In everyone’s life, there will be some people and companies you like better than others. There are many reasons but if we take it for a given, in terms of relationship building people do business with people they like. To discuss what likability is and how you can do better in it, Michelle Lederman wrote The 11 Laws of Likability published by American Management Association, NY, 2012. How do you ensure there are true win-win situations and you will hopefully note the laws can be applied to life in general.

Law 4 – The Law of Energy

Energy or the vibe you give off is derived from your natural personality and your actual mood at the moment. The key is not to be the happiest person in the room, but the most sincere. Learning how to put out the right energy at the right time in the right place and doing is authentically is a fundamental part of effectively connecting with others.

Law 5 – The Law of Curiosity

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it has never killed a conversation. Showing genuine curiosity about a person’s job, life, interests, opinions or needs is a great way to start a conversation, keep it going and create connections.

Remember love to talk, you just need to know how to get them going. A good conversation involves give and take; it is an exchange in which two people are genuinely engaged, listening, responding and connecting to each other. Start with the general and once it gets going the subject can flow into the next one and next one.

Start with open-ended questions or those that require an answer longer than yes or no. Use probing questions and remember your goal is discover what you have in common and what value you might bring to that person. The broad headlines are pose a hypothetical, seek advice, compliment. Be curious but do not be a stalker.

Law 6 – The Law of Listening

We have 2 ears and one mouth, listening should be easy. it is not. Listening is not a passive activity. It takes energy and concentration to focus on what people are saying and what they mean by it and not to just hear what you think they mean by it or what you want them to mean by it. Listening is a skill which needs constant working on.

Law 7 – The Law of Similarity

People like people who are like them. Realizing we share a connection with someone else put us at ease and opens the door to discovering further things you have in common which builds greater relationships. People trust the sources they know best.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, whether in life or investing being curious is a great thing. While companies which pay dividends have a great track record of continuing to pay them, you have to be curious because the internet has changed companies business models and if they do not respond, those profits will shrink putting the dividend at risk. The curious person keeps track of the broad goings on in the world.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions.