How to Win Friends…Part 2, Chapter 4
Written by Brandon Hull on September 10, 2006. Leave a Comment on this Post.
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A book doesn’t become a classic by age alone. It must stand the test of time, as they say, because it’s principles continue to apply — or become even more true and relevant.
Such it is for How to Win Friends and Influence People. In particular, I encourage Salesteamtools visitors to study Part 2, Chapter 4.
The message in this chapter is crucial in 2006: Be interesting by being interested first. A few direct quotes:
If you want to know how to make people shun you and laugh at you behind your back and even despise you, here is the recipe: Never listen to anyone for long. Talk incessantly about yourself. If you have an idea while the other person is talking, don’t wait for him or her to finish: bust right in and interrupt in the middle of a sentence.”
We all know people like this, and we all try to shortcut our relationships from time to time. In this day and age in the sales profession, you simply can’t do this regularly and expect to get away with it. Another thought from this chapter:
People who talk only of themselves think only of themselves…To be interesting, be interested. Ask questions that other persons will enjoy answering. Encourage them to talk about themselves and their accomplishments.
I’ve heard someone say that their principle for interacting with others is to “leave people better off than you found them.” I love this thought, and in the context of this chapter I would say you could expand it to, “Leave people better off than you found them; and not by your words to them, but by your interest in them.”
As you cultivate this trait — and it is a learned one — you will not only find people gravitate toward you, you’ll enjoy what you do more as you serve others with more passion and energy. You’ll simply love your work. And isn’t that a fair goal?
My biggest fault as a co-worker is to cut off their thoughts and to interject what they should be doing.
I don’t do this to customers, just to co-workers. I hope to get better at this and become a better co-worker.
What a great point, Mike. Being a professional salesperson means remembering how to treat and lead the behind-the-scenes personnel on your side of the fence as well. We’re all guilty of focusing too much on ourselves and our own worlds, and not remembering that others have things occupying their minds that may have nothing to do with our agenda.
Thanks for sharing.