Want to Grow Your Business? Be the Popular Kid—But the Right Kind

Popularity Isn’t What You Think It Is

In high school, the truly popular kids—the ones who seemed to just get along with everyone—weren’t the best-looking, the richest, or the smartest. They weren’t even the best athletes.

They were the friendliest.

The ones who actually liked other people first. They said “hi” in the hallway, remembered your name, and made you feel like you belonged.

And that’s where businesses get it wrong.

Companies spend millions chasing status-based popularity—trying to be exclusive, dominant, or untouchable. But status is fragile. Customers don’t care if you’re the biggest name in the industry. They care if you’re the one they actually want to talk to.

So the question isn’t “How do we get more attention?”

The question is: “How do we become the business people actually like?”

Status vs. Likability: What Businesses Get Wrong About Popularity

Mitch Prinstein, author of Popular: The Power of Likability in a Status-Obsessed World, breaks popularity down into two categories:

1. Status Popularity – This is the “cool kid” factor. It’s based on dominance, exclusivity, and attention. It’s powerful, but temporary. It works—until someone newer, shinier, or louder takes your spot.

2. Likability Popularity – This is built on warmth, trust, and being the kind of company people want to be around.Unlike status, likability compounds over time. It’s what builds real relationships, real loyalty, and long-term business success.

Most businesses chase status when they should be building likability.

Because at the end of the day, customers don’t care about how many awards you’ve won. They care about whether they actually enjoy dealing with you.

How to Make Your Business the “Popular Kid” (The Right Way)

So if the best businesses aren’t the ones with the biggest ads or the fanciest branding, what are they doing instead?

They’re likable. But not in a shallow, inauthentic way. They’re the businesses that make people feel good when they interact with them.

Here’s how you do that:

1. Say Hi First.
   The most likable people don’t sit back and wait to be noticed. They make other people feel seen. The best businesses do the same—they reach out before they’re needed. They follow up. They check in. They make the first move.

2. Show Up Where It Matters.
   The popular kids weren’t locked in a VIP room. They were everywhere. They showed up at games, parties, group events. Likewise, your business should be where your customers are. Whether that’s LinkedIn, industry events, or just answering emails quickly and helpfully.

3. Make People Feel Good.
   People forget what you said and what you did, but they don’t forget how you made them feel. Was your interaction easy? Pleasant? Helpful? Was it frustrating as hell? The smallest things—a quick “thank you,” a fast resolution, a genuine interaction instead of a scripted one—are what make the difference.

4. Be Consistent.
   The best businesses don’t disappear when things get tough. They show up, every time. Customers don’t want to wonder “Is this company still good?” They want to know, without thinking about it, that you’re reliable.

5. Be a Best Friend, Not Just a Friendly Face.
   There’s a difference between being liked and being trusted. The best businesses do both. They’re likable, but they also show up when it matters. They’re dependable, they’re real, and they help people even when there’s no immediate benefit.

How Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Can Actually Implement This

We all know a best friend isn’t just someone you like. It’s someone you can count on. It's someone who gladly helps you carry a 200-pound electric piano through the airport, not once but twice! It's someone who watches your son when your wife goes into labor.

That’s the type of business you want to be.

Here’s how small and mid-sized businesses can actually apply these ideas—not in theory, but in reality.

1. Get Personal, Even at Scale
   Big companies struggle with this. We've been hearing this one for a while but I don't think it's too late to start executing on it. This effort is typically low cost and high impact, just what we like!

   • Remember details. Is a customer launching a new project? Expanding? Follow up about it.

   • Go beyond transactions. The best businesses build relationships, not just sales. A handwritten note, a quick check-in, or just remembering a small detail goes a long way.

   • Be part of your customers' success stories. Don't just sell a service—help them win.

2. Create a Reputation for Being There When It Counts
   Best friends don’t disappear when things get tough. Neither should your business.

   • If a customer has an issue, solve it fast, solve it well, and follow up.

   • If there’s an opportunity to help before they even ask—take it.

   • Be known for showing up when your customers need you most.

3. Make Every Interaction Feel Like an Inside Joke
   The best friendships have a shorthand. A way of just getting each other.

   • Speak your customers’ language—not corporate jargon.

   • Don’t just be a vendor—be part of their team.

   • When they win, celebrate with them. When they struggle, help them through it.

4. Be the Business That People Talk About in a Good Way
   The most likable people don’t brag about themselves. Other people do it for them.

   • Help your customers succeed, and they’ll tell everyone about you.

   • Be easy to refer—make it effortless for people to say, “Oh, you HAVE to work with them.”

   • Treat every customer interaction like it could turn into a glowing testimonial.

At the end of the day, being a popular best friend in business isn’t a gimmick. It’s a strategy. It’s how you stand out, stay relevant, and actually matter to people.

Final Thought: Likability Wins in the Long Run

You know that person who always knows what’s happening? The one who’s got the inside track on the best local spots, who somehow always has a plan—whether it’s a great new restaurant, a last-minute concert, or a pickup soccer game that turns into a weekend ritual. People like that because they bring energy to the room. They don’t just wait around hoping for something interesting to happen—they create the moments worth showing up for.

Your business should do the same.

Have something in your back pocket—an event, an experience, something worth inviting people to. Host a pizza-making night for customers and prospects. Get box seats at the next big game. Put on a golf tournament that people actually want to attend-morning Mariachi, red enchiladas at the 9th hole, and wrap it up before noon! Be the business that brings people together. Not just because it’s a marketing strategy, but because that’s what great relationships—business or otherwise—are built on.

The modern marketplace is a loud, crowded, competitive mess. Every company is clawing for attention, for brand awareness, for engagement.

But what if, instead of fighting, you just focused on being the business people actually like?

Sure, flashy marketing and aggressive sales tactics can work. But the companies that last? The ones people return to, talk about, and genuinely trust?

They’re the ones that people enjoy working with.

Want to be the popular business? Be the business that makes customers feel valued. Be the one they’d call their best friend in the industry.