How many times have you met someone and you knew right away you did not like them?  Or on the other hand you met someone and right away you really liked them.  What is it that makes one person likable while the other unlikable?

People want to do business with people they know, like and trust.  Like is very important factor in building relationships.  When was the last time that you referred one of your best customers to someone you did not like? How many times have you chosen to do business with someone because you liked them.

I had the opportunity to experience this for myself recently when I was looking to hire someone to do some work for me. There were two people both equally qualified to do the project. I ended up going with the person I liked and his price was 12% higher. I was willing to pay more because I liked the person.

Do you want to be more likable?  Follow these simple tips:

• Speak Less, Listen More – People don’t want to hear about you they want to talk about themselves.
• Don’t be a know it all – Even if you do know everything you don’t have to prove it.
• Be Engaged – Looking at your watch, over someones shoulder or checking your cell is not engaged
• Smile – A smile that goes to your eyes wins people over
• Give a Compliment – Whenever possible give a compliment about something, it wins others over.
• Follow up with people – When you take the time to follow up with people they are engaged, and want to learn more about you

Little things make you likable and being likable will have a positive impact on your bottom line!