YOU are better received with a smile – if it is natural and genuine. I am lucky; a born optimist who appreciates people, so smiling comes easily to me and I nearly always get one back.

The face and eyes say a lot about how people feel and whether they agree or not. Most situations are improved by an honest smile.

A salesman in one of my teams always made his target, but I thought he could do better. With him, I saw that when he smiled customers looked uncomfortable. He was forcing it.

We talked about it and I suggested he tried smiling through his eyes, where a smile starts, and his results improved.

Tony Blair started with one, capitalised on it and lost it.

Gordon Brown isn’t a natural smiler – and it shows.

George Appleby, Clifton, York.