philosophical ideas in Common Sense are primarily from the English philosopher, John Locke (1632-1704). The most moving quote from the pamphlet became quite prophetic, when one considers the impact it ultimately had on the delegates in the congress, the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, and on the world. "We have it in our power to begin the world over again."
As a graduate student in philosophy and history, I heartily recommend this timeless classic to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history.
Teach Thomas Paine to all Ages.......2006-12-03
Paine truly is the forgotten founding father. Unbelievably, I never learned about him till college--and only then through specific history classes. In addition to this volume, I suggest one of my recent discoveries: The Elementary Common Sense of Thomas Paine; the 1776 document Common Sense adapted and illustrated for ages 11 on up. It is here on Amazon. Paine, and all of our country's founding documents, should be taught to kids early on.
Most Important Founding Father - outstanding one-volume edition of his writings!.......2006-07-22
Thomas Paine was the most consistent and important of all the American Founding Fathers. He consistently spoke up in favor of liberty and freedom; for example, his opposition to the institution of slavery (which he argued was immoral and un-Christian and thought it quite contradictory to claim to be a Christian on the one hand and support slavery on the other hand) - Paine also spoke up in support of women's rights, freedom of thought, the poor, etc.
The important thing about Paine is that he practiced what he preached, as opposed to just about every other founding father (e.g., Jefferson saying all are "created equal" but owning slaves, or Adams "dismissing" his wife's assertion that they too should be included in the political process). I don't think we ought to condemn those individuals for the beliefs that they had, indeed they were products of their time period - and they are worthy of study. However, I also believe that we should praise those who were able to step out of that period and see things as they are, this is what Paine was able to do.
If you doubt Paine's importance in the history of American independence, consider the following; probably no other phamphlet brought the idea of independence to the mind of the colonists like Paine's "Common Sense" did and it was Paine's "Crisis #1" that was read to Washington's soldiers before they prepared for the biggest fight of the American Revolution. Paine's defense of the French Revolution in his "Rights of Man" sparked off a publication war that has yet to be matched and his "The Age of Reason" delineated the philosophical ideas that most of the founding fathers had with regard to religion (regardless of what the religious right would have you to believe).
Paine's mistake was not believing what most of the founding fathers believed, that the "common man and woman" was not intellectual enough to handle the arguments that he (and the others) were advocating. It was his consistency which brought about his downfall - this is a shame, because he is one of the most important thinkers to come out of the Revolutionary Period in American history.
Timeless inspiration.......2006-07-08
Thomas Paine, especially in The Age of Reason, did not put forth completely original ideas. Many of his contemporaries had the same critisms that Paine did in regard to organized religion especially Christianity. However, Thomas Paine organized such thoughts in a way that they were accessible to common men. Unfortunately his brave and inspirational work was his downfall. Closeminded and fearful citizens, like RICKITHEREADER in our modern times were frightened that perhaps Paine was tearing a hole the the fabric of their blind faith and because of this, Paines' last work, The Age of Reason, left him to die alone and impoverished. He was abandoned, even by his intellectual contemporaries, most who agreed with him but were not brave enough to voice their beliefs in the common vernacular. I was inspired by Paine who wrote, "My mind is my own church," which was not the voice of an atheist but the voice of a man who really did know the "truth" and his true path. Unlike RickitheReader, I have read both the bible and Paine with an open mind and heart. The joy of reading is the ability to let it lead you to new places. Thomas Paine would have said it better. Read this compilation and it will lead you to new places, wherever your faith is.
Customer Reviews:
Forgotten Founding Father .......2007-04-16
Thomas Paine is not as heralded as the rest of the Founding Fathers. This is most likely due to his not holding any political office, and largely due to his heterodox views on religion. But more about the that later.
I was quiet impressed with Paine's "Golden Voice" for the Revolution. He had a talent, and even a genius, for persuasive essaymanship. John Adams wrote, "Without the pen of Thomas Paine, the sword of Washington would have been wielded in vain."
