Are You Likable?

The Likability Factor- How personality impacts your professional success.
Lets face it, life is a popularity contest.  Being an instructor I can't tell you how many times I have to talk to my students about this issue.  Some of you may be saying, "I am 30,40 even 50 years old, this had nothing to do with me."  Well, you are wrong.  I have had to sit students down twice my age and have a discussion about how they are in school to learn, they are not here to make friends, and how I can't make people like them.  I have taught long enough to know on the first day, which students are going to make it in this business, and it all boils down to their personality (aka. likability)  The Likability Factor is "the consistent ability to produce positive emotional experiences in other people."


The Problem
Oh, I'll tell you what the problem is.  Self-evaluation is the problem, no one does it.  "It's not you, it's me." No, it's you!   Year after year I have students graduate, and every year I have a hand full come back and talk about how they just couldn't make it in this business. I can tell you that 99.9% of the time, it's the person that always acts like they are better than everyone else, knows it all, and seldom smiles.  I preach from day one about the four factors that you need to succeed in this business are, skills, drive, likability, and knowledge .  We have all experienced bad customer service in our life, and we know how it makes us feel.  You can give an amazing facial, but if you don't smile, if you aren't easy to talk to, and if you act like you don't care, then that person is not going to come back.  In this business we have to adapt to different personality's, and sometimes you have to bite your tongue fake it till you make it.  If you are giving it everything you have, and you still can't retain clients, then you need to look at yourself and how you come across to others.  Keep an open mind, and ask people who you know, to be truly honest and tell you what they thought of you the first time you met.  We have all met people that we may have not liked the first time, but later we changed our mind.  It happens, the problem is, when you are trying to gain clients, and they are paying you money for a service, if they don't like you then they are not going to pay money to a person they don't like.  Who says, "Hey, you were really rude to me, and acted like you don't care, let me give you more of my hard-earned money."

The way people are
In the beauty service industry we are dealing with the most personal of all the senses, touch.  You don't just let anyone touch you.  You have to feel comfortable with that person, if you don't, then you will not enjoy the experience.  We all know how doctors have become. They get you in, listen to half of what you say, prescribe a pill, and get you out the door.  You leave saying, "he didn't even listen to me, what the heck just happened."  We can get that way too.  "Come on in and let me give you a half butt service, pretend I am listening to you, buy these products they will make you look 30 years younger, buy this package of services, now get out because my next appointment is here".  Am I right?
The Factors
An improved attitude will do more than just win you friends. By being likable, you gain as well. Professionally, likable people sell more, have less turnover and are less likely to get laid off.  Why?  People who like you will have a tendency to believe in you.

1) Friendliness- Learn to spot situations where you tend to react in an unfriendly manner, and ask yourself what the consequences would be if you were friendly instead.  Focus on your body language: Smile at a stranger, maintain eye contact during consultations, use good posture.  Make a conscious effort to smile and genuinely nice.  If you are in a bad mood, don't express it to your clients, they are not paying to hear about your husband, kids, coworkers, pain in the butt boss, they have problems of their own.

2) Relevance- Being relevant depends on the connection you share with someone.  With e-mail, and texting, we are loosing that human interpersonal connection.  We are becoming cold, detached, and impatient.  Increase your quality of communication with your current friends by calling them, scheduling real face time.  When I started out, I called all of my first time clients, or anyone that purchased something, just to make sure their skin or product was working for them.  It is a simple gesture that makes you stay relevant.

3) Empathy- Learning to recognize and understand others feelings, that means being a good listener and paying attention to non-verbal cues.  Go out of your way to remember the clients you meet and your conversations with them, When you remember others, they know that you value them.

4) Realness- Be genuine! You need to be true to yourself.  Define your values, and let them guide your life. Be true to others by giving them credit when it's due, admitting your mistakes and being open about your dreams and fears. Know who you are, so people can know you.
It is so important to do a self-evaluation.  You may not like what you find, but in order to grow we have to know. :)