11 Life Hacks We Can Use to Win People Over

In games, people sometimes use cheat codes to play their game conveniently. If life is a game, people also use some tricks to make it easier, may it be at work or just interaction with people.

These hacks shared by people on the internet could make your daily life more convenient. As a bonus, you might win people over. Let’s dive in.

• Being really nice to customer service reps. Sounds basic, but it’s wild how often you get upgraded, refunded, or helped way faster just by being cool to the person who deals with everyone’s anger all day. © Sparklefresh / Reddit
• De-escalation. When someone raises their voice, you lower yours. When someone gets angry, you get calm. 99% of people will meet you in the middle.
  Confirm their biases. Validate them. “You’re right, that is upsetting. I hear where you’re coming from.” Don’t tell them they are wrong, just give them the validation they want, and they will eventually get to a more rational state, but not immediately.
  Don’t ask someone, “Why?” Instead of “Why are you mad?” or “Why did you do that?” ask “How” and “What”. What made you angry? How can I help? What does doing [insert irrational behavior] get you X? It will give them pause to think about their actions. © Unknown author / Reddit
• If you greet people as though you are excited to see them, they will be equally happy to see you. This works great if you work in customer service and don’t want to deal with people with bad attitudes. © 2buxaslice / Reddit

• Every time I tried to compliment my female coworkers, saying they had nice eyes or pretty hair, they’d smile awkwardly and end the conversation fast. I didn’t mean anything weird, but it made them uncomfortable.
  Everything changed when I realized I’d been complimenting the wrong things all along. I noticed how my coworkers would make comments about each other’s shoes, jackets, and nails. So I decided to give it a go.
  Next time I had the chance, I mentioned how cool some coworker’s earrings were. She lit up. That’s when it clicked: compliment what someone chose.
  Their outfit, their makeup, the way they styled their hair. Since then, every compliment lands better, and suddenly, I’m not “that weird guy,” I’m “the one who notices the details.”
• Be kind, be gentle, be nice. Then, on the rare occasion when you do get upset, people will notice. People who get upset or are belligerent often, we tend to just tune them out.
  Their baseline is rude, they’re always yelling and saying bad words, so it’s not even noticed, just background noise, like “boy who cried wolf”. But when a nice, quiet person starts doing it...everyone notices.
  Sweet Deborah, who’s always cheerful and nice and pleasant to everyone, when she gets upset and starts crying, everyone thinks “that is wrong” and immediately drops whatever they’re doing to try to set it right. When the quiet person who never speaks does speak up, people listen. Because it’s unexpected. © MedusasS***LegHair / Reddit

• Always tell your kids the truth. Always, no matter how awkward or uncomfortable it is, tell them the truth. Then, on the rare occasion that you have to lie, they will buy it hook, line, and sinker.
  When my niece was small, she got an injury on her forehead. The R doctor said she needed stitches, and she freaked out. Absolutely hysterical, refused to let any doctors near her, it was a mess.
  Finally, I looked her right in the eye and said, “Okay, you win. No stitches. But the doctor has to clean it, or it will get infected. So we’ll just let him clean it, and then we’ll leave. No. Stitches.”
  She calmed right down, let the doctor “clean” her cut (he put in 5 stitches), and didn’t complain a bit. © Wishyouamerry / Reddit
• I worked with this woman—smart, intense, always challenging everything. She could be a handful, but for some reason, everyone loved her.
  One day, I finally asked, “What’s your secret?” She smirked and said, “People tend to forget what you do or say, but they always remember how you leave them. So no matter how the conversation goes, I always end with something kind.” After that, I started watching.
  And sure enough, she did it. Every time. A compliment, a thank you, a favor. She seemed to do it sincerely, too. And it worked.
• Eye contact is one of the greatest life hacks around. I’m not talking about a passing glance, I’m talking about looking someone straight between the eyes without breaking. Obviously, there is a fine line between coming off as powerful/confident versus creepy, but once you get on the right side of that line, it’s like a whole new world opens up to you.
  I personally don’t use this very often, as I am lazy and socially awkward, but whenever I make the conscious effort to make eye contact, it works out in my favor (job interviews, negotiating with landlords/car salesmen, et cetera). © tommydubya / Reddit

• I currently manage around 240 people across 6 restaurants. It is often hard to get them to do what is needed.
  I have found that saying “I need your help” is sufficient to get them on board. People want to feel needed and like they are making a difference. Expressing to them as much makes all the difference in the world. © aaronmicook / Reddit
• Be quick to apologize. I struggle to say “I’m sorry” when I’m mad. But if I can say it quickly, I can change my mindset and get out of that angry state. © itttdone / Reddit
• Never, never, never be rude to a secretary (or receptionist). Always be nice to the secretary. No matter if it is at a company you work for or one you are visiting.
  I was working, and we were doing interviews. I walked into the CEO’s office, he was just finishing an interview with a candidate. Never found out how it went, the CEO’s secretary walked in and told him, “If you hire the guy that just left, I quit.”
  The CEO gave her a questioning look, but she simply put up a hand to indicate “not saying any more”. The CEO tore the guy’s resume in half and theatrically put it in the garbage. The secretary walked back to her desk. I never did find out what he had said or done to her, but he trashed his interview before it even started. © FatherOfGreyhounds / Reddit

In another article, these people shared budget items that turned out to be a long-term money-savers. Check out the details through this link.