Qualities of “Likable People”

Generally speaking, the business world has determined that clients choose who they want to work with by evaluating how these people rate on three different characteristics: trustworthiness, believability, and likability. It is my belief that everyone does this when they make first impressions, no matter if it is in a business meeting, meeting someone for coffee, introducing yourself to someone out in public, etc.

Today I wanted to focus on that last trait: likability. What do people look for when they want to determine whether someone is “likable” or not? It has been determined that likability is determined by these specific characteristics: empathy, integrity, and reliability. If you have these characteristics, most people will find you likable. Okay, let’s break it down even further, shall we?

Empathy

Empathy is your ability to relate and understand other people and their situations. If you are empathetic toward someone’s situation, it means that you can understand where they are coming from because you’ve been through that situation or a situation like that, or perhaps it is because you are extremely self-aware and know that person well.

The more experiences that you’ve had, the more empathetic you can be toward others because you can understand their feelings better (you’ve been through that experience before). Empathy also comes from being observant and with practice. Yes, you can practice to be more empathetic by imagining what it would be like in other peoples’ shoes.

Integrity

Integrity is doing what you know is right despite what your surroundings are like. It is also standing up for what you believe in, even if you know that it isn’t a popular viewpoint. It is a common thought that these days, people are only doing the right thing when others are watching or when they can get praise for it. I like to believe that we all have a sense of integrity deep inside and we just need the right push or the right person to bring it out.

Having strong and good integrity is one of the highest compliments that I give out because it says something about you. It’s not that you know where to shop and what to wear to make you look good. No, integrity has to do with your strength of character and how beautiful you are on the inside and no matter what you wear on the outside, that won’t change your inner beauty.

Reliability

When it comes to friendships, reliability is important because you know that, that person will be there for you no matter what. In professional settings, reliability is important because it is expected of a business. Their products must be reliable and so should their business associates. When a company has a reputation for being reliable, you know that they are trustworthy and consistent.

Resources:

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/233709

Image: http://pixabay.com/en/girl-hijab-smile-women-islam-247302/