An apprenticeship job gives you insights to the skills and techniques of a company or individual.  Either you will learn what to do from his or her successes, or you will learn what not to do from his or her mistakes and failures.  By working for a successful businessperson, you will have the ability to learn things that no textbook can teach.  In my opinion, the ideal apprenticeship job would be one where I could learn customer service.  Whatever business I choose to start, customer service will be crucial.  Another apprenticeship job that I plan to look into, would be anything associated with real estate.  Eventually, I hope to become a real estate investor, or possibly a real estate agent.  Whatever I do,  I need to begin as soon as possible because the clock is ticking.

A couple of months ago, I was offered a one time job working for a catering company at a wedding.  I took it, and along with several other young women, I was to be a server.  After the reception was over, I stayed to help clean up.  I got the chance to talk to a friend that is currently in college, she told me that there is a catering company in my town that pays pretty well.  I went to the website, and read about the system, they cater at weddings and other big events, you can make your own schedule and choose what events you work at.  It would not interfere with school, or anything else on my schedule.  Because most of the events are in the evening, I would have plenty of time to start a small business.  I think this would be a great way to improve my people skills, and make a little extra cash.  I am planning to apply for a job with this small business.

Another ideal apprenticeship job would something associated with real estate.  I have a major interest in looking at houses and properties, and watching what they sell for.  This is not a usual teenager interest, but someday I hope to make it my career.  As of right now I know very little about real estate, I have a lot to learn before I could become an investor or a real estate agent.  An apprenticeship job would be full of benefits, if I could find a job associated with real estate, it would be a priceless opportunity to learn.

How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie, is a must read book about human relations.  It is undeniably one of the best business books around.  It contains many techniques that can help you develop a strong foundation to winning friends and influencing people.  In order to learn to do these techniques well, it is going to take hard work and perseverance.  Some of these principles will come naturally, while others will be a real challenge.

For me, one of the most important techniques will be one of the hardest for me to learn.  Seeing things from the other persons point of view is something I have a very difficult time doing.  I get frustrated easily and explode, without ever putting myself in the other person’s shoes.  I know what I need to do, the question is, how do I do it?  This skill is much easier said than done.  When I feel angry or frustrated with someone, instead of allowing my temper to get the best of me, I could ask myself, what would I do in this person shoes?  And approach the situation accordingly.  I plan to try a ten second rule, before I say anything I will take at least 10 seconds to think about the situation from the other person’s point of view.  This sounds so simple, but it will be a hard habit to make.  In order to be successful I must find the way to master this skill.

There is one technique that comes more natural, and I will be able to learn to do it well in a small amount of time. This is a simple technique, but it is still extremely powerful.  What is this technique? Smile.  A smile is a powerful tool.  Think about it, when a person is smiling, they appear so much more trustworthy.  Recently, I volunteered at the public school to teach archery to 5th graders in hopes that they would perhaps join our team.  The first day I went, it was cold and early in the morning.  I was really tired and freezing cold.  The first student came up, she was intimidated.  This girl had never touched a bow, and she needed a lot of help.  She did not want to shoot all of the arrows, and she went and sat down.  I was failing as an instructor, I did a bad job helping that first student.  I thought to myself, “how can I make the child feel more comfortable?”  And Immediately I thought about Dale Carnegie’s book.  I decided for starters I should just smile.  The next student (also a terrified young girl) came up, I smiled and told her how much fun archery can be and she immediately began to relax, and enjoy herself.  It was much easier to coach when I could gain the trust of the student.  This is only one small instance, with just a smile you can go a long way.

“How to win friends and influence people” by Dale Carnegie is a book that has worked wonders with many people.   His book contains many techniques that can help you build the fundamental skills to winning friends and influencing people.  Some of them I will be able to make into habits fairly easily, but others will come as more of a challenge.  I believe that the hardest one of these techniques (so far) for me to learn to do well, is probably the most important.

My biggest weakness is the lack of ability to see things from the other person’s point of view.  I get easily frustrated and get angry at them, I do not take time to consider their viewpoint and negotiate.  After learning this technique, I realized how important it is to be able to see things from the other person’s point of view.  So what is the issue?  This technique is much easier said than done.  It is a simple principle, but putting it to action is not so simple.  It will take time and effort for me to train myself, and make the habit of seeing things from the other person’s point of view.

Many people have problems putting themselves in the other person’s shoes.  But this technique is almost essential for success.  More often than not, my temper gets the best of me and I explode.  This is counter productive.   Now that I know the importance of seeing things from the other person’s point of view, I must find and take the steps to breaking my aggressive habits.

To achieve success, you must know how to handle people effectively.  Dale Carnegie offers proven ways to win people to your way of thinking.  I am willing to put in many hours of  work to master these principles.

How important is trust in establishing long term business relationships?  Trust is crucial in establishing long term business relationships.  For that matter, trust is crucial in developing any long term relationship.  Whether you are selling a product or a service, your business will need customers in order to survive.  Not only do you need customers, but you need those customers to return, and/or refer others to you.

If you focus on getting the customer what he needs, rather than focusing on making a sale, this customer is much more likely to trust you.  Once you have established trust, the customer is more apt to buy from you long term.  Now think, what if you manipulated that customer into buying your product or service, and then he discovers that what you sold him was not the solution to his problem.  He not going to trust you and he is much less likely to return or refer others to you.  If you do not build trust with your customers, they will leave you, and your business will drown.

Horses are a great example of the power of trust.  I have been riding horses for at least 9 years.  I have been thrown off a handful of times.  I think one of the most important things I have learned, is when you very first put the rope on the horse, you had better have his or her trust right then.  If you do not have the horse’s trust then you are in danger of getting bucked off.  If you want the horse’s trust, you have to give him your trust.  I think the same is true when dealing with customers.  Give them your trust, and they will give you theirs.