This is a book of selections, and as C. S. Lewis observed, "The only use of selections is to deter those readers who will never appreciate the original, and thus save them from wasting their time on it, and to send all the others on the original as quickly as possible." (The Quotable Lewis, #447)
For a complete compilation, buy Thomas Paine : Collected Writings : Common Sense / The Crisis / Rights of Man / The Age of Reason / Pamphlets, Articles, and Letters (Library of America).
Here is the breakdown of this book's contents:
"Common Sense" (complete): Plain and simple, this should be required reading for every high school student--or even earlier. We cannot underestimate the connection between this pamphlet, Patrick Henry's "Liberty or Death" speech, and the decision to go ahead with the Declaration of Independence. In fact, the order, logic, and evidence that Paine used in this pamphlet was reused by Jefferson in the Declaration.
"The Crisis" (selections): These essays are a combination of motivational speeches and silver-tongued ridicule--a cross between Tokyo Rose and Rush Limbaugh.
"Rights of Man" (complete, both parts):
Coming in two part, this book could also be divided along the lines of it's contents: One half is a rambly screed against Edmund Burk's Reflections on the Revolution in France (Oxford World's Classics), the other half is rather snazzy political theory. For example, his distinction between natural and civil rights is a gem.
Age of Reason (selections of part 1): This is the book that really undid Paine and brought about the famous doggerel: "Here lies Tom Paine, who wrote in liberty's defense / And in his `Age of Reason' lost his `Common Sense.'" Like Nietzsche, Paine had a talent for sarcasm which overshadowed his evidence. Think of How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must): The World According to Ann Coulter.
Though critical of religion, the book did leave it's mark: Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism (The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ or Encyclopedia of Joseph Smith's Teachings), was well-schooled in this book. His mother recorded that Smith's paternal grandfather got into a heated discussion with his father, and threw a copy of the book and told Smith's father to read it until he believed it History of Joseph Smith by His Mother: Revised and Enhanced. BYU scholar Joseph Fielding McConkie, a great-great grandnephew of Joseph Smith, was also favorable to certain aspects of the book "Seeking the spirit."
Really, this book is nothing new, if one is familiar with Bertrand Russell's or Carl Sagan's critiques, or spend any time reading anti-Christian blogs. A Christian response would be either Mere Christianity or More Than a Carpenter.
When he presented the manuscript to Benjamin Franklin, the sage replied, "At present I shall only give you my opinion, that, though your reasonings are subtle and may prevail with some readers, you will not succeed so as to change the general sentiments of mankind on that subject, and the consequence of printing this piece will be, a great deal of odium drawn upon yourself, mischief to you, and no benefit to others. He that spits against the wind, spits in his own face."
His parting paragraph is a mixture of wit, wisdom, and prophecy:
"I would advise you, therefore, not to attempt unchaining the tiger, but to burn this piece before it is seen by any other person; whereby you will save yourself a great deal of mortification by the enemies it may raise against you, and perhaps a good deal of regret and repentance. If men are so wicked with religion, what would they be if without it."
So take it for what it is. Whatever your view of organized religion may be, this book should round out your thinking.
Agrarian Justice (selections): This is Paine's plan for redistributing income to equalize living conditions. The intent of economic equality is in accord with Paine's big heart. But for the man who said, "Government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one," it is beyond strange that he would advocate such intrusiveness. Why would he want to create a nation-wide welfare system, which would of necessity, empower that "necessary evil." Maybe he did loose his common sense in his age of reason.
As I mentioned earlier, Paine is not as well known as the other founders, partly due to "Age of Reason." Additionally there is a shallowness to Paine's prose. At times he is an avid marksman for political theory, as in parts of "Common Sense" and "Rights of Man," at other times he merely strings together platitudes, invective, cracker-barrel wisdom, and off-hand sarcasm. There is no analytical depth as we get with Aristotle, Ayn Rand, C. S. Lewis, or the Thomases (Sowell and Aquinas). So I felt like I was drinking skim milk, as opposed to chocolate cream. His essays are persuasive, but not as intellectually satisfying as they could be. His talent, then, comes from an instinct for properly applying his talent for surface-level discussion. Today, he would be an NPR talking head.
