The Art of Communication

 

How To Make A Strong First Impression: Tips That Really Work!

 Kris Reiniger, cpba

We have all heard this warning: “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.”  Psychologists, writers and seminar leaders caution that we only have from seven to seventeen seconds of initial interacting with strangers before they form an opinion of us.

 

With this widely acknowledged pressure to “make our case” instantly, here are some tried and true tips for making your first impression truly positive.

 

 

• The greatest way to make a strong and positive first impression is to demonstrate immediately that the other person – not you – is the center of attention and conversation.  Illustrate the spotlight is on you only, and you’ll miss opportunities for friendships, jobs, love relationships, networking, and even sales.  Show that you are other-centered and first time acquaintances will be eager to meet with you again.

• You’ll make a superb initial impression when you demonstrate good listening skills.  Give verbal clues like: “Hmmm….interesting”, “Tell me more, please”, and “What did you do next?” No different than actors benefiting from prompts, your conversational partner will welcome your assistance in keeping the exchange going.

• Nonverbally, you show you’re a good listener by maintaining steady eye contact.  Keep in mind how you respond to the social ”who can I talk to next” individual who appears to be looking over your shoulder for his/her next casualty.

• Use the name of your new acquaintance frequently.  You show that you have paid attention by catching the name during the introduction.  Equally as important, you’ll make conversations more personal by including the listeners name several times.  Remember, we all like hearing the sound of our own names.

• Follow Dr. Wayne Dyer’s advise, offered in his wonderful book ” Real Magic”, by giving up the need to be right.  Confrontations with someone you’ve just met will destroy rapport before you even start building it.  Wait until you’ve established credibility before you challenge another’s statements.

• An individual’s speaking style also impacts the first impression … maybe more than we wish.  Listeners judge our intelligence, our education, even our leadership abilities by the words we select and by how we say them.  Speak so you are easily heard … listening to mumbling can be frustrating.  Enunciate clearly and with confidence and don’t be afraid to change the tone and pitch of your voice from time to time.  A little animation in voice and gestures are often welcomed.

Keeping these tips in mind will help reduce any fear of business encounters with unfamiliar faces  … you’ll start enjoying successes that you may have thought were beyond your reach.

 

As we witness Mother Nature’s paintbrush dancing throughout the next couple of months, I encourage you to take the time to listen to the splendor of this special time of year – Spring.  Colours will emerge like laughter, and the sounds of nature like music … may this be a time of both personal and professional renewal.

 

Kris is a performance coach and talent management specialist with a love for working with individuals, teams and organizations who choose to maximize their levels of satisfaction, productivity and income.