Priscilla Du Preez

#Smile.
Smile and laugh a lot. It’s contagious and will put everyone in a good mood.

#Try to remember names.
Remember the name of the person whom you meet. Remember some peculiar things about the person: like from where he has studied, hometown, graduation subject, any special interest. It shows you are putting effort to know him.

#Look people in the eyes.
There's a simple trick that will help you master great eye contact.
Just match your eye contact with people: If they look at you, look at them. If they look away, look away.
There's no such thing as "perfect" eye contact. Your goal is to make people feel comfortable with you, which means all you need to do is avoid giving too much eye contact or not enough.

#Ask questions.
Ask inquisitive questions instead of fact-based questions. If you ask fact-based questions, people already have pre-cooked responses for them... So they feel less meaningful.

#Don't talk too much.
Have more micro-conversations throughout the day. Every time you make the choice to say something instead of staying silent, you make it easier to be social next time.

#When you introduce someone, make him/her a superstar.
"This is my friend **. I met him at my first workplace and he saved my job when I had my first project deadline! I can't imagine what would have happened without him."

#Make a silent break.
It will make you more persuasive and confident. People really like that. Don't be tempted to explain same thing 5 times or to fill every break with talk. Short breaks are very powerful.

#When someone is interrupted in the midst of the story, ask that person to continue.
It makes them feel like you care. Like you're trying to understand them. And that creates a connection between you.

#Don’t complain or be negative.
Complaining always sets a negative mood. Don’t drag other people down. Refrain from negative thoughts and feelings. Always try to stay optimistic.

#One of my favorite spiritual principles to live by is to always try to leave everything in better condition than I found it.
Offices, apartments, hotel rooms, cities and YES, people's hearts.
After every interaction, ask yourself: "Did I leave this person in better condition than I found him or her? Did I uplift, inspire, empower him or her? Did I cheer him up? Did I make her laugh? Did I give some love and support?"
If you approach social interactions with this simple intention, you will always know what to do. All other social hacks are just tools.

Via Milena Rangelov / Quora, Preview photo credit: Priscilla Du Preez