Seven ways to make a great first impression. On anyone.
First impressions are key to building lasting trust.
Whether you’re a social being who loves meeting new people, or someone who’s more reflective and private, we all need to make a good first impression. Why? Because first impressions are key to building lasting trust. And trust as we know, is the cornerstone to doing good business.
Social psychologist Amy Cuddy says that when we meet someone new, our natural tendency is to want to show them how strong and competent we are. In reality, what people are really looking for is how warm and trustworthy we might be.
Most of what you need to make a good first impression is common sense. But these simple and practical tips and techniques will show you how to come across as your true, trustworthy and confident self.
1. Do your homework
Whether it’s for an interview, networking event or client meeting, your most important asset and confidence-boosting technique (besides the power pose, but we’ll get to that later) is to be prepared. Identify the people you’d like to meet and look them up online. Get an understanding of who they are, their background, what they’re looking for and if you have anything in common. It gives you something to talk about and shows you have an interest in them. An added bonus is that you’ll get to see what they look like, so when you walk into the room, you have the edge.
2. Dress appropriately
Granted, there is a trend toward a relaxed dress code, which is why you’ll stand out if you dress for the position you want, not the one you have. Think about this: how would you dress if you were the best in your industry? Then make sure your hair, makeup, suit and shoes match that. Consider too that conservative professions like banking have a different dress code to more creative professions such as marketing or advertising. And lastly – the more flesh on show, the more credibility you lose, and this includes men in short sleeves. For those who say how you dress shouldn’t matter, you might be right, but ask yourself, do you really want to work ten times harder to prove your worth?
3. Take control of your nerves
If you’re nervous about your meeting, nothing beats deep breathing to still that beating heart. To help anchor your voice – so that you sound rich, smooth and mellow, not shaky and high-pitched – stage artists suggest these pre-performance tricks: hum, with a low, consistent quality; sing along to your favourite song; and practice bringing your voice pitch down, not up, at the end of each sentence, which will give you more credibility. And one last tip from Amy Cuddy, is to do the power pose. Legs shoulder width apart and arms in a V-position above your head give you the feeling of victory. Find a quiet space to do this and you’ll trick your brain into believing you’re super-confident and successful.
4. Be on time
Showing up late is one of the worst mistakes you can make. Not only is it arrogant and disrespectful, it’s just plain rude. If you have been delayed, let the person you’re meeting know as soon as possible that you’re going to be late, so that they can compensate for it. Texting is okay, but a call is better. Equally important, if you’re more than 5 minutes early – wait outside. The person you’re meeting might be busy, and knowing you’re waiting puts extra pressure on them. Not only that, but anything earlier might indicate that a) you have nothing else to do or b) you’re over-keen.
5. Connect
When the person you’re about to meet walks into the room, stand up, look them in the eye and give them a warm smile. Your key objective here is to build relationship and trust. Focus on them, not on you. Say to yourself, “I really like this person” and your body language, facial expression and tone of voice will reflect that. The person you’re meeting will feel respected and any possible barriers will quickly break down. Offer your hand – thumb up, fingers extended and palm flat (not cupped), grasp the other person’s hand and give a firm, but not bone-crushing, shake. Say something like, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for your time.” And your relationship is off to a good start.
6. Make meaningful conversation
Sure, it helps to break the ice by commenting on the weather or the traffic, but move on swiftly. Find a way to get people to open up by asking open-ended questions, instead of stilted, superficial prattle. Ask about their passions, industry trends or something you noticed on one of their social media profiles. Put all your attention on the other person and listen more than you talk. Be every bit as interested in them as you’d like them to be interested in you. Use their name, often. When asked, speak confidently about what you know and confidently curious about the things you don’t know. Here’s a tip: research says that if eyebrows are set low on the face, the person is informal and easy to approach. If set high, they appreciate good manners and protocol.
7. Follow up
Your meeting or interview went well, and you made interesting connections. Don’t leave it at that. Follow up and do what you said you would. Send the person an electronic copy of your personal or business profile, give links to your website, point them to pertinent articles or online profiles. Make it easy for people to find out about or connect with you, but don’t overwhelm them. Think relevance. To make sure they don’t forget about you in the weeks to come, think about how you can be of service to them. Who can you introduce them to that will enable them to further their cause? What articles can you send them that will be of interest? What meeting or event could you invite them to? Doing this respectfully and appropriately will ensure that you stay top of mind.
Making the effort to incorporate these seven tips into your regular routine will uplevel your interaction and engagement with others, not only for the first time but every time thereafter. Practice them regularly so that you can become more confident, warmth and trustworthy. A must in any business.
Robyn Young is a personal branding strategist and works with successful entrepreneurs and professionals, who want to dream more, do more and be more. robyn@brandheart.co.za | www.brandheart.co.za | Facebook | LinkedIn