What do Roger Federer and Tiger Woods have in common?
They both know the value of a smile.
Think of the most marketable sports stars today and picture them in your mind. What are their face expressions? Are they smiling, frowning, angry, aggressive, bored, stressed?
I don’t have to tell you the value of a smile. It makes you approachable. It’s endearing. It’s universal. It’s the single most powerful and positive self expression in the world.
Yet so many athletes don’t smile enough.
Now, I’m not talking about smiling in the heat of battle. I’m talking about when you’re in front of the media, at a sponsor appearance or with fans etc.
Have you ever heard someone say this about a celebrity? “I really like that person, that seem nice / down to earth.”
Chances are that celebrity has a genuine smile and they know when and how to use it.
If it’s true that smiling is one of the easiest ways to make friends and influence people (people also includes sponsorship managers) then athletes, who have an audience of millions, should make a genuine smile part of their personality.
