You can close more business in two months by becoming interested… it sounds counterintuitive, right? But that’s the magic. It flips traditional sales on its head, focusing on connection over promotion to build real, lasting success.
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Meaning
It’s a simple but profound shift: stop trying to be interesting and start being interested. Genuine curiosity about others is the ultimate business accelerator.
Explanation
Look, I’ve seen this play out so many times. The old-school way is to push your product, your pitch, your story. You’re basically shouting, “Look at me!” And it’s exhausting for everyone. What Carnegie figured out—and what I’ve built a career on—is that people don’t care about your company until they know you care about them. It’s about flipping the script. When you ask thoughtful questions, when you listen to understand their problems and not just to wait for your turn to talk, you build a level of trust that no slick sales presentation can ever match. That trust? That’s the foundation of every single deal. It’s not a tactic, it’s a fundamental human truth applied to business.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Business (233) |
| Topics | interest (21), relationship general (37), sales (13) |
| Literary Style | motivational (245), plain (102) |
| Emotion / Mood | inspiring (392), realistic (354) |
| Overall Quote Score | 87 (185) |
Origin & Factcheck
This is straight from Dale Carnegie’s 1936 classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People, specifically in the chapter “Fundamental Techniques in Handling People.” It’s often misattributed to his other works or to generic business gurus, but the source is rock-solid. It came from a time in the U.S. when relationship-building was becoming the cornerstone of modern sales.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Dale Carnegie (408) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | How to Enjoy Your Life and Your Job (53) |
| Origin Timeperiod | Modern (530) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Dale Carnegie(1888), an American writer received worldwide recognition for his influential books on relationship, leadership, and public speaking. His books and courses focus on human relations, and self confidence as the foundation for success. Among his timeless classics, the Dale Carnegie book list includes How to Win Friends and Influence People is the most influential which inspires millions even today for professional growth.
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Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | You can close more business in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get people interested in you |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 1955 (compiled from earlier Carnegie works) ISBN/Unique Identifier: Unknown Last edition. Number of pages: Common reprints ~192–240 pages (varies by printing) |
| Where is it? | Chapter: Be Genuinely Interested, Approximate page from 1948 edition |