One Trick To Making A Great First Impression
One Trick to
Making Great
First Impressions
Everyone Can Do It
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that making sure you know how to leave a great first impression can make or break you in life.
You can’t undo them, you can’t redo them and, it could mean the difference between your life’s dream landing effortlessly in your lap, or that same dream of yours floating over to the next person and landing effortlessly in their lap.
We’ve got to be able to gracefully and charismatically leave our mark on potential bosses, business partners, influencers and the masses at large. We always have to be prepared. Walking into Starbucks, strolling down the street, going into the gas station or corner store; your future partner, your next opportunity, your dream… they may be there waiting to meet you.
The good news is, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a natural Chatty Kathy or whether, much like myself, you consciously have to turn on that more social part of your personality.
Anyone can learn to leave the kind of impressive and impactful impression that stays with a person far longer than the fleeting few moments it lasted.
It boils down to one main thing.
Think back to the last time you met someone and you just really really liked them.
You just vibed with them. You felt comfortable with them. You wanted to keep talking to them. You walked away with a smile on your face.
You felt great, didn’t you?
That’s the crux of it.
Make sure the other person feels great in your presence.
Make sure they leave feeling good about themselves, feeling comfortable and feeling pleased to have met you. They won't even know why they feel good, they just will.
There are a few ways we can do this, but if you take one thing away from this, just remember – You want to make Mr./Ms. New Person feel great in your presence.
Here are 3 simple things you can do to up your first impression game.
1) Smile…. More.
Don’t underestimate the magic of your smile. Your smile in particular, is the most authentic and beautiful part of you, wrapped up and given freely to another person. It creates instantaneous connection. A genuine, relaxed and comfortable smile speaks louder than anything you can say in those first few minutes. The very essence of you, which no words can capture, is felt when you smile.
An easy smile communicates a confident, likeable and stable person; the kind of person that people want to be around. Quick and simple, it’s the most effective way to leave your mark.
Smiles are contagious. They’ll certainly have you feeling better in the moment, but it’ll also have the person in front of you feeling better, in the moment, in your presence. They will instinctively smile back at you and release their very own concoction of feel good chemicals in their brain.
And best of all, it’s a straightforward and mostly effortless practice. If it’s not the most natural thing for you, make it a goal this week to start smiling at random people. That practice will make it much easier when it’s time for the real deal.
2) Know Your Worth
You really are an incredible and unique person, here on this earth to do something that only you can do.
Even if you haven’t yet realized how amazing you are, act like you know it!
Fake it ‘till you make it.
The taller you stand, the more solid your ground, the steadier your gaze... the more that person will respect you.
People like people they respect and admire.
Remember this person doesn’t know you; they have no prior opinion of you, no judgment, no thoughts- no nothing about you; you don’t exist in their world.
That means you’re a blank canvas.
The more confident you appear, the happier they are to be meeting you, the more attractive they find you and the more you have them wanting something you’ve got. Go beneath the doubts you may have about yourself, realize that your uniqueness is amazing and put your most authentic self forward.
Do all the things you’ve probably already heard about first impressions; shake their hand, look them in the eye etc. Do all of those things while knowing you are a formidable force to be reckoned with.
You, just because you are you, and no one else can be you, are powerful.
3) Make It About Them
People love attention. Consistent and positive attention will brighten anyone’s day. Add sincerity to that and you’ve just made your mark on them. Be genuinely curious about them and stay focused on them; pay attention to what they are saying and ask relevant questions. Most people love to talk about themselves and are all too happy to oblige when someone gives them an opportunity.
Make sure you get and REMEMBER their name. And then make an effort to use it aptly a few more times in the conversation. As Dale Carnegie taught us, a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
For extra bonus points, compliment them. Most people like (probably love) to be complimented (don’t you?) –don’t be fooled if they don’t know how to receive it. Make sure it is a genuine compliment; something you’ve legitimately noticed is a simple place to start. If you notice their outfit, say something about it. If you notice their hair, or their nails or their voice or perhaps you notice their energy, confidently and nonchalantly mention it.
It’s worthwhile to think about first impressions… even the slightest change will lead to a marked improvement. You’ll walk away from your first meetings feeling far more confident.
Is there something else that you do to make a great first impression? I’d love to hear about it. Leave your comments below!