Essential Reading Fo Every American.......2007-01-24
The ideas in these collections not only apply when the Founding FATHERS came together and brought together our aweseome country, but they apply to the present more than ever. The responsibilities of the people have been forgotten, it is now blasphemy to denounce or question the government. Nothing will change until the ideas in this collection are brought back into the American people's day to day life.
Must-read for anyone seriously interested in American history.......2007-01-22
This is what we're founded on, what America is supposed to be, and the way we should conduct our political affairs. Paine should probably be required reading for every citizen, every student, anyone wondering what freedom really means. Besides being informative, it is incisive, sarcastic, humorous, and passionate. The English is old and dated, but that just adds to its delight. I read this in short segments and then thought about each chapter. It made me proud to be an American and sad to realize how much freedom we've lost since Paine's day.
Enlightening, Revolutionary, and Worth a Read.......2006-11-14
In an unrelenting quest to understanding the history of the United States, one obscure name comes to mind, Thomas Paine. Paine helped establish the meaning of democracy and the "united" in United States. His two monumental works, COMMON SENSE AND RIGHTS OF MAN, provided the philosophical and rhetorical building blocks that the founding fathers, such as Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, et al., would emulate with the writing of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Many take for granted the origins of freedom and democracy in the United States, and as with many school history textbooks depict, Paine merely appears in a paragraph or two, and quickly disappears to historical oblivion.
Nevertheless, when one reads COMMON SENSE AND RIGHTS OF MAN: AND OTHER ESSENTIAL WRITINGS OF THOMAS PAINE, there will be no doubt how significant his philosophical and political writings transformed the political structure of the colonies. Although this may sound somewhat romanticized, Paine's words ignited the energy for the colonists to free themselves from the tyrannical-monarchical leadership of England's King George III. With all the talk of Paine being a founding father, he may also be considered the father of revolution, American Revolution and French Revolution, and human rights. Without the inspiration from his friend Edmund Burke, author of REFLECTIONS ON THE REVOLUTION IN FRANCE, Paine may not have been able to write the pamphlet Rights of Man. Indeed, his power of the written word translated to revolutionary action, and Jeffersonian ideology.
In clear and no nonsense language, Paine's perspective of the state of the colonies are elaborately told in COMMON SENSE. He adamantly shows his opposition toward hereditary rule and limitations imposed on individuals by George III and his vehement disdain towards aristocrats and kings. For RIGHTS OF MAN, he proposed possible solutions toward poverty, and created a blueprint towards achieving social and political institutions through his written abstracts. The other essential writings include the pamphlets, THE CRISIS, part one of THE AGE OF REASON, and selections of AGRARIAN JUSTICE. These writings gives readers an idea the political and religious atmosphere in which Paine lived, and how "breaking ties" with the so-called "motherland" was necessary towards forging a free nation.
COMMON SENSE AND RIGHTS OF MAN is indeed accessible with its pocketbook size form. After reading the book, readers may have a better understanding of what takes to build a nation. Paine's words are lessons of history and humanity, and is definitely recommendable reading.
