Another part of being human is the need to be liked. This desire to always be seen as a nice person can actually harm you in the long run. It can mean you give your time away to anyone that asks, regardless of how beneficial it may or may not be for you. People who ask a lot of you often don’t offer anything in return. And these are the people you should be blowing off. Instead, focus on storytelling. It allows you to share about yourself and it allows people to connect with you at an emotional level. People skills aren’t about how many friends you have on Facebook or how many people tweet at you— it’s about truly connecting and understanding those you work and live with. The Art of People hands you the tools you need to build meaningful relationships and transform your future." If there is one axiom that applies across any and all business, it is that you need to build relationships first, then do business. No one lives this mantra everyday more consistently or more effectively than Dave Kerpen. That’s why The Art of People is such an important and enjoyable read. Dave’s insights and unique perspective make this mandatory reading for anyone and everyone interested in how to engage with their customers and build meaningful and valuable relationships. Buy it. Read it!”

AJ Jacobs, New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically, My Life as an Experiment and The Know-It-All Kerne explains that the most important question you can ask when you first meet someone is; ‘how can I help you?’ In asking this, you are giving the other person the opportunity to ask for help. They will feel more appreciative and connected to you. This will also prompt them to help you out in return (although this may not be immediate). In some cases, your offers to help will be declined. This will be because they simply do not know how you can help them. But even when declined, your offer is still beneficial, they will still be appreciative of the offer. Always be you and be vulnerable People skills aren’t about how many friends you have on Facebook or how many people tweet at you— it’s about truly connecting and understanding those you work and live with. The Art of People hands you the tools you need to build meaningful relationships and transform your future.”The author says that the Myers-Briggs personality test, one of the most popular tests today and one espoused by Vanessa van Edwards in Captivate, is actually a poor test for people’s attitudes (and he’s right). If you are a manager, identify a few people that report directly to you. (If you aren’t a manager identify a few people that you influence in one way or another). He has earned a sterling reputation as a master relationship builder as well as a thought-provoking and highly entertaining seminar speaker. The Art of People PDF Pay attention to peoples facial expressions, little smiles or frowns, raised eyebrows or crinkled foreheads. Kerne explains that self-awareness should be at the core of the art of people. It’s so important to understand yourself and how you function before you’ll be able to truly understand anyone else.

Assess your system, is it working? Are you prioritising your time to be spent with the right people? Step 1, as Carrie shared with me, is to refuse to believe that you can’t. No matter how different a person is, no matter how you may feel when you’re around her, no matter what her actions are, you have to believe that with some effort you will be able to understand her. John’s behaviors didn’t change as a result of our meeting, of course, but just a little bit of understanding made a big difference in my future interactions with him. Over the weeks that followed, our conversations got more congenial, and we actually made some progress toward driving the mutual business results we were both looking for. Kerne recommends establishing your own advisory board. This can contain anywhere from seven to eleven people. Your advisory board is designed to help you reach your pre-established goals. It’s important to select the right people and understand how each of them will be beneficial in aiding you to reach these goals. Kerne recommends having at least 50% of the board made up of people you already know. Have a minimum of two people that you’ve never met but have mutual connections with. Once you’ve established who you want on your advisory board, invite them and establish where you will meet and how regularly. Also, identify any compensation that you wish to offer. Hiring and firingOnce you have your score, look at the chart summarizing the nine major Enneagram types, their associated strengths, and the potential pitfalls to look out for. How well these elements resonate with you probably depends on how high your raw numerical score was for your type on the quiz. But this was my first experience with Larry Benet, and I must admit that I was a doubter. Larry was the first keynote speaker at the conference, and I knew he was there to teach people how to network better. Still, the notion that he could teach me to understand someone better than I know many of my friends in three minutes seemed a bit far-fetched even for an expert. As it turns out, John had had a tough stretch of several years as a child with just one parent, and it seemed that somewhere along the way he had decided to become fiercely independent. John was unmistakably an Enneagram type 8–driven to be powerful–and sometimes that drive for independence could make him abrasive and standoffish and generally tough to be around.

People skills can't be computerized, outsourced, or reduced to a rubric. That's why The Art of People is more important now than ever - it will teach you a set of irreplaceable skills that will help you in every area of your life' - DANIEL H. PINK, author of To Sell Is Human and Drive From the guru of people skills comes an essential guide to building the relationships that will help you succeed in work and life. The Art of People offers terrific tips on becoming a better listener, networker, and communicator— the things to be if you want to get ahead and have the success you crave.” The Art of People PDFOnce again, Dave Kerpen delivers priceless strategies and profound advice for success and influence. The way Dave applies timeless wisdom and proven methods to practical applications is second to none. I highly recommend this book!” Remember, it's not all about you. Whether you’re speaking to an audience of three thousand, three hundred, thirty, or three, if your hope is to inspire them, your material and delivery have to be about them and how they can grow, not about you.”