A dozen ways to be liked

You may have heard about Gamal Ibrahim, the 20-something Egyptian man who named his newborn daughter “Facebook” in honor of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, which was almost totally organized on the social-networking site. The father said he named his child Facebook to “express his joy at the achievements made by the youth” in ending the 30-year reign of President Hosni Mubarak on February 11. The child received many gifts from family, friends and youth who celebrated her birth and name.

Being named after a popular Website is one way to get people to like you. But there are other ways that will probably work better as you try to establish a rapport with potential buyers. Here are some suggestions:

• People want to feel appreciated, so thank them enthusiastically for taking the time to visit your model home.
• Make sure you’re approachable. Don’t greet them then walk away and bury yourself in your iPhone or laptop.
• Remember their names.
• Don’t act overeager and patronizing.
• Check your personal hygiene throughout the day.
• Find common ground.
• Don’t interrupt.
• Make eye contact.
• Establish an open, relaxed conversation by synchronizing your body language and speech rhythm to theirs. Make sure your words, actions and the tone of your voice all relay the same message. Saying “May I sell you a new home today?” while licking your lips and rubbing your hands briskly together sends a different message than saying “May I sell you a new home today?” while greeting them with a warm handshake and a smile.
• Have a positive attitude.
• Compliment. Don’t criticize or complain.
• Put others first. Remember, what’s good for your buyers is good for your business.

According to the Harvard School of Health Sciences, people decide how they feel about you in the first two seconds of seeing or hearing you. If they like you, they will unconsciously tend to see the best in you and look for opportunities to agree and say “yes.” If they don’t like you, the opposite is true.

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