In simplest terms and lack of a better title: Common Sense.......2006-10-25
Thomas Paine is one of those great philosophers who have a satiric spirit. Why not? He is from an age of great wits/philosophers - Voltaire, Rousseau. The most obvious reason for his greatness lies herein and it is because his reasoning and ideas are so obvious; that is his greatness. He says what is already in the minds of many and with a wit which gives the ideas strength. When I think of Thomas Paine, I think of Common Sense, the 1776 pamphlet and the spirit of reason over superstitious hypocrisy. I rank Paine with Tolstoy; I revere Thomas Paine
Book Description
How To Sell More, In Less Time, With No Rejection Using Common Sense Telephone Techniques-Volume 2 builds on the ideas and techniques covered in Volume 1 information thousands of sales reps worldwide have used on the phone to get more business, beat call reluctance, and make more money. Regardless of whether you use the phone to set appointments or manage accounts between outside visits, or if you handle ALL of your business by phone, youll get hundreds of profit-building ideas you can use right now. Art Sobczak, veteran salesperson, editor of the international TELEPHONE SELLING REPORT sales tips newsletter, and trainer of thousands of professional sales reps shares time-tested, word-for-word ideas you can use right now to take the pain out using the phone in cold calling, qualifying, managing accounts, negotiating, and selling. Here's just a small sample of the hundreds of ideas you'll get in this book: Voice Mail, Screeners, Getting to Decision Makers Why you shouldnt go above, around, under, or through screeners, and what you should do instead to get them to actually HELP you What to never say on voice mail messages How to get buyers to welcome and expect your next call Word-for-word examples of messages that work When leaving no message is better Words to avoid that are sure to get you labeled as a time-wasting, self-interested "salesperson," meaning youre screened out, brushed off, or left waiting for call backs that never arrive
Building that Professional Telephone "Look" Through Your Voice and Words How to get rid of image-destroying "umms" How to build rapport, credibility, and likeability Listening for key buying words and emotionsknowing when to talk and when to shut up
Interest Creating Opening Statements 13 actions and word-for-word mistakes that ensure failure and resistance, and what to say instead A no-brainer, fill-in-the blanks opening statement template for prospecting calls that gets them interested Case study examples of horrible openings, and great alternatives you can use and/or adapt
Selling With Questions Loads of word-for-word questions that get them thinking about, seeing, and feeling their problems and pains--precisely the situations you can help them with through your benefits Putting them in a frame of mind so they want to hear what you have There are such things as dumb questions in sales. Examples, and how to avoid them How to ask about money
Presenting With Power The not-so-secret, "secret" to great presentations How to position what you say as more credible and believable, instead of sounding like a salesperson Using stories to create irresistible visual images
Getting Commitment and Closing Over 50 word-for-word examples of conversational closing and commitment questions you can use today to get agreement, and sales How to get larger sales just as easily as you would get smaller ones
Self Motivation, Beating Call Reluctance, and Rejection Characteristicsthat you can emulate--of wealthy salespeople Avoiding negative assumptions that are sure to invite failure How to avoid choking under pressure
Dealing Successfully With Objections A painless way to address objections and resistance How to blow away price objections Turning "I want to think about it," into, "I WANT it." How to ensure you dont hear, "We dont need it." Why what youve probably heard before about objections is bogus, and what you should do instead. (For example, "You should love objections," "The selling doesnt start until you hear an objection," "Youll hear three objections before youll get a yes," "Every objection puts you that much closer to a yes." Thats ALL bunk!)
Successfully Following Up By Phone How to end a call to ensure success on the follow-up. How to avoid starting follow-ups with the useless and idiotic statement and question, "I sent you out the material. Didja get it? Any questions?" What you should and shouldnt mail after calls How to set solid phone appointments so theyre ready and waiting for your next call
Case Studies of Actual Calls See actual transcripts from calls submitted by fellow sales reps in the field, or calls received by Art. Youll see what didnt work and why, so you can avoid the same mistakes, and suggested alternatives to get success and agreement. Some of the cases include,
What to say when they "buy it locally" Failed prospecting calls, and why they went down in flamesneedlessly Why ending a call with "Keep us in mind" is asinine, and what to say instead How to position value instead of selling on price How to build relationships with regular customers to keep their loyalty
Prospecting How to get referrals who are eager to speak with you Getting them talking whey they say theyre not interested Why leaving messages on prospecting calls could be a waste of time Over 20 other prospecting pointers to help you get interest, the appointment, and eventually the sale
Even More Stuff to Help You Sell More Why believing that using the phone is "Just a numbers game" will demoralize you and ensure call reluctance The right way to use conference calls to sell to multiple decision makers How to handle prospects who "Need information sent right now!", and determining if theyre for real, or just yanking your chain How to keep customers after that first sale Positioning yourself as the "least risk vendor" instead of the higher-priced vendor Telesales lessons from the O.J. trial
Brief Teletips Over 130 brief, to-the-point tips you can use right now. Any ONE of these could pay for the book on your very next phone call, or help you avoid a mistake that could cost you more than the price of the book! Some examples:
How to respond to the "Send literature" request Eliminating telephone tag What to say to the prospect who perpetually strings you along Showing them how a lower price might actually be more expensive Why they dont care about your products or services, and what they do care about which decides whether or not theyll buy
Customer Reviews:
Wish i'd written this book because.......2007-06-25
My apologies, i must have been reading a different book. I wish i had written this book because i'm no expert and i feel i could probably have written it. Please don't take that the wrong way, i think you only need to get one great idea for you to get value out of a book and i'm sure there are lots of those in here.
