Charming Your Way to the Top

by Michael Levine, Lloyd James

s/t: Hollywood's Premier P.R. Executive Shows You How to Get Ahead
"One of Hollywood's brightest and most respected executives." -USA Today

In praise of Lessons at the Halfway Point: "It has been said that the unexamined life is not worth living. Michael Levine examines his with great wisdom and wit." -Dr. Jonas Salk
Charm is good business. It can increase your income, improve your status, and establish and maintain your reputation. It can mean the difference, in many cases, between success and bankruptcy. Most businesspeople don't automatically understand the concept of charm. It ought to be a reflex to "turn on the charm" when dealing with customers, clients, associates, and employees. The value of charm has been made clear through opinion polls, scientific studies, and just plain old real life. It's true in politics. It's rare to hear Bill Clinton mentioned, for instance, without a comment following on his charm. And it's certainly true in entertainment, a whole business based on the money-making potential of charm.

This is true for the small businessperson as well. Charm draws customers, whether to a garage, a dry cleaner's, or an investment bank. Charm gets noticed. When a customer contacts a firm for the first time, charm can seal the deal. But charm is only partly innate. Much of it is learned-from your parents, from your friends, and from people like the author, who have made a lifelong point of paying attention to charm. And you can learn how to make it work for you. How to succeed in business with really trying? CHARMING YOUR WAY TO THE TOP.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

201 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2004

Reviews

[Cate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing. This book spends far too much time trying to sell the benefits of being charming, without offering nearly enough advice on how to be/become charming (beyond sending 'thank you' notes and birthday cards).

[Alejandro Luciano · Rating 5 out of 5]

So simple, and yet so effective... "Charm"

[Yurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps it was the fact that I saw the 2.6 star review when I started reading the book, it beat my expectations. I thought I was going to hear some psychopathic dark psychology tactics. If anything, this is a self-help book about becoming a better person. I found it helpful. I grew up in a violent home and my response to trauma was flight and if I couldn't run away, fawn. I have my ways of manipulating and pleasing people to make myself feel safe. This book gave me a fresh perspective, it's about making the other person feel special. Not to feed their ego and narcissism but to become a person who practices courtesy, goes the extra mile to make the other people feel cared for. I thought the book was quite charming.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a terrible little book, although it's terribly dated. Some references NEED updating (lauding the charm of Bill Cosby?).

As for reviews complaining there is no how-to "list" to follow: firstly, yes, there is. Not sure how you missed it. Secondly, you still have to read the actual book to learn anything from it.

[Erwin]

Need to write a list of the specific tips mentioned.

[Kevin Lang · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little sleazy and disingenuous. But if you are ever in sales, this would be a place to start.