5 Ways To Make a Killer First
Impression
via Forbes.com
Most people
will judge you within the first second of meeting you and their opinion will
most likely never change. Making a good first impression is incredibly
important, because you only get one shot at it.
How can you
ensure people are judging you accurately and also seeing your best side? You
never want to give people an inauthentic impression — many people can
intuitively feel if someone is being fake immediately. However, any time you
meet someone for the first time, you always want to start on the right foot.
Here are a few ways you can make sure people’s first impression of you is a
good one:
1. Set an
intention. The most important thing to do for giving a good impression is
to set your intention. This is especially important before any kind of big
event where you would be meeting a lot of people — i.e. conferences, networking
events or friend’s parties. As you get ready or when you are driving over think
about what kind of people you want to meet and what kind of interactions you
want to have. This can be an incredibly grounding experience and works very
well to focus on what kind of energy you want to have for your event.
2. Think about
your ornaments. Clothes, make-up, jewelry, watches and shoes are all types of ornamentation
and people definitely take these into account when making initial judgments. I
highly recommend getting some of your favorite outfits or ornaments together
and asking friends you trust what they think of when they see them. For many
men, they do not realize that their watch can say a lot about them. For women,
purses and large earrings or jewelry can also indicate a lot to a new person
they are meeting. Make sure that what you are wearing and how you do your hair
or make-up says what you want it to say to the people you are meeting for the
first time.
3. Be Conscious
of Your Body Language. Body language is a crucial part of first impressions.
Everything from your posture to how you carry yourself to the way you’re
angling your body. Often, simply being aware of your body language can result
in immediate improvements. Another way to examine your body language is to look
at yourself on a video walking around a room. Subconscious cues to keep in mind
include noticing where you point your feet, the position of your shoulders, and
the way you shake hands.
4. Avoid bad
days. People who go
to cocktail events or mixers after having had a bad day typically continue to
have a bad day. If you are in a depressed or anxious mood, others will pick up
on this from your facial expressions, comments and body language. If you’re
having a bad day, stay home! Otherwise, find a way to snap yourself out of your
bad mood. I find working out or watching funny YouTube videos before events
often gets me in a more social, feel good mood.
5. Be
interested and interesting. If you are truly interested in meeting people and are
open to learning about who they are, they will get this in a first impression.
We have all had the experience of meeting someone and knowing instantly that
they were dragged here by a friend and are just waiting to get out the door and
head home. When you are meeting people for the first time approach others with
a genuine interest in who they are. This is often contagious and you will have
better conversations and lasting connections when you are interested because
they become interested.
