As Ive discussed in previous JCS reviews, certain publishers can be counted on to do a certain kind of book very well. High-end, scholarly, strategy books come from publishers like The Free Press or Harvard Business School Press. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. has been around for almost 200 years and they publish consistently good quality books on subjects like small business, careers and personal finance with an occasionally spectacular book like last years best-selling Against the Gods. New Sales Speak by Terri Sjodin is a classic John Wiley title. The author was the youngest female professional speaker to ever earn the CSP, so she knows what she is talking about. I recently spoke to two people who read this book and swear to me that Sjodin is right on and that her 9 mistakes are exactly what they have experienced. These 9 mistakes are:

1. Winging it

2. Being too informative versus persuasive

3. Misusing the allotted time

4. Providing inadequate support

5. Failing to close the sale

6. Being boring, boring, boring

7. Relying too much on visual aids

8. Distracting gestures and body language

9. Wearing inappropriate clothes

Each one of these mistakes is described in depth and solutions are offered. The book has a self-evaluation test included. This book is invaluable whether you are selling to a client or making a presentation to your boss.