The Leader's Handbook: Making Things Happen, Getting Things Done

The Leader's Handbook: Making Things Happen, Getting Things Done
Average customer rating:

Greatest textbook so far!

The only leadership book you'll ever need

Great Book on Process & Quality Improvement

Great Book

Practical, incisive and visionary handbook

The Leader's Handbook: Making Things Happen, Getting Things Done
Peter R. Scholtes
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Leadership | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0070580286

Book Description

Lead your organization into the 21st century with the help of this groundbreaking book that is already creating a stir in corporate boardrooms across America! In a book that does for managers what his mega-bestseller, The Team Handbook, did for teams, Peter Scholtes, who is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential Quality leaders of the decade, shows the real root of management problems. Learn how to stop blaming your workers and start changing the systems with the help of activities and exercises that enable you to immediately begin implementing breakthrough improvements in all your work processes!

Download Description

In a book that does for managers what his mega-bestseller, The Team Handbook, did for teams, Peter Scholtes, who is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential Quality leaders of the decade, shows the real root of management problems.

Customer Reviews:

Greatest textbook so far!.......2007-10-20

I purchased this book since it was a required textbook for on of my online MBA classes. It has been the most interesting and relevant read to date.

The only leadership book you'll ever need.......2007-01-03

I submit this is the single best book on leadership ever written, and I've read hundreds. It is comprehensive AND practical. It's a complete system of leadership and management with useful tools on every page. You can read it from cover to cover, or dip in when you need it by using the excellent index. Powerful. Sensible. Useful. Peter Scholtes is incredibly insightful and funny. I get no money for saying that!

Great Book on Process & Quality Improvement.......2006-07-09

This is a very good book that I would recommend to any manager. I also think many employees would learn a lot from reading this book as well. So why just three stars?

The main reason is because the book talks very little in the way of leadership or inspiring your people. This is a book primarily focused on process and quality improvement, but learning about leadership and inspiring my employees is the reason I bought this book. To me, the difference between a manager and a leader is that the successful manager gets his people to do what needs to be done. A successful leader gets his people to *want* to do what needs to be done. There was a lot more information on that topics in The Team Handbook, which Scholtes co-wrote.

The truth is that I think this is a very good book, and I'd gladly give it four stars if the title was more descriptive of the book's content. What I like most about this book is the way Scholter walks the reader through the thought process of analyzing an existing process and finding ways to improve it. He bases many of his principles from Deming's work on quality improvement and, not surprisingly, many of his examples are from Japanese companies. Many of his ideas transfer easily to the American workforce, but I'm not convinced that all of them would be so effective outside of Japan, due to the cultural differences between the two workforces.

Amazon has enabled Search Inside This Book, so I would encourage anybody thinking about purchasing this book to take a peek and see the topics that Scholter covers. Flip through the Surprise Me feature and you'll likely see some of the many charts and diagrams that Scholter uses to great effect to show the reader a process, or give them a tool to analyze their own processes.

The only area that didn't sit well with me is Chapter 9, Performance without Appraisal. In this chapter it appears as though Scholtes' premise is that workers belong to McGregor's Theory X camp. While some are, the overly simplistic approach that assumes all are makes this chapter very frustrating to read. He spends a lot of time highlighting the fault of performance management, but he provides very little insight how to do it another way.

The net is that this is a very informative book presented in a very clear manner that can provide benefit for almost every manager. The title is a little misleading, so make sure you flip through the book before buying it.

Great Book.......2005-11-27

This book is among those books I feel all managers should read. The book is very well written, an easy to read book and full of useful information. It is also a great reference that once you read it you will find yourself referring to over and over.

I am biased as I have long been a friend and manage Peter's web site (www.pscholtes.com) so you can take that into account in deciding how to evaluate my advice (I have recommended the book to many people and those that share there opinions with me have all told me they agree that it is great). Other books I strongly recommend: Fourth Generation Management, The Improvement Handbook, Creating the Corporate Future and Lean Solutions.

Practical, incisive and visionary handbook.......2001-09-13

Scholtes expects to shock people right from the first page of his Preface. Let me quote extensively:
"More than 95 percent of your organization's problems derive from your systems, processes, and methods, not from your individual workers....

We look to the heroic efforts of outstanding individuals for our successful work. Instead we must create systems that routinely allow excellent work to result from the ordinary efforts of ordinary people.

Changing the system will change what people do. Changing what people do will not change the system.

Certain common management approaches--management by objectives, performance appraisal, merit pay, pay for performance, and ISO 9000--represent not leadership but the abdication of leadership.

Current buzzwords like empowerment, accountability, and high performance are meaningless, empty babble..." (ix-x)

The old organizations's leaders need: forcefulness, ability to motivate and inspire, decisiveness, willfulness, assertiveness, result- and bottom-line orientation, being task-oriented and having integrity and diplomacy.

Scholtes' new leadership competencies (much influenced by Edward Deming's ideas...) are based on a new mentality and understanding of: systems thinking, variability of work, how we learn, psychology and human behavior, interactions of these components, and vision, meaning, direction and focus.

