3 Ways to Become Genuinely Interested in Other People

Our ability to take a genuine interest in other people can be critical to our career.  It can be the difference between being an effective manager or a truly engaging leader.  Taking genuine interest can power a sales professional from meeting goals to busting through quotas.  In the end, no matter who you are it will mean that you will have stronger more fulfilling relationships at work, at home, and anywhere you go!

• Smile More – The simplest piece of advice that you’ll ever get.  It’s also costs, nothing and quite possibly will yield you the greatest results.  By making a concerted effort to smile more, you will have more conversations, have deeper conversations, and be more memorable to the people you meet.
   
• Ask Questions – Asking questions shows that you are interested and is an important part of active listening.  Aside from the non-verbal queues that you are giving the other person, it is one of the real ways that you can show “genuine interest”.  A good question can signal to the other person that you are no superficial in your interaction and you really do care.
   
• Remember Names – Another simple yet effective way to take a genuine interest in others is to remember their name, perhaps their spouse or partners name and/or the name of their kids, or even their pet.  By remembering the name of someone that is important to the individual it immediately allows to you engage with that person on a more intimate level.  It shows that you took the time to remember and illustrates your genuine desire to get to know the person. 

Access all 30 Dale Carnegie principles in a convenient PDF guide, Dale Carnegie’s Secrets of Success.