Be More Likable In Conversation By Making The Other Person An Expert

Be More Likable In Conversation By Making The Other Person An Expert

Asking questions is a great way to become more likable in social situations, but there are certain types of questions that can go the extra mile. With the right approach, you can appeal to someone’s ego without sucking up to them.

It’s true that people like to talk about themselves, but they like to know that they’re skilled at something even more. If you want to up your likability a little, Julian Reisinger, an entrepreneur and photographer at Quora, suggests you make the people you talk to an expert by asking the right kind of questions:

This grabs people directly by their ego and is therefore extremely effective.

  • “Do you know why I always get this error message?”
  • “You know a lot about social marketing don’t you?”
  • “How can I shoot more accurately?”

  • “Is it true that mercury evaporates at room temperature?”

  • “Could you explain to me how layers work in Photoshop?”

These questions are not only positioning the other person as an expert, they are stroking the other person’s ego so much that you can learn a lot of stuff from them.

You’re not only asking them a question, you’re tipping your hat to their skill set. How could someone not like that? So the next time you’re having a conversation, don’t just aim to learn, let them teach you.

What are useful social skills that can be picked up quickly? [Quora]
Photo by Nic McPhee.


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