The bulk of the book gives clear elaborations of these new competencies, with charts, illustrations, pertinent questions and many tools. Ch. 4 on "Getting the Daily Work Done" is a tough one, partly because it takes much effort to grasp the author's use of a Japanese term, "Gemba" (even when I can read the original Chinese characters). Issues of waste, standardization, change versus improvement, performance without appraisal, use of measurement data... are all seen in the new light of systems thinking.

Carefully study the differences between "Crazymakers" and "Healing and Learning" in the workplace (pp378-387). There is a summary of the book under "The 47 Habits of Pretty Good Leaders" (pp391-6). Peter Senge's books give excellent background material. This one is a real handbook that should be methodically studied, discussed, adapted and applied to one's own institutions. One must not forget the advice given in Chapter 1: "leaders must be patient with themselves and others, persistent, and humble, and allow themselves and others to be inelegant." (p12,p391)

202 Things You Can Buy and Sell For Big Profits! (202 Things You Can Buy & Sell for Big Profits)
Average customer rating:

202 reasons anyone starting a new business should buy this book .

Good source tool

Needs updating badly, many web links old and not working

How-to guide for anyone looking to make money as a middleman

A Good Place to Start

202 Things You Can Buy and Sell For Big Profits! (202 Things You Can Buy & Sell for Big Profits)
James Stephenson
Manufacturer: Entrepreneur Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Techniques | Sales & Selling | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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What to Sell on eBay and Where to Get It

eBay Powerseller Secrets:Insider Tips from eBay's Most Successful Sellers

ASIN: 193253122X

Book Description

This is it--THE handbook for cashing in on the huge boom in reselling new and used products for big bucks

At last, a soup-to-nuts primer on how to tap into the exploding market for new and "previously owned" merchandise flying off online sites and elsewhere. This book has it allwhat to buy, where to buy, what to pay, and then how to sell it for big profits.

You get a complete lowdown from a true expert on:

How and where to buy overstock, out-of-season, and slightly damaged goods to "flip" for big returns
How to register for auctions and bid and buy for bargain-basement prices, then sell goods via low-cost ads
How to negotiate dirt-cheap prices for salable items from estate sales, government surplus, liquidations, flea markets, and more

Customer Reviews:

202 reasons anyone starting a new business should buy this book . .......2007-03-16

This book takes you thru all the steps of starting a business , not just online business. I thaught it was extremely helpful !

Good source tool.......2007-01-09

This book is a handy source for just about every catagory of products you want to find to sell on or off the internet. Concise and resource filled, it is a valuable tool for sourcing a wide variety of goods. The only drawback is the unavoidable fact the many businesses come and go and some links are already dead in a book that is 2-3 years old. Overall it is a definite time and effort saver for finding most any type of product you can imagine selling. Highly recommended.

Needs updating badly, many web links old and not working.......2005-09-29

This book needs a serious updating. When I did find something that interested me, the chances were very good that the web links to their site were old and not working. Further searches for the company usually lead no where. Wouldn't recommend

How-to guide for anyone looking to make money as a middleman.......2005-02-10

Expererienced marketing consultant James Stephenson presents 202 Things You Can Buy And Sell For Big Profits, which is much more than a list of goods that anyone can buy and sell. Chapters address how to operate a buy-and-sell enterprise, where to find goods available (including wholesalers, manufacturers, auction sales, private sellers, and online auctions), legal issues with direct impact on a buy-and-sell enterprise, and much more. Each of the 202 items, including new toys, software, fitness equipment, licensed products and more is listed with a two-paragraph description and a point-by-point summary of where to buy, sell, and find resources concerning it. An excellent, basic and practical how-to guide for anyone looking to make money as a middleman.

A Good Place to Start.......2004-12-14

Having been in the small business area just like Mr. Stephenson is talking about for many years, I feel that I can say his book is pretty good. Just a couple of points I want to add. Under Buying Sources, don't forget: thrift shops, particularily sales at thrift shops. Here one of them is half off every Friday. buying overseas. No you don't have to be big. You can find small suppliers of specialty items that are not imported into the US and bring them in.

Under selling venues: <BR>don't forget Affiliate programs from companies like Amazon. They have a tremendous marketplace and handle all the paperwork. <BR>And the internet is very, very important, go take a class on how to do a web site.

Under business organization: <BR>e says that the biggest reason for incorporating is that you can greatly reduce your own personal liability. I've never found this. Any good lawyer that wants to sue you can frequently get around the corporate shield. <BR>He also talks about the double taxation of a corporation, you file as a Subchapter S corporation and this doesn't happen. And you can create your own corporation, look for the book Ultimate Guide to Incorporating in any State.

Business License: Eventually you'll need one, but I have found that towns and cities are sticky about granting licenses to individuals who want to work out of their house. Furthermore enforcement is rare, and there are basically no penalties if you get caught - but you may want to check on this in your area.

Finally he lists some 202 things you can guy and sell for big profits. No question that in evey one of these things someone has developed his own business. But just pick one or two of these things, if they can be combined, you can scatter yourself too thin.

301 Simple Things You Can Do to Sell Your Home Now and for More Money Than You Thought: How to Inexpensively Reorganize, Stage, and Prepare Your Home for Sale

Average customer rating:

A Must Have For EVERY Homeowner
Excellent advice.
From do-it-yourself enhancement projects to inexpensive solutions
Solid Guide to Staging Your House for a Successful Sale
Simply Fantastic!

