Keys to Connecting 4

Have you ever wanted to be better at making friends? Or just meeting people? We are surrounded by people and yet, it can seem almost impossible to make a connection with someone.

In his book How to Win Friends & Influence People, Dale Carnegie says the one of the best ways to connect with others is to become genuinely interested in other people. Think about this, how many conversations have you had with someone and all he wanted to talk about was himself? Is that interesting? How willing are you to get into another conversation with that person?

Alfred Adler, a famous psychologist, wrote in one of his books It is the individual who is not interested in his fellow men who has the greatest difficulties in life and provides the greatest injury to others. It is from among such individuals that all human failures spring.

If you want to become the type of person that other people want to be around, you need to start showing an interest in them. Mr. Carnegie goes on to say in his book, A show of interest, as with every other principle in human relations, must be sincere. It must pay off not only for the person showing the interest, but for the person receiving the attention. It is a two-way street – both parties benefit.

Simply put, if you want to make more friends, your focus should be on others and not yourself. How can you do this? Ask questions. Remember important dates for the person. If they have kids, remember their names. Ask about their kids. Get to know them – their likes and dislikes. It really doesn’t take a lot of effort, but the reward in the end can be huge.

How have you been able to put others first?