Five Ways to Make Anyone Like You

Want to make more friends? Or get your boss to notice how great you are? Well, here are five ways to make anyone like you. These come from the book “What You Don’t Know About How Others See You” by psychologist Dr. Ann Demarais.

• Start on an upbeat note – even if what’s on your mind is the traffic jam you just dealt with – or the fight you just had with your husband. People tend to view you in the same light as the first words out of your mouth.
  
  
• Pause for two seconds – whether someone is showing you a picture of their kid, giving you a business card, or showing off their new haircut. You’ll instantly seem more interested – and when you seem interested, you become more interesting to that person.
  
  
• Give a compliment. We’re a shallow species. The people we like best are the ones who make us feel good about ourselves and nothing makes us feel better than a sincere, thoughtful compliment. However, make it personal. It’s not enough to say, “I like that tie.” It’s better to say, “That tie looks great on you!”
  
  
• Touch their arm. A simple touch conveys that there’s a connection between you and the other person. In fact, a recent study found that strangers in a mall were more apt to like – and help out – a person who had just casually brushed their arm!
  
  
• Mention an interesting fact. That’s where this show comes in handy! A recent survey found that passing along just one unusual tidbit like, “Did you know cats can make more than 100 different sounds”, makes people think you’re a great conversationalist!