People tend to do business with people they know, like, and trust.

The problem is, not all people are likeable. Somedays, maybe even most aren’t.

When operating a business, we have to deal with people. Even in a business-to-business enterprise, we’re not actually interacting with the business – we interact with the people who constitute the business.

Then there are employees, who also have the disadvantage of being people.

Maybe you are a solopreneur or a small shop and don’t have employees (or very few). You’ll still have vendors, subcontractors, and others who work for you, even if they are not directly employed.

While not all people are likeable, there is something that is likeable about every person. Just as there’s no one who is completely perfect, there’s also no one who is completely imperfect. In the end, it’s a matter of which aspects we choose to focus on.

In dealing with a world made up of people, which aspect do you focus on? The likable aspects of a person or the imperfections? The value they deliver, or the annoyance they bring? Which one of these approaches serves your purpose the best?

Not all people are likeable, but when we focus on those qualities in people that are likable, we stand a much better chance of being likable ourselves.