When you offer a sincere compliment to your prospect, you are saying, “Something about you is special.” Most people react positively to compliments because they appeal to the need for self-esteem. Your admiration should not be expressed, however, in phony superlatives that seem transparent. Jack Canfield, author of The Success Principles, reminds us that everything we say to a customer produces an effect: “Know that you are constantly creating something—either positive or negative—with your words.”39