There’s a saying, “I can’t hear what you’re saying because I don’t like who you are.” Any attempt at developing deep and lasting customer relationships is futile if your prospects don’t like you. The same is true of collaboration and support from team members, supervisors and subordinates in your own organization. With that in mind, consider the 13 Habits of Exceptionally Likeable People, as written by Dr. Travis Bradberry, author of the #1 bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0. Here is Bradberry’s list, as it appeared in his recent LinkedIn article:

1. They Ask Questions
2. They Put Away Their Phones
3. They are Genuine
4. They Don’t Pass Judgment
5. They Don’t Seek Attention
6. They Are Consistent
7. They Use Positive Body Language
8. They Leave a Strong First Impression
9. They Greet People by Name
10. They Smile
11. They Know When To Open Up
12. They Know Who To Touch (and They Touch Them)
13. They Balance Passion and Fun

It’s worth reading Bradberry’s entire article for more detail on each habit; but one can quickly skim this list and get a sense of how we rate. Many of these habits are well aligned with foundational concepts in Carew’s DPS sales training program, such as the importance of listening, giving the customer your full attention, and using body language and specific types of questions to demonstrate your interest and concern.

The importance of the “likeability” factor for sales effectiveness cannot be overstated. After all, your most brilliant insights will fall on deaf ears if customers and prospects “don’t like who you are.”