Everybody wants to make a good impression when they meet someone. It’s commonly known that people form opinions of you in a very short space of time, and those impressions can have a lasting effect on your relationship.
To help you out, here are five ways to make a good impression from the first second you meet someone.
Be on Time
When you agree to meet someone at a certain time, you’re essentially signing up to a contract. If someone’s first impression of you is that you’ve broken that contract by being late, then you’re starting from a very bad position.
People’s time is valuable, and you should show that you value it by being on time.
This might not come naturally to everyone, but you can make plans to ensure you’re on time and ready to give the right first impression.
Be Tidy and Clean
You never know when you’re going to make a first impression. It could be a surprise visit to your house, you might have to give your boss a ride to the train station — you just never know.
If you’re keeping these areas tidy and well-maintained, then that’s going to say a lot about you. However, if your car is all smashed up and there’s trash everywhere, then you’re not going to give off the best impression.
Try to keep things tidy and clean and maintain things as if they’re a reflection of you. Take your car into San Diego Auto Body and Paint, and make it say what you want it to say about you. Get your suit cleaned regularly, keep your house more organized— people use anything they can to make an impression, so surround yourself with good reflections of your character.
Dress Appropriately
Making the right impression doesn’t mean wearing a tuxedo wherever you go. It means dressing appropriately for the situation.
Everyone has nightmares about wearing fancy dress to a black-tie party, and it’s because we know dressing appropriately is a big part of the impression we make.
Smile
The power of a smile is amazing. Without saying a word, you can disarm a person and make them feel comfortable around you, just with a gesture.
Meeting someone new can be a nerve-wracking situation, but when you smile, you take some of the tension out of the air. From there, everything gets a little easier, and you will be able to build on your smiley first impression as you grow in confidence.
Be Confident Yet Courteous
If you want people to have confidence in you, then you’ve first got to show you’ve got confidence in yourself. Confidence is one of those things that’s hard to magic up if you don’t have it, but you have to try and project some level of it.
Of course, you always need to remember that being confident and courteous go hand in hand. The impressions people form about you are based on how they feel as much as what you do, and if you’re rude and make them feel bad or slighted, that’s going to have a big impact on their first impression.
