A compliment is a simple and universal solution to improve the mood of the interlocutor and set the conversation in a pleasant tone. It is important to remember that this is a praise of the real virtues of the individual. There is a stereotype that only men use compliments to flirt with women, but this is not the case. The compliment has no gender preferences or attitudes. They say that in business communication, four basic rules should be followed: a compliment should be sincere, original, appropriate, and there should be no ambiguity.

How not to make compliments

It is not necessary to make a compliment ‘from below,’ or a compliment comparison: when a person humiliates his sense of dignity or his own abilities for the sake of praising another.

A manipulative compliment that is used to ask for something later.

It is not necessary to compliment only on clothes, for example, to say that a colleague has a beautiful dress. Then the impression is created that they do not evaluate a person’s taste and style, but only praise clothes.

Instructive compliments are also a bad tone. On the one hand, you say nice words to a person, and on the other hand, you teach him.

No need to compliment parts of the body: long legs or a slim waist. Compliments are used to emphasize the taste, professional abilities, and the manner of human behavior: something that can be changed or improved.

The phrase “Oh! How you lost weight!” is the pinnacle of tactlessness. After all, in business communication, the topic of health is strictly prohibited.

It is not recommended to make compliments immediately during the first meeting. You have to remember that in 98% of cases your words will be perceived as flattery and not as true information.

How to respond to compliments

If you want your colleagues and friends to show genuine sympathy for you, I guess that you need to learn to respond correctly to compliments. They should be taken with respect and without objection. Do not comment on compliments or ask questions after them. You also do not need to apologize for the praise.