Account-executive

This is one of the greatest books i have ever read.

I love President Bush! This book explains why he is perceived as devisive. He views events, people and situations with moral clarity and sticks to his principals. This book is well-written, a quick read and insightful. The notes and references are second only to Ann Coulter.

If you only buy one book on the history of SOE in france then this should be the one. The job was to set Europe ablaze in the words of Churchill and they were a thorn in Germany's side. The operations and agents who carried them out are described in great detail including the nightmare of capture by the Gestapo and death in the camps or by firing squad. I have had a copy for years and value it greatly.

What is it about mountains that draw out the leadership metaphor? Is it their majestic height, their commanding views, or simply the lure of rising by one's own power into the clouds?The authors of "Upward Bound" believe that mountain climbing combines the challenge of reaching as high as one can with opportunity to work collectively with other like-minded individuals. Therein, lies one of the book's key messages: leaders and followers need one another to succeed. In the introduction, author Jerry Useem draws a parallel between Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzig Norgay's ascent to Everest with the rise of the largest retailer in the world, Wal-Mart. The parallel? Both were and are led by men who prefer anonymity: John Hunt led the first successful climb of Everest and Lee Scott heads Wal-Mart. Neither are household names, but both are examples of leadership that draws its strength from the power of those who contribute to the endeavor, be it a mountain or a business.

"Upward Bound" is a collection of stories told by nine writers from different backgrounds united by a common love of mountain climbing. The stories are organized according to themes relevant to business situations, e.g. Peak Performers, Scaling Up, and First Mover Advantage. The stories weave personal narrative and business examples seamlessly so that lessons become as clear as crystalline mountain air... and just as invigorating.

Lead author Michael Useem provides insight into what it takes to be a guide. All of us naturally think of leaders as showing their people the way, but what about guides? In mountain climbing, they are the professionals who help others to the top. In business, guides are the strategic thinkers and doers who lead by "seeing the whole," all the while building upon the ideas and contributions of others. Of note is an epilogue by author and business researcher, Jim Collins about becoming an expert beginner. In Collins' case he hired a climbing coach, after he'd been climbing for twenty?five years. This example serves as a strong metaphor for all of us who want to find new ways to keep fresh and creative so that we remain vital and purposeful. I strongly recommend anyone interested in finding out how to become a better leader as well as a better follower to read "Upward Bound." It's well worth the trek!

Visionary Selling didn't strike me as particularly visionary. Geraghty's precept is to sell to the "C" vision. This is simply a variant of "Solution Selling" where the problem is fulfilling the executive's vision. I expected more out of Geraghty's text than the repackaging of an established idea.

OK this one is easy.... Geraghty has compiled a very unique primer not just in selling, but in selling to top decision makers. The book's major spin is that one incorporates the corporate vision of the target client into one's sales spin --- by identifying with common visions and common ideals. The prospective client sees more of a common interest between your company and their own company and are (surprise, surprise!) more willing to plunk money down on the botton line and hire you/use you/ use your product/ services.

For that simple, but very effective advice Geraghty has created a book at least somewhat different from the standard sales tomes that litter the shelves in the low brow business section of bookstores (usually next to Zig Zigler).

The first half of the book articulates Geraghty's visionary Philosopshy and is the best. The last part tells how to incorporate the philosophy into actual presentation details. It is also good. There is a tendancy for the uninitiated or those with no sense of self-evaluation however, to present and merely mirror the image of the client company (I have seen this numerous times). What then happens is that one gets a simple syncophantic ramble from the salesperson doing the pitch. If the punt is as simple as the presenter a sale may result, but business people are rarely as simple and lacking in irony as some would suggest. More often a client who is brazenly and badly flattered can easily see through the scam to the two-bit sales person who makes such a pitch.

The real strength of Geraghty's sales approach is that it really adds another weapon to the the sales person's arsenal: when wedded with honesty, critical appraisal, and consultative selling style, visionary selling is a powerful tool. As such it should part of every current business library.