301 Simple Things You Can Do to Sell Your Home Now and for More Money Than You Thought: How to Inexpensively Reorganize, Stage, and Prepare Your Home for Sale
Teri B. Clark
Manufacturer: Atlantic Publishing Company (FL)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Buying & Selling Homes | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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General | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Staging your Home to Sell (Complete Idiot's Guide to)
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Home Staging: The Winning Way to Sell Your House for More Money
Building a Successful Home Staging Business: Proven Strategies from the Creator of Home Staging

ASIN: 0910627061
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Product Description

Numerous studies show that a house that is well polished on the surface and staged properly will appeal to more buyers, sell faster, and most importantly for more money. You may not be able to improve the market value of your house, but you can improve its marketability. Remember: first impressions count the most. Home Staging is the art of decorating a home to sell fast and for the highest amount. Home stage experts and consultants get thousands of dollars to do what you can easily do inexpensively, with little or no money. Keep in mind this important fact: the way you live in your home and the way you market it for sale are two very different things. In this groundbreaking new book you will learn how small color changes will increase your home s value, minor repairs and de-cluttering tricks, how to rearrange your furniture and art work, decorating tips and ideas, how to look at your house from the buyer's viewpoint, how to add minor accessories, which items stay and what must go, which minor changes will bring you the greatest return, how to bring out a home's best features, table settings, candles, what photos must go and which ones stay, how to minimize problem areas, how to position your house for the marketplace, what music to play, what scents to spray, how to use design psychology techniques, lighting techniques, landscaping secrets, what to do with garages, basements and attics, what color you should never use, how to ensure a positive traffic flow through rooms, how to use mirrors and natural light, and much more. This brand new exhaustively researched book is the ultimate resource for novices and pros alike; it will guide you through every step of the process with hundreds of innovative ideas that you can put to use right away. This book gives you the proven strategies and innovative ideas used by the expert s everyday that you can easily do your self. The book also includes a full-color insert packed with photos of before and after shots!

Customer Reviews:

A Must Have For EVERY Homeowner.......2007-10-23

Teri B. Clark shares her expert tips on how to make your house look like a model home to showcase its potential to prospective buyers. Each page is filled with tricks of the trade and advice from professionals, and each chapter is summarized with a numbered tip list for easy reference. The book also includes before and after photos, as well as true stories of houses that sold for more than the asking price.

I recommend this book to everyone, regardless of whether they have a house to sell. Who doesn't want their house to look like a model home? Or, at the very least, sparkling clean, less cluttered, and more stylish? Teri B. Clark has written a do-it-yourself, fix-it-up, reorganization, cleaning, and decorating manual all rolled into one! The best part about her cleaning tips is that all of her methods entail using natural products such as orange oil and baking soda--very Earth and wallet friendly. There is an entire chapter on how to stage your home on a shoestring budget, which is ideal, especially in the current marketplace. She has ingenious ideas, and she demonstrates with data that a small investment can bring a large return. This is a tremendously useful book for all homeowners.

Excellent advice........2007-06-10

This book is full of helpful advice when undertaking the tremendous task of selling and moving out of your house. Some of the advice is common sense, but they offer great ideas.

From do-it-yourself enhancement projects to inexpensive solutions.......2007-06-10

Dozens of color photos of 'before' and 'after' examples illustrate staging step-by-step, offering homeowners and their agents key tips to understanding how a property presents itself and what enhances its salability. From do-it-yourself enhancement projects to inexpensive solutions for potentially expensive problems, 301 SIMPLE THINGS is the guide homeowners should consult first before even listing a property - and any public library lending collection will find it an excellent reference.

Solid Guide to Staging Your House for a Successful Sale.......2007-04-11

Selling a home can be a time-consuming and stressful time, especially if the home doesn't sell right away, or doesn't even get serious bites from potential buyers. There are a lot of reasons buyers might not be interested in a house - the location, for example - that are out of the seller's control. However, there are also a lot of things sellers can do to actually sell their house to the buyer, primarily by making the house a more attractive and compelling purchase. Teri B. Clark's book on house staging, the not-so-succinctly titled 301 Simple Things You Can Do to Sell Your Home NOW and For More Money Than You Thought, lays out how to effectively stage your house to maximize both the number of interested buyers, and the selling price.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, staging is essentially arranging and decorating your house in a way that makes it appealing to virtually anyone who enters it. Think of a window display in a store, or a floor model of a bedroom set, and you will get the idea: the objective is to make the house an eye-catching product that buyers are excited about purchasing. 301 Simple Things...covers the entire process of staging in great detail, from simple do-it-yourself tasks like cutting down on clutter, patching drywall, and thoroughly - and I mean thoroughly - cleaning your kitchen, bathroom, and windows, to more complex tasks that could require professional help, like putting in a new toilet. The overall point that the book drives home is that staging is not the same as remodeling, and should not require installation of expensive appliances or amenities, or major changes to the house itself. Staging is about doing a variety of small, things: painting cabinets, rearranging furniture, cleaning, opening curtains, etc. to make the house more presentable to buyers.

