How to make a good first impression

Making a good first impression is incredibly important, because you only get one shot at it. Make sure it’s a lasting and positive one.

Not everyone oozes charm and charisma, which often leads to us being misjudged. How many times have you considered someone stand-offish when they were merely shy?

First opinions usually last

The reality is that most people will judge you within the first second of meeting you and their opinion will most likely never change.

Time is no barrier

Princeton University psychologist Alex Todorov and student researcher, Janine Willis, analysed the reactions of people looking at a microsecond of video footage of a political candidate. They found that research subjects could predict with 70-percent accuracy who would win the election just from that microsecond of tape – proving that people can make incredibly accurate snap judgments in a tenth of a second.

Be yourself

You never want to give people an inaccurate impression – many people can immediately and intuitively feel if someone is being fake. However, when you meet someone for the first time, you'd always want to start on the right foot.

Be interested and interesting

If you are interested in meeting people and are open to learning about who they are, this will come through in your first impression. Smile, make eye contact and make good conversation.

Look the part

Clothes, make-up, jewellery and shoes are all taken into account when people make initial judgements. So what you are wearing and how you do your hair or make-up should communicate what you want it to say to the people you are meeting for the first time.

Watch your body language

Body language is a crucial part of first impressions. Everything from your posture to how you carry yourself to the way you’re angling your body. Often, simply being aware of your body language can result in immediate improvements.

Be calm, confident and proud of who you are! It immediately makes you seem more attractive and creates a positive impression.

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