communication Book Summaries

Getting to Yes is the most important book on negotiation, according to many professionals. It comes from leaders of The Harvard Negotiation Project, who wanted to help people negotiate agreements with less time and friction. The four steps of the method are: people, interests, options and criteria.

How to Win Friends and Influence People is a guide to getting along with others. Dale Carnegie says that people are "creatures of emotion" (not logic) that desire a feeling of importance. We can provide that feeling with our sincere enthusiasm, consideration, interest and appreciation.

Influence is about six principles of persuasion useful for sales, marketing and negotiation. Professor Robert Cialdini says certain triggers can influence human decisions almost automatically. The six principles are: reciprocity, consistency, social proof, liking, authority and scarcity.

Thinking, Fast and Slow is about how irrational mental shortcuts often guide our decision-making. Based on countless studies, Daniel Kahneman shows we rely on our intuitive mind (System 1) more than our lazy logical mind (System 2), and why this causes systematic errors in our judgement.

Never Split the Difference shows how to win negotiations and communicate more influentially. Chris Voss perfected his techniques over 25 years at the FBI, negotiating with kidnappers and terrorists. He says we should work with emotions not just reason, demonstrate empathy, use open-ended questions and educate ourselves about cognitive biases.

Pre-Suasion shows a new side of influence. It's about everything that happens BEFORE you ask someone to say yes to your proposal. Professor Robert Cialdini has distilled hundreds of scientific studies to prove that how you FRAME a message from the beginning is crucial to its success.

Nonviolent Communication shows us how to have healthy relationships through openly and honestly communicating our observations, feelings, needs and requests. This book can help us move past dysfunctional communication habits we learned growing up including guilt tripping, being passive aggressive, blaming, labelling and judging others as good or bad.

The Prosperous Coach will help you create a coaching business that is profitable AND fulfilling. You'll learn how to create clients through giving a powerful experience of coaching. Steve and Rich also share their best tips to become disciplined, charge higher fees and sell with confidence.