Likability has always been a highly desired trait. In our hunter-gathering days, it was the thing that kept you in the group even if you weren’t the fastest or strongest. And now, if the job opening is between two candidates with equal résumés, the tiebreaker is often the answer to the question, “Who’s the better person to be around?”

And you might think that you’re already likable enough, which might well be the case. But the question is, “Can you be more so?” Yes, you could, and there’s no downside to trying. It doesn’t require a lot of thinking or extra time. It also doesn’t mean trying to be everybody’s friend. That’s being nice and that’s just going along and never getting below the surface.

Likability can mean a lot of things: listening, talking, telling jokes, pushing back. It’s whatever the situation calls for and it might mean a lot more people want to be friends with you, but you’re under no obligation to reciprocate. And so the payoff? When people like you, life is easier because you build stronger connections and a wider net for yourself when inevitably you need a ride, a job, or to borrow a ladder. Here are a few simple things that will help tip the scales in your favor.