How to Give a Good Compliment (Without 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 a person. 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:

• Congratulate them behind their back. Instead of complimenting someone directly and risking them thinking you’re insincere, tell one of their closest friends. This works almost every time: in a day or two, the friend will be so impressed that he’ll tell him what you said.
• Let your compliments “accidentally slip away.” Have you ever been a victim of some careless words? My friend once carelessly said, “For a simple guy, you are very confident.” Simple look? He didn’t mean to take offense at 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, go for something very specific: “You have an air of sympathy 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 else you’ll come off as insincere and manipulative. Also, don’t compliment the person in front of a lot of other people (it’s best to do it in private) or you could embarrass them.

Follow these great tips and you will become an expert in giving compliments!