persuasive and profitable telephone communications.......2003-08-31
This book has some sensible advice and workable techniques for persausive and profitable telephone communications that you can use right away, regardless of your industry, particulary if you rely on cold-calling to get that appointment. The sections that I've found helpful include developing a selling telephone image, how to avoid language that sounds "salesly" or threatening, leaving voicemail messages that have impact, how to deal with screeners to get to the correct decision-makers. Even better are the templates that you fill in, depending upon your product or service, to stimulate interest at the beginning of your call, using a recommended menu of words and phrases (this was invalable for me). Other sections I have dog-eared include setting appointments over the phone, handling follow-up calls, dealing with different objections, and some great closing ideas. A great investment.
persausive and profitable telephone communications.......2003-08-31
This book has some sensible advice and workable techniques for persausive and profitable telephone communications that you can use right away, regardless of your industry, particulary if you rely on cold-calling to get that appointment. The sections that I've found helpful include developing a selling telephone image, how to avoid language that sounds "salesly" or threatening, leaving voicemail messages that have impact, how to deal with screeners to get to the correct decision-makers. Even better are the templates that you fill in, depending upon your product or service, to stimulate interest at the beginning of your call, using a recommended menu of words and phrases (this was invalable for me). Other sections I have dog-eared include setting appointments over the phone, handling follow-up calls, dealing with different objections, and some great closing ideas. A great investment.
To sell or not to sell that is the question!.......2002-03-20
I read alot of books and in right now my current interest is in sales. This book teaches you one thing - sell by questioning and then providing the solution! It is that simple to sell really!
After reading it I gave copies of the book to all our salespeople and results are improving...
How To Sell More In Less Time With No Rejection, Volume 2.......2001-12-25
I've read over 500 books on selling, persuasion, and influence. This is the best book on telesales that I've ever read. It's in my top 5 sales books of all time.
Initially I thought the book was expensive..., but after I read it, I realized it's worth 50 times what I paid for it!
Books:
- Dreamweaver 8: The Missing Manual
- Drive Time: Spanish (CD): Learn Spanish While You Drive (LL(R) All-Audio Courses)
- DVD Demystified Third Edition
- Edge Chronicles 8: The Winter Knights (Edge Chronicles, The)
- Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs
- Eye of the Beholder
- Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results
- For Women Only: What You Need to Know about the Inner Lives of Men
- Getting in the Gap: Making Conscious Contact with God Through Meditation (Book with CD)
- Ghosts in the Wilderness: Abandoned America
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Great Tales from English History: The Truth About King Arthur, Lady Godiva, Richard the Lionheart, a
- Wall Street Meat: My Narrow Escape from the Stock Market Grinder
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- The Birthday of the World: And Other Stories
- The Crow
- Thermodynamics and an Introduction to Thermostatistics, 2nd Edition
- Victory in Tripoli: How America's War with the Barbary Pirates Established the U.S. Navy and Shaped
- Character Trademarks
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Website Architecture & Usability
| Web Development
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
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Information Architecture for the World Wide Web: Designing Large-Scale Web Sites
Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design
Bulletproof Web Design: Improving flexibility and protecting against worst-case scenarios with XHTML and CSS (2nd Edition)
The Design of Everyday Things
CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions
