How To Make A Powerful First Impression
My wife grew up on a farm. When we were dating, she wanted to show me all of the places she would play as a kid. Driving around hundreds of acres of farm land sounded like a good idea until I got my truck stuck deep into mud.
As I continued to spin tires, her uncle came to save us. I had never met any family member on her dad’s side. This was not the first impression I wanted to make.
To make matters worse, in the midst of hooking chains to the front of my truck, her uncle misheard my name and began calling me “Robert”.
Again, not the first impression I wanted to make.
In business and in life, first impressions are critical. They can often make or break an opportunity. You want people to think highly of you, and ideally you’d like them to think that way from the start.
You know the importance of making a good first impression. Have you learned how to make an impression that lasts?
The key to making a powerful first impression is understanding that it’s not about how people feel about you, rather how they feel about themselves when they’re around you.
There are a few easy things you can do to stand out and be remembered when meeting someone for the first time…
- Don’t try so hard. Be relaxed. Be present in the moment. It shows when you’re trying too hard and it makes people put their guard up.
- Ask questions. It’s not about you, it’s about them. Always. Asking questions helps you get to know them better and gets them talking about their favorite subject…themselves.
- Laugh and have fun. Unless you’re meeting someone for the first time at a funeral, have fun. No one remembers boring conversations.
- See the sign. Pretend everyone you meet has a large sign above their head that says “MAKE ME FEEL IMPORTANT”.
Do these until they become a habit. Then you won’t have to stress about impressing people and will naturally start off on the right foot.
If you screw up, don’t worry. The only thing more important than a first impression is the second.
