Tip #4: Make the process about them, your audience, and not about you

In the book Socialnomics by Erik Qualman, it states that “Successful companies in social media act more like Dale Carnegie and less like Mad Men.” This was my thought process during the bracketed tournament of Curbed.com.

I remember from Dale Carnegie’s book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, it says, “to be interesting, you’ve got to be interested.” I dissect and quote some of the principles I used.

This was how I made the process about my audience and not about me:

• Give honest and sincere appreciation.
• Become genuinely interested in other people.
• Talk in terms of the other person's interest.
• Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.
• Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say "You're Wrong."
• Begin in a friendly way.
• Let the other person feel the idea is his or hers.
• Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view.
• Appeal to the nobler motives.
• Throw down a challenge.
• Praise every improvement.
• Make the other person happy about doing what you suggest.

The best way I learned how effective these principles were, was when we started to win at every single round in the competition.

Here's a recap of the 7 Tips.