Rating: 
Summary: Good bits
Review: This book is made up of info "bites", and some are more helpful than others. But since it is made up of chunks of info, you can't help but find some that will be informative. I personally prefer books by Mark McCormack, since he built his business up to $700 million. Mackay isn't at that level. I'll take advice from a champion. And Warren Buffet never invests in commodity companies (like envelopes), since they depend almost solely on price competition. Mackay admits that his envelope business depends on "razor-thin" margins. "One company's envelope isn't that different than another's," he writes. (Buffet likes to invest in brands, like See's Candies, where people aren't going to care about price so much. So, right off, if Mackay is such a smart business man, he'd have stayed away from a commodity business). And, since envelopes IS a commodity business, Mackay really has to know his customers, so as to manipulate them into buying from him. To do this, he has his subordinates find out personal, nosey info on his customers. I'd stay away from Mackay as a customer, because I wouldn't want him trying to find out if I were a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, as he does try to do. (I'm not a member of AA, incidentally!) And another question he asks his employees: "Is this customer a college graduate? If not, is he insecure about not having a college degree?" I mean, buy envelopes from Harvey Mackay, and you've got an FBI file made up on you! No thanks! (But there are other bits worth reading.)
Rating: 
Summary: Details the power of personal networking
Review: This book reiterates all the things you've always known about business but don't always implement -- writing thank you notes, trying to personalize business relationships, relating to your customers. I read this book when I was 20 and this is one of the books that showed me the power of personal networking.
Rating: 
Summary: Despite some dating, a true classic for business and life
Review: This is a great book, whether you're an MBA or just someone trying to get an advantage in everyday life. Harvey Mackay's lessons are to be treasured--he was way ahead of the curve in the mid-1980s. It may be hard to appreciate this today because some of the advice isn't fresh anymore: we all have phones in our cars and we all use answering machines to screen calls and we all take notes on the run on little portable recorders. --Well, many of us do, at any rate. Hardly revolutionary advice anymore, but that's only because we listened to Harvey in the first place.Some of the chapters contain gold that will always be valuable, however. One of my favorites involves the phrase "Dusseldorf passes." I won't spoil it for the unread, but I will say the lesson from that chapter is one everyone should take with them through life. It will save you a lot of money and regret. And the Mackay hiring process. So thorough it seems to border on the obsurd, but the more I work at various companies the more I wish all businesses were as picky about acquiring workers. Harvey shows you that even "lowly" positions such as the receptionist or secretary are among your company's most critical, for 99% of your customers will get their first impression of your company--and in some cases the *only* impression of your company--through this crucial individual. Yet many companies get some 18-year-old part-timer to answer the phones and file valuable company documents--*and they're proud of this cost-cutting maneuver!* They consider this smart management. Harvey explains why this is actually a very dumb move. He also shows you how to get "impossible" tickets to the big game and how to get a reservation at virtually any hotel, even ones that are "completely booked." And no, these are not devious ways. They're just common sense, actually. Whether you're an ambitious manager at a Fortune 500 company or an owner of a small businesses on the corner, this book has nuggets. So grab it. And then read the other books Harvey Mackay has written. While they didn't have the freshness or the impact of this first one (is that possible?) they are still well worth your time.
Rating:
Summary: Despite some dating, a true classic for business and life
Review: This is a great book, whether you're an MBA or just someone trying to get an advantage in everyday life. Harvey Mackay's lessons are to be treasured--he was way ahead of the curve in the mid-1980s. It may be hard to appreciate this today because some of the advice isn't fresh anymore: we all have phones in our cars and we all use answering machines to screen calls and we all take notes on the run on little portable recorders. --Well, many of us do, at any rate. Hardly revolutionary advice anymore, but that's only because we listened to Harvey in the first place. Some of the chapters contain gold that will always be valuable, however. One of my favorites involves the phrase "Dusseldorf passes." I won't spoil it for the unread, but I will say the lesson from that chapter is one everyone should take with them through life. It will save you a lot of money and regret. And the Mackay hiring process. So thorough it seems to border on the obsurd, but the more I work at various companies the more I wish all businesses were as picky about acquiring workers. Harvey shows you that even "lowly" positions such as the receptionist or secretary are among your company's most critical, for 99% of your customers will get their first impression of your company--and in some cases the *only* impression of your company--through this crucial individual. Yet many companies get some 18-year-old part-timer to answer the phones and file valuable company documents--*and they're proud of this cost-cutting maneuver!* They consider this smart management. Harvey explains why this is actually a very dumb move. He also shows you how to get "impossible" tickets to the big game and how to get a reservation at virtually any hotel, even ones that are "completely booked." And no, these are not devious ways. They're just common sense, actually. Whether you're an ambitious manager at a Fortune 500 company or an owner of a small businesses on the corner, this book has nuggets. So grab it. And then read the other books Harvey Mackay has written. While they didn't have the freshness or the impact of this first one (is that possible?) they are still well worth your time.
Rating:
Summary: SWIMMINGLY!
Review: This is a no nonsense approach to sales and management, by an author who is knowledgeable without being condescending. The chapters and viewpoints are short and memorable. Although this book was written in 1988, his insights are still applicable to today's environment.
Rating:
Summary: thumbs up
Review: This is an enthusiastic book filled with advice on how to succeed in business. I read this book two years ago when I was broke, and it's 2 years later, and I'm still flat on my ass. But it's fun to read.
Rating:
Summary: Grandmothers even benefit from Mackay
Review: You're dead wrong if you think this isn't a book that a grandmother could benefit from. Harvey Mackay writes a book not only about business, but about life. It teaches you to appreciate people, getting them to understand you and show you understand them. I'm now the President of the Montana Grandmothers Book Club. Granted, I'm no Bill Clinton, but I got the position by using Mr. Mackay's key improvement point to know your customers (in my case, the other members of the book club). For instance, I know Susanby is very conservative and Georgette is very liberal. So I would with them to find suitable books to read. And I SHOW MY APPRECIATION by telling people how much I like them and by sending thank you notes. If I know one of my members plays golf, I'll even send them a link to a golf web site (yes, grandmothers can play golf and yes, we also can use the Internet ... though I can't type as fast as I used to). Now before you get too worried about nepotism, I am not related to Harvey Mackay (my married name, "Mackey", comes from the same derivative so Harvey might possibly be related to my husband Michael from 10 generations ago) - so my judgment is sound. Mackay writes a great book that is easy to read and quick to benefit from.
Rating:
Summary: Grandmothers even benefit from Mackay
Review: You're dead wrong if you think this isn't a book that a grandmother could benefit from. Harvey Mackay writes a book not only about business, but about life. It teaches you to appreciate people, getting them to understand you and show you understand them. I'm now the President of the Montana Grandmothers Book Club. Granted, I'm no Bill Clinton, but I got the position by using Mr. Mackay's key improvement point to know your customers (in my case, the other members of the book club). For instance, I know Susanby is very conservative and Georgette is very liberal. So I would with them to find suitable books to read. And I SHOW MY APPRECIATION by telling people how much I like them and by sending thank you notes. If I know one of my members plays golf, I'll even send them a link to a golf web site (yes, grandmothers can play golf and yes, we also can use the Internet ... though I can't type as fast as I used to). Now before you get too worried about nepotism, I am not related to Harvey Mackay (my married name, "Mackey", comes from the same derivative so Harvey might possibly be related to my husband Michael from 10 generations ago) - so my judgment is sound. Mackay writes a great book that is easy to read and quick to benefit from.
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