Professional Drinking

Have you ever been reduced to a quivering mass of jelly when handed a wine list? Wondered why a sommelier was hovering near your table? Felt out of your element at a nice restaurant with clients, colleagues, or friends?

Professional Drinking will boost your confidence and squash the fear of embarrassment. Sommelier and executive coach Jim Schleckser teaches you to handle yourself like a pro in a restaurant or bar, at a business event, or in any social situation.

With loads of advice for quick success, funny stories, and easily remembered tips, Schleckser reminds us that wine and spirits are made to be enjoyed. We take wine more seriously than we should, though, so it feels like a test. To overcome the anxiety, we just need a little knowledge and one basic rule: There is no such thing as bad wine, just wines we like and wines we don't.

Beyond the basics, Jim offers confidence-building advice on:

• Remembering which glass on a table is yours
• The 10 cocktails you should taste and learn to make
• How to avoid getting drunk or getting a hangover
• And more!

So grab a glass of wine, get ready for some laughs, crack this book open, and drink up.

JIM SCHLECKSER IS A CERTIFIED Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers, has an Advanced certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, and is a businessperson with 30 years of professional drinking experience. As the CEO of the Inc. CEO Project, a firm that offers coaching and advising to CEOs of fast-growth companies, he has entertained business associates around the world. He is committed to helping professionals navigate wine, while keeping it fun. He has a popular blog that speaks to the same topics as this book at ProfessionalDrinking.com, where you can learn more about hiring him as a speaker. He is an avid soccer player, reader, and outdoorsman.
Best-selling author and multiple award-winner Phil M. Jones is highly regarded as one of the world's leading sales trainers. He has trained more than two million people across five continents and fifty-six countries and coached some of the biggest global brands in the lost art of spoken communication. In 2013 he won the British Excellence in Sales and Marketing Award for Sales Trainer of the Year, the youngest-ever recipient of that honor. He has also written a series of best-selling books and developed a number of online training courses that have enrolled tens of thousands of members around the world. Phil divides his time between London and New York.

"This book is essential reading for all, whether you think you entertain for business or not." -from the Foreword by Phil M Jones, bestselling author of Exactly What to Say

"I love this book. While I know my way around a wine bottle, entertaining with wine is a whole different carafe. This is my go-to source for wining and dining clients!" -Scott Greenberg, The Vine Guy

"Early in my career, I lost a big contract because I didn't know how to handle myself at a fine restaurant. I wished that knowledge was easily available and it is now, in Professional Drinking!" -Jim Wicker, CEO, JW Logistics

"Earning trust often starts at a meal ... Professional Drinking is a must read for building valuable business relationships." -Ian Altman, bestselling author, Same Side Selling

"I wish all my customers would read this book so they would feel more at ease ... in our restaurants." -Elli Benchimol, Advanced Sommelier, Joe's Stone Crab, DC