Life's a Game So Fix the Odds: How to Be More Persuasive and Influential in Your Personal and Business Life

by Philip Hesketh

"The Government would do well to appoint someone to teach us all how persuasion and influence work. I believe it's one of the key skills for everyone who wants to get on in life or business to learn. I'd give the job without hesitation, or even an interview, to Phil Hesketh. This book is the definitive guide to being more persuasive and influential." Steve McDermott, author of the bestselling How to Be a Complete and Utter Failure in Life, Work and Everything and winner of the European Business Speaker of the Year award. Suppose there was a way to earn more money, get your own way and be more popular. There is. Life's A Game So Fix The Odds is a guide to some of the most powerful influencing and persuading techniques known to man. It shows you how to achieve what you thought was impossible. It reveals how positive communication really works. It proves that you can meet any challenge if you apply yourself in the right way. Philip Hesketh uses accessible and memorable persuasion techniques that will have you laughing along and itching to use them. The principles can be applied to a whole range of life's challenges – from getting the best table at a restaurant and surpassing sales targets, to remembering people's names and negotiating a better salary. It's all within your grasp. It's so simple if you know how. Now you do. Philip Hesketh is a psychology graduate who enjoyed a highly successful sales career at Procter & Gamble. In 1986 he was creator, Managing Partner and New Business Director of Advertising Principles, an advertising agency that has grown into a multi-million pound business. Having spent his entire working life studying and practicing persuasion and influence, Philip is now a speaker on 'The Psychology of Persuasion'. He mixes thought-provoking, well-researched, persuasive techniques with his own highly entertaining, unique brand of humour. The result? Audiences leave Philip’s events inspired and better informed on how buying, selling, persuading and influencing actually work.

262 pages, Paperback

First published August 19, 2005

About the author

Philip was born and raised in a traditional two-up, two-down end terrace house in the Lancashire mill town of Ashton-under-Lyne to the east of Manchester. He attended the local Grammar school in Ashton and exam success saw him attend Newcastle University where he graduated with a degree in Psychology. During this time he spent twelve months on a psychiatric ward; though happily as a student not a patient. It's a fine line.

He then joined soap powder giants Procter & Gamble. Within 18 months of joining he had become P&G's Salesman of the Year, as testified by the nation's underwear which by now was whiter-than-white.

After working in television and then advertising, in 1986 he became the founder, new business director and managing partner of an advertising agency, Advertising Principles in Leeds in the UK. He developed the company over the next 17 years seeing the company grow from a standing start to one with billings of over £48 million and employing 150 people.

Having spent his entire working life studying and practising persuasion and influence, Philip is now a business speaker on ‘The Psychology of Persuasion and Influence’. It is the subject that has dominated his academic and professional career to date; his knowledge and understanding of it has been at the very root of his success. He is a business speaker, raconteur and author. He offers wit and wisdom on human behaviour and how to influence it.

In 2012 he was voted 'Most Inspirational Speaker' at 'A Day of Inspiration' in Sydney. In 2010 and 2012 he was awarded the 'Consistently Outstanding Performer' award for the Chief Executives organisation, Vistage, in the UK.

In 2009 he was 'Overseas Speaker of the Year' for TEC Australia.

He is also the current holder of the award for Most Requested and Top Scoring Speaker for Vistage and is Visiting Fellow at Newcastle University in England. Philip's first book 'How to Persuade and Influence People' is an Amazon number one best seller and described by Amazon as 'The Best Persuasion and Influence Book'.

Philip's second book, 'The Seven Golden Rules For A Happy and Successful Life' is a relevant but irreverent interpretation of the historical but hysterical facts of The Wars of The Roses, the reign of Henry VIII and the reigns of his three children.

Reviews

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about how to be more persuasive in the business world.
I’m not personally in the business world but read this as I know the author. It’s an interesting read, that’s all rather enjoyable.

[Frenya · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5