Though the book at times serves as an advertisement for some of the professional house stagers it features in its case studies, the content is actually based around a do-it-yourself type of attitude. It walks you through all the tasks and principles behind staging your house, and gives specific, step-by-step instructions on all the tasks it recommends. If you have never put up wallpaper or painted a concrete basement floor, for example, Clark walks you through all of the details of those processes. A simple carpentry book might be a good companion piece if you decide to stage your house yourself, but the information in 301 Simple Things... is detailed enough that you will probably only have to consult the carpentry book if you run into a problem. Speaking of problems: aside from guiding you through what to do, 301 Simple Things... also covers what not to do, describing problems and pitfalls that turn off potential buyers.

The great thing about 301 Simple Things You Can Do to Sell Your Home NOW and For More Money Than You Thought is that the vast majority of the book is useable content, without a lot of fluff. Case studies, which are essentially anecdotes from real estate professionals, serve to reinforce the importance of whatever topic the book is covering, and its illustrations (photographs) do a great job of showing, visually, how staging can change the look and feel of a house. If you are considering selling your home, 301 Simple Things...is a great read. It provides plenty of useable ideas for making your house a product that potential buyers will get excited about purchasing, and living in. Whether you decide to use the services of a professional, or make improvements yourself using its step-by-step guides, 301 Simple Things...can be a huge asset in your quest to sell your home.

Simply Fantastic!.......2007-04-05

I love this book! Teri Clark has created a gem that is full of fantastic ideas to help you easily transform your house from a home into a product that others will want to buy. If you are selling your house, you need this book. No matter what your budget, you will find suggestions that will bring you thousands of dollars in profits and help your home sell faster.

As a home buyer, I have always felt much more inclined to try to get a bargain when making an offer for a house that wasn't loved than when walking through a house that was presentation ready. Don't sell your cherished home to bargain hunters when you can sell to home buyers who want to move up in the world to something better than they had before! "301 Simple Things" helps you create a living space that exceeds their expectations and ensures that you close the sale at a price that's right for you.

"301 Simple Things" is also great for people who simply want to live well. With a few simple tasks, you can create a beautiful environment that is a both a haven and a place to entertain and enjoy. Don't settle for good, read the book and see how easily you can make your house a great place to live.

The 100 Best Things I've Sold on eBay: My Story--by The Queen of Auctions (The 100 Best Things I've Sold, 1)

Average customer rating:

Queen of Auctions
Great starter book!!
Love this book!
Entertaining and Informational!
GREAT MIXTURE OF FUN, INFORMATIVE & ENTERTAINING!

The 100 Best Things I've Sold on eBay: My Story--by The Queen of Auctions (The 100 Best Things I've Sold, 1)
Lynn Dralle
Manufacturer: All Aboard, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Retailing | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Popular Culture | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0967440467

Book Description

An entertaining, touching, and inspiring chronicle of its author's most memorable eBay adventures, The 100 Best Things I've Sold on eBay uses the world of online auctions as the setting for a personal story of friendship, loss, and growth. Lynn Dralle is the granddaughter of Cheryl Leaf, an antiques dealer and larger-than-life personality who passed away in August of 2000 at the age of 88. Lynn literally grew up in the antiques business; she started accompanying her grandmother to antique shows at the age of seven, and over the years came to depend not only on her grandmother's business insights, but on her wisdom, strength of character, and humor.

Near the end of her grandmother's life, Lynn returned home to help run the family antiques store. She eventually began buying and selling on eBay to pay for her grandmother's nursing home expenses. As Lynn weaves memories of her time with her grandmother into stories about the items she has sold on eBay, she creates a book that is partly a memoir of the woman who inspired and brought together the entire family and partly a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to succeed at online auctions. Through it all, Lynn's fresh and enthusiastic voice keeps the tone upbeat. This book will appeal to readers who enjoy stories about family as well as those who just like to read about auction successes.

Customer Reviews:

Queen of Auctions.......2007-10-17

Teaches about the etiquette and customer service of selling on ebay for beginners. Even if you don't enjoy all her personal stories you come away important tips.

Great starter book!!.......2007-05-21

This book gave me the knowledge and courage to start selling things on e-bay. In an interesting narrative, Ms Dralle gives helpful hints and insights into what she sells on e-bay and why she thinks it sells. I'm glad I bought it and I bought several of her other books after reading it.

Love this book!.......2007-05-19

I keep it for reference. Sure I may never find the exact items she lists in her book - but I may find something by the same company.

Entertaining and Informational!.......2007-05-19

What an entertaining book!! I couldn't put it down! Each story shows that you just never know what treasure you've found!! Whether you're a ebay seller, garage sale shopper or Mom looking for a quick read, I HIGHLY recommend this book!

GREAT MIXTURE OF FUN, INFORMATIVE & ENTERTAINING!.......2007-05-19

This book was so much fun to read! It was not only informative by providing details from the purchase of "who would have known" merchandise to the end of the re-sale of the item, it also shared personal experiences and valuable tips. A great mixture of entertainment and inspiration! LOVED IT!!

