Power Entertaining. Secrets to Building Lasting Relationships, Hosting Unforgettable Events, and Closing Big Deals from America's 1st Master Sommelier

The Relationship Laws that Drive Success There are powerful but invisible laws that determine whether your relationships —with your clients, colleagues, and friends—will thrive or wither. These relationship laws are ever-present. When you align with them, the results are dramatic. Your network will grow rapidly. You’ll be seen by clients as a trusted partner rather than an expense to be managed. And you’ll find the people around you eager to help you succeed. When you ignore the laws, however, your efforts will falter. Relationship building will seem like very hard work. Power Relationships gives readers a unique, entertaining guide to relationship success at work and in life. Each of the 26 laws is illustrated and explained using a compelling, real-life story that shows how to implement it. The second section of the book presents 16 common relationship challenges with specific solutions. You’ll read about: The top Citigroup executive whose relationship with a CEO was changed forever on a business trip that exploded into chaos, and how you can use the same principle to deepen your own relationships. The philanthropist who, on the verge of being mugged in a dark parking lot, learns how his actions have had an unimaginable ripple effect across several generations How one of the authors flew halfway around the world and used Law 18—“Make them curious”—to turn a make-or-break, five-minute meeting with a top executive into a long-term relationship. The chance encounter on an airplane with a famous actor that revealed a simple but profound truth. It’s Law 25: “Build your network before you need it.” Sobel (author of Clients for Life, All for One, and Power Questions (with Panas)) and Panas (author of Asking and Supremely Successful Selling) have sold over half a million books and are the leading authorities in their field. Power Relationships is a unique, road-tested guide to relationship success.

Create meaningful relationships that translate to better business Access to Asia presents a deeply insightful framework for today's global business leaders and managers, whether traveling from Toronto to Taipei, Baltimore to Bangalore, or San Francisco to Shanghai. Drawing from her extensive experience and global connections, author Sharon Schweitzer suggests that irrespective of their industry, everyone is essentially in the relationship business. Within Asia, building trust and inspiring respect are vital steps in developing business relationships that transcend basic contractual obligations. Readers will find in-the-trenches advice and stories from 80 regional experts in 10 countries, including China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, and Korea. Discover the unique eight-question framework that provides rich interview material and insight from respected cultural experts Track cultural progress over time and highlight areas in need of improvement with the Self-Awareness Profile Learn the little-known facts, reports, and resources that help establish and strengthen Asian business relationships Effective cross-cultural communication is mandatory for today's successful global business leaders. For companies and individuals looking to engage more successfully with their counterparts in Asia, Access to Asia showcases the critical people skills that drive global business success.

Achieve your goals by selectively engaging the right people and connecting well with them Smart executives who want to reach virtually any business goal-from raising capital to finding sales leads to finding the perfect job-know that networking is the key to their success. But traditional networking approaches-meet as many people as possible, amass huge numbers of «connections» and «friends» in your LinkedIn and Facebook networks-rarely produce more than a handful of relationships that pay off. In Well-Connected, networking maven and coach Gordon Curtis explains that the secret to building truly effective relationships is to narrow–rather than widen–your network. His proven methodology for building key relationships that deliver results every time emphasizes selectively engaging the right people and connecting with them well : First, identify a «critical enabler,» someone who has access to the knowledge you need and is inclined to help you; second, unlock the critical enabler's willingness and ability to provide what you need by offering her something valuable before you ask her or him for anything. Well-Connected reveals a breakthrough approach to networking that delivers predictable, positive results Filled with success stories, the book provides an accessible action plan for all readers Networking maven Gordon Curtis has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Sunday Globe, Fast Company Magazine Well-Connected serves as the playbook for sophisticated business people who know there's a better way to connect with the right people to get things done better and faster.

