Compliments Open Doors

"An expression of esteem, respect, affection, or admiration;..." Compliment, as defined by Merriam-Webster's online dictionary.

Compliment for Success is not to suggest insincerity is okay. In fact, an insincere compliment can do more harm than good. What I'm writing about is Sincere Compliments which will drop guards, open doors and build relationships.

But what if you can't find anything you like about the person? Find something.

Find something that you sincerely respect or admire. For example; (if you refer to the success stats I provided in my previous post) you could compliment them on surviving in business in their second year. "Congratulations Mr. Customer on surviving your first year of business (or second or third, etc) when 39% of start ups are out of business after their first year."

This is a big deal! Every year that goes past is a major achievement for a business owner and believe me, we are proud of our achievement and would like a pat on the back for it now and then. If you are the person giving this compliment, your prospect will respond accordingly and in most cases give you the time to introduce your company.