Phil M. Jones’ Exactly What to Say is a nonfiction book about communication, persuasion and sales. It draws upon proven principles of human behaviour and psyche to list down phrases that, when used in relevant contexts, supposedly get you the results you want – be it in a professional scenario or simply a social setting.
I’ve been reading books about marketing and communication when I stumbled upon this unhyped and hidden gem.
While in the advertising and content marketing spheres, originality is often upheld as the 8th wonder of the world, the fact of the matter is that persuasion is all about understanding how the human mind works and what makes people tick.
This book is not split into long chapters per se. It is fast-paced, in that it moves from one segment to the next within a couple of paragraphs. So, there’s no fluff between the points of discussion.
It covers 24 phrases and sentence alternatives to achieve the intended impact and convince others. The author also goes into the rationale behind these choices; that was extremely insightful.
I’m glad to have picked up this book even if only for the sake of knowing how Jones rationalises these communication tips.
Cultural norms barring, it is always good to know how people would perceive certain statements.
The Life Stories 