Average customer rating:

what an inspiration
When the going get's tough....
A Few Things I Learned from Bill Porter Too...
Great person, flawed book
A Complete Time Waster

Ten Things I Learned from Bill Porter
Shelly Brady
Manufacturer: New World Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Business | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Mysticism | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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Door to Door
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Reflections from a Different Journey : What Adults with Disabilities Wish All Parents Knew

ASIN: 1577312031

Book Description

Bill Porter worked for the Watkins Corp., selling household products door-to-door in one of Portland’s worst neighborhoods. Afflicted with cerebral palsy and burdened with continual pain, Porter was determined not to live on government disability and went on to become Watkins’s top-grossing salesman in Portland, the Northwest, and the U.S. This book was written by the woman who worked as Porter’s typist and driver and later became his friend and cospeaker. The “ten things” include Mother Knows Best, Persistence Pays Off, and Know Your Limits but Reach Beyond Them. This is an inspiring story with real-life lessons about tenacity in the face of daunting odds.

Customer Reviews:

what an inspiration.......2007-01-31

I laughed and I cried. I first heard of this book because it was on the New York Times Bestseller list. Also I watched clips of the movie "Door to Door" when my kids checked the video out from the library. I've become fascinated with Bill who has physical limitations and knew no limit. Despite physical challenges, he is such an inspiration to all of us who take daily tasks for granted, like putting on a tying our shoes, putting on a tie, or simply typing. Bill could only type one finger at a time. His assistant, Shelly Brady weaves her personal connection with Bill throughout. The book is a welcome addition to all middle school and high school libraries.

When the going get's tough...........2005-04-12

This is in my top three inspirational books. The real-life work ethic and example of Bill Porter (as told by his assistant Shelly Brady) is TRUE inspiration. The old saying "you can't keep a good man down" rings true here. I picked up this little book at Atlanta-Hartsfield Airport a few years back when my flight was delayed. I read it in the terminal and finished it on the plane. THIS BOOK IS WORTH MORE THAN ALL OF THE STEPHEN COVEYS, DALE CARNEGIES and JOEL BARKERS combined (these guys wrote "Snake Oil for the Soul"). Should you need inspiration FIND IT HERE! Bill Porter is the real deal...not a thinker, but a doer. Thank you Shelley for sharing your and Bill's story.

A Few Things I Learned from Bill Porter Too... .......2005-03-01

A few things I learned from Bill Porter are the power of persistence and that there really are no obstacles. Actually, Porter seems to take persistence to the extreme, and as for obstacles, it is not that they do not exist, but that for Porter, they have never been allowed to become the reasons for his failure. In fact, he refuses to let his cerebral palsy define who he is. Rather he insists on being defined for what he has contributed - the service he has given to others through his career as a salesman.

I had to reconsider that too. What is a salesman? A bothersome person who is intruding on your personal space to convince you to buy something that you didn't really want? Or can a salesman be a person who really does add value to your life by looking after your interests as a consumer and making sure you get the best deal. Well, I think everyone knows both kinds. And because of the former, most people have made the latter's ability to penetrate our defenses all the more challenging.

The last thing I ever wanted to be was a salesperson. But I am learning now how much this attitude has crippled me in my own profession, which happens to be education. The fact is that the ability to approach others and expand your personal network of friends and associates is critical to bringing your unique contributions to others, and even more importantly, partnering with others so that they may offer their contributions in return. When you consider it on a grander scale, where would the world be without those luminaries in history who had to intrude upon the mental space of others and sell revolutionary ideas to the people, especially when they did not want to hear? From God's Prophets to sages and scientists, it always took courage and persistence to come out of one's own secure personal space and carry a message to people who are usually not open at first to receiving it. I do not mean to stretch the purpose of the book too far, but this is what it meant to me, as an educator seeking to improve myself in the realm of networking so that I can bring my services to more people.

Shelly Brady taught me something too: the importance of friendship. While a cynical voice did nag me from time to time while reading this book, I reflected on how people with different strengths can form partnerships that allow both to go much farther than they ever could have gone alone. Without Brady, Porter would be no less courageous and inspiring, but he certainly did not have the vision Brady had to bring his story to so many other people through public speaking, books, and film. And what I think really comes through more so than any notion of self-interest is Brady's true love and concern for Porter, and her desire to share his profound impact on her life with others. Perhaps most importantly, her attitude toward Porter is characterized by awe rather than pity. Contrast that with how most of us would meet a Bill Porter and automatically assume our advantages while secretly allowing some fear or challenging circumstance to hold us back. Brady demonstrates here, that she admires Porter for never feeding his excuses for failure, and that she has drawn on his inspiration to overcome her own.

A telling example is how she contrasts her memories of childhood with his. His memories were not of growing up with cerebral palsy, but rather of sunbaths, his loving mother, and other simple joys. Too many of us have buried our memories of childhood joys under Freudian self-analytical blame of our parents or other happenstance. What we learn from Bill Porter is that it matters far less why these obstacles are there than how they can be surmounted.

I did not read this book in a single afternoon, although it certainly could be read that way. I took in its inspirational lessons in short spurts and experienced a small portion at a time. It is light reading, but worth the investment of enough time to allow "Ten Things I Learned from Bill Porter" to sink in.

