Dale Carnegie’s Suggestions Related to Marketing
Dale Carnegie, through his famous book on building relationships, advises marketers to deal in an effective way with customers to win their minds. He puts forward certain simple principles that marketers often fail to use in their day to day interpersonal relationships with customers and fellow team members. The fundamental technique of handling customers, according to Carnegie, is avoiding criticism. Since the resentment caused by criticism disheartens others, a marketer should desist criticizing a customer or a competitor. For example, if a company openly criticizes or condemns a competitor, its action cannot harm the competitor in anyway. Instead, it compromises its own image and value among the public. Condemnation and judgment often arise out of inadequate understanding of others. Hence, understanding the customers promotes empathy, kindness and tolerance, which ultimately proves profitable to the company. At workplace, marketers should regularly practice appreciation of fellow team members while accepting and tolerating competitors. A marketing firm exists to fulfill the needs and wants of the customers. Therefore, success at marketplace depends primarily on how best a seller is able to get connected to his customer’s point of view. At the same time the customer should not feel that he is being manipulated by the seller; in short, both the parties need to benefit from business negotiations.
Carnegie’s tips on how to create interest among people can motivate marketers to design business strategies. The pathway to a man’s heart is, speaking about things that he treasures most. Thus, talking about matters that interest a customer makes him realize his worth, which is beneficial to both the parties concerned. Marketers, on accepting customer’s viewpoints rather than arguing with them, can get clues to plan new strategies. Carnegie says that it needs courage for a person to admit his mistakes. Indeed, admitting one’s mistakes openly furthers one’s image. In the context of business, a marketer, on modifying a product or changing a business strategy, wins the hearts of its customers. Also Carnegie advises marketers to apply diplomacy in talking to the customers. Concentrating more on things the customer is likely to agree with may motivate customers to say ‘yes’ at the very beginning. Marketers are also duty bound to make the marketplace challenging by stimulating healthy competition since the challenging work itself motivates employees. Competition at the marketplace provides more opportunities for other marketers to express themselves and continuous self development of the employees, in addition to providing better service to the customers.
Tips I Most Likely to Apply in a Marketing Career
Selling involves creating enthusiasm and making the customer want to buy the product rather than doing unethical means of promotion by advertising and influencing the customers. It is thus essential for me to mingle with the customer to know his actual needs and wants.
I shall demonstrate my genuine interest in customers by thanksgiving or sending a birthday card.
A smile is much valuable and smiling salespersons sell more than grumpy ones. Gentleness and kindness only attract more customers. I will instill such values among my sales force.
I also understand that selling is having fun and establishing relationships.
A customer prefers to be listened to rather than hearing from a marketer. I will train my team accordingly.
A salesman wins a customer’s heart by using courtesies like “would you please?” would you be kind enough to” and “sorry for troubling you.” I shall train my team to be polite.
I will avoid arguing with the customers to prove them wrong because fighting does not bring enough, but yielding to the customers brings more.
I will encourage open feedbacks of customers and honor them too.
I always welcome ideas of customers and team members with sympathy and respect.
I realize that even truth needs to be projected in a vibrant and dramatic way. I will present my products with excitement. For example, a company promoting eco-friendly products should not take the customers for granted by believing that the product would be a hit among the customers. Instead, it should reiterate the product idea by dramatizing the concept.
I realize that competition at the workplace is an opportunity to reach greater heights and look forward competitors as an opportunity for me to scale greater heights.
Reference
Carnegie, D. (1981). How to win friends and influence people (Rev. ed.). New York: Simon and Schuster.
