Win Friends and Customers by Lawrence Bookbinder – Book Review

Win friends and customers by Lawrence Bookbinder

This is a small pocket size book great to read on the commute or when traveling. It helps the reader to see below the surface of everyday conversations.

The author takes us on a journey through what appear to be everyday interactions and shows us where we may be missing some fundamental opportunities to talk more effectively. this in turn can lead to better customers and repeat business!

The book is broken into the following chapters:

• Empathic acknowledging
• Empathy verses sympathy
• Moving from no empathy to empathy
• Listening: empathic verses ordinary
• Psychological hugs
• Business success
• Receiving listening: advantages and disadvantages
• Giving listening: advantages and disadvantages
• Empathic acknowledging professional
• Controlling the urge to help
• Controlling the urge to talk
• Importance of fascination
• Types of empathic acknowledgements
• When to empathically acknowledge

In the opening chapter Bookbinder challenges the reader think about how we listen and talk with others. He challenges us to reflect on whether we have conversations with people. Do we converse to give an explanation or sometimes just to acknowledge that something has been said?

On the surface the approach seems rather simplistic. Understanding the nature of the conversations we have with other people is fundamental in successful communication. Bookbinder gives us clear examples of these different types of conversations and what we can change to become even more effective.

Quotes in the book

Throughout the book are some quotes which help the reader think about their communication style.

This book is in a conversational style with many example situations included to help the reader understand the concepts the author is aiming to express.

Who is the book aimed at?

I would suggest that this book is aimed at professionals seeking to improve their oral communications. To make the most of this book, the reader needs recognise that many communication issues are the result of the other person not being ready to communicate with the sender of the information. We need to learn to listen first in order to talk to someone! Recognising not just what the other party is saying but attempting to understand the purpose of the communication in the first place is also important.

A book for any one thing to reflect and develop their personal communication skills.