The era of online video has arrived—now make it work for your business In the last year, the world of online video exploded. Hollywood got into the game, professional actors and writers joined in, and independent producers looked to find their niche. Now, companies are wide awake to the opportunities for product and brand promotion as well as customer engagement. So how do you want to fit into the new online video universe? The must-have guide, Get Seen by Steve Garfield, the «Paul Revere of video blogging,» offers a quick and complete toolkit to get you up to speed on the latest that online video and related media have to offer. Examines success stories of how companies have used online video Presents a series of plans and tools that businesses can follow as they expand onto the social web Provides clear step by step directions on how to record, edit, and export videos, where to post them, how to build a community around their content, and what to do to increase views by making it go viral If you're ready to take full advantage of online video's many benefits, Get Seen is the one resource you need.

In the wake of continuing corporate scandals there have been few, if any, CEOs that have stepped forward as models of «doing things right»—except the former chairman and CEO of Medtronic, Bill George. George has become the unofficial spokesperson for responsible leadership—in business, the media, and academia. In Authentic Leadership Bill George makes the case that we do need new leaders, not just new laws, to bring us out of the current corporate crisis. He persuasively demonstrates that authentic leaders of mission-driven companies will create far greater shareholder value than financially oriented companies. During George's twelve-year leadership at Medtronic, the company's market capitalization soared from $1.1 billion to $460 billion, averaging 35% per year. George candidly recounts many of the toughest challenges he encountered – from ethical dilemmas and battles with the FDA to his own development as a leader. He shows how to develop the five essential dimensions of authentic leaders—purpose, values, heart, relationships, and self-discipline. Authentic Leadership offers inspiring lessons to all who want to lead with heart and with compassion for those they serve. Bill George helps readers answer vital questions such as: What should I do when my personal values conflict with company business values? How do I make trade-offs between the needs of my customers, my employees, and my company's shareholders? Do I really want to devote my talents to business? Authentic Leadership provides a tested guide for character-based leaders and all those who have a stake in the integrity and success of our corporations.

"Fresh and useful . . . excellent practical advice . . . thorough and lucid . . . will be welcomed by many who have struggled to ask forgiveness and to forgive." -Publishers Weekly A finalist in the Books for a Better Life Awards competition! Discover the healing power of apology and put its magic to work in your life Do you have a difficult time apologizing or are you involved with someone who does? Do you tend to overapologize and appear weak in others' eyes? Do you want to reconcile with someone but feel they owe you an apology first? Do you need to apologize or make amends to someone but don't know how to go about it? In this inspiring book from internationally acclaimed therapist and self-improvement author Beverly Engel, you will learn why some people have difficulty apologizing while others tend to overapologize. You'll learn how to give a meaningful apology, how to ask for one, and how to receive one. From making amends with those you have hurt to dealing with someone who refuses to apologize to teaching children responsibility and empathy, this life-changing book shows you how to bring a healing new element of renewal into every relationship in your life. «Beverly Engel has eloquently explained the power of apology in a remarkably insightful and perceptive manner. No one has been better able to explain what an apology means and its role in reconciliation.» -Rabbi Charles A. Klein, author of How to Forgive When You Can't Forget: Healing Our Personal Relationships «Readers of this wise and lucid guide to the neglected art of authentic apology will acquire a powerful tool to help repair relationships with others and with themselves.» -Jeanne Safer, Ph.D., author of Forgiving and Not Forgiving: A New Approach to Resolving Intimate Betrayal «An engaging and in-depth book on a subject that has rarely been addressed so intelligently and thoroughly. Ms. Engel offers the reader specific suggestions that can help you improve all your relationships.» -Steven Farmer, M.F.T., author of Adult Children of Abusive Parents

A career guide to more significant business results in a shorter period of time Results Through Relationships shows professionals how to establish break-through relationships with new prospects and their existing networks, including colleagues, bosses, customers, clients, vendors, and others. Many people assume that only new contacts will help them achieve their goals, but in reality, many breakthroughs happen within existing networks. This handy career guide focuses on the bottom-line behaviors that expedite trust, improve workplace performance, and increase profit. Author Joe Takash presents a nine-step process that anyone can master, and his formula proves that we're all in the relationship business first.

