Spirituality for Dawah: How to gain people's love and acceptance?

For a daiee (preacher) to succeed, it's very critical to gain people's love and acceptance. Without it, the dawah will not be very successful.

Let us see some of the ways mentioned in the Quran and Hadith to gain people's love and acceptance:

1. Strengthening one's Imaan and performing abundant good deeds:

Verily, those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, the Most Beneficent (Allah) will bestow love for them (in the hearts of the believers). (19:96)

2. Striving to earn Allah's love and nearness:

Narrated Abu Huraira (RA):

Allah's Apostle (SAWS) said, "If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel, saying, 'Allah loves so and so, O Gabriel love him' So Gabriel would love him and then would make an announcement in the Heavens: 'Allah has loved so and-so therefore you should love him also.' So all the dwellers of the Heavens would love him, and then he is granted the pleasure of the people on the earth." (Sahih Bukhari) 

Hadhrat Ka'ab Ahbaar R.A. says: "A person's good reputation is not established in the people's hearts unless it is first established amongst the dwellers of the heavens".

-Kitab al Zuhd of Imam Abdullah bin Mubarak P.153.

3. Cultivate Zuhd and indifference to people's possessions:

On the authority of Abu al-'Abbas Sahl bin Sa'd al-Sa'idi, radiyallahu 'anhu, who said:
A man came to the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, and said: "O Messenger of Allah, direct me to an act which if I do it, [will cause] Allah to love me and people to love me." He, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, answered: "Be indifferent to the world and Allah will love you; be indifferent to what people possess and they will love you."
[Ibn Majah and others, with a Hasan chain]

Because, a Daiee is one who gives to people and not takes from them.