Book Synopsis

Life is about getting what you want. When you're negotiating a salary, buying a house, or talking politics with your uncle at Thanksgiving dinner, you're always after the best outcome.

Learn from an expert how to get what you want in every situation--no matter who you're talking to.

Your ability to get what you want depends upon your ability to persuade. Unfortunately, the way most people approach persuasion has the opposite effect: we double down on our own perspective and cite tons of facts to make our point--or even try to strong-arm people into giving in. None of this is persuasive. In reality, it pushes people away from us, making it hard or even impossible to get what we want.

Persuasion expert Joshua Bandoch has spent over a decade uncovering the secrets of persuasion. He's mined psychology, neuroscience, economics, public policy, and history for cutting-edge techniques that actually work--and he's used them in speeches written for senior government officials, national leaders, business executives, and dozens of his own talks to audiences around the world.

How to Get What You Want combines Bandoch's groundbreaking research with practical experience persuading at the highest levels to give you a fresh, surprisingly simple approach that will get you what you want and need when it matters by:

Adopting the persuader's mindset Learning proven techniques for making the most persuasive emotional and logical appeals Unlocking the secret formula for memorable and motivating stories Tapping into the power of tone, body language, and other subconscious signals

How to Get What You Want teaches you how to navigate any political, professional, or personal situation more effectively to get optimal results each and every day.

Review Quotes

"In How to Get What You Want, Joshua Bandoch blends neuroscience and psychology with practical tools to help anyone sharpen their skills of persuasion. It's a terrific guide to communicating with clarity and confidence and, ultimately, making an impact on the world."
--Carmine Gallo, Harvard instructor and bestselling author of Talk Like TED and the audio original Viral Voices

"Wise philosophers and brilliant investigators have taught us much about persuasion, from Aristotle to social psychology to neuroscience. And Josh Bandoch synthesizes this wisdom and delivers to us a book filled with practical advice. This book is about more than getting what you want; it's about how to lead a more effective life at work and at home. Josh grounds his observations and suggestions in serious scholarship and science in a way that is readily accessible and easily put into practice. How to Get What You Want will be enjoyed by people everywhere who would like to hone their abilities to persuade others--ethically, mindfully, and effectively."
--Peter Salovey, president emeritus and Sterling professor of psychology at Yale University

"How to Get What You Want is written with heart and humor and reminds us that true influence always starts with empathy--a powerful message for a noisy age."
--Caroline Goyder, author of Gravitas and Find Your Voice

"How to Get What You Want not only offers the reader valuable information, but also practical applications that can be immediately implemented to improve personal and organizational effectiveness. Josh provides easy-to-follow insights on how to leverage the art and science of persuasion to fully understand the human dimensions of decision-making in order to build teams, align efforts, and get things done. I highly recommend this book to leaders at all levels who are interested in unleashing the potential of what is truly our greatest asset--our people!"
--Robert D. Sharp, United States Navy vice admiral (ret.) and former director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

"Persuasion isn't about winning--it's about creating shared action. Drawing on neuroscience and psychology, using real-world examples and years of practical policy and communications leadership, Joshua Bandoch reveals a transformative approach to getting what you want while building trust, connection, and influence that lasts. How to Get What You Want turns everyday conversations into opportunities for impact."
--Joe Ross, chief strategy officer at Ideas on Stage

About the Author

Persuasion expert Joshua Bandoch has spent over a decade uncovering the secrets of persuasion. He's mined psychology, neuroscience, economics, public policy, and history for cutting-edge techniques that work. He's put them to use in hundreds of speeches written for senior government officials delivered to just about any audience. Bandoch uses and refines these persuasion techniques on a daily basis as a think tank leader, where he crafts and communicates policies on issues like poverty, social mobility, education, and the economy to politically diverse audiences, including elected officials, local and national media, and grassroots activists.