How To Win Friends And Influence People By Dale Carnegie

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When Dale Carnegie first published his book, How to Win Friends & Influence People, he did not anticipate his work to become an overnight sensation. How to Win Friends & Influence People earned its “place in publishing history as one of the all-time international best-sellers” and after reading the book, it is no surprise to me that the books sales skyrocketed (Carnegie, 1981, p. xi). Almost half a century later, the book continues to sell today. I can attest that it is not only an enjoyable read, but a relevant and reliable resource for the success and happiness of one 's life and career. The purpose of How to Win Friends & Influence People, is to help its readers become compatible with others in all aspects of life, especially social …show more content…

One of which is becoming genuinely interested in other people. In today’s society, we simply bypass others and only see them as an item or a resource, especially in the business field. By taking the time to really know an individual, you make others feel important, give them a sense of self worth, and build relationships. One way to do this is remembering people’s name you come into contact with, ask about their family, talk about their interests, and be a good listener. When referring to the workplace, our textbook, Fundamentals of Selling, says in order to be a good salesperson, you must be an active listener. Being an active listener allows the salesperson to know their customer’s point of view, and attend to the needs and wants of their customer. The third part of the book consists of twelve principles to win people to your way of thinking. A principle in particular that I intend to apply more often in life and in the workplace is being sympathetic with other person’s ideas and desires. Too often I ignore or disregard others opinions or ideas, when I should encourage them and see things from their point of view. According to Carnegie, to be successful in life and in my career, I need to show more respect for others …show more content…

Carnegie argued, as humans, we are “creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity” (1981, p. 13). In our careers, or life in general, we must begin with praise and honest appreciation. Praising ones improvements can encourage them to do better, which in turn can make others happy about doing the thing you suggest, which are two principles of this section. For example, if someone in the workplace improves on their task, praising them of a job well done can encourage them to continue their efforts, and happier, more eager to finish a task if asked of them because they are in a much happier state of mind from your appraisal. People are driven from their pride and sense of importance. Giving people faith in their abilities can help shape them. Life continues to throw us curve balls, whether it be in our professional life or social life. Carnegie’s, How to Win Friends & Influence People, teaches us how to address such situations in life by bestowing valuable and relevant principles that we can apply to enhance our interactions with others. I definitely recommend reading this book because its audience will receive life-changing information that can only benefit them and their