Managers, CEOs, and salespeople often tell me, "Talking to so-and-so is like hitting a brick wall."
When I hear those words, I reply: "Stop hitting your head against the wall and look for the loose brick." Find that loose brick -- what the other person really needs from you ---and you can pull down the strongest barriers and connect with people in ways you never thought possible.
And that brings me to my friend and colleague Mark Goulston. Mark has an almost magical ability to reach everyone -- corporate CEOs, managers, clients, patients, warring family members, even hostage takers -- because he always finds the loose brick. He's a genius at reaching unreachable people and, in his new book, Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone, you'll find out just how he does it.
I originally met Mark through his books Get Out of Your Own Way and Get Out of Your Own Way at Work. His books, his work, and, most importantly, Mark himself so impressed me that I pursued him and now we're business partners.
He's one of the thought leaders at Ferrazzi Greenlight and a trusted adviser to me. After watching him work, I can tell you why everyone from the FBI to Oprah pays attention when Mark talks about reaching people: his techniques, simple as they sound, really work.
Oh, and don't be put off by the fact that Mark's a psychiatrist. He's also one of the best business communicators I've ever encountered. Put him in an office where everyone's at war or the sales team can't get buy-in from clients or morale and productivity are tanking, and he'll solve the problem-fast-in a win-win way where everyone comes out ahead.
If you'd like to achieve that kind of success, you'll find no better guide than Mark. He's brilliant, funny, kind, and inspiring, and his stories about everyone from unwelcome holiday guests to F. Lee Bailey make his words as entertaining as they are life changing. So enjoy-and then use your powerful new skillset to turn the "impossible" and "unreachable" people in your life into allies, devoted customers, loyal colleagues, and lifetime friends.
You can read an excerpt from Just Listen here.