Making a good first impression is a perfect example of something many people don't consider being worth of practicing, yet is something that is extremely important to focus on. Whether you meet new people daily, weekly or monthly, you can't avoid making first impressions - at least if you don't plan to spend the last of your life between four walls. By focusing on making a good first impression and learning how to make the best out of it, you can effectively affect how people you meet see you and feel about you from that point on.
Judging new people quickly is natural. It's rooted in our evolutionary. People needed to decide whether a stranger is a threat or not, and for that, they needed to make quick judgments. Those judgments may or may not be correct, but they last for a long time and are impossible to cancel. And if the judgment made is a negative one, changing someone's opinion is extremely difficult. However, that's not a reason to fear meeting new people. With our guide and a little practice, you can better your chances of making an unforgettable and awesome first impression!
Why is making a great first impression so important?
Whether you are meeting your new boss, friends of your friends or other new people for the first time, it is important for you to focus on how you present yourself. When meeting someone, the first few seconds are essential. During these seconds, your counterpart automatically judges you and makes their long-lasting opinion on how trustworthy, attractive and interesting person you are. This opinion, whether you like it or not, sets the tone for your upcoming relationship. Think about how great it would be if everyone liked you and had a great feeling about you right from the start!
Body Language
Body language is one of the main things people base their opinions on when they first see you. Body language includes everything you do with your body from the way you carry yourself to your posture and to the way you shake hands. Most of the communication happens on a nonverbal level. It means that how we look, smell and sound makes a larger impact on what kind of opinions people have on us than what we say.
Facial expressions are extremely important. Think about making a great first impression as branding yourself well. You want your personal brand to be associated with positivity, right? If so, make sure to have a smile on your face as you say hello to the new people. However, as a genuine smile spreads positivity and happiness, a fake smile can seem unnatural and forced. Best way to avoid it is by practicing it in front of a mirror. Do not overdo it, but practice just enough for you to figure out what type of a smile looks good and natural on you. As said earlier, you have just couple seconds to impress the person you meet - smiling is a good and quick way to show that you are happy to meet them. It will also make people feel more comfortable around you.
People will quickly recognize the overall vibe that radiates from within you. If you have a bad day and it shows, it might be a big no-no for anyone who would like to get to know you. However, if you smile, have an open posture and show that you are easy to approach to, people are more likely to start talking to you. Who knows where that could lead you!
Do your best to start every new relationship off on the right foot!
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Be Confident
It's important to show people that you are confident and that you believe in yourself. People love and admire confidence. Who wouldn't want to be confident and be around confident people? Confidence is a trait that can be practiced so don't worry if you feel like there's some work to do in that area. With good practice and focusing, sooner or later you will accomplish confident mindset! The good and easy basics to help you get started is to stand tall, smile often and make frequent eye contact. That gives people the impression that you are confident, happy and intelligent.
Pro tip: You really don't have to be confident, you just have to look like you are.
Remember Good Manners
This is hopefully obvious to everyone reading this, but if you want to seem like a gentleman (who doesn't?), remember good manners. Do small, simple things that show your respect towards others, remember to say thank you and to be polite. If you are in a middle of a conversation, don't do stuff with your phone. People, especially new people you just have met, deserve your undivided attention. If you have planned a meeting at a certain time, make sure to be on time. Waiting tends to get people annoyed easily. If you happen to be late, apologize to the other party.
Also, take care of your hygiene. Everyone likes a person who smells good and looks fresh. Shower, brush your teeth and wear a little cologne. If you smell and look like you haven't showered in weeks, people will most likely dislike you from the very moment they meet you.
Put your phone away in social situations
Right Mindset
Be the kind of person you'd want to meet. Think about people who you look up to, that you want to spend time with or just interesting people who you would like to meet. Think about what they have in common. Whether it's that they are fun, respected, passionate, social, confident or kind, think about how you could add those features to your behavior. If you seem like a person other people are eager to meet, people will put in the effort to get to know you. You will attract a lot of like-minded people if you play your cards right.
Be authentically interested in getting to know other people. You can tell if someone is really interested in who you are and what you do, and so can other people. If you want to make a great first impression, be sure to be genuinely passionate about the people you meet. Lean in to show that you are actively listening, ask questions and answer their questions with passion.
Be You
People can tell who's fake and who isn't. You never want people to think you are inauthentic. Remember that energy, whether it's good energy or bad energy, is contagious. If you are filled with positive energy, people will respond to you with good energy and happy attitude. As opposite, if you are full of negative energy and negative thoughts, the world will respond to you with negativity.
If there's something fun and unique about you, you might want to stand out from the crowd and bring that up in order to make an unforgettable first impression. People who meet new people frequently may have a hard time remembering all of them, so why not make it easier for them by offering something to remember you for. You can even think of an interesting story to tell in advance!
Dress Accordingly
Dressing well affects your self-confidence and therefore affects your overall mood and the vibes that you send out to the world. Wear clothes that you feel confident in, but remember to also think about how you look and how the clothes you wear fit the occasion. Many men don't realize that the details of their outfit, such as watches or shoes, can say a lot about them. Make sure that the clothes and accessories you wear say what you want them to say to the new people you meet.
Easy ground rules on how to be successful when it comes to dressing, is to wear clean, neat clothes and pay attention to possible dress codes or the nature of the environment. Going to work or to a business meeting? Wear a suit or smart casual outfit. Going to a date? Wear clean clothes that fit the occasion. If you have planned to do something sporty, wear sportswear or at least clothes that you are comfortable in.
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The Art of Small Talk
A skill that would be helpful for everyone to handle. Knowing basic small talk subjects will help a long way when you find yourself in the middle of new people. In most cases what you say is not the main point; but how you say it is. You don't need to ask all the right questions, just ask something small or tell a story. You will instantly seem more social and approachable.
Small talk topic can be anything from recent events, something that happened to you or something about the event that you are attending to at the moment. Try to keep the conversation on positive or at least on neutral topics. You can also ask something about the person you are talking to; something about their occupancy, family, hobbies or passions. Usually, people feel like returning the favor, so if you tell something about yourself, people will respond by telling you something about them. Although the conversation can be built on various topics, try to avoid too personal questions and being too pushy. This can be a major turn-down of the conversation, and it can be hard to bring back to the start.
Tips and tricks to nail a first impression
Here's a quick reminder of the things that will help you with making a great first impression. If you haven't paid attention to how you act when you meet new people, now is the time to start doing so.
- Be confident
- Maintain good manners
- Be genuinely interested in the people you meet
- Take care of your hygiene
- Dress well
- Learn small talk
- Be the authentic you
- Smile
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