How to Win Friends and Influence People

Points from Dale Carnegie’s classic work

A. How to Deal with People:

1. Don’t criticize or complain.
2. Give sincere appreciation.
3. You can only get a person do something by making them WANT to do it.

B. How to Make People Like You:

1. Develop genuine interest in other people.
2. Smile.
3. Remember people’s names.
4. Listen! Encourage a person to talk about himself.
5. Look from the other person’s point of view, and talk in terms of his interests.
6. Make the other person feel important. Do it sincerely.

C. How to Persuade others:

1. Do not argue with people.
2. Show honor someone’s opinion. Never say, “You’re wrong.”
3. If you are wrong, admit it.
4. Begin friendly, not adversarial.
5. Get the other person to say “Yes.”
6. Let the other person do the talking.

D. How to be a Leader:

1. Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
2. Call attention to other people’s mistakes indirectly.
3. Talk about your own mistakes, before criticizing someone else.
4. Instead of giving orders, ask a question, such as “Do you think it might help if we consider trying such and such?”
5. Let the other person save face.
6. Praise every improvement, no matter how small.
7. Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
8. Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
9. Make the other person happy about doing what you suggest.