Likability comes down to only a handful of things…

These are behaviors and actions that can easily be learned by anybody.. Meaning that you can learn to be more likable.

The more likable you are, the easier it will be for you to bond with a patient, which might increase your overall score…

Below I’ve listed 3 super-simple tips that you can implement that are proven to increase your likability and that will hopefully help you improve your CS score.

Tip #1 – Use the patient’s name: Without going into too many details, a person’s name is very personal to them, and when used can make them feel good. With that in mind, referring to the patient as ‘Mr. Jones’, instead of simply asking a question, may work to your advantage. As an example, if you need to ask him a question, instead of saying: “Tell me about your headache”, you could say: “Can you tell me a bit more about your headache Mr. Jones?”

Tip #2 – Smile often: Smiling at someone opens the floodgates for a variety of biochemicals that make them feel good. Knowing this, why wouldn’t you smile at the patient whenever appropriate? Making them feel good will make you more likable.

Tip #3 – Listen Attentively: This should go without saying, but when someone is speaking to you, the more attentive you are and the more it appears as though you’re listening, the more likable you’ll be. There’s nothing people hate more than when the person they’re speaking to doesn’t seem to be listening.

Follow these 3 tips to boost your likability and watch your score increase.

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