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The best-selling book Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact is about mastering the art of communication. Phil M. Jones, an internationally acclaimed speaker and author who has instructed over two million people on five continents, wrote it.
READ THE EXTENSIVE SUMMARY HERE
The book is intended to assist readers in communicating more successfully in both personal and professional settings. Jones provides his thoughts in simple but effective phrases for persuading, motivating, and influencing others.
The shortness of this work is one of its distinguishing features. Exactly What to Say is a brief and easy read that can be done in a few hours, with only 144 pages. Despite its length, the novel packs a powerful blow. Jones provides actionable suggestions that can be used right away.
One of the things readers like best about Exactly What to Say is its practical suggestions. In contrast to many other self-help books, Jones provides real examples of how to employ specific phrases in various contexts. For example, he provides scripts for getting clients to buy, bargaining with vendors, and influencing team members to act.
Another advantage of the book is its ease of use. Despite its target audience of salesmen and professionals, Exactly What to Say employs plain language and avoids jargon. Anyone who wishes to improve their communication abilities will find it easy to read and understand.
Some of the book’s significant takeaways include:
- The power of questioning
- How to utilise scarcity to motivate action – The significance of adopting language that your target audience understands
- The importance of being brief and to the point in your communication – How to persuade others through stories and metaphors
Overall, Exactly What to Say is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to improve their communication abilities. This book gives real skills and tactics that you can start utilising right away, whether you’re a salesperson, a manager, or just someone who wants to be more influential.
Key Takeaways
The following are some major lessons from the book Exactly What to Say:
- Making little alterations or employing certain phrases in your communication can have a huge impact on your capacity to persuade, encourage, or negotiate effectively, according to the book.
- Ask the correct questions: Questions can be effective tools for engaging people and getting them to think about what you’re saying in greater depth. The book includes various examples of effective inquiries that might assist you in achieving your objectives.
- Use stories and metaphors to illustrate a point, communicate a message, or clarify complicated ideas. The book shows how to use these to communicate more effectively.
- Be precise: In today’s fast-paced environment, people’s attention spans are limited. The book emphasises the significance of being concise and direct while avoiding fluff and filler.
- Instil a sense of urgency: Scarcity is a strong motivator. The book teaches how to leverage scarcity to create urgency and motivate people to act.
- Use terms that are memorable: The words you use can have a big impact on how people hear and respond to your message. The book advises you to choose terms and phrases that are distinctive to your target audience and that they can relate to and understand.
- Don’t be scared to make the first move: Finally, the book emphasises the necessity of communicative initiative. It’s typically up to you to make the first move and take the lead whether selling a product, negotiating a contract, or trying to persuade someone.
These are just a few of the most critical insights from Exactly What to Say. Many more examples and insights into how to speak successfully in various settings are included in this extensive summary.
Examples of the phrases and questions recommended in Exactly What to Say:
1. “What’s your thoughts on…?” – This question can be used to engage people in a conversation, encouraging them to share their opinions and ideas.
2. “What’s important to you about…?” – This question can be used to explore someone’s motivations and priorities, relating to the decision you’re discussing.
3. “If I can, will you?” – This phrase creates a sense of partnership and willingness to help, which can be used in negotiations and tasks.
4. “Do you have any flexibility on the price?” – This question is used to negotiate the price of a product or service.
5. “What if…?” – This phrase introduces a hypothetical that can be used to challenge someone’s mindset and suggest other possibilities.
6. “At no cost to you” – This phrase is used to offer something with no risk or obligation, such as a free trial or consultation.
7. “Act now – limited availability” – This phrase creates a sense of urgency and scarcity, pushing people to act fast.
These are just a few examples of the phrases and questions that can be used to communicate more effectively, from Exactly What to Say. Each one is designed to help achieve a specific goal or outcome and can be adapted to fit different situations and audiences.