So I am trying to improve my people's skills... Any tips?

So how polite/well mannered would you say that I am..

1. I usually address every females as ma'am.

2. Whenever I make eye contact with someone, I would sometimes give a quick smile and then look down.

3. I usually give hand-shakes the first time I meet someone.

EX: Whenever I start the day and I see someone, I would say good morning ma'am or good morning sir.

I would say you are being overly polite with the ma'am and sir thing. I usually use those when in a very formal setting and if they were someone older than me. Do you address them as even if they are younger than you? Do you further the conversation beyond greeting them?
Everything else seems though. I don't usually shake hands with someone unless, again, if it's a formal setting like a job interview. But I do know people who shakes the hand of everyone they meet, classmates and/or casual encounters.

^I would say it's not overly polite depending on where you're from. It's totally normal in the South (in the US).
The looking down thing after smiling is a bit awkward. Do you stare at your feet or do you mean just simply looking away? 

suju_lovee said: I would say you are being overly polite with the ma'am and sir thing. I usually use those when in a very formal setting and if they were someone older than me. Do you address them as even if they are younger than you? Do you further the conversation beyond greeting them?
Everything else seems though. I don't usually shake hands with someone unless, again, if it's a formal setting like a job interview. But I do know people who shakes the hand of everyone they meet, classmates and/or casual encounters.

Kerriganton said: suju_lovee said: I would say you are being overly polite with the ma'am and sir thing. I usually use those when in a very formal setting and if they were someone older than me. Do you address them as even if they are younger than you? Do you further the conversation beyond greeting them?
Everything else seems though. I don't usually shake hands with someone unless, again, if it's a formal setting like a job interview. But I do know people who shakes the hand of everyone they meet, classmates and/or casual encounters.

MangoR said: Kerriganton said: suju_lovee said: I would say you are being overly polite with the ma'am and sir thing. I usually use those when in a very formal setting and if they were someone older than me. Do you address them as even if they are younger than you? Do you further the conversation beyond greeting them?
Everything else seems though. I don't usually shake hands with someone unless, again, if it's a formal setting like a job interview. But I do know people who shakes the hand of everyone they meet, classmates and/or casual encounters.

^ Yes, but you're not trying to provide a service to people. You're trying to connect with people. Regular people say things like "Hey. How are you doing? Nice weather we're having today. So how about those *name of sports team*"

If you randomly called me ma'am, I'm gonna look at you like "what? I'm not old."

Plus, not everybody likes to be touched by a stranger. Handshakes are usually done at like business meetings, etc. I guess if you were in the South then you would be extra polite like that.

I usually don't like to talk to strangers much but when I'm interested in them, I go and compliment them like "Oh, your dog is so cute!" or "Excuse me. I think your make-up looks really nice."

You need to improve your people skills? I'm shocked

Kerriganton said: So how polite/well mannered would you say that I am..

1. I usually address every females as ma'am.

2. Whenever I make eye contact with someone, I would sometimes give a quick smile and then look down.

3. I usually give hand-shakes the first time I meet someone.

EX: Whenever I start the day and I see someone, I would say good morning ma'am or good morning sir.

Keion said:
Kerriganton said: So how polite/well mannered would you say that I am..

1. I usually address every females as ma'am.

2. Whenever I make eye contact with someone, I would sometimes give a quick smile and then look down.

3. I usually give hand-shakes the first time I meet someone.

EX: Whenever I start the day and I see someone, I would say good morning ma'am or good morning sir.

Some form of hand shaking or fist bumping is pretty normal when two people meet for the first time.

It's one thing to do it for some motive.

It's another thing entirely to just have it happen.

It's like those people that try to be humble. You can't try to be humble, as humble people don't try to be humble. They just are.

agree with keion.  this thread is a total waste of space actually.  ignorance or stupidity im not sure which one it is...
and in actuality using the word sir in many instances has no correlation to a person actually being well mannered.  someone might use the word sir in a sarcastic way in an underhanded put down.  or a cashier or customer service rep might upgrade their speech from casual to a formal sir, to distance him/herself from you and subtly tell you to F off in a manner of speaking.

Kerriganton said: So how polite/well mannered would you say that I am..

1. I usually address every females as ma'am.

EX: Whenever I start the day and I see someone, I would say good morning ma'am or good morning sir.

Calling everyone ma'am or sir does one thing, instantly put a distance between you and that person. If you're trying to be social and be able to freely talk to them this is the worst thing you could do. If you're meeting someone for the first time, something along these lines would be more appropriate
You: Hi/Hello, I'm <name> Them: Oh hi, I'm <name>*hold out your hand for a shake*You: Pleased to meet you.
In most cases, you could hold out your hand for a handshake right after introducing yourself or after they've introduced themselves. This shows initiative without being overbearing as well as openness. Not all cultures follow this, of course but for most city dwellers in western countries this is pretty usual. Also, how someone holds out their hand for a shake will give you a big clue about how close you can stand to them without violating their personal space. A bent elbow with an upper arm fairly close to the torso typically indicates someone who lives in a crowded place so their personal space is quite small while a straight, stretched out arm at about 45 degrees from their body indicates someone from a less crowded place. How far their hand is from their body is a good indicator of their personal space and how far you should position yourself to keep them at ease. If you're too far away then you give the impression of keeping your distance making conversation difficult while being too close can be domineering and turn the whole situation into a form of social wrestling match.
Making eye contact with someone for the first time is usually awkward. Doing what you do shows submissiveness and a lack of self confidence in approaching strangers or talking to unfamiliar people. This instantly creates distance between the two of you and makes it even more difficult to converse. A better technique would be to make eye contact, smile then gently give a very slight head bow nothing formal like how Japanese and Koreans do it. This technique indicates acknowledgement of the other person's presence as well as showing respect through the slight head bow. This, together with a smile, indicates that you would be open to a conversation should that person wish it. Or, if in a social situation, at the end of the bow you can make eye contact again and depending on the other person's demeanour you may be able to take the initiative to approach and make conversation. The worst thing you could do though would be to hold the other person's gaze and seem like you're glaring at them.

nyckira said: agree with keion.  this thread is a total waste of space actually.  ignorance or stupidity im not sure which one it is...
and in actuality using the word sir in many instances has no correlation to a person actually being well mannered.  someone might use the word sir in a sarcastic way in an underhanded put down.  or a cashier or customer service rep might upgrade their speech from casual to a formal sir, to distance him/herself from you and subtly tell you to F off in a manner of speaking.