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Review of “One Phone Call Away” by Jeffrey W. Meshel
By JLP | September 2, 2006
I was in the bookstore the other day (a place where I spend too much time) and noticed One Phone Call Away – Secrets of a Master Networker by Jeffrey W. Meshel. I picked the book up and thumbed through it. It looked interesting but what REALLY sold me on it was Harvey Mackay’s endorsement splashed across the cover:
Wow, and double-wow. I thought I knew how to network, but Jeffrey Meshel does it on a mega-level, and teaches some of us old dogs some pretty amazing new tricks. I am impressed, and would urge everybody, young, old, and somewhere in the middle to read this, and employ his brilliant tactics and tips. You can’t miss with ONE PHONE CALL AWAY!
-Harvey Mackay, #1 bestselling author of Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive and Fired Up
One Phone Call Away is a perfect book for someone wanting to either get started in networking or just brush up on their skills. I have to admit that I had a hard time putting the book down once I started reading it. With the exception of the two chapters on selling, I enjoyed the entire book. That’s not to say that I don’t appreciate the power of networking in sales, it’s just that the chapters didn’t really seem to fit in with the rest of the book.
I like the fact that Meshel operates from the “what-can-I-do-for-you” mentality rather than the “what’s-in-it-for-me” way of thinking that seems to be so prevalent these days. I agree with Meshel in that if a person really wants to “get ahead” they HAVE to put other’s interests first. Meshel gets a lot of satisfaction out of helping people. He talks about using his network of 5,000 contacts to help with charity events and other causes. He also talks about how he uses Goldmine to organize his contacts (he believes that the old Rolodexes belong in the attic!). Finally, at the end of the book, he talks about professional networking groups like the Young Presidents’ Organization and World President’s Organization (the organization a YPOer graduates to at age 49), which are organizations that most people aren’t qualified to join. Still, the discussion of these networking groups is interesting.
Bottom line: If you are looking for a book to help you get started in or become more proficient in networking, One Phone Call Away is a great place to start.
Now, here are some interesting links related to this post:
OnePhoneCallAway.com – the official website of the book
Paradigm V – the ultimate networking resource
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