FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Casual First Meets

The way you present yourself for the first time is as important as the words you speak, and not everybody knows that the ‘first impression’ is actually only a seven second window upon first meeting someone.

First impressions are created when one person first encounters another person and forms a mental image of that person. The mental image formed is sometimes an accurate representation of that person, or a greatly flawed assessment depending on the observer and the person being observed and the situation surrounding the meeting.

With every new encounter, you are evaluated and the other person forms an opinion about you based on your mannerism, your body language, your appearance, your demeanour and how you are dressed. It takes just one-tenth of a second for us to judge someone or for someone to judge us and make our first impression, with confidence in impression formation increasing with increasing time taken to form the impression. 'First impressions are lasting impressions', and although sometimes misleading, 'research shows that in many situations, our impressions of other people can be quite accurate' – Wikipedia.

These first impression can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo, making those first encounters extremely important, for they set the tone for all the relationships that follows. So, whether they are in your career or social life, it's important to know how to create a good first impression.

A great way to get a good impression is to present yourself appropriately; start with how you dress. There is a saying that ‘dress the way you want to be addressed’, and so the picture you present the first time says much about you to the person you meeting.  Is your appearance giving the right impression about you? A clean and tidy appearance is appropriate for all business and social occasions; a good haircut or a shave, neat hair-do, clean and tidy clothes, neat and tidy make up. Make sure your grooming is appropriate because appropriate dressing and grooming help make a good first impression and would expressly make others appreciate you the first time, any time.

Be Open and Confident. Almost everyone gets nervous when meeting someone for the first time and can lead to expressing nervousness. If you are one who does this, you should try to keep it in check. Controlling your nervousness will give you confidence and help the other person feel at ease.

Make it a habit to have a smile every time you are meeting people. You do not want to come off as grumpy. A warm smile makes you look at ease and puts the other person at ease to want to continue with a conversation. As the saying goes ‘smile and the world smiles too’, but do not “go overboard with this – people who take this too far can seem insincere and smarmy, or can be seen to be "lightweights."

Generally your attitude shows through in everything you do so project a positive attitude even in the face of criticism or in the case of nervousness. Strive to learn from your meeting with other people and contribute appropriately while you maintain an upbeat manner and a smile. If you feeling on edge this can make the other person uneasy and if you are calm and confident, the other person will feel more at ease and have a solid foundation for making the first impression a good one.

Learn to keep a conversation going. Is there anything that you know of that you have in common with the person you are meeting? If so, this can be a great way to open a conversation and to keep it flowing. It may help you to prepare a line of conversation beforehand, or take a few minutes to learn something about the person you are meeting for the first time before meeting them.

Pay attention to the other person. One thing worth mentioning is ‘putting your phone or mobile devices aside’. What first impression will you create if you are punching the dials on your phone, chatting on social sites, and generally speaking to someone other than the person you are meeting for the first time? Your new acquaintance deserves 100% of your attention. Anything less and you'll create a less than great first impression.

You have just a few seconds to make a first impression and it's almost impossible ever to change it. So it's worth giving each new encounter your best shot.

Much of what you need to do to make a good impression is common sense. But with a little extra thought and preparation, you can hone your intuitive style and make every first impression not just good but great.