My last blog considered the subject of being “nice” in business…
In that same blog I quoted (just about anyway) the famous Dale Carnegie, whose book titled (to the bemusement of the mistaken many) “How to make friends and influence people” is a profound business read for the open minded among us. It was whilst referencing him that I thought I would write a little more on the subject of being “nice” and how that might bring more sales and at the same time a little more contentment with what we already have.
You see Mr Carnegie was born 1888 and died in 1955 so his books are not modern and sometimes not an easy read, although I guess he hadn’t intended for them to be easy to read; more business education or training.
And educate they do. Many of his quotes from almost the early 1900’s could not ring a truer note today. One I love for example is his observation that birds and horses are happy because birds and horses don’t try and impress one another. After all, is there not a huge amount to think about today in those few words. How many people work hard and get stressed because their neighbour has a new car or more stylish cloths?
Of course a competitive nature can help. But in life a balance between work and family is proven to bring greater contentment and happiness and isn’t contentment and happiness most everyone’s true goal? Dale Carnegie was an American lecturer and developed business training courses on sales and public speaking amongst other things, but interestingly his most successful book was “How to win friends and influence people”. It was a best seller straight away when it was first published in 1936 and by the time he died it had sold 5 million copies and was published in 31 languages.
Impressive stuff you might think, but more importantly, its success continues today and from a business point still has some great value to many people or it wouldn’t continue to sell. I encourage you to read it.
Carnegie’s whole premise was that adopting a charming disposition would achieve more than an arrogant one. The old adage “you catch more flies with honey than you do with a fly swat” comes to mind.
Until next time
