Dale Carnegie was a renowned American writer, lecturer, and business consultant whose teachings and books have helped millions of people around the world. His most famous book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, has become a classic in personal development literature. But did you know Dale Carnegie also had a lot to say about sales? In this blog post, we’ll explore the key principles Dale Carnegie wrote about in his book and how they can be applied to modern sales techniques. So, if you’re looking to boost your sales game, read on for some Dale Carnegie-approved tips!
How to Win Friends and Influence People
When it comes to sales and human interaction, there aren’t many names as well-known as Dale Carnegie. The writer and lecturer gave thousands of talks around the world until he passed away in 1986. Among his most famous works are How to Win Friends and Influence People and How to Make People Like You in Half a Day. Both are still widely read today, almost 80 years after they were first published.
Even though the books were written decades ago, the core principles remain relevant today. Furthermore, the books themselves have aged pretty well. You can pick them up without feeling like you’ve walked into a time warp! Why? Because most of the content revolves around discussing topics that are interesting to people—for example, how to become more persuasive or how to increase your social influence.
Because Letstar focuses on improving sales productivity through telephone calls, we think Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People offers a treasure trove of practical tips for salespeople. We’d like to highlight a few of our favorite Dale Carnegie sales tips below.
How to Win Friends and Influence People sales tips:
1. Know that the key to sales is asking questions
Asking questions is one of the most powerful ways to get people to like you and help you achieve your goals. In his book, Dale Carnegie says, “If you want to win people to your way of thinking, never tell them what your way of thinking is!” Instead, he recommends asking questions and allowing people to talk about themselves.
This idea is still applicable today, despite the explosion of information we have at our fingertips. People are still interested in talking about themselves, and the deeper you get in conversation the more likely they are to help you achieve your goals!
2. Try giving people appreciation and praise
In addition to asking great questions, another strategy for How to Win Friends and Influence People is to give people appreciation and praise. For example, “You handled that situation really well. That must have been really tough, and you came through with flying colors.” These kinds of little accolades will make people feel good and willing to work with you.
The key is to show that you care about them—not about the outcome.
When combined with asking great questions, these two tactics will make you incredibly successful in sales and in life!
3. Don’t criticize or condemn
One of the most important tips in How to Win Friends and Influence People is “never criticize or condemn but only praise.” The world is full of negative critics; people want to be around those who are positive and encouraging.
It’s also worth mentioning that criticizing and condemning can backfire in a big way if the person has truth on their side! You’re better off taking the high road and never attacking someone, even if you feel you have the right angle or argument.
In such a case, your attack will merely strengthen the person’s belief in his or her position, and you’ll end up losing the battle.
4. Remember that people don’t remember what you say but how you make them feel
One of the most famous Dale Carnegie quotes is “You can make someone happy just by being friendly. Remember that people don’t remember what you say or do, but they will always remember how you make them feel.”
This is so true! I can say all kinds of things to you, but really you will only remember how I made you feel. That is why it is so important to be positive, encouraging, and affirming.
5. Give advice only when asked
One of the most common mistakes people make is giving advice. So many people like to be “advice-givers.” Well, here’s a fact: people don’t ask for advice just so they can get advice. They ask for advice in order to confirm their own ideas, to gain further insight, or to thank you—not for you to give them an opinion on the matter.
Instead of giving advice, show interest in the other person’s plans and projects. Ask questions and show curiosity. The answers they give you will give you a much clearer idea about what they ought to do than any advice you could give.
6. Be interested in the other person’s interests
The key to being liked is to be interested in the interests of others.
The way to show interest is to ask questions; the best way to ask questions is to ask ones that begin with “why.”
Why do you do that?
Why do you think so?
Why would someone do such a thing?
Why is this important to you?
Why would she do that?
The more interested you appear to be in the other person, the more interested they will in turn become in you.
7. Don’t criticize or judge
One of the ways to ruin relationships and kill love is to start criticizing and judging others.
Don’t criticize, condemn, or judge anything until you have walked a mile in their shoes. Then, when you can understand, accept, and forgive. The most important thing is to accept people as they are and not waste time trying to change them into what you want them to be.
8. Don’t argue
It is absolutely useless to argue with anyone about anything. You will never convince anyone of their mistakes; you can only convince them about your own superiority, and that doesn’t win friends and it won’t get you any further along in life.
Instead of arguing, use the “persuasion secret” and try to give the person you are feeling that you admire and approve of them and that you’re on their side.
9. Be cautious about giving away too much of your own information
Many people, in their desire to show themselves off and make themselves well-liked, often give away too much information about themselves which, in the hands of skillful interrogators, can become a means of sabotaging their reputations.
You can provide others with useful information without giving away too much about yourself by using what is known as “barrier words” – words that act as barriers between you and others and keep them from knowing too much about you.
In Conclusion
Self-improvement can be an invaluable tool for achieving success in life. Reading self-help books can provide you with the guidance and motivation you need to take charge of your life, set worthwhile tasks and objectives, and pursue them. For men, it is important to be mindful of how much personal information you give away in order to protect yourself from those who might take advantage of your vulnerability; for women, it is imperative to make sure that the self-improvement books you read are empowering, encouraging, and inspiring. With this advice in mind, we hope that you have the knowledge and motivation necessary to embark on your journey of self-improvement.