Many business and advice gurus typically offer a multifaceted approach to 'unlock' some secret as the key to getting ahead in your profession.
It seems quaint to hear a rather formulaic theory about how to succeed in any interview, sale, pitch, etc. It is for this reason this writer typically never reviews business books. But this one is, quite simply, exceptional.
Marc Morgenstern's "The Soul of the Deal" provides not only a riveting account of his past starting out as a door-to-door encyclopedia salesman, but the lessons he learned that became a synthesized philosophy that is by definition unique.
The reason behind Morgenstern's title, the author told Newsmax, is "because you are working, you are wearing out the soles of your shoes. It's also called that because deals are done between human beings and for human beings. If you try and understand a human being, you're really trying to understand their soul, not just their exterior.
People don't listen long enough to understand what they are actually saying.
Morgenstern elaborates, "If one tries and just guesses to have a preprogrammed mode of 'this is what I'm trying to sell' he or she are not going to make a ton of sales. People are taught to listen in a certain way. If one learns to listen, like a musician, then he can learn how to adjust things like in a jam band where the bass player listens to how a guitarist changes the way that they play. When everyone really listens then they can create some great music, but if you listen to the way that lawyers and businessmen are typically taught then you won't make great music."
Morgenstern also likened the difference in mindset to how a musician can not only adapt but can get the most out of the environment in which they are playing.
"It's about looking at how they put on concerts, " he told Newsmax. "If you're a musician, you need to be able to respond to the venue. Some things just work better with 10,000 people as opposed to 20,000 people or indoors versus outdoors. Deal jammers as opposed to good deal makers, who know all of the convention tactics, are going to be far more successful."
Morgenstern's book is a truly radical and nuanced approach compared to the contemporary philosophy that plagues the world of business.
Many books are highly formulaic in how they claim to offer the reader a secret recipe to win any negotiation or get any job, etc. However, those books fail to take into account the vast nuances and idiosyncrasies that are involved in human behavior.
That is why Morgenstern's book is far more original and interesting in its approach. He offers a great and self-examining perspective on how to not only succeed in business but also how to be successful in one's social life.
For those who study the intricacies of human relationships and business negotiations, "Soul of the Deal" is a must-read.
Michael Cozzi is a Ph.D candidate at Catholic University in Washington, D.C.
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