Fast Impressions
Your First Impression
You only have five seconds to make a good first impression, right? Or maybe it’s
10 seconds, or 13.
A study of 2,000 Americans commissioned by Dollar Shave Club (you might
consider the source), the actual time it takes to make a first impression is actually
27 seconds, and often it is made before any words are exchanged.
What are the cues that people pick up on before you speak? Whether or not you
seem to smile sincerely, whether you make eye contact, and whether you smell
nice were among the most important cues that the respondents reported. After you
DO speak, people notice whether you’re well-spoken, hold conversation well, and
are a good listener. And 83% of the people in the survey said that they tend to feel
more positively about someone who seems confident.
Conclusion
They said that you can make a negative