You’ll influence more people by being easy to approach than by being impressive.

Being impressive makes people watch you; being approachable makes them come to you, and only one of those gives you information or a chance to help. A slightly intimidating person hears about problems last. Approachability usually costs a bit of the image you were building, which is why plenty of people pick the other one. The trade is worth making anyway.

Notice what you do that makes people hesitate: your tone when busy, your reaction to questions, the face you pull. Fix one of those this week. Answer the next basic question as though it were a good one.