Ask a Business Expert

A: I think nice can be trained by first defining what nice is. That is where the challenge arises, because “nice†can be different things to different people. Therefore, we must define and categorize the types or elements of being nice. We have lost our grasp of common courtesies and many times they are no longer common. Please, thank–you and may I seem trite, but they are the foundation of both great service and likeability. They must be explored, examined and discussed with all of our employees. Another extremely important concept is likeability. It’s about time we recognize the power of likeability in sales, negotiations, and customer service. We give more to people we like, we prefer to do more business with people we like, and we eliminate friction when the people are likeable. Here are a few quick tips about likeability. • Look for commonality • The Rule of Reciprocity, which means if you give someone something (even the smallest thing), they will have a tendency to like you. • The power of a compliment. Learn how to give an honest and sincere compliment. • Lastly, know how to listen. Look at the person and reaffirm what the other person is saying with a nod of the head or a simple uh huh.