Got Likability?

Guy Kawasaki, author of Enchantment and blogger extraordinaire, created this infographic to express the many contributing factors to a person's 'likeability'. Kawasaki counts 'likability' as a fundamental component of being an enchanting individual (or company, or product). Its also fundamental to being an effective public speaker. If you've participated in our Executive Speaker Training program at Sage, you already know that establishing a connection with your audience is key to influencing their perceptions and/or behavior. If you haven't had the pleasure, the idea is simple: If they like you, they will remember you, if they remember you, they'll also remember what you said and be more apt to respond favorably to your call to action.

There's so much to takeaway from this infographic, depending on your vantage point. For me, the biggest takeaway is this: Many of us view 'likability' as an innate quality of which we [hope] have in abundance. In reality, 'likability' is more like a virtue that requires attention and practice to build, and a collaborative effort to maintain.

Who are the most 'likable' people you know? Think about some public speakers that you admire, are they also generally likable? What do you think is behind all that mojo?