BOOK REVIEW
In this crime mystery book its not only a deceased body but its also murder to put together a presentation to clients within budget. To give any client the right approach to sell their products you would need more than gimmicks and nor just trying to win awards from the industry judges.
In the advertising business you need to have working in the creative department someone who is good with words. Nickie D'Agostino had such a way as she stood in the doorframe, jet black hair, blue eyes that looked deep into a man, pupils dark and wide. Her nose wrinkled like a pussycat. Her translucent white texture of her skin, the shape of her firm cleavage poking against a red silk blouse. The curve of her thigh figured in as well but also the creases her legs made in her skirt. Brian liked the fact that she was totally brazen, as he inhaled the musky scent of her perfume, he said of her as being "...shameless, barefaced, brassy, impudent and tawdry...precisely how I like my women..." She came closer "And oversexed...you like 'em oversexed".
She kissed away a stray drop of wine. "So, do you really like it? Advertising?" Brian replied "I suppose there are one or two other things I might be happy doing. Publishing, broadcasting, film making. But there's something exciting about using your wits to sell a product to alot of people at once--and sex is about the only thing I know that even comes close to the thrill of winning a new business competition".
"Really? Just any old sex?" Nickie asked. Brian felt his eyebrows lift "There's only three kinds, as far as I know--good, better, best. You know any others?" She gave Brian a twisted little smile. "Where'd I seen one like it before?" he asked himself. He replied instead "You have such a way with words. Perhaps later this evening we can explore the deeper meaning of them. Meanwhile....." He held up Exhibit B.
Death in Advertising
written by Stephen Hawley Martin
Published by: The Oaklea Press
Many of Emma's dreams and hopes were centred in Paula, who wasn't beautiful in the accepted sense, she was vital, she gave the impression of beauty, Paula's vividness of colouring contributed to this effect. Her glossy hair was an ink-black coif around her head, her face with its prominent cheek-bones and wide brow, her eyes were her most spectacular feature, large and intelligent.
Even when Paula was a little girl she had gravitated to the family business. Her biggest thrill had been to go with Emma into the office and sit with her as she worked. While Paula was still in her teens she had shown such an uncanny understanding of complex machinations that Emma had been truly amazed. She had Emma's talent for reading a balance sheet with rapidity and detecting, almost at a glance its strengths and weaknesses, and like her grandmother, Paula's business acumen was formidable.
Emma slipped on her horn-rimmed glassess and took up the large blue folder that pertained to Sitex. As she quickly ran through the papers there was a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes. She had won. At last after three years of the most despicable and manipulative fighting she had ever witnessed, Harry Marriott had been removed as president of Sitex. Emma had recognised Harry Marriott shortcomings years ago. She know that if he was not entirely venal he was undoubtedly exigent, specious and dissimulation had become second nature to him. Over the years, success and the accumulation of great wealth had only served to reinform these traits, so that now it was impossible to deal with him on any level of reason. As far as Emma was concerned, his judgement was crippled, he had lost the little foresight he had once had, and he certainly had no comprehension of the rapidly shifting inner worlds of international business.
As Emma made notations on the documents for future reference, she hoped there would be no more vicious confrontations at Sitex. Yesterday she had been mesmerised by the foolhardiness of his actions, had watched in horrified fascination as he had so skilfully manoeuvred himself into a corner from which Emma knew there was no conceivable retreat. He had appealed to her friendship, floundering, helpless, lost; a babbling idiot in the face of his adversaries, of whom she was the most formidable. Emma had answered his pleas with total silence, an inexorable look in her pitiless eyes. And she had won.
"To be on my team, you've got to be the best.And to be the best, you've got to have character." ~ Emma Harte
A Woman of Substance
Written by: Barbara Taylor Bradford
Published by: HarperCollins Publishers, London
As the author says, "we receive our professional training in substantive areas such as engineering, journalism or medicine. But immersion in a professional discipline prepares one poorly in the skills required to work effectively with others." In speech there are four definitions of conversations: Dialogue, Debate, Discussion and Deliberation they are interchangeable.
When it comes to talking the employer's views of the communication process is that "...You are our loyal and dedicated employees, our company's most valuable asset. We are willing to go to great lengths to inform you of the company's policies and to answer any questions you may have, but we don't expect you to contribute to our thinking...". This view is a typical top-down talk which dominates and places a wedge between leaders and the employees. Indeed in the case of Ten Potholes of the Mind in Chapter 8, it's also worth watching those who practice with such dedication the art of:
SHOWBOATINGThis concept is all too common even among the highest levels of leaders. As "...people, men in particular, can't resist the chance to show off how much they know, how smart they are, how tough-minded they can be, and how active they are as players in the game. One knows in advance that however thoroughly someone may have presented his or her point of view, some participants are going to start their comments with the words "You overlooked...." or "You failed to mention..."
An apt suggestion in the book says "...If someone knows in advance that certain participants have a tendency to showboat, it is advisable to add extra time for the dialogue. In most instances, the urge subsides once the showboaters have had a chance to express themselves. Having displayed their feathers in their full glory, they can then settle back and relax. There are of course some corrigible showboaters who are so narcissistic that they must be "on" at all times. These types of people are not cut out for dialogue, and the only solution may be to wait patiently until they play themselves out."
Remember: people learn the values of various people as opposed to the same people to listen to each other.
Is he still talking?....ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz
The Magic of Dialogue
Written by: Daniel Yankelovitch
Published by: Nicholas Brealey Publishing, London
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