Dale Carnegie – How to win friends and influence people
Book Summary – How to win friend and influence people
“How to win friends and influence people” is a very popular self-help book and one of the best for sales people.
Written in 1936, this book has sold over 15 million copies and is considered a masterpiece in the field of human interactions.
The author
Dale Carnegie was a great salesman turned author, who went on to teach public speaking.
Here are the 11 key takeaways from the book:
1- Criticism, condemnation and complaint are not helpful ways of dealing with any problem.
If there’s a customer who’s choosing to use a competitor, an important strategy is to understand the reasons why the prospect has chosen this option. Criticizing others can’t serve as a platform for positive growth.
2- Give honest and sincere appreciation.
The only way we can get everyone to do something is to give them what they want. What do most people want? Along with food, sleep, health, and money, they want to feel important.
3- Wakeup to the other person’s wishes.
Give people what they want, not what you want. Sell value, not function, try to understand customers’ real problems and make them want your solution.
4- Be genuinely interested in others.
If someone is interested in your product but it is irrelevant, you can point them to the right solution, even if it is not your business. People will appreciate the effort and remember you when they see the need for your product in the future.
5 – Smile a lot.
A person’s facial expression can tell the difference between a smile and a smile. Plus, according to several studies, 84% of phone messages are determined by your voice. Therefore, remember to cheer up before starting an important conversation, as this will increase your chances of success.
6- Listen carefully and encourage others to talk about themselves.
Listening is top priority. The best salespeople speak an average of 40% of the time in meetings in the hope that they will discover the pain from the other party and they find a suitable solution for it.
7- The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
It’s often hard to convince people that your product is better than its competitors. 9 out of 10 times, arguing with them will make them more deeply entrenched in their opinion. Instead, try finding their point at which they realize themselves that your product is actually better.
8- If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
If your feature A is worse than your competitors, simply admit it up front. You don’t need to waste time trying to justify its shortcomings. Instead, emphasize all the other features that make your product or service worth buying.
9. Use a solid “yes” strategy to help the other person agree.
When a person starts saying no, it is very hard to turn that around. When negotiating a contract make sure you do everything you have agreed in the first instance to get the person to say “yes” as soon as possible.
10- Ask questions instead of giving direct instructions.
While it may be embarrassing to tell you again how good your product is, it’s even more powerful if you ask them questions that make them come to the same conclusion.
11- Make the other person happy to do what you suggest.
It is a perfect setting to apply this principle in getting referrals from regular customers. Always provide incentives that make people feel happy to do what you want them to do.
TLTR; See video of the book summary
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Book Summary – How to win friend and influence people
“How to win friends and influence people” is a very popular self-help book and one of the best for sales people.
Written in 1936, this book has sold over 15 million copies and is considered a masterpiece in the field of human interactions.
The author
Dale Carnegie was a great salesman turned author, who went on to teach public speaking.
Here are the 11 key takeaways from the book:
1- Criticism, condemnation and complaint are not helpful ways of dealing with any problem.
If there’s a customer who’s choosing to use a competitor, an important strategy is to understand the reasons why the prospect has chosen this option. Criticizing others can’t serve as a platform for positive growth.
2- Give honest and sincere appreciation.
The only way we can get everyone to do something is to give them what they want. What do most people want? Along with food, sleep, health, and money, they want to feel important.
3- Wakeup to the other person’s wishes.
Give people what they want, not what you want. Sell value, not function, try to understand customers’ real problems and make them want your solution.
4- Be genuinely interested in others.
If someone is interested in your product but it is irrelevant, you can point them to the right solution, even if it is not your business. People will appreciate the effort and remember you when they see the need for your product in the future.
5 – Smile a lot.
A person’s facial expression can tell the difference between a smile and a smile. Plus, according to several studies, 84% of phone messages are determined by your voice. Therefore, remember to cheer up before starting an important conversation, as this will increase your chances of success.
6- Listen carefully and encourage others to talk about themselves.
Listening is top priority. The best salespeople speak an average of 40% of the time in meetings in the hope that they will discover the pain from the other party and they find a suitable solution for it.
7- The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
It’s often hard to convince people that your product is better than its competitors. 9 out of 10 times, arguing with them will make them more deeply entrenched in their opinion. Instead, try finding their point at which they realize themselves that your product is actually better.
8- If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
If your feature A is worse than your competitors, simply admit it up front. You don’t need to waste time trying to justify its shortcomings. Instead, emphasize all the other features that make your product or service worth buying.
9. Use a solid “yes” strategy to help the other person agree.
When a person starts saying no, it is very hard to turn that around. When negotiating a contract make sure you do everything you have agreed in the first instance to get the person to say “yes” as soon as possible.
10- Ask questions instead of giving direct instructions.
While it may be embarrassing to tell you again how good your product is, it’s even more powerful if you ask them questions that make them come to the same conclusion.
11- Make the other person happy to do what you suggest.
It is a perfect setting to apply this principle in getting referrals from regular customers. Always provide incentives that make people feel happy to do what you want them to do.