Magic Words: The Science and Secrets Behind Seven Words That Motivate, Engage, and Influence Kindle Edition

When speaking about leadership I always state “people are not logical, but they are predictable.” Therefore we must study human behavior and use this predictability to get things done. Even though we are predictable it does not mean we are not complex. Therefore this predictability is worthy of lifelong study, to which I jokingly refer as sharpening my Jedi Knight skills.As part of this lifelong study I read Magic Words. In the book the Tim David cites the seven magic words as "Yes - But - Because - Their Name - If - Help - Thanks" and provides a chapter on each.Below are my top ten highlights from Magic Words:.1. Only 7 percent of what we communicate to others has anything to do with the words that we say; the rest is transmitted through our vocal tone and body language (38 percent and 55 percent respectively)..2. However, in order to be an effective communicator, you must embrace this fact: whether you intend to or not, you are manipulating the thoughts, feelings, and actions of others..3. It appeared that priming the subjects with a question instead of a statement significantly improved their performance on a subsequent task..4. During every argument, negotiation, sales pitch, performance review, or platform presentation, you should strive to find a “yes” early on..5. ... Rye Gutierrez put “absolutely” at the top of his list of “The Top 25 Power Words.” He writes: “‘ Absolutely’ is one of the best words in the English language. It answers questions definitely . It ends doubt. It gives confidence to you as a problem-solver. It removes worry, doubt, and apprehension.” In short, it’s a “yes” on steroids..6. There are two halves to the But Effect: the But Eraser and the But Enhancer… For the listener, everything said before the word “but” is erased, and everything after the word “but” is enhanced..7. The formula is simple: something positive—something negative— something positive. Intellectually, they’ll get the “no” message, but it won’t hurt them as much emotionally..8. People make their decisions based on emotion first, and then they back them up with logic. Logic helps, but ultimately it’s feelings that move people to action..9. Notice— and this is important— the brain only wants to feel like it understands the cause. It doesn’t actually have to understand the cause..10. Philosopher David Hume once wrote: “Of all the crimes that human creatures are capable of committing, the most horrid and unnatural is ingratitude.” … Ingratitude is such a repulsive and unlikable trait that no one wants to be around an ungrateful person, let alone work for one.Dr. James T. Brown, PMP PE CSPAuthor - The Handbook of Program Management

I attempt to read business/communications books at least a few times a year, but I, more often than not, do not finish them. Magic Words was an exception to this rule. It only took me a few sittings over the course of a week to get through it, and I'm already planning to go back and review some of the sections while they are fresh in my mind.A few key items that drew me in:1) It's short and sweet. At only 132 pages, it was just long enough to give some very useful and interesting advice, while still keeping my (sometimes short-lived) attention. David's suggestions are all immediately actionable, and some include timelines to help ease you into bigger habit changes.2) It's funny. I personally appreciated the occasional jokes and the stories about his children. They were relevant and helped make the read more enjoyable.3) He includes summaries at the end of each chapter. As I neared the end of chapter one, I (not kidding you!) thought to myself "yikes, how am I ever going to remember everything here?" And I was extremely thankful a few pages later when I saw the first chapter summary. Those will be key for referring back to later.If you are looking for a quick read packed with some very useful communication advice, I'd definitely recommend checking this one out.

I bought this book because I heard Tim David interviewed by Chris Brogan and thought that he might have some valuable insight into improving my interpersonal communication skill set.The book sat on my shelf for several months before I cracked it open. It's a nice enough looking book, in fact, it is really well made and attractive. I just had so many other reading commitments that I kept putting it off until last week when I finally took off the dust jacket and read the introduction. I was not particularly impressed, however, I decided to read on because I remembered my initial observation and I believed that Tim would be able to deliver on the implied promise of the title.Mr. David's book is actually truly excellent and by the middle of chapter one, I was hooked, highlighting key phrases, writing notes in the margins and looking up the web references he has scattered throughout the volume. I even learned a new word (for me) "mage" and was able to immediately apply a key concept from the "because" chapter in my business. A concept that will certianly attract more new (and better) clients for years to come.Thank you, Tim David, for your efforts along with the brilliant team that helped to assemble this remarkably useful and well-crafted tool. I highly recommend reading and applying the wisdom of "Magic Words".

I just finished Magic Words and the first word that comes to my mind is "WOW!" Condensed in this tiny volume is a great deal of knowledge also referencing other works that I'm definitely going to check out! From the author's explanation of motivating others being the equivalent of making a horse thirsty (i.e., you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink) to various studies, I was bowled over by this book and I'm not stranger to persuasion. Mister David is an expert in his field and I highly recommend this work to anyone who needs to hone their persuasion skills (Everyone). Do your self a favor and make the investment!

I love reading a book when I really learn something. There are lots of books that bring together some great points but it feels like it is just refreshing your memory. That is not a bad thing. But even better when you have those 'I'd never have thought of that' moments. For me, this book was one of those.Tim David sums things up very nicely at the beginning of the book. He says "Human connection is the soil where "getting people to do stuff" grows. Get this piece right and you can mess up in a lot of other areas and still get results. Get this piece wrong and the game is over before you've even begun'. The book then goes on to look at seven simple words. He shows that if you use them in the right way - even down to their placement in a sentence - you can really enhance this connection you have with others. I was surprised how powerful such a simple thing could be. Obviously these insights will be useful in the workplace but I am already seeing interesting results when trying them out with my kids. Anything that works in that department is worth the price of a book!Tim David is a magician by trade and his anecdotes bring his points to life. His writing style is humorous and very easy to read. A thoroughly enjoyable book

Perfect

"Magic Words: The Science and Secrets Behind Seven Words That Motivate, Engage, and Influence" by Tim David was such an interesting Saturday read recommended by my Guru Om Swami in His blog "The Secret of great communication" today. It was hard to put down and I was able to finish the book in one go (thanks to my excruciating teeth pain).Interestingly, Tim David is an ex-magician who has now turned into a keynote speaker. His book, "Magic Words" definitely makes sense in any situation. The book talks about intrinsic human connection as social beings. We have forgotten the art of communication in today's social media connected world and David's "7 magic words" pave the way to get better at your organization, parenting, or any task that you deal on a daily basis. Tim has applied certain "magic principles" on his little daughter too! I found them adorable and pragmatic. There are some elements of gratitude and kindess too, in this book :)Tim David's writing style has bouts of inspiration from authors such Daniel Pink, Seth Godin, Simon Sinek, Dan Ariely, Dale Carnegie, Viktor Frankl and so on. The book is written in an easy, concise manner and can be read by anyone and everyone! I had several 'aha moments' when I read few instances in the book. So go on, and grab your copy today (though it seems a little overpriced for a light read). I'd give 4/5 for this book :)

Do you want a book that you learn something new from?Do you want a book that's easy to read, to the point, and not inundated with useless info?Do you want to see results from something you've learned?I originally purchased the kindle version. I loved it so much that purchased a hard copy too. I read approx 4-5 books a week on personal development, neurosciences, social psychology and so forth. This book is at the top of my most treasured. Bonus- reading a book with new information as opposed to same information that many others before him have written about.Absolutely recommend.

Outstanding book, easy to read, practical uses for everyday life and in business.