How To Be A Likable Person

First of all I would just like to qualify that you should not obsess about what people think of you! However, if you are in business it is worth having good people skills (no one will buy from someone they don’t like), or if you would just like to have a smoother journey through life, it can be helpful to know how to be a likable person. It may be that you are naturally likable (or not!), but there are always small adjustments that can be made to help to make social interactions more enjoyable.

Why do we want to be liked?

There is something about being included and accepted that gives us a sense of security which apparently goes back to our hunter / gatherer days. We needed to be part of a ‘tribe’ as it’s unlikely we would have all the essential survival skills on our own. These days there are no such issues but being likable just makes for an easier life. If an easier life is what you are after then read on!

On the face of it, wanting to be a likable person but at the same time being yourself may seem to be at odds with each other but they absolutely are not. It’s not who you are, but how you are coming across that makes all the difference.

Make others feel important

You really don’t have to roll out the red carpet! One of the best ways to make someone feel important is to call them by their name.

I work on a holiday resort on the banks of Loch Tay in Scotland. We have a people who own their cottages for a week (or several weeks) and Club members who come time and time again as well as many repeat rental guests and it is their absolute joy to be recognized and called by their name at check-in. They cite it as one of the main reasons they love the Kenmore Club – being recognized and the sense of belonging. They love it. And I must admit, I enjoy it when they use my name in passing too – it just says something about the relationship. Where new guests are concerned, we make it our business to learn and use their name whenever possible. This (and the fact that our resort is wonderful!) ensures that they will be return visitors, but more importantly, it makes our day when we help people to really enjoy their stay and feel valued.

Another huge tip in making someone feel important is to listen to what they are saying! So often when engaged in a conversation we are several steps ahead, trying to think what we are going to say next, instead of giving the person our full, undivided attention. Worse still is talking over someone. I used to do this and have told everyone that if they catch me doing it, they have to tell me immediately. It is so rude! (I am just worried that I will forget what I was going to say…) Look at people when they are talking to you, listen, show interest and ask questions where appropriate.

A friend of mine who is a school teacher in a rather rough secondary school happened to ask one of the girls in her class if she had enjoyed her dance class the night before. The girl nearly fell off her chair! No one, even in her own family cared enough to ask. Suddenly she felt like she mattered. Can you imagine the impact of just one caring teacher on these young lives?

 

Your opinion and your right to be right

Another confession – I have an opinion about everything and I used to make sure that everybody knew it! But at the end of the day, it is not important that we share our opinion with everyone we know (or don’t know). I must have been the most crushing bore! Why do we feel the need to say if we disagree with someone’s opinion? If someone hasn’t expressly asked for our opinion, why do we feel we have to give it? Try only giving your opinion when it is asked for. (If you are like me it will very nearly kill you!)

Also, why do we feel the need to correct people all the time? Is there any real need to tell people that they are wrong? (Might it just be feasible that we are wrong?) I’m afraid I can still put up as good a debate as anyone over any point, but have at least learned that there may be some situations where you can just let the other person be right! Can you imagine how many divorced people were right? (Note to self, let your husband be right once in a while…)

Try giving up your right to be right and see how liberating it feels!

In Skill with People by Les Giblin, Les suggests that we remove ‘I’ from our vocabulary. I challenge you to try it! His point is that you should make the conversation about the other person and not you, which apparently makes the other person think that you are very interesting and intelligent. (It is soooo hard!) I definitely take his point though – there is nothing more boring than someone who talks incessantly about themselves. 

Give a sincere compliment

One day I was on the Reception desk when an elderly lady happened to pass through. I couldn’t help but notice that she had the most wonderful, chic haircut and he pure white hair was really quite remarkable. I mentioned to her that I thought her hair was beautiful – she said ‘Oh my goodness dear, I’m 83 and I can’t remember the last time anyone paid me a compliment, thanks so much’ which in turn made me feel great! (I since learned that she does not have an easy life, being the carer for her husband who is now in a wheelchair.) If you see something especially nice about someone or they are especially good at something – say it! It MUST be sincere though, and not used to get someone to like you. It will become a habit and you will naturally become more likable, in part because of the joy you will emit .

The bucket filling principle

I was recently on at Leadership course where one of the topics was ‘bucket filling’ – this was a new concept to me but apparently it has been around for some time. To ‘fill someone’s bucket’ basically means to take the time to make someone feel good. Giving a compliment is one example, helping someone who is struggling with something, being kind would all be filling a bucket. ‘Bucket dippers’ on the other hand are people who make others feel bad. It could be an unkind comment about what someone is wearing or being rude. It is also important to use your ‘bucket lid’ to stop other people dipping into your bucket! I don’t know who invented the principle but it has now turned into several children’s books and is taught at some schools. What a wonderful idea! Wouldn’t it be amazing if it could be an end to bullying? There are some great free resources that you can at bucketfillers101. They are aimed at children but give serious food for thought to grown-ups too.

Finally, accept that some people will not like you

Just as there will be some people that you warm to more than others, so there will be some people who will never be your number one fans! Do not go jumping through hoops to get someone to like you! Just be kind, listen to what they have to say and if you don’t like them (or they don’t like you), it’s perfectly acceptable to limit the time you spend with them.

I would LOVE to know you views on all this. Do you perhaps enjoy ruffling a few feathers? Please leave comments below.

6 thoughts on “How To Be A Likable Person”

  1. Hello Jean- What delightful read of a post! It’s fun, it’s cheerful, and engaging- however I do believe that from another standpoint that if you want to be somebody that knows how to be a likable person- they would probably have to be comfortable at being brutally honest with a little dose of sarcasm are good indicators of someone who doesn’t care what others think just as long as they know how to maintain that balance so as to project that energy from where you may be exuding it from-

    I believe that it is ultimately up to the individual when considering the kind of company they are in or would rather be. would you agree with something like that?

    Reply
    • Hi Jose, thanks so much for your comments. I used to be extremely sarcastic – it’s a cultural thing (I’m from Glasgow originally, it’s how we are lol) but have managed to soften it over the years (you can lose a lot of friends who do not share that sort of humour). Also, if you are brutally honest, some people could take a severe hit to their self-esteem and may never recover! Words are so powerful. Indeed, it depends on the company you want to keep, whether you are in a business or social setting and indeed whether you want to be likable. Thanks again. Best, Jean

      Reply
  2. I love these suggestions…making someone feel important. So often we never get recognized for our skills and for being our unique selves.
    …giving compliments. Everyone loves to receive a compliment, we have no idea how important it is to give compliments to people. Compliments affirm someone’s self worth and are sincerely appreciated.
    …not having to be “right”. This is a great one, I tend to be opinionated myself and I’m teaching myself to do better with recognizing other’s opinions.
    …remembering that not everyone will like you. I know that I find myself worrying that people will not like me and that is certainly not a given for anyone. I have people I like much better than others and I need to accept that others can feel the same way about me. Thanks for this article. -Shirley

    Reply
    • Hello Shirely

      Thanks so much for taking the time to really think about this article and for the very positive feedback which I have to say make me feel great! You are most definitely a ‘bucket filler’.

      Kind regards,

      Jean

      Reply
  3. What a nice post you wrote Jean! I really enjoyed reading it and could not be silent about your post so I decided to leave my comment here and say Thank You for sharing this quality post. Actually I was looking for information about the being a likable person and when I landed on your website and read this post, it answered all my questions in details and it was exactly what I wanted to know.
    I’m happy that you’ve decided to write about this topic and share it with others. It’s very useful post in my opinion and can definitely be used as a great source for everyone who is interested to know about this topic.

    I will definitely come back to your site again to read more posts. Keep up quality articles! 🙂

    Best,
    Ali

    Reply
    • Thanks for your lovely comments, Ali! By the sounds of it you are already a likable person! Glad to have helped and yes, do come back for more of my posts.

      Kind regards,

      Jean

      Reply

Leave a Comment

error

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close