The right compliment can change your entire day. A bad compliment can ruin it. How do you give a compliment? How do you accept a compliment? And what do you do when the compliment is backhanded? On today's episode, as you can guess, they're all about compliments. Welcome to the Jefferson Fisher podcast, where I'm on a mission to make your next conversation the one that changes everything.

If you enjoy learning tools to improve your communication, I'm going to ask you to follow this

podcast, and if you would, please leave a review. If you have any topic suggestions, just throw

them in the comments and I'll be sure to read them. I also want to remind you that my book,

The Next Conversation, is officially out on pre-order, and the links for it

are down there in the show notes.

The next time that someone gives you a compliment, here's what I want you to do.

Number one, instead of downplaying it, you're going to say thank you and tell them what it

means to you.

For example, if I were to say, that's an awesome looking shirt, instead of saying this old thing, oh, I got it at Dillard's off the sales rack, or this is so old, I got this seven years ago, you're going to say thank you. That makes me feel good. I like it too.

Number two, instead of dismissing or deflecting the comment, you're going to say thank you and tell them that you appreciate it. For example, if somebody were to compliment you at work, instead of saying, I was nothing, or I'm just doing my job, you're going to say, thank you.

I appreciate that.

That means a lot to me.

And number three, instead of being self-critical, you're going to say thank you and tell them how you value the compliment.

For example, if somebody were to say compliment your cooking, you made a meal for them,

instead of saying, I should have seen how many times I got it wrong,

or you don't mean that you need to just say thank you.

I appreciate that.

Thank you for noticing.

That means a whole lot to me.

And you can really just never go wrong with a short and simple thank you.

The key with compliments is learning how to accept them, not send them away.

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