- Creating an impression in front of the people you are meeting for the first time is not an as easy a task as it seems to be. Science says that it just takes 7 seconds for a person to build an impression about someone in the very first meet. Somebody builds an image about you in that first glance of 7 seconds.
When they say, a first impression is all that matters, they say it right because it truly does. You never get another chance to create a first impression in front of anybody, be it personally or professionally. The first impression is undoubtedly the last impression and making it last longer in somebody’s head is all in our hands or body language, I should say. Yes, it is all hidden within our body language on what kind of impression we must create about ourselves when we meet and greet someone for the very first time.
- Have that smile
By smiling, I don’t mean to keep that wide grin stuck on your face all the time to hide your nervousness. By smiling, I want you to maintain a pleasant look on your face. I mean to have a good expression. Studies direct that a genuine smile is a feature that most people tend to remember about a person after they have had their first meeting
. Smiling spreads positivity and who would not want their surroundings to be positive and calm. It makes the people comfortable around you, it gives you an asset to be more interactive with them. Scientifically, a smile has been declared to lower the effect of stress hormones which have a negative impact on human health. Smiling is the way to deal with all the anxiousness and suppression that you feel for the need to create a good first impression.
- Dress to Impress
Whether you are going for a professional reason like an interview or a meeting or you are visiting your any of your relatives for a personal venture like a family gathering or any other function; wearing your clothes in the correct manner plays a very significant role to the person in front of you. Your clothes speak for your personality before your words do.
They leave an impact on the person to be judgmental towards us, either positively or negatively. Dressing up according to the occasion is very important, also, it plays a very crucial role with respect to your personality.
- Listen, think and then speak
You cannot be a chatterbox in front of the people you are meeting for the first time, even if you are one in reality. Controlling yourself and being aware of what you utter matters a lot. Especially, in the corporate world, you cannot be as casual as you happen to be with your friends. You have to learn to be dignified enough to speak only when it is required.
You cannot hurry in speaking; you have to listen to what is being said or told, you must think before speaking. Use the ladder of what we call as ‘small talk’. The small talk includes conversations which are short and accurate. This way you get to learn a lot about the person you are meeting, basically, you get to have their first impression without making a *removal* of your own strengths.
- Be polite, show your mannerisms
This goes without saying that you have to be polite and gentle both verbally and physically when you are meeting someone for the first time. You cannot be rude or nasty in your behavior towards anybody. You must not get involved in anything which distracts you from the conversation, say,
your mobile phone, for instance, it should be switched off during such meetings. No would like to get being cornered, therefore, your focus shall not get shifted to anything or anybody else while being in a conversation to them.
- Take care of your accessories
What and how you carry your belongings is equivalent in importance to how you carry yourself. By accessories, I not only meant your watch or other of those which embellish your body. These also include your car or your other mode of conveyance, needless to mention,
all these little things create an image of your personality in front of the other people. The way you walk, movement of your hands during your walk, the foot you step first, all these minutes nuances has their own significance.
These are the four basic magic tricks of creating an impression in front of anybody you meet for the first time. They are keys to the heart of an individual you seek to stay with for a longer time, either personally or professionally.
Some other pointers include being punctual, you cannot disrespect time at such a crucial moment; staying positive, you must learn to reflect positivity around you; be open and confident; you cannot let your nervousness overpower your precious opportunities.
Creating your persona doesn’t mean trying to be someone you are not, therefore, last but certainly not the least pointer is to be real, to be original and to be who you are. This is how you make way to someone’s mind while you encounter them for the very first time.