Written by

Bernard Marr

Bernard Marr is a world-renowned futurist, influencer and thought leader in the fields of business and technology, with a passion for using technology for the good of humanity. He is a best-selling author of over 20 books, writes a regular column for Forbes and advises and coaches many of the world’s best-known organisations. He has a combined following of 4 million people across his social media channels and newsletters and was ranked by LinkedIn as one of the top 5 business influencers in the world.

Bernard’s latest books are ‘Future Skills’, ‘The Future Internet’, ‘Business Trends in Practice’ and ‘Generative AI in Practice’.

Generative AI Book Launch
View My Latest Books

Follow Me

Bernard Marr ist ein weltbekannter Futurist, Influencer und Vordenker in den Bereichen Wirtschaft und Technologie mit einer Leidenschaft für den Einsatz von Technologie zum Wohle der Menschheit. Er ist Bestsellerautor von 20 Büchern, schreibt eine regelmäßige Kolumne für Forbes und berät und coacht viele der weltweit bekanntesten Organisationen. Er hat über 2 Millionen Social-Media-Follower, 1 Million Newsletter-Abonnenten und wurde von LinkedIn als einer der Top-5-Business-Influencer der Welt und von Xing als Top Mind 2021 ausgezeichnet.

Bernards neueste Bücher sind ‘Künstliche Intelligenz im Unternehmen: Innovative Anwendungen in 50 Erfolgreichen Unternehmen’

View Latest Book

Follow Me

Things Science Says Will Make You More Likeable

2 July 2021

Whether you’re trying to get ahead in business or just improve the quality of your friendships and relationships, being more likeable isn’t different. In fact, science has got it down to… well, a science.

These 10 tips are backed by scientific psychological research that prove anyone can improve how people perceive them:





Encourage people to talk about themselves. 

According to science, talking about ourselves sets off the same pleasure chemicals in our brain as food or money. In fact, in one experiment, people were willing to forgo money in order to talk about themselves.

Spend more time with them. 

Interestingly, an MIT study shows that people tend to like things that are more familiar, so simply spending more time around someone makes you more likeable.

Ask for advice. 

As much as people like to talk about themselves, they also like to be seen as an expert, and so asking someone for advice (whether you plan to take that advice or not) is a great way to make people warm to you.

Be happy. 

Moods are contagious. So try acting positive and happy around people, and you’ll find that they tend to become more positive and happy too — and who doesn’t like to be happy? But be careful; anecdotally, bad moods are more contagious than good ones.

Ask two simple questions. 

First, ask the other person about something positive in their life. Then — and only after they answer — ask them how they’re feeling about life in general. When they’ve just talked about being happy in some specific area of their life, they’re more likely to say they’re generally happy — and they’ll associate you with that happiness.

Be friends with their friends. 

Students at the University of British Columbia found that people were more likely to become friends with their friends’ friends. (Try saying that three times fast.)

Compliment them. There’s a weird psychological phenomenon called “spontaneous trait transference” that means that when you compliment someone, they start to think the same thing about you. If you tell someone they’re kind or smart, they’ll start to think you’re kind or smart, too.

Be honest about your mistakes. 

A study at the University of Minnesota found that when people who were otherwise viewed as competent made a small mistake — like spilling coffee after successfully completing a task — they were viewed as more likeable. A good argument for not making your social media persona too perfect.

Spread nice gossip. 

Hey, gossip happens. But instead of sharing nasty tidbits, make a point of gossiping about positive things, like your coworker’s promotion, their kids’ intelligence, or their partner’s great cooking. Studies show that what you talk about colours how people think of you, so talk about nice things and you become more likeable.

Casually touch people. 

Research has shown that when you make casual physical contact with another person, they are more likely to view you as likeable. Anything counts; the study was based on waitresses who merely touched a customer’s hand when returning change, and earned significantly more tips.

Business Trends In Practice | Bernard Marr
Business Trends In Practice | Bernard Marr

Related Articles

3 Ways To Reinvent Your Products And Services For The Future

With the rise of the metaverse and web3 technologies, there’s no denying the next evolution of the internet is already underway.[...]

Virtual Influencer Noonoouri Lands Record Deal: Is She The Future Of Music?

Teenage influencer Noonoouri has 400,000 followers on Instagram and has starred in fashion campaigns for Dior, Balenciaga and Valentino.[...]

Managing Stress at Work: 5 Top Tips Anyone Can Follow

In our contemporary world, the pressures of the professional sphere often encroach upon our personal space, giving rise to stress and an overwhelming sense of dread.[...]

How Can We Use AI to Address Global Challenges Like Climate Change?

As climate change continues to pose an enormous threat to our planet, we must explore innovative solutions that can help mitigate its impact.[...]

Debunking The Top 5 Cybersecurity Myths

At a time when cyberattacks, ransomware attacks and online fraud are all on the rise, it’s important that everyone understands the basics of cybersecurity.[...]

6 Roadblocks Stopping Web3 And The Metaverse Becoming A Reality

With the emergence of the metaverse and web3 technologies, it’s clear that the next evolution of the internet is already underway.[...]

Sign up to Stay in Touch!

Bernard Marr is a world-renowned futurist, influencer and thought leader in the fields of business and technology, with a passion for using technology for the good of humanity.

He is a best-selling author of over 20 books, writes a regular column for Forbes and advises and coaches many of the world’s best-known organisations.

He has a combined following of 4 million people across his social media channels and newsletters and was ranked by LinkedIn as one of the top 5 business influencers in the world.

Bernard’s latest book is ‘Generative AI in Practice’.

Sign Up Today

Social Media

0
Followers
0
Followers
0
Followers
0
Subscribers
0
Followers
0
Subscribers
0
Yearly Views
0
Readers

Podcasts

View Podcasts