We all know how important it is to make good first impressions. Be it a professional, or a personal setting, it just takes a few seconds and the other person forms an opinion about you based on your mannerism, demeanour, and body language. If you are able to make the perfect first impression, you will find yourself in a much better position.
The problem with first impressions is that they can either make you or break you. People tend to create a lot of beliefs just through the first impression, so it becomes increasingly important for someone to make a good and lasting first impression. Now, many times, we unconsciously make mistakes that take a toll on our first impressions. These mistakes can be easily avoided if you know a few basics of making a lasting first impression.
So, let’s arm you up with amazing tips so that you can start making a lasting first impression.
1. Value time - There is a famous saying that “Promptness demonstrates seriousness and lateness shows contempt.” You should always value time, not only of yours, but also of others. People are getting busier than ever, be it because of their increased workloads or priorities, one should be extremely punctual. If you have scheduled a meeting with someone at a particular time, make sure that you reach on time. As a best practice, you should factor in the worst hindrances, such as traffic and road construction works, and leave for the meeting well in advance.
Now, if you really can’t make it to the meeting due to something urgent, you should ensure that your appointment knows about that well in advance, so that they can better utilize their time. Your small gestures like this will have a deep impact on others, and it will make them think highly of you.
2. Dress to impress: We all remember that one person who dressed well when you met them for the first time. The way you dress showcase your personal brand, it also signifies that you are confident and can be trusted well. So, it is imperative to wear the right clothing. Well dressed people reflect trust and confidence.
If you think of wearing something provocative, you might want to consider it again, as, in the professional world, it is good to go with a conservative look. We are not saying that you don’t remain trendy, what we are trying to say is that one should always be appropriately fashionable. Many experts believe that one should dress like they have already achieved success, as it provides a lasting first impression.
Gone are those days when only rich people can afford to dress well. Nowadays, anyone can dress well, that too in a limited budget, so as to impress others. Along with impeccable dressing, one should ensure that they smell good too. By smelling good, we are not talking about wearing a strong cologne that would make everyone uncomfortable.
3. Listen- Many times when we meet someone new, we tend to ask a lot of questions. We don’t even listen as to what the other person is saying, as we are busy thinking about which questions to ask next. However, it should not be this way. One should show genuine interest when talking to someone, as it denotes you are interested in a person. As a best practice, one should try asking to follow up questions based on the answers given by the individuals - this gives a good transition and portrays that you are attentive to them.
If you get your listening game on point, you will be in a much better position to leave a lasting first impression. People who listen well can easily make a better connection with their audience and in turn, captivate them by asking even better questions. Everyone loves to talk to someone who listens patiently without cutting them in between, so as a habit, make sure that you never cut someone off while they are speaking. Even if you think that the person is getting off the topic, let them complete their statement, and then you can bring the conversation back on track.
4. Research - If you are meeting someone important, or someone you want to impress, make sure you do your homework. By homework, we mean you find a little more information about the person’s life or their career. Then again, try not to find too much information, such as their Facebook status and Twitter feed. It would be good to find a shared connection between you and the person, like their previous jobs or schooling. When the person gets to know that you have some basic information about them, they feel special and you get to have a lasting first impression.
If you are meeting someone for the very first time and it is important for you to leave a good first impression, a little bit of background search could come a lot handy. The best place to get professional information about someone is LinkedIn. Make sure you go through their LinkedIn profile. The icing on the cake would be going through the articles or posts they have shared on LinkedIn, as that would provide you with a good foundation to keep your conversation going. Try not to dig in personal information of the person that you are meeting, cause if by mistake you shared something personal, which they posted on Twitter or Facebook, can really have a toll on your impression.
Do you agree or disagree on this topic? Please share your experience, if these tips helped you in getting a lasting first impression?
