All you ever needed to know about human relations has been residing within your head all along.  At least that’s the way it feels after you’ve been told.  Today’s speaker was Robert Ranieri, Regional Training Manager for Dale Carnegie Training.  Dale Carnegie was the author of How to Win Friends and Influence People.  Carnegie founded one of the world’s most famous business training institutions.  Within the pages of his book are concepts that are common sense, and yet we constantly need to be reminded.

The discussion this morning was  entitled "Winning Formula to Attract Customers for LIfe".  The usual LIMBA format is that the speaker has the floor, followed by audience participation during a "Question & Answer" period.  Today, the speaker had a running conversation with the audience.  Each time he wanted to make a point, he posed a question to the audience.

Among the items that were discussed was how we bring people to a decision.  The way you say something can make an enormous difference in the outcome.  In this morning’s session, each person was given a list of phrases and alternative phrases.  On the one side you may see What you need to do…..as opposed to Might I suggest….  The second couching of the direction has a softer tone to it.  It also builds trust in the judgement of the person being guided.  This is very useful information to anyone pursuing a sales track  It is also useful in any argument, from a political discussion to getting compliance from your children to getting your wife/husband to agree to a movie you want to see.  Ranieri suggested that we are all in sales in that sense.  If you get good at this, yo may even get to see the movie you prefer.

At the end of the meeting, Bob raffled off several copies of Carnegie’s famous book.

Ernie Fazio