Great person, flawed book.......2005-01-04

"Ten Things I Learned from Bill Porter" is ideal for someone who has seen the TV movie "Door to Door" or is otherwise ALREADY familiar with, and inspired by, the story of Bill Porter.

The book, unfortunately, is poorly written. Each chapter comes across as if it were conceived independently of the others. Biographical information about Bill Porter is repeated numerous times, and a fair amount of time is spent talking about the author's own life issues. Halfway through the book I found myself skimming paragraphs and whole pages, looking to get back to the thrust of the story about Bill Porter.

If you are looking for a biography of Bill Porter, this is not it. If you are very hungry for any additional information about Porter, this book may be worth your time.

A Complete Time Waster.......2004-12-25

To appreciate Bill Porter's life and success it is far better to see him portrayed in the movie 'Door To Door' featuring William H. Macy. Shelly Brady's book completely misses the mark. I found it to be a little too self-serving, syrupy, and terribly redundant at times. It read like the Bill Porter story starring Shelly Brady.

Our Emperors Have No Clothes: Incredibly Stupid Things Corporate Executives Have Done While Reengineering, Restructuring, Downsizing, Tqming, Team-B

Average customer rating:

Alan tells it like it is
It's all about cycles
Right on the Mark

Our Emperors Have No Clothes: Incredibly Stupid Things Corporate Executives Have Done While Reengineering, Restructuring, Downsizing, Tqming, Team-B
Alan Weiss
Manufacturer: Career Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Leadership | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Entrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1564141772

Book Description

The inside information from a top Fortune 500 consultant as to why the "fads of the month"downsizing, reengineering, TQM, or you name itnever work. A close look at boards, executives, human resources, and other culprits who deserve to be told, "You're not wearing any clothes!"

Customer Reviews:

Alan tells it like it is.......2005-03-17

Alan Weiss tells it like it is. If you want to learn from one of the best...read EVERYTHING Alan Weiss writes! Alan's insights and experience are second to none. I personally own just about every book Alan Weiss has written. He is not only a consultant's consultant, but he is also a gifted writer as well.
Alan Weiss's advice, insights and knowledge will take years off your learning curve. This book is a must for your library.

Lenny Laskowski, Author of National Best Selling Book:
"10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking"
President of LJL Seminars(tm)

It's all about cycles.......2004-03-26

This book was written 9 years ago, but it could have been talking about 2003. Having just lived through a massive coporate "optimization" and seeing my friends become the "attrits" (those impacted by the attrition) I found myself thinking "yes...exactly...that's right" on every page. These stupid euphemisms have found their way back into our corporate vocabulary - they were ridiculed in this book in 1995, and are just as ridiculous today. With a few minor updates, this book needs to be re-published. It is brilliant.

Right on the Mark.......1998-01-22

Weiss has extensive experience reviewing the management of organizations. He gives true-to-life examples and theories, and shows the successes and/or failures of organizations. Contrary to what one might believe, the book is entertaining, humorous, and so true! Anyone who has ever trudged the 9-to-5 grind will see his organization (and its shortfalls) reflected in this book. It is an enjoyable read, a MUST for Dilbert fans.

Why People Don't Buy Things: Five Proven Steps to Connect with Your Customers and Dramatically Increase Your Sales

Average customer rating:

Why did that one get away?
Wow!!!!!
Excellence In Sales
EXCELLENT!!!
Easy to Use Tool Guaranteed to Increase Your Sales Results

Why People Don't Buy Things: Five Proven Steps to Connect with Your Customers and Dramatically Increase Your Sales
Harry Washburn , and Kim Wallace
Manufacturer: Perseus Books Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Advertising | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

How to Avoid "Just Looking": And Other Ways to Increase Your Retail Sales
Why People Buy Things They Don't Need: Understanding and Predicting Consumer Behavior
Think Like Your Customer: A Winning Strategy to Maximize Sales by Understanding and Influencing How and Why Your Customers Buy
Why People Buy : Achieving the Selling Zone
Retail Selling Ain't Brain Surgery, It's Twice As Hard

ASIN: 073820157X

Amazon.com

Harry Washburn and Kim Wallace, principals in a firm specializing in sales and marketing research, believe salespeople are most successful when they can read customers' true motivations and tailor subsequent strategies to fit their unique needs. Based on 20 years' experience with companies like AT&T, IBM, and Polaroid, they've developed a method for replacing traditionally combative sales techniques with ones that encourage a cooperative decision-making process. In Why People Don't Buy Things, they explain how to find each customer's "buying path" by determining his or her specific "buying profile," which they classify as either Commander, Thinker, or Visualizer--and then adjusting arguments, language, and demonstrations to match them. The result, they contend, will help salespeople overcome stumbling blocks that regularly drive possible business away before a sale is consummated.

As any experienced salesman knows, if an individual or group prospect has substantial objections to buying from you that are not smoked out and resolved in your favor, you will lose the sale.... Why people don't buy things is as important a factor in individual and group purchasing decisions as why they do buy things.