Proven ways to create a more loving family Research proves that happy families are good for health, longevity, peace of mind, productivity, and success. In The Secrets of Happy Families, Scott Haltzman offers an original approach to building family contentment that works for families of all ethnicities and make-ups–two-parent, single-parent, blended, childless, or same-sex couple. He provides a «positive psychology» way of solving family problems through strategy and leadership, including knowing and accepting who you are, taking a leadership role in loving and united relationships, building a network of support in extended families and communities, and making quality time for fun, adventures, holidays, and rituals.

Smart guidelines for building flexible, innovative companies Beat the System is a follow-up to Robert MacDonald's controversial but successful first book, Cheat to Win. Packed with proven, real-life advice, Beat the System shows readers how to deal with the bureaucracy that can smother the creativity and entrepreneurship essential to long-range business success. Beat the System teaches readers how to beat the bureaucratic system by building entrepreneurial cultures in their businesses, their departments, or even their individual jobs. MacDonald skillfully describes how business cultures develop, how bureaucratic procedures and processes seep into them, and how to build an entrepreneurial culture even as we live in a bureaucratic world. At the heart of his system are practical steps that create a sense of ownership among employees, invites their participation, creates a common mission, fosters an entrepreneurial atmosphere, and shares the rewards with all. Robert W. MacDonald (Wayzata, MN) is a true visionary in the financial services industry who rose from a door-to-door insurance salesman to the CEO of Allianz Life of North America. He was also the founder, CEO, and chairman of LifeUSA.

Praise for Beyond Dealmaking «Every potential rainmaker and savvy competitor needs Melanie Billings-Yun's GRASP method for negotiation. You'll never have to search for leads again. I highly recommend this book.» —Jeffrey J. Fox, author, How to Be a Rainmaker, Rain, and How to Be a Fierce Competitor «Stepping back from the details of the deal, Beyond Dealmaking focuses on the bigger picture—engaging people to work together in an authentic way to resolve issues. Dr. Billings-Yun's accessible approach offers negotiators more than merely how to 'get to yes' but, more importantly, how to stay there.» —Carol Frohlinger, coauthor, Her Place at the Table: A Woman's Guide to Negotiating Five Key Challenges to Leadership Success, and co-founder of Negotiating Women, Inc. «The concepts advocated in Beyond Dealmaking are spot on, particularly for global negotiations and joint ventures such as ones I routinely dealt with in mergers and acquisitions. Attention to productive relationships is one element that consistently crosses cultures and geographies. Dr. Billings-Yun captures the essence of a complicated topic concisely, with concrete examples that bring it to life and a conversational tone that makes it a leisurely read.» —Jacqui Winship, director, Corporate Strategy and Business Development, Whirlpool Corporation «Melanie Billings-Yun has produced an innovative, refreshing approach to negotiation based on her years of practical experience around the world. She treats negotiation as an on-going process that forms the core of a successful relationship, not as merely a free-standing transaction. Beyond Dealmaking takes us beyond 'yes' to build the sort of trust that ensures success.» —Stephen Bosworth, dean, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University «Finally, a clear-eyed how-to book that understands that negotiation is not just about terms, but about people. Beyond Dealmaking shows us how to make lasting agreements based on understanding, fairness, and respect. Filled with fascinating stories of negotiations of every type, this is a book that everyone can learn from to improve their work and their lives—and maybe even ease the burden on our overloaded courts.» —Betty Roberts, arbitrator, mediator, and former Oregon Supreme Court Justice «I am delighted to see a considered and sustainable approach to negotiation that understands that actions, words, and fairness have an impact that continues far beyond the signing of a deal.» —Edward C. Prescott, Ph.D., professor, and winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics