It’s nice to be liked by others and being likeable will also give you an edge when it comes to being successful in life. While you may already be blessed with a winning personality, there are also a few harmless mind tricks that you can use to have a positive impact on everyone you encounter.
Let’s take a look at how to be more likeable by making the most of our natural brain quirks.
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1. When a group is laughing, people automatically make eye contact with the person they feel closest to.
A laughing group can tell you a lot about your own feelings as well as the feelings of others. By looking for who makes eye contact, you can see which team members have established a bond and trust. It may also help you to gauge your chances of landing a date with the person you like. So, next time you have a good laugh take note of who your eyes are drawn to.
2. When someone does you a favour, it makes them like you more.
This point may seem a bit backwards, as surely in this instance you should like the person doing the favour for you more? In actual fact, when you persuade someone to do you a favour, they will unconsciously justify why they are willing to do that favour. Their justification will usually be something like “they are my friend” or “they are likely to return the favour.”
So technically asking someone for a favour can be a double win. You get the help that you need with something and make them like you more in the process.
3. Open hands create trust.
When you make an open-palmed gesture, you indicate to others that you are trustworthy. This in turn makes people more likely to agree with what you are saying and more likely to find you likeable and friendly.
LEGOLAND has an employee policy that makes the most of the mind trick. If a visitor approaches them asking where something this, the employee should present their directions (using an open-palmed gesture) but they should now point. Pointing is often perceived to be aggressive and rude.
4. People are more likely to agree with you if you nod during the conversation or when asking a question
When you next need to win somebody over or convince them of your way of thinking, try nodding your head when you are speaking. People naturally mirror the body language of those around them in order to build relationships and understand what they are feeling. If you are nodding, then you are showing that what you are saying is true and those around you will be more inclined to agree.
5. People’s feet reveal their interest.
Our feet can reveal a lot about how we are feeling towards others. Next time you’re having a conversation, have a glance at the other person’s feet. If their feet are angled towards you, that indicates that they are interested and listening to what you are saying. Feet pointing away, on the other hand, shows that they have checked out.
You can use this tactic to ensure other people feel that you are interested and listening to them during a conversation. Simply keep your feet and body language angling towards them.
6. You’ll remember names better if you say them out loud.
Forgetting someone’s name is awkward and it makes it difficult for you to build a relationship with them. When you are introduced to someone new, you should aim to weave their name into the conversation three times within the first five minutes. Make sure you do it naturally though, or you may just seem a little weird.
7. Being excited makes others like you
Excitement is contagious and if you’re excited, others are likely to mirror the behaviour back to you. Appearing excited and enthusiastic is a good way to make a fantastic first impression and when you haven’t seen someone for a while it will also make them feel liked.
Bringing It All Together
Now you know these tricks for making people like you, you’ll start to notice them everywhere you go. Give them a try and see if you notice a difference in how others respond to you.
