We all know at least a couple of people that everyone seems to love. If you’ve never thought about it, you might not be aware of the personality traits that universally likeable people have in common.
With a little tweaking, everyone can adopt at least a couple of these personality traits and instantly become more popular.
Don’t worry. You won’t have to change your basic personality. A little awareness about what’s likeable and what isn’t might be all that you need.
Develop a more pleasant version of your personality and boost your social life with these techniques:
- Avoid criticizing. No one likes to be criticized. Few people like unsolicited advice. You’ll be more appealing to more people if you keep all of your negative opinions to yourself.
– This also applies to criticizing third parties. When you tell someone how much you dislike someone else’s clothes, car, home, or anything else, it takes away from your own likeability factor. - Avoid complaining. Complaining about movies, restaurants, the weather, your boss, your partner, or weight isn’t pleasant for others. People generally don’t have a positive view of negative people. Be positive or be quiet.
- Avoid talking about other people. Some people love to talk about others. These people are generally unlikeable. If your own life isn’t interesting enough to be a topic of conversation, it’s time to get busy working on your life. Gossiping is poor form.
- Be an excellent listener. We love people that really pay attention and listen to what we have to say. Maintain excellent eye contact and put away your phone when someone is speaking to you.
– This one tip can make you a lot more popular. When you give someone your undivided attention, you make them feel important. People love the people that make them feel important. - Be reliable. Unreliable people are resented. Do what you say you’re going to do. Be where you say where you’re going to be. Be on time.
- Show genuine interest. One way to show genuine interest is to be a great listener. Another way is to ask questions. When you ask someone what they did over the weekend or how their softball games turned out, you’re showing interest.
- Be open and friendly. Say “hi” to others. Have open body language. You know what a friendly and kind person is like. Be like that.
- Be Open-minded. When you’re open-minded, you’ll be much less likely to criticize or complain. You’re also easier to talk to, because others know that you won’t judge them.
- Be supportive. Everyone has challenges, and everyone could use a little support. Support and encourage others and people will love you for it.
- Be fun. Everyone likes to have fun. If people know they’re going to have a good time when you’re around, there will be a lot of people that want to spend time with you.
- Make people feel good. This is the number one quality to have if you want people to like you. If they feel better after spending time with you, they will want to spend more time with you.
– Conversely, iIf they feel worse after spending time with you, they’ll want to stay away.
– It’s like a food that tastes good to you versus one that tastes bad.
Review this list and pick out a couple of things that stand out to you. Also, pay attention to those people that everyone seems to like. What do you think it is that people like about them?
Just a few small changes will make a bigger difference than you think. If people enjoy spending time with you, they’ll keep coming back for more.