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WHAT TO DO WHERE TO GO WHAT TO SAY

Name: WHAT TO DO WHERE TO GO WHAT TO SAY
Author: Craig A. Fleming
ISBN: 978-1-73347-870-0

by Craig A. Fleming ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 27, 2019

A friendly, down-to-earth sales guide, despite a couple of odd moments.

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In his latest how-to book, Fleming (LaunchSmart, 2018) doles out advice for building a successful direct-selling business.

At the start of this book, the author compares the launch of a new marketing company to an airplane takeoff; in order to reach cruising altitude, he writes, a pilot must go full throttle at the start. The runway represents the first 90 days of a company’s existence, during which speed is imperative for success. Fleming’s own career took off more than 40 years ago, when he made a living selling Kirby vacuum cleaners door to door in and around Lincoln, Nebraska. Now he represents ServiceQuest, a company that provides coaching, consulting, training, and support services for direct-marketing businesses. In this easy-to-read guide for newcomers, Fleming shares some selling techniques that’s he’s learned over the years—for example, how to handle people who may be easily offended. His book is chock-full of practical, hands-on advice, including how to build a contact list, how to deal with tough customer questions, and how to conduct effective follow-up meetings. Fleming’s smooth, conversational prose style is breezy, upbeat, and inspirational. For example, when discussing the difficulty of rejection, he quips, “In the recorded history of Network Marketing (since 1959) no distributor, associate or consultant has ever been physically killed because a person said ‘NO’ to them.” There are, however, a few notions that some readers will dislike, such as the idea of selling to family and close friends; there’s even an eye-rolling example of a sample conversation to have with one’s mother. Additionally, the author’s advice for selling to subordinates at work seems problematic, as they may feel obligated to listen, or even spend money, because of the relationship’s power imbalance. However, there’s a lot of advice here that readers will find more tasteful, such as how to strike up business conversations with casual acquaintances. And, in a gentle tone, Fleming always recommends honesty as the best policy.

A friendly, down-to-earth sales guide, despite a couple of odd moments.

Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-73347-870-0

Page Count: 155

Publisher: Direct Sales Experts

Review Posted Online: Nov. 30, 2019

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.