Straight-talking can be power- ful and is much more effective than waffle and small-talk, but you don’t achieve much if you attempt to bulldoze your way through a meeting. Is there a happy middle ground? Yes, says the author of this relatively short book, which advocates being candid yet courteous – or “talking lean”, as he calls it.

Palmer suggests ways to prepare for any meeting so that from the outset, the other party will be curious, open and receptive to your request. He puts forward ways in which you can produce something other than counter arguments.

While he acknowledges that this won’t always guarantee the response you want, he says it will give you the courage to say what you think, to ask for what you want and, if what you want is obtainable, it will give you the best chance of achieving it. This should not be confused with manipulation, which does not work in the long run, he stresses.

The book also suggests that in opening meetings, you should clearly spell out your main objective. To confirm that the other person is ready to allow you to pursue your objective, you should always invite them to react to your objective as soon as you have announced it, Palmer says.