5 ways to be more likeable in absolutely any situation - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

5 ways to be more likeable in absolutely any situation Have you ever met someone with real charisma? As soon as they walk in a room, they have a presence. People know theyre there. Rock stars and actors often have it, and many self-made millionaires do too. Charisma and real success are almost synonymous with each other. If people generally like you, then its like living life on easy mode. True charisma is very difficult or even impossible to learn. Often it comes attached to classical good looks, money, and the right type of upbringing. Many of us lack these things. But there are easy ways you can make yourself more likeable. So while were not saying youll become Angelina Jolie or Barack Obama , we can level you up very quickly with a few simple tips If youre looking for your perfect job, then being more likeable will help you to excel at interview. Its not always the most qualified candidate who gets hired. Sometimes its just the person the interviewer happened to most get on with. Even when working with a recruitment agency, it’s important to make a good impression. This will ensure that you get introduced to their best clients. 1. Assure people youre not that person You know the one. Social limpets who cling on to their target even after the conversation goes downhill. People who dont know how or when to walk away. Its awkward for everyone, and people fear these interactions. But theres an easy trick that lets you assuage these fears almost immediately How would you feel if someone came up to you and said something like: Hey, Im just on my way over there, but I noticed that youre from Acme Widgets, and I wanted to quickly ask you Isnt that a nice way of putting it? If you get on like a house on fire then you can still chat for hours, but theres no pressure. Any hint of an awkward silence, and the person can bail without hurting anyones feelings. So our number one tip is to establish time constraints for new social interactions. 2. Ask, dont tell A golden rule of conversation is to ask questions. When you ask people about themselves and show youre interested (see below), they like you a whole lot more. At the same time, you dont want to be breaking someones flow every five seconds to ask them something. So capitalise on this. When the conversation reaches a natural lull, rewind it a bit. If you say something like: So, you were talking before about working in Italy, and Id be really interested to know By taking the conversation back a step, you show them that you were actually paying attention. Way too many people think that being a good listener is all about nodding your head while glazing over. 3. Strike a pose Although its not a substitute for actual conversation, body language is important. Remember to smile, nod, and look people in the eye. Not too much though. Again, you dont want to be that person. If you feel like you might be staring someone out, then a great trick is to look at their mouth. Alternating between the two things shows that youre interested, without creeping anyone out. There are many, many articles written on body language and how you can mirror it and this can be a great idea. But a lesser-known technique is power posing. It may seem a little silly at first, but power posing can provide a massive boost to your confidence levels. And people love a confident person. 4. Ask for help When you ask people questions, you neednt limit the subject to their life or experience. In fact, once youve found out a bit about a person, it can be a great idea to ask them for their help and opinion on something. Picture it. If someone you were talking to asked you something like: Ive got this problem with something Im designing at work. You sound like you might be the perfect person to talk to about it any ideas? We bet youd be pretty happy they asked. Giving people a bit of an ego boost is seldom a bad thing. By asking for help, youre showing that you think theyre equal to or above rather than below you. Want to know the secret to being a rock star? Making other people feel like a rock star 5. Make it natural One rule that applies to each of the four above is that you should come across in a natural manner. Notice that we say make it natural, rather than make it seem natural. All the questions you ask; all the body language you put across, should be natural. And theres only one way to do this. Practice. So where do you start? Well, a good way to begin is to think of a role model that youd like to emulate and put yourself in their shoes. What would they do in this situation? Once you put yourself in a role in this manner, youll begin to find the whole process easier. Itll separate you from your normal state and put you into one where youll be able to mix things up a bit. Conclusion Taken on their own, each of these techniques might help you in some small way to be more likeable. But put them together and youre going to see some serious effect. Some (like remembering to smile) are super simple, but easy to forget in the heat of the moment. Other ideas might be new to you. But the key to everything here is practice. Get out there and network. Meet people. The more you do it, the more youll learn. Do it the right way, and youll become more and more likeable. Youll also find it more easy to spot people youd like to work with. Any questions? Let us know below. About the author: Matt Atkinson is a content writer with a PhD in Communication Studies. He loves to write about how people can better themselves and be happier.