No one ever listened their way out of a job.

People focus too much on what they are going to say to get what they want.
 
Try LISTENING to get what you want.  Learn to ask follow up questions, get people talking about their favorite subjects.  Get to listen and you'll really understand them.
 
Understand them and then you can't help but know the right things to say to get what you want out of life.
 
But the first step is to STFU and listen.  Some useful links on the topic follow.  So stop talking and go study. :) 
Start with this book, it'll tell you what people EXPECT TO HEAR and they like people who respond the way they EXPECT.

http://erudition.mohit.tripod.com/_Influence_People.pdf

Then work around to these.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP55nA8fQ9I
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA-RaDNVKpw
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_Y2VyJWYGs
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfNXgmXIYLA
 
http://www.mededfund.org/NJgroups/Listening_Skills.pdf
 
http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/Mind%20Tools%20Listening.pdf