Exactly What to Say is one of the shortest and most directly applicable sales books available. Phil M. Jones provides specific phrases, what he calls “magic words,” for situations that come up repeatedly in sales and everyday persuasion. Each phrase gets a few pages of explanation: when to use it, why it works, and how to adapt it to different contexts.
The phrases are designed to lower resistance and guide conversations. “I’m not sure if it’s for you, but…” reduces pressure by implying the prospect might not qualify. “What do you know about…?” starts a conversation without lecturing. “How would you feel if…?” moves people from thinking to feeling, which is where decisions actually happen. “Just imagine…” activates the prospect’s own visualization of the outcome. “When would be a good time to…?” assumes the action will happen and focuses the conversation on timing rather than whether to act at all.
Jones doesn’t provide a complete sales methodology. The book is more like a toolkit of conversational moves that fit inside whatever approach you’re already using. The phrases work in sales calls, in email, in negotiations, and in everyday situations where you need to influence someone’s decision.
For founders, who are constantly persuading people (investors, potential hires, customers, partners), having a set of tested phrases ready to deploy is surprisingly useful. Most people default to whatever words come to mind in the moment, which often means clumsy or high-pressure language that triggers resistance. Jones’s phrases are designed to do the opposite: open doors rather than push through them.
The book reads in under an hour. Some readers will find it too simple or too gimmicky. Others will find one or two phrases that immediately improve their conversations. The value depends largely on whether you treat it as a permanent addition to your communication toolkit and actually practice the phrases until they become natural. Jones’s background is in live training, and the book reads like a written version of a workshop, which means it is best consumed quickly and then applied immediately.
