I was interviewing for a job one time and it was nerve racking because the interviews were all in this open hotel lobby, so you could see all the other candidates being interviewed. It wasn't intimidating but it was kind of voyeuristic seeing other people in the process of going through what you were about to do.
I was watching the guy before me interview and I noticed he had a very loud voice and a good presence. He sat up straight, was well spoken(you could hear him through the whole lobby area), and he was well dressed. He had one fatal flaw though. He never smiled. Not once! Not when he was telling a story, not when he talked about his family. Like I said you could hear everything in this lobby. Not one time did he crack a smile.
I thought to myself, "I wouldn't hire this guy. He's way too serious about himself, about life, and customers don't respond well to that type of behavior. They're intimidated. As the interview ended he finally smiled as he shook the interviewer's hand. Too little, too late. I knew he wouldn't get the job because when I came over to the table, the interviewer said, "Man that guy was intense!" I smiled and laughed and she did the same.
Have you ever had someone smile at you and you feel the need to return the favor and smile back? It's call the Law of Psychological Reciprocity, which means essentially people tend to give back the feelings you convey. So if you don't smile, they don't smile, and if you're mean then they're mean right back at you. If I'm having a particular bad day, or dealing with some unruly customers, I find myself smiling a lot to overcome the negative feelings. It makes me feel better and keeps me upbeat, so I have a better day. Try flashing those teeth every now and then, especially when you need someone to return the favor. It works!
-M
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