Interactions & Reporter Interaction

This week I once again attempted to use the first six principles of “How to Win Friends and Influence People” on ten separate individuals. Dale Carnegie list those principles as:

- Become genuinely interested in other people
- Smile
- Use their name
- Be a good listener
- Talk in terms of their interests
- Sincerely make the other person feel important

1.The first individual in which I attempted to use the six principles on was a worker at Yankee Candle in Columbia Mall. I am a consisted shopper at Yankee Candle because I love the smell of their scented fragrances. Kim was a great help to me as I entered the store. I was unaware of what her name was at first because it was covered by her sweater, but as the conversation carried out she had mentioned the fact that she always notices me as I come in. Overall, Kim persuaded me to try a different fragrance and throughout our interaction I felt more comfortable in her judgment. I received 20% off of my total bill because Kim used her employee discount.
2.The second interaction in which I used the six principles was on one of the workers in the Administration Building. I greeted Karen with a hello and a smile, asking how her day was going and if her son was feeling any better. I do not know Karen personally, but I always get lunch from the Admin building so we are acquainted with one another. She appreciated the fact that I acknowledged how her son was and gave me my food as soon as possible. This interaction was very simple for me because I was able to communicate with her from the previous interaction we had the day before.
3.The third interaction was with one of my teachers from last semester. I just happened to see Professor Thomas walking through the commons and stopped to say hello, to congratulate him on the article in the school paper. Professor Thomas was ranked one of the highest teachers on rate my professor.com. He seemed very overwhelmed with joy because he did not know about the article publish in the paper. He continued to explain that my class was one of the most exciting for him because our input was priceless and it made his job more enjoyable to teach. I felt like this interaction brightened Professor Thomas’s day.
4.The fourth interaction I had was with Maxwell at T-Mobile. Prior to entering the store I had woken up to a split charger that no longer functioned. I was in a very bad mood and was not able to use my phone because it never fully charged. As I got to the store I realized it was no one’s fault, but things continued to happen that escalated my anger. After sitting in a line that was out the door, I approached the register and began to explain my frustration. For a moment Maxwell seemed overwhelmed, so I took a step back and started the conversation over again. I used his name and asked how is day was going. He seemed much more comfortable at that point and assisted me further with the replacement of my charger for free. If I wouldn’t have calmed down I feel like I would have had to buy a brand new charger.
5.The fifth interaction I had was with my mother. Although I never call my mother by her real name she felt very creped out when I did. She kept asking me if I was up to no good and was wondering if she should be worried. I explained to her after our interaction that it was for a class assignment and the general idea of what had to be done. She expressed that it was a great overall concept, but did not really feel influenced by me because we are so close. I asked her simple questions that would help me further on when I had to use these principles with other people.
6.The sixth interaction happened in line at Rite-Aid when my team traveled to Farmville, Va. There were several girls on my team who were extremely sick and could not stop coughing. In line at the store I had several boxes of cough medicine, cough drops, and ginger ale. Mabel, an older woman standing behind me in line noticed the materials in which I was holding. She informed me that chicken broth was the best remedy for a sore throat and that plenty of Vitamin C would be the best bet to getting better. Throughout our conversation I found out that she use to be a stay at home nurse for 27 years before retiring. Overall, Mabel was initially the one who started the interaction, but we both became genuinely interested in one another.
7.The seventh interaction was with my cousin’s co-worker at Champs. Brandy is a very upbeat individual and has similar style to me. So every time I go in the store I usually look for her because she knows what is in and what I would be interested in buying. This time I was unable to talk to Brandy so she gave me to Erik. I shook his hand and asked how he liked working at Champs and if he got along with Brandy and my cousin. He answered all of my questions and knew exactly who I was. He explained to me that we went to middle school together and has been to a couple of my college games. Unaware of this information I told him to come by this season and to say hello afterward. I look forward to another interaction with Erik after a game here at UMBC.
8.The eighth interaction was with my sport academic adviser. Lauren is a very quiet individual who would do just about anything for anyone. During my meeting it looked like she was having a bad day so I took the time after my meeting to discuss her weekend and if she did anything interesting. She was very indulged in our conversation that she realized she was late for another meeting with her boss and asked if we could continue our conversation the following week. Therefore, although she was not in the best mood prior to our conversation she left her office smiling.
9.The ninth interaction was with an online support operator who had to assist me with connecting to the internet. Don was very helpful with assisting me and was able to identify the problem rite away. I asked him how his night was going and where his office was located. He enlightened me that his office was located in Denver and that his night was very busy. He receives calls from all over asking various questions as why their computer is not working correctly. I wished him a good night and I hoped things got better for him. This interaction wasn’t the best way to communicate and get to know someone because it is kind of impersonal not being face to face.
10.My final interaction was with my grandmother. I always try to see my grandparents as often as possible because they are never able to leave their home. I used the principles with my grandmother and she loved it. She felt as if I was truly interested in her cooking shows and knitting projects she had started. At the end of our conversation I had asked my grandmother if she owned a cell phone or attempted to use one before. My grandmother admitted to not owning a cell phone and not ever wanting to have one. She says they are to addicting and a waste of money. If I had to put my grandmother on the TALC I would say she is definitely a laggard.


Using the principles of HTWFAIP and the Mark Twain press relations advice quote, I found a journalist from the Weekly Retriever, named Michelle McCoy and created a positive relationship with her. I advised Michelle that the Softball team here at UMBC will be home for the entire month of March and it would great if a writer or photographer would come to a couple of games to see what was going on. So far I have not received a response.