Anyone who's read any sales books at all has usually read many. And I've read many--but most are simple rehashes of the handful of original ideas found in the rest. Barbara Geraghty's Visionary Selling stands out and is a nice addition to any sales library. Uniquely, author Geraghty provides a step by step formula for getting in synch with your C-level prospect's vision. If you've successfully sold to CEOs (and I have) you'll know that they don't really care about the details of your product's features and benefits - so forget boning up on product knowledge. What they do care about is realizing their personal or corporate vision. If you can prove to a chief executive (or any other C- or Chief- level executive) that your product or service will help them do that, you're in. This book shows you, in detail, how to demonstrate you "grok" their vision, so at least you have a chance.

I'd rate this book a definite "worth reading."

THAT'S Our New Ad Campaign? is a little long-winded, but makes good skimming and is excellent in places. The best chapter is "How to Make Good Ads Great," which includes reproductions of classic ads, with Wasserman's commentary on why the ads work - including many small ads. The "Approving Advertising" chapter has many useful rules of thumb for avoiding clichés and increasing your ad's power. He also covers advertising myths and superstitions. The final chapter, "A Memo To the CEO," has four pages of concise, helpful advice for creating effective advertising. Overall, I prefer "Ogilvy on Advertising," "Confessions of an Advertising Man," (both by David Ogilvy) and *especially* "The New How To Advertise" by Kenneth Roman and Jane Maas.

I loved this book. It was one of the first books about the creative side of advertsing that clearly explained what great advertising is, why it's worth creating, and how one goes about actually doing it. It inpired me to get in the business and reach for killer ideas. (I'm now a happily and gainfully employed creative director/copywriter.) - a Reade

This is a book about the nuts and bolts of what makes a good ad good. Alot of people can tell you what they think is a good ad but few can tell you why it is or isn't. Wasserman breaks it down. Highly reccommended for beginners looking for helpful criticism

"Selling to the Top" is a well-organized presentation of the communication elements needed to stimulate organizational action from the top down. Motivating someone else to act is, after all, a matter of "selling." In turn, selling is a person-to-person dynamic. This emphasis on people is a welcome respite from the flow-chart, statistic-driven style of communication that is usually expected today.

The strategy presented in this book is predicated on empathy for the other person. "Find of what they need, then give it to them" is a singularly pivotal quote from the text. Such empathy is attained only through a great deal of preparation, and "preparation" is a major subtext of this book. In reading this book, most elements may seem familiar (if not obvious). The real value is in the way the book organizes these elements systematically to make a whole, coherent communication strategy. This is a blueprint for helping the reader to more successfully identify, engage, and sustain business relationships.

However, there are limitations. Mr. Peoples (born 1930) is of the quiet generation, and the interpersonal style that he recommends is in lock-step with the 1950s and 60s. The same is true of Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People." The chummy approach presented here still fits with mainstream middle-America, especially where suburban, country-club culture is resplendent. However, demographic evolution will increasingly challenge this style template. Emerging ethnic and cultural frameworks impose new verbal and visual cues. "Selling to the Top" will still be of some use in navigating new demographics in the business world, but someone needs to write a follow-up to this dated style guide.

This book is very informative. I have over 20 years of sales experience and seldom read How-To Sell books because I don't believe in theory and advices that much, preferring to do it the hard way (by the seat of the pants, intuition and personal experience and mistakes). When I read this book, I could not but agree more with David Peoples' observations and recommended systematic approach to attacking an account/opportunity. I have unconsciously (or naturally) done most of what Peoples has recommended in his book (obviously NOT as thoroughly as prescribed, we must not forget that it is always easier to say or write about than done). If nothing else, this book forces you to be more rigorous and strategic in your approach to selling and if the type of opportunity that you are pursuing justifies the efforts then its prescribed approach is certainly a very useful and effective one.
The [person] who gave this book a bad review certainly has never sold anything of substantial value in his life. This approach obviously only makes sense for selling big ticket items, Peoples has sold IBM hardware and services and not TV sets.

This book will change your life as a Salesperson. Customers WANT you to use this methodology. Don't waste their time. DO discuss their problems and how you can solve them. These are not gimmicks, the concepts here are real. Bottom Line: Take it from a rep that went from $100K per year in commissions to over $1M a year using these techniques.

Bloodsong is a good book that gives us an insight into the mysterious world of the mercenary. These men have a glamorous persona that is shown not to be so. Many of these men have served in the finest Special Forces units in South Africa. War is what they know and it is how they make a living just like an electrician or a plumber. After reading Jim Hooper's first book Beneath the Visiting Moon I was a little disappointed in this book. Bloodsong did not have the same action packed scenes that Moon had. In Moon, Hooper gave us a connection to the characters and when something happened to them the reader felt it, not so in Bloodsong. Overall it is a good read about a group of men that many people know little about. I would recommend reading Nine Days of War of Beneath the Visiting Moon before reading this to gain some background knowledge of the situation in Angola.

The late lord Harold MacMillan's winds of change that started off as a relative gentle breeze in western Africa in the early sixties had built up to hurricane strength when it reached Southern Africa. In the middle eighties the major part of the region was ablaze: full-scale wars were waged in Angola and Mozambique, troops and police anti-terrorist units were deployed along the Angolan - South West African border to neutralize the liberation groups and in South Africa the black townships were virtual war zones. The South Africans were with their backs to the sea but managed to survive and to suppress wave after wave unleashed on them.

Having been the pariah of nations for decades they had to be totally self-reliant: a war machine unequalled in the history of the Dark Continent came into being. Equipment was designed and perfected. Thousands of men were conscripted, processed, trained and to a certain extent, programmed for warfare.

And then, in the late eighties and early nineties the unimaginable happened: peace broke out!

For many South Africans it was a low blow - all of a sudden they were both without a mission as well as a way to eke out a living.
For years armed conflict was all they knew and lived for and in the new political dispensation their skills were not required and instead, quite frankly, actually frowned upon.

Thus, with uncanny entepeneurial skill and leadership qualities Executive Outcomes (EO), South Africa's first mercenary army was conceived out of necessity and born in comradeship. Although the banners had changed the cause had remained the same.

Jim Hooper, an American author and journalist currently residing in England and a veteran of the armed conflicts in Southern Africa, was invited and allowed into the inner sanctum of EO. In "Bloodsong! A first hand account of a modern private army in action" the combatants themselves recount the exploits of EO graphically. The volte-face of EO by siding with an erstwhile enemy is discussed and so is the harassment of EO and members of their families by both old-guard South Africans and paranoid new politicians.

During their involvement in Angola EO was paid the ultimate compliment: they were approached by the Angolans to retrain their army.

Bloodsong! is well written and researched and Hooper reveals a compasionate insight in the driving force behind all those involved. The narrative is sober and according to an EO-leader
"as close to the truth as possible".

Although one would have preferred more accounts of the "grunts" themselves the book is reccommended to all thse with an interest in military operations.

A truly informative can't-put-down must read!

Considering that the left-wing biased media ignore books like this one, really debunkes Erik "Lying Liar" Alterman's book. This is a great ans scary book. Clinton was a weapon of mass terror.

All I can say is Bill Clinton is the worst president of the 20th century. I can only thank God after his numerous blunders in office the United Stares still existes. His blatant disregard for our military and nation security is unforgivable. I think that his leaving the nuclear codes behind is a treasonable act and Clinton should be prosecuted for his negligence. What would have happened per se if America was attacked at that paticular moment? Whats to say we might even had been to late to respond to an attack because of his gross incompetance. I personally thank Buz for such a great book of very important insight. I will breathe easier every day I get out of bed a lazy, incompatant bum is not in the White House.

Get the ultimate insider scoop on the Clinton White House years, written by the military aide who was in charge of the "football" - the case of nuclear launch codes for the U.S. arsenal. Read the book and find out what President Clinton did with his nuclear "keys" - unbelievable!