"Decoding your prospects is the critical first step in getting to yes, and [this book] offers solid tools for doing exactly that."

-- Fast Company

"One of the critical challenges in managing a large number of key accounts is how to uniquely define what matters most to each one, yet have a consistent way to discuss and measure value. Miller and Williams’s research provides a thorough understanding of each account’s needs and a simple way to create and execute overall strategy."

--Tom tevenick, vice president of sales, Labatt USA

Customer research experts Robert B. Miller and Gary A. Williams surveyed almost 1,700 executives and discovered that they made important decisions in one of five ways. Now learn how to identify the five types of decision-maker...and how to best sell your proposals to each. Showing you innovative strategies to custom-tailor your concepts, get more business done, and propel your career to new heights, this book will help you effectively persuade:

·Charismatics, like Jack Welch and Oprah Winfrey, who are easily enthralled with new ideas but rely on others to go over the details

·Thinkers, like Bill Gates and Alan Greenspan, who must methodically work through each pro and con of every option by themselves

·Skeptics, like Larry Ellison and Ted Turner, who are highly suspicious of new pieces of information that don’t fit with their worldview

·Followers, like Edgar Bronfman, Jr., and Peter Coors, who make decisions based mainly on how other trusted people have reacted in the past

·Controllers, like Martha Stewart and Ross Perot, who must be in charge of every aspect of the decision-making process.

List of Illustrations

Foreword

Part 1: A New Framework for Understanding Persuasion

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: How Does Persuasion Work?

Part 2: The Five Styles of Decision Making--and How to Influence Each 

Chapter 3: The Charismatic Decision Maker

Chapter 4: Persuading the Charismatic Decision Maker

Chapter 5: The Thinker Decision Maker

Chapter 6: Persuading the Thinker Decision Maker

Chapter 7: The Skeptic Decision Maker

Chapter 8: Persuading the Skeptic Decision Maker

Chapter 9: The Follower Decision Maker

Chapter 10: Persuading the Follower Decision Maker

Chapter 11:The Controller Decision Maker

Chapter 12: Persuading the Controller Decision Maker

Part 3: The Pragmatics of Persuasion

Chapter 13: How to Read People

Chapter 14: Common Mistakes

Chapter 15: Putting Persuasion to the Test

Chapter 16: Conclusion

Appendix I: About the Research

Appendix II: The Twelve Components of Decision Making

Notes

Index

About Miller-Williams Inc