How to Win Friends and Influence People

Main Ideas

• To win friends, you must genuinely be interested in other people.
• A smile is a simple yet powerful tool in interacting with others.
• Remember that a person's name is the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
• Be a good listener and encourage others to talk about themselves.
• Talk to people about what interests them.
• Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely.
• Begin a dialogue with praise and honest appreciation.
• Avoid arguments that lead nowhere but to hurt feelings.
• Respect your interlocutor's opinion. Never tell someone they are wrong.
• If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
• Get the other person to agree with you easily.
• Put the other person in a position to say «yes, yes» right from the start.
• Let the other person feel that the idea is theirs.
• Sincerely strive for mutual understanding.
• Respect the ideas and desires of others.
• Encourage others, highlighting their achievements.