--Howard Rothman

Book Description

A field-tested guide to increasing sales by selling the way the customer wants to buy

"As any salesperson knows, if you handle a prospect's objections to buying, you often close the sale. Of course, it's not that easy, thanks to hidden objections and other obstacles. Harry Washburn and Kim Wallace ease the job here by offering new insights into objections prospects tend to raise, as well as how to address them." -Mark Henricks, American Way

Based on twenty-five years of research and practice, and featuring dozens of case examples, Why People Don't Buy Things offers a systematic approach to understanding customers' motivations and tailoring the entire sales strategy to fit the customer's buying profile.

"Why People Don't Buy Things picks up where positioning leaves off. Washburn and Wallace take the mystery out of the selling process and offer an innovative method for converting skeptical consumers into loyal customers." -John C. Ferries, former President-International, D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles

Customer Reviews:

Why did that one get away?.......2006-02-20

I have heard of different personality types for years, how to pick them out and what to do after you know their type, but it was always so complicated. The authors make it VERY easy to pick out the personality type, then they tell you what to do with the information. They give excellent examples from their own work with clients over the years.

This is not one of those books that is just an advertisement for their consulting or their seminars. Each of the three personality types is clearly described. A simple trick is given to remember how to pick each personality type. Then many real life examples of how to sell to that presonality type. All the authors have left for you is to modify the examples to the products you are selling, modify the presentation you already use so that it targets the three personality types in 4 or 5 areas and you will be selling in a way your client likes to buy.

What if you are doing group sales with a mixture of personality types in the same room? It is covered in this book.

This book is too good and too cheap not to get and read. The contents are too easy to not put into practice.

Wow!!!!!.......2005-01-20

Great book on why we sometimes let the big one slip away. Full of ideas and case studies to help anyone selling anything to better position their product/services and ultimately sell more.

Excellence In Sales.......2002-01-13

Let's face it. Most sales people we come in contact with drone on about what they think is gonna make you buy. Wahburn and Wallace have revealed profound conclusions of what customers want to hear, based on hundreds of research questionaires conducted with customers of highly successful companies. I've been in sales for 17 years and I gave up on reading sales books because they were not helpful. This one is different. It immediately helped me improve my presentation that I've been giving for the last 11 years. I thought it was as good as it was gonna get. Wrong. I'm making more money and saying what customers want to hear. Even better, more customers are saying what I want to hear. Buy the book. You won't regret it.

EXCELLENT!!!.......2001-08-15

I refer to this book on a regular basis to train my sales force. It reinforces what we have been working on for several years AND the results are there. Great job Harry and Kim.

Easy to Use Tool Guaranteed to Increase Your Sales Results.......2000-11-14

I am a CPA and Harvard MBA and have sold sophisticated tax shelters on a commission basis for years. This is one of the finest books on salesmanship I have ever read.

It is grounded in excellent theory, yet it presents the information in a simple manner that is easy to understand AND easy to implement.

The book focuses on two areas:

1) Know where your customer is in the buying cycle. a)Is he committed to do something yet, or not. b)Is this a repeat of a prior purchase or not? c)Is he evaluating alternatives? d)From whom will he buy the product or service selected? e)Is the price right?

2) Different personality types buy in different manners. The book describes three types. a)Commander (take-charge, action-oriented leaders) b)Thinker (logical, analyze details, and like knowing the answers), and c) Visualizer (practical, intuitive, see things as they are).

A buyer is interested in certain information at each STAGE in the buying cycle. Additionally, each personality prefers to receive their information in a different manner. By recognizing the buying stage and the personality of the buyer you are trying to persuade, you can choose the most compelling arguments to make every time. This will avoid 90% of the turn-downs other salespeople get when trying to close a sale.

I have read other books classifying personalities into 9 or 16 types. Other authors define 8 or 11 stages of a sale. By using 5 stages in their DREAM sales cycle, and 3 personality types, I think Washburn and Wallace have done salespeople a GREAT service. These categories are well defined, easy to identify, and easily utilized to increase sales with their strategies.

Book Description

From how to market your skills to successfully interacting with buyers, sellers and real estate agents, these interviews with dozens of respected inspectors offer practical, hands-on advice for both experience and novice inspectors looking to grow their businesses.

Customer Reviews:

Something to ponder.......2007-07-20

This book is worthwhile, but don't expect to learn alot about doing a home inspection. This book is excellent, and almost shall I say "required reading" for anyone that wants to get involved in the business. It is all about the politics, relationships, and the necessary steps to starting your own business. I highly reccommend it!

Move the Sale Forward: Position Yourself and Your Business to Make Things Happen (Taking Control)

Average customer rating:

The one sales book every salesperson or sales manager should own - This is selling for today's needs
Better Understanding Leads to Greater Success

Move the Sale Forward: Position Yourself and Your Business to Make Things Happen (Taking Control)
John Klymshyn
Manufacturer: Silver Lake Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

jp-unknown2 | Specialty Stores | Books
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ASIN: 1563437694

Book Description

A sales cycle is a conversation that the sales person manages...and moves forward. --wisdom from a veteran of 250,000 cold calls! And the hardest part of selling is getting that conversation started. Though most sales gurus emphasize the closing process, John Klymshyn says that closing is easy...but setting things up the right way is hard. He offers * practical secrets--how to open the conversation and ensure it travels the right direction * tools for salespeople at any level: CEO, Manager, or frontline newbie * exercises to raise and keep spirits high and practice in keeping one's edge, because maintaining focus and enthusiasm can be tough, especially through a long sales cycle

Customer Reviews:

The one sales book every salesperson or sales manager should own - This is selling for today's needs.......2005-07-14

I decided to write this review because I was here buying yet another copy of book since I gave my last copy away . . . and that wasn't the first one I've given away.

Moving the sale forward is selling the way it should be done. John clearly demonstrates how to create conversations that sell and to keep them moving.

The thing I like about this book is that the information really works. It isn't the old hackneyed ideas that are pontificated over and over again by so called "sales trainers." This is practical, easy to implement advice from a sales trainer who walks his talk. He understands what it takes to be a successful salesperson because he is.

I'm confident anyone who sells for a living and whose compesnation is based all or in part on commission will at least double their income in a year if they read and apply these principles.

The reason I keep giving the book away is that I tell clients about it and then end up giving it to them.

The other person this book is for without a question are people who don't like to sell and who don't categorize themselves as salespeople. This book will show you how to leverage your natural talents to naturally close business . . . without selling.

I highly recommend this book for anyone involved in selling, it has definately impacted the way I sell and improved my ability to get more of the kind of business I want.

You'll love it, but most importantly, the busy executives you sell to will love your new approach and reward you with more business.

Better Understanding Leads to Greater Success.......2003-05-27

John Klymshyn's "Move The Sale Forward" does an outstanding job of demonstrating that, while success in sales does require calculation, pre-planning, and extensive strategizing, there is also a great need for genuine human characteristics, such as emotion, understanding, and honesty. While many books have been written about the latest 'answers' to the question of how to be a better salesperson, John Klymshyn's book is unique in its focus on fundamentals as the keys to success. John talks about the importance of understanding one's customer, of 'making the human connection' with a client, and of how to carry on client conversations so that they are comfortable and productive, rather than forced and inefficient. Above all, Klymshyn's narrative is practical; that is, it provides legitimate recommendations on what to say to a client, when to say it, when NOT to say it, and, most importantly, how to "Move the Sale Forward." While I have been in sales and associated with salespeople for more than twenty years, I've not previously seen such emphasis placed on establishing relationships with clients, and then using those relationships to keep making progress towards the salesperson's ultimate goal, which is measurable success. In my experience and in my opinion, John Klymshyn's sales style of focusing on relationships is absolutely the right way to go, and his book, "Move The Sales Forward: Position Yourself and Your Business To Make Things Happen" provides invaluable direction and tools to make this happen for even the most experienced salesperson. Because this book professes a sincere philosophy rather than a caluclated style, its value to rookie salespeople and experienced veterans alike is tremendous. Salespeople's success comes from understanding their customer, recognizing their customer's needs, and knowing how to deliver those needs to that customer at the proper price. John Klymshyn's book takes these principles and lays them out in a fashion that makes them not only understandable and logical, but also easy to embrace.

You Call That Selling: 91 Dumb Things Salespeople Say and Do to Sabotage Their Success

Average customer rating:

Quick read for Anyone Who sells

You Call That Selling: 91 Dumb Things Salespeople Say and Do to Sabotage Their Success
Tim Connor
Manufacturer: Executive Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1933715022

Book Description

There are only two ways to sell more. Do less wrong or do more right. Imagine the results you could achieve if you did both?

This book will help you avoid many of the costly deal-breaking mistakes that thousands of salespeople make every day. It will also give you techniques or strategies to ensure that you eliminate these mistakes from your sales behaviors and replace them with proven approaches that when used with confidence, skill and consistency will help you break your sales records year after year.

This book is not a sales manual for either beginners or seasoned veterans. It is a however straight forward, no holds barred methods for anyone in sales who wants to sell more in less time and with less rejection and disappointment.

In my previous best sellers, Soft Sell, Sales Mastery and Your First Year in Sales I discuss a variety of concepts, principles, techniques and attitudes that are required for success in selling. In this book I cut to the chase and just give you the essence. One page for each common sales mistake or dumb thing that most salespeople do or say sooner or later in their career.

They are listed by major topic area of the sales process. There are two ways to use or read this book. From beginning to end learning and un-learning as you go. Or, you can go to index and find the specific mistake that you think you are making and refer to that page.

Customer Reviews:

Quick read for Anyone Who sells.......2006-10-28

Tim has been a motivational speaker for years and although I have never heard him, from what I see of his material, he looks to be one of the more prolific and certainly understands human psychology and self-development.

You Call That $elling - 91 Dumb Things Salespeople Say and do to Sabotage Their Success - Plus 91 Smart Things to do Instead.

What I like about this easy and fast to read book is each one of the suggestions can be read one at a time. It does not have to be read cover to cover like a book.

Of course, me being a positive guy, I would have preferred for it to be the other way around, but I suppose negative titles sell better than positive ones.

A sample of one of his dumb things is #86 - Failing to Improve Everday, in that he talks about how sales are becoming more and more competitive. In order to remain competitive, you need to keep learning. (I am big on this.)

Of course this is an easy one to solve, spend time everyday improving your skills and attitude.

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