THE DOLLAR VALUE OF YOUR SMILES


Do you know that each smile you give to somebody transfers a huge amount of power? Are you aware that each of your smiles carries a great financial value? Do you also know that people who smile regularly succeed in business and career far more than people who habitually frown? Let’s find out.


Some authors associate the value of a smile with big amounts of money, sometimes to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. For instance, David Normando related a case in a book, The Value of Beauty, where Dr. Carlos Camara talked about a patient who, after undergoing changes in smile esthetics, would earn about US$230,000 throughout his professional life. He wondered that a single smile would be worth that huge amount of money.

The worth of a smile is really financially astonishing. In a study carried out by a group of scientists in the UK working with Hewlett Packard Development Company, they found out that “participants who were shown a child’s smile experienced the same level of stimulation as they would have from eating 2,000 bars of chocolate.” This study revealed that, in monetary terms, it would take up to 16,000 pounds sterling (equivalent of $25,000) in cash to cause the same level of brain stimulation as one smile. Wow, one smile worth $25,000!

Generally, studies have found out that children smile a lot, from 400-500 times a day. This makes most people feel happier around them. On the other hand, an average happy person smiles 50-60 times a day, while the average person smiles about 20 times a day.

Researchers at Bangor University embarked upon a study to determine the actual financial worth of each smile. They arrived at the conclusion that each smile is worth $0.43. As low as this amount may appear, cumulatively it sums up to something reasonable in one, two, five, ten years and beyond. This is excluding the multiplier effect of referrals your smiles will attract. For instance, if we multiply $0.43 by 60 times a happy person smiles in a day it will sum up to $25.8 a day, $774 a month, and $9,288 a year. On the other hand, the implication is that what it costs you to frown each time is at least that same amount, $0.43. So in a month you would pay (or lose) $774, and $9,228 in a year, in frowning, in monetary terms.

If we could smile like children, up to 400-500 times a day, it would translate to about $215 a day, $6,450 a month, and $77,400 a year. Wouldn’t that be a huge monetary worth of your smiles?

Besides, the Bangor University research further found out that people would be willing to pay extra money if a salesperson smiled at them and suggests that smiles are a key part of maintaining good business relationships. In fact, Psychology Today reported that researchers have discovered that customers are significantly willing to give money in the $5-$10 bracket to persons they perceived to have a genuine smile.

In a related development, Martha C. Macias writes that studies have also linked smiling with not only improved overall mood, but also with employees appearing more competent in their profession. Customers see staff who smile throughout the day as confident, competent, and more productive. In her words, “The positive emotions that smiling brings combined with the upbeat outlook helps people become more productive in their tasks.”

Do you know that smiling uses only 17 facial muscles while frowning uses 43? Since frowning consumes so much energy to accomplish nothing good, then it makes a whole lot of sense for us to be smiling instead of frowning.

Other Values of Smiling

Apart from financial and business benefits, smiling has very many other advantages.

(1) Each smile improves your health. If you smile often, it will help increase the positive chemicals in you such as endorphin, dopamine, and serotonin. These chemicals help relax your body, lower your heart rate and blood pressure. On the other hand, smiling decreases stress-related hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol.

(2) It breeds trust and fosters friendliness: Denis Waitley summarizes the bonding power of smiles this way: “A smile is the light in your window that tells others that there is a caring, sharing person inside.” A smile is the fastest and most powerful way to close the distance between two or more persons. We feel at home with people who genuinely smile at us and vice versa.

(3) It prolongs your life: A study carried out by Wayne State University showed that professional baseball players who smiled often lived an average of 79.9 years, while those who weren’t smiling lived an average of 72.9 years. So, if you habitually smile, you’re likely to prolong your life by 7 years.

(4) Smiling makes you more attractive: Naturally, we gravitate towards those who smile at us and move away from those who frown at us. This applies to business, marital, career and professional relationships.

You were created with the capacity to always allow your face to crack into smiles. If you smile often (that is, are very rich in smiles), you’ll be rich in power and in all other areas of life. Because you were born to smile, always find something to smile about. Also genuinely give it to people because the character and attitude of your face carries serious financial implications, whether in business or career. Every person deeply appreciates smiles. When you speak you’re using words, when you smile, you’re using pictures. And one genuine smile is worth more than a thousand words.

If this article is useful to you, kindly Like It.

Share:

0 comments