How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie
Week 15
Principle: Let the other person do a great deal of talking
When we meet with potential clients, we often forget they know more about their business and problems than we do. Dale Carnegie argues that in order for us to serve them well we must: let the other person do a great deal of talking.
Whether we are jumping in on a conference call, meeting up at the office, or getting together for coffee, we all need to discover our clients needs. Research beforehand is crucial, but that does not answer all our questions. That does not give us all the information we need to know. Rather it is only the first step to learning how we can serve our clients.
When we start having the conversations with our clients, we need let the other person do the talking. Below are a few tips to guide these conversations.
1. Ask questions.
2. Don’t interrupt.
3. Listen patiently.
4. Be sincere.
5. Be open-minded.
6. Encourage them to express their ideas fully.
7. Only share achievements when asked.