Talk Is Cheap: The Art of Conversation Leadership Author: Visit Amazon's Jim McCann Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0544114329 | Format: PDF
Talk Is Cheap: The Art of Conversation Leadership Description
Review
"If you want to be a leader in any type of organization, read Talk Is (Not!) Cheap. It is full of helpful suggestions by someone who has learned when to listen and when to talk. His conversational leadership shows us how we can reach people with our spoken words, whether in the boardroom or before a large audience. McCann proves that nice guys can finish first." —Former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley
“Conversation drives business. Having spent the past fifteen years working with entrepreneurs, I know that new companies either succeed or fail based on their ability to connect--with their investors, their customers, their employees, and their communities. In Talk Is (Not!) Cheap, Jim McCann shows why emails and PowerPoint decks are a poor substitute for the natural connections that arise when people pause to talk—and listen—to one another. Entrepreneurs of all stripes would be well advised to pick up this book.” —Linda Rottenberg, Co-Founder and CEO of Endeavor
“Jim McCann is a great teacher in the art, science, and heart of leadership. At a time when so many people are just talking at one another, Talk Is (Not!) Cheap is an important reminder for all of us to get back to basics, listen, and rediscover what it means to have true dialogue. Honest, refreshing, and immediately actionable.” —Clara Shih, author of The Facebook Era
“Jim McCann sends us a wakeup call that face-to-face communication remains the essential tool for work, relationships, leadership, entrepreneurship, sales and so many other dimensions of social life. Talk Is (Not!) Cheap is full of down-to-earth, experienced, pithy advice from someone who clearly practices what he, well, converses.” —Daniel Isenberg, author of Worthless, Impossible, and Stupid: How Contrarian Entrepreneurs Create and Capture Extraordinary Value
About the Author
Jim McCann is the founder and CEO of 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc. Today, his organization encompasses numerous gift brands and websites, including Fannie May Confections, The Popcorn Factory, Cheryl’s Cookies, 1-800-Baskets.com, FruitBouquets.com, StockYards.com, FineStationery.com, and Celebrations.com—in addition to a network of 1-800-Flowers franchise shops across the country. McCann is the author of
Stop and Sell the Roses: Lessons from Business and Life and A Year Full of Flowers: Fresh Ideas to Bring Flowers into Your Life Every Day. See all Editorial Reviews
- Hardcover: 208 pages
- Publisher: New Harvest (January 21, 2014)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0544114329
- ISBN-13: 978-0544114326
- Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
- Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Jim McCann puts great stock in storytelling as a frame for conversation and learning. Telling a story means time taken to develop thoughts, to engage others beneath the superficial, to encourage empathy and respect, to thoughtfully entertain responses and respond in kind. It's all built upon the simple yet too-often-overlooked notion that what many people crave is a genuine sense of social intimacy in their day-to-day lives. We live in an age of unprecedented 'connectedness' yet there's a vast span in the quality and substance of the connections we make and maintain - and this has enormous consequences for our business and personal success and ultimately the kind of society we inhabit.
There's nothing tutorial or step-by-step about the lessons McCann imparts here; it's enlightenment by observation and I found myself more than once nodding along at the simple 'rightness' of the approach he takes to challenging situations.
Some of the most interesting parts of the book are those I found wonderfully counter-intuitive:
McCann's advice to his phone reps for example: Instead of operating from scripts and dispatching every call as quickly as possible, McCann asks the reps at 1-800-FLOWERS to continue customer conversations for as long as practical; to listen and not be afraid to show genuine interest in people's stories and share their own thoughts. People remember that kind of experience and want to repeat it; it's not only good for business, it's good for the individuals involved (and is clearly 180 degrees from the way most phone reps I've dealt with are apparently trained and driven these days).
And in case you start to think of McCann as some old-school Luddite who bemoans today's technology, forget it.
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