How to Give a Good Compliment (No Brown Noses)

Have you ever wanted to be a good compliment giver? Being able to make that strong impression through a genuine and well-timed compliment is a very important part of being memorable to someone. But how do you give a compliment without sounding like a kiss or a brown nose? That’s complicated! But I have highlighted three safe ways to give good compliments:

• Praise them behind their back. Instead of directly complimenting someone and risking them thinking you’re insincere, tell one of their closest friends about it. This works almost every time: in a day or two, the friend will be so impressed that he will tell him what you said.
• Let your compliments “accidentally slip away.” Have you ever been the victim of some careless words? My friend once carelessly said, “For a simple guy, you’re very confident.” Simple look? He didn’t mean to be offended by this, but it was an ‘ouch’ moment. Instead, the opposite way can work wonders: Give someone a compliment, but make it look like you don’t even realize you’re doing it. Say, “Anyone as smart as you would have figured it out in no time, but I was struggling a lot.”
• Make your compliment believable. Don’t say broad, trite, or overly general things like “You’re the most beautiful person!”, “I like your jacket,” or “You’re such a nice person!” Instead, target something very specific: “You have an air of friendliness and sincerity about you!” or “You have very nice teeth.” These comments will surprise them and make them think about it for hours, maybe even days.

A word of warning: don’t compliment someone too often (once every few months is enough), or you’ll come across as insincere and manipulative. Also, don’t compliment the person in front of lots of other people (it’s best to do it in private) or you could embarrass them.

Follow these great tips and you’ll become an expert at giving compliments!