Gracie Allen Quotes

Waitresses, soldiers, rickshaw drivers, old ladies selling vegetables - my father would schmooze anybody. He was Clintonesque before the word existed. And, of course, it paid dividends. Ill-tempered guards at the most notorious border crossings waved him through with cheery smiles. Haughty maitre d's fawned over him.

Most people don't have the power of persuasion.

I need people - theatrics and schmoozing and storytelling are part of my talent.

Lack of charisma can be fatal.

The capacity to persuade is an essential part of being a great leader.

The public official must pick his way nicely, must learn to placate though not to yield too much, to have the art of honeyed words but not to seem neutral, and above all to keep constantly audible, visible, likable, even kissable.

People appreciate and follow the person who can persuade them properly. Make that person you.

It may sound like showing off, but I am good in communications and in creating harmony.

Learning how to be persuasive has been really crucial to my life both professionally and personally.

Cicero most reminds me of Harold Wilson. Both men knew how to keep the show on the road.

The writing is all done, so it's all about verbalizing everything from point A to point B, and certainly there's a bit of politics involved, so it's a different thing.

People who wish to go into the future should have two skills to succeed - the ability to deal with people and the ability to sell.

Adlai Stevenson has a genius for saying the right thing, at the right time, to the wrong people.

I was really a charmer; I was the guy who would get to the office, the principal would sit me down and within 10 minutes, we'd be, like, talking about some movies or something.

One of my strengths is my ability to talk and communicate with people.

It is better to be likable than to be talented.

Knowing what to say, in the right way - at the perfect moment - can mean the difference between a world-class life and an average one.

I'm too blunt and straightforward for politics, but I'm friends with all.

I know how to win people over if things aren't going my way.

There are so many world-class athletes who are great at their sport, but they're so boring. They don't talk, and they can't be interviewed very well.

The 'Art of Charm' podcast can be intimidating. Not just because it's the work of a lawyer called Jordan Harbinger. Not simply because Jordan has worked out how to weaponise all the many elements of the human personality that go to make up charisma in order to get people to listen to him, be impressed by him, or hire him.

The skill set of pastor and comedian are incredibly similar. You want to affect people. You're good at reading rooms. You're persuasive, and you're likable.

I am a very persuasive man.

My dad wasn't the best speaker like a Bill Clinton, or a Henry Kissinger, but he had character.

Learning how to get a point across is pretty useful in any situation.