1. To be accepted as being genuine, the compliment must sound sincere. Don’t offer a compliment if you don’t actually mean it. Your tone of voice or body language will give you away.

2. Everyone has something worthwhile that you can comment on. Often it’s just a case of getting into the habit of noticing what is special, or a strength, in that individual. Make it your practice to consciously look for things to compliment.

3. Be specific. For example, say something like “You look great in that shirt. It really is your colour.” That shows that you’ve noticed something about the person themselves, and are not just trying to be friendly or nice.

4. Add a question after paying a compliment. For example, after commenting on the person’s shirt you could say “Is it new?” or “Did you buy it to match those pants – they look great together?”

5. Don’t use comparisons when you are giving compliments. For example, don’t say something like “You did so much better than Keira and Sam. Let the compliment stand in its own right. That way, it’s actually more powerful.

6. Compliment areas that are important to the person. Those are more personal and more meaningful to them.