Have you ever asked yourself the question: are you likeable? Why is this important, and how can I become more likeable!

How many times have you met someone either in business or socially 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 likeable while the other unlikeable?

People want to do business with people they know, like and trust.  Like is a 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? Probably more often than not.

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 genuinely liked the person more than the other candidate.

Do you want to be more likeable?  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 all the time with every conversation.
• Be Engaged – Looking at your watch, looking over someone’s shoulder or checking your cell phone is not being engaged.
• Smile – A smile that goes to your eyes wins people over every time!
• Give a Compliment – Whenever possible give a compliment about something, it wins others over and makes them feel good.
• Follow up with people – When you take the time to follow up with people they are engaged, and want to learn more about you and your business.

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