Power Talk: Using Language to Build Authority and Influence By Sarah Myers McGinty, Sarah Myers McGinty Ph.D

Product Description

As anyone whos ever tried to decipher their last investment account statement knows, the language of finance can sound foreign and intimidating. As clever as it is straightforward, and filled with quirky yet helpful tips, this dictionary of financial terms and acronyms is packed with hundreds of brief, plain-spoken definitions that will appeal to the novice and seasoned investor alike.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #831034 in Books
Published on: 2001-02-15
Number of items: 1
Binding: Hardcover
224 pages
Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
McGinty taught the politics of language at Harvard and does workshops and seminars nationwide as head of McGinty Consulting. Her book focuses on workplace communications. She looks at both listening and talking and teaches readers how to use language skills to advance in the business world. She covers e-mail, voice mail, meetings, and up and down communications, and she also considers changing styles as people move up the corporate ladder. Offering lots of lists and examples, her book is easy and fun to read. Salamensky earned her Ph.D. at Harvard and is currently an assistant professor of English at SUNY. Her book brings together a wide range of writers from such areas as communications and cultural criticism to look at the concept of talk. What it means to talk, how we define ourselves though our language skills, what makes talk funny (comedy), and cultural differences in communication are some of the many topics considered. The book is organized in chapters, some of them essays by single authors and others conversations between two experts. The information on each contributor in the note section would have been nice at the chapter heads. This book is more technical than McGinty's, but both books have extensive bibliographies and notes ("gossip" in the case of Talk Talk Talk). Power Talk will be popular in public library business collections, while Talk Talk Talk belongs in university libraries and larger public libraries. Lisa J. Cihlar, Monroe P.L., WI
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Download Description
We are what we say. Now Sarah Myers McGinty, Ph.D., takes up where Deborah Tannen left off to delve into the ways our speech creates our identity. In this breakthrough book, McGinty shows how a little attention to our verbal patterns helps us alter the balance of power and always come out ahead. You're a model employee who always does quality work, yet you are forced to watch helplessly as others get the credit and the rewards. Why? Studies show that people who project expertise and authority, people who sound like they're in charge, often win the acclaim. On the other hand, people who try to take over every situation or come on too strongly can silence their colleagues and miss critical information. In Power Talk , author Sarah Myers McGinty identifies two basic modes of communication: Language from the Center and Language from the Edge. While Language from the Center projects authority, Language from the Edge is collaborative, responsive, and often equally effective. Here McGinty argues that to be truly successful you can't get trapped in just one speaking mode--you need both. What are the secrets to speaking from the center--showing the people around you that you know what you're doing and have the ability to lead? What is the art of speaking from the edge--getting your point across without losing the consensus you need for team success? Power Talk breaks down actual workplace conversations, studying the messages hidden in every word choice, every phrase, even in every inflection. A remarkable study of language itself, this book will help you:* Analyze your own speech patterns and see whether your words fit the world of your work * Learn which situations call for Language from the Center and which call for Language from the Edge * Practice new ways of presenting information and ideas for your next meeting * Communicate more effectively with e-mail and voice mail, and play telephone tag like a pro. Examining the issue of gende

Book Info
A text focusing on the most important aspects of using language to build authority and influence with others. Shows how to find the right speech style for any workplace situation, how to practice new verbal patterns before using them, how to use voice mail and e-mail conversations to an advantage, and how to always be heard, even in a crowd. DLC: Business communication.
Customer Reviews

Power Talk????
It seems as if authors and publishers have decided to sell something that is marginal at best, just include the words Power,Prestige, wealth all seemingly offering some simple strategy to imporove and empower your life, Power talk fails to live up to its title. It is a ok book on how we talk and what the 2 distinct communication styles are all about. But it doesnt take a 200 page book to tell us that the key is to merge the two? This book is geared towards salespeople and corporate executives, if you work for a firm of 20 or less this probably won't help much. The key to success is adaptation to the enviroment your in rather than discuss key words or stratagies for enhancing vocabulary, structure , etiquitte this book just rehashes the adaptation philosophy. Probably great for some but the majority will just be wasting their time with this title.

Semi-helpful
The first six chapters are helpful and contain useful information about the use of Language from the Center and from the Edge. However, the next two chapters are simply the author's social commentary about not pre-judging people on their differences in communication. The last chapter is just an overview of the study of linguistics.

An excellent book for consultants and salespeople
This book made a profound difference in the way I conduct my business. I was an "Edge" person to the extreme. I had always been taught that asking questions and constantly probing was the best and most powerful way to deal with clients and prospects. Not so! There's a time to stop asking and start "telling."
My clients want confident advice from me. They don't want to sit around and explore options forever. I do not understand some of the negative reviews of this book. I found it to be a great help.