Making a good first impression
Whether you’re
broadening your network of contacts or trying to nail a job interview, you can
sway things in your favour by being your charming best
It pays to make a good impression wherever you go,
regardless of your field or where you are in your career. Seeming friendlier
and more professional can help you. John Rampton, an entrepreneur, knows a
thing or two about making a good first impression. He has over 1.5 million
Twitter followers and is a regular speaker at professional networking events.
He shares some ways to be more memorable that anyone can implement:
Understand the timeframe
It’s natural to think you might have upwards of a few
minutes, but Rampton pointed to research from Princeton which indicated that it
only takes a tenth of a second for the average person to confidently judge
traits like competence, trustworthiness, and likeability. That means you may
not have time to even open your mouth before an impression is made, so make
sure you’re dressed for the occasion, properly groomed, and smiling when you
meet someone new.
Helping hand
Leading with a firm, confident handshake is a go-to
piece of advice from armchair experts around the world, but scientific research
validates its benefits.
A study from the Journal of Cognitive
Neuroscience shows that when people lead with a strong handshake, they
are more positively received. Your first interaction with anyone should be a
handshake, and it can make or break your first impression. It’s really that
important. Don’t be afraid to practice with a friend or family member and ask
for honest feedback.
Make some space
According to Rampton, many people try to dominate an
initial conversation with a new person — they feel like silence is awkward, so
they attempt to fill it as quickly as possible with a joke, an anecdote, or a
unique perspective. But this could make you come off as domineering or
aggressive.
Rushing to fill the void of a new interaction can
leave people with a negative impression. He notes another tendency at
networking events for some people seem hurried in conversations, and attributes
it to the societal trend of busy bragging. “Busyness, more and more, is being
seen as a status symbol, and it’s being used to convey authority and importance
in new interactions,” Rampton said. Resist the temptation to rush through the
conversation. It’s better to be comfortable with a bit of silence and give the
interaction time to shape up naturally.
Eye-for-an-eye
A study from the Personality and Social
Psychology Bulletin found a significant positive correlation between
steady eye contact during a conversation and perceptions of intelligence.
“Keeping eye contact can not only make you seem friendlier and more confident,
but more intelligent as well,” Rampton said. This is another thing that can
take some practice, since it can be uncomfortable to hold sustained eye contact
with someone you’ve just met.
Mirror them
People tend to be more comfortable around others who
share their physical characteristics or behavioural habits, as demonstrated
from studies on service industry tips, sales, academic favours, and speed
dating. You can use this to your advantage by mirroring the body language,
posture, and even the speaking tone of others.
“Pay close attention to how they’re holding
themselves, and how they speak,” Rampton said. Don’t engage in so much mimicry
that you seem like a parrot, but do try to display the same emotions, and rely
on similar forms of nonverbal expression.
businessinsider.in
ET20JUL18
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