A helping handbook to make you look good, sound good and come across as a winner every time you have something important to say, present or write......

Introduction  

Thank you for inviting me to share my holistic views on winning hearts and minds with the right words and communication techniques.

What you say or write and how you do it are critical to getting any message across so I’ve distilled reams of information, anecdotes, case studies, rules-of-thumb, tips, classic quotes, humour, philosophy and controversy; into an accessible, easy-to-follow package for you to open up when you’re unsure or stuck for words to use in business or pleasure and want a win-win outcome.

Compared to a generation or so ago, I believe that everyday conversations are now often less productive and rewarding – presentations increasingly lack innovation and impact – writing skills are on the decline – we have become more defensive in what we say and write – and winning is now more important than ever in our culture.

Nearly every time we open our mouths or put pen to paper (so to speak) at work, home or play, our primary objective is specifically to win the hearts and minds of individuals or groups of people.

And whether you want to win an argument, prove a point, diffuse anger, capitalise on an opportunity, win new customers, express your opinion, impress your friends, get a new job, be promoted, earn respect or just get even, delivering the right words with the right tone and technique will determine whether you come out looking like a winner.

When we receive communication, our logical mind and our emotional heart act in tandem to make decisions, though emotions usually prevail.

Whether delivering or receiving, words have the power to educate, motivate, denigrate, invigorate, move mountains, shift allegiances, provoke anger, soften sadness, make us laugh or inspire us into action. 

They say variety is the spice of life so I have spiced up the winning hearts and minds words smorgasbord with ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.’

Many years ago I was told there is never anything new in marketing, only old ideas rehashed. This is true except for technology mediums. Some of the tried and proven communication formulas seem to have been lost in (cyber) space, so expect ‘something old’ but with a contemporary spin and relevant in the dynamics of today’s competitive commercial environment.

My holistic concept is ‘something new.’ ‘Something borrowed’ is fairly evident because I have made it a habit to listen and learn what works. The ‘something blue’ is the odd tame reference to sex in mildly cheeky context.

This book is written for everyone, not just word lovers or those with business communications or social presentation responsibilities.

And my words are based on real life experiences. As you digest each chapter, your learning taste buds will savour a fascinating journey through the wide and wonderful world of winning words.

You’ll make stops along the way to experience the corridors of correct English, the annals of Aussie-Aussie-Aussie, the repartee for relationships, the linguistics for life’s changes and celebrations, the connivance of corporate crap, the magic of marketing, the spin of sales spiels, the perspicuousness of presentations and the fun and games of language and words.

Read it all! Regardless of your station in life, I promise that you’ll learn a lot, smile a lot and use this book as a future reference tool. I offer you practical communication tips and good words to use in everyday life to help you consistently win hearts and minds.  

John Buttling

Why winning with words is always Subjective

Why words are just one Part of the communication package

Why our traditional Aussie lingo is going walkabout

Why it pays to accent the Positive – eliminate the negative

Why Talking at the wrong time will lose you friends

Why not Acknowledging will lose you friends

Why people need Help to come up with the right words

Why English language rules are melting in the noonday sun

Are ‘correct writing principles’ Always right?

CASE STUDY: The Great Public Debate on Literacy

GLOSSARY of Frequently Misspelt Words

The old truism ‘Everything old is new again’ might apply to fashion trends but definitely not to communication trends.

Gain more insight into trends and a better understanding of why Oz language is an evolutionary process – appreciate that for better for worse, for richer for poorer, we are wed to words and have a lifelong relationship with them.

Are the purists right? Learn why traditionalists get cheesed off with grammar and spelling stuff-ups, why true-blue Aussies are peeved off with the loss of our lingo, and why it pays to accentuate the positive. Join in the literacy debate.

Understanding verbal and written communication trends is the platform to help you consistently win hearts and minds with the right words in any situation.

The Basics for Writing Brilliant Letters & Reports

What Makes a Good Writer Really Excellent?

Taking Communication Briefs

The Six-Step Guide for Packaging & Presenting Words

The Functions of Communications

Creative Writing for Business & Pleasure +

Sample CASE STUDIES

Retaining & Recalling Information

Although this book is not a ‘how-to-write’ book (rather it’s about what are winning words and when and how to use them to win hearts and minds), there are key principles/tips for winning with all communication, particularly in written communications.

What are the basic principles for simplicity of message, structuring, sequencing and packaging of good communication?

Everyone with writing responsibilities (business or social) will pick up useful tips in this chapter, whilst specialist writers might pick up a few more tips of the trade.

Understand the benefits of using a template to take a communication brief and applying a checklist of the seven ‘C’s’ – fully appreciate why defining the function and purpose of the communication is pivotal to getting it right – why brilliance often boils down to getting the basics down pat and all the little touches right – discover the secrets of being creative with words and the importance of the four basic human needs + the ‘right-brain/left-brain’ principle relevant for group communications.

  Click on the cart below to purchase this book: