Imagine you walk into a business gathering filled with strangers. Who do you tend to gravitate towards, the person who treats you as a stranger by ignoring you or the person who takes the time to make eye contact and say hello?
Imagine you are in a meeting with individuals you have met before, but none of whom are extremely familiar with you. With whom do you feel most comfortable engaging in conversation, the person who addresses you by name or the person who obviously does not remember it?
Make eye contact, smile and say hello
Imagine you are at a social gathering involving your place of employment. Who do you feel the greatest affinity towards, the person whose conversation with you is limited to business matters or the person who engages you in a conversation on matters of mutual personal interest?
You likely have an interest in getting to know, like and trust those who have an interest in you. Given that idea, you do a great service to building your brand when you take an interest in others and work to acknowledge them in some way.
Interest in others equals interest in you
When you make an effort to acknowledge those around you, they want to get to know you that much more. When you make an effort to acknowledge others, they cannot help but like you as you make them feel important. When you make an effort to acknowledge others, they feel more comfortable about you and in the process are more trusting.
Therefore, you should make it a habit to greet everyone you encounter with eye contact and a friendly hello. This might make you feel a bit awkward at first. However, in time it will seem like second nature. Moreover, in time people will perceive you as being an outgoing, friendly person, which is what every personal brand needs.
Author:
Frank Agin is the founder and president of AmSpirit Business Connections. In addition, Frank is the author of Foundational Networking: Building Know, Like and Trust To Create A Lifetime of Extraordinary Success and the co-author of LinkedWorking: Generating Success on the World’s Largest Professional Networking Website and The Champion: Finding the Most Valuable Person in Your Network.
