Just Listen

In this summary, you will learn

• How to “get through” to others in difficult situations
• How to get people to “buy into” your ideas
• How to use specific persuasive techniques with family, friends, bosses, co-workers, customers and even angry strangers

getAbstract rating

Why you should read Just Listen

Being the life of the party won’t help you make a sale. In fact, letting other people take the spotlight will actually garner more admiration and eventual “buy-in,” explains psychiatrist Mark Goulston. This advice follows his axiom, “be more interested than interesting,” which is one of his nine principles for connecting with others. Goulston, who has trained police officers and U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation hostage negotiators, devotes a chapter each to 12 powerful techniques you can use to be more persuasive. His systems and strategies will help you cross the natural barriers people erect to protect themselves, so you can communicate your ideas and goals. He fleshes out each lesson with real-life examples and engaging stories. getAbstract thinks you’ll find this book quite helpful in refining ways to “get through” to others. If Goulston can negotiate with a desperate gunman, he surely can help you sway a customer – or even your teenager.

About the Author

Mark Goulston, author of Get Out of Your Own Way and Get Out of Your Own Way at Work, is a columnist, psychiatrist and business consultant.