3 Steps to Yes

October 30, 2000
Whether parents are talking with their children or managers are trying to get employees to work harder, how we convey our message is crucial. According to Bedell, a sales consultant and trainer, "Persuasion is the difference between having potential and achieving your potential." He believes that once people understand three key principles--fulfill personal needs, be credible and communicate persuasively--they will painlessly master the art of getting what they want. Aimed at a general audience of "poet" persuaders who aren't sales professionals, Bedell's guide offers a variety of examples from both home and work life. For instance, he tells of two co-executives who joined a company at the same time, one of whom was so difficult to deal with that everyone ended up working through the second individual until the easy-to-deal with man was promoted while the other was fired. Similarly, at home, kids don't want to deal with a confrontational parent who finds fault with everything. Bedell urges people to "Be easy-to--easy-to-buy, easy-to-deal-with, easy-to-do-business with and easy-to-live with." His advice should help readers handle their personal and professional interactions more effectively, while Bedell's comforting tone will reassure them. Still, this breezy volume will only help readers who are ready to consciously take the time to consider all their interactions ahead of time, something that may be difficult in today's fast-paced world.

October 15, 2000
The art of persuasion is an essential skill, whether it is applied in the business world or at home. Bedell, president of Tenzing, L.L.C., a sales consultancy and seminar company, has written a book about methods of effective persuasion. The author recommends that persuasion be thought of as effective communication in selling ideas, services, or yourself, the latter by gaining the acceptance of other people. He advises against forced persuasion, except when there are no other options, and endorses gentle persuasion, defined as "the art of communicating so effectively and compellingly that the people you're persuading voluntarily act in ways you intend." A three-step approach is described: "fulfill personal needs," i.e., focus on other people's needs and anxieties instead of your own; "be credible," i.e., identify characteristics that determine credibility; and "communicate persuasively," i.e., effectively tune in and listen to other people. A wide variety of topics are covered, including personal packaging (how to act and look on the job), effective r sum -writing techniques, and sales and advertising advice. This versatile and informative book could fit on either self-help or business shelves and is recommended primarily for public library collections.--Lucy Heckman, St. John's Univ. Lib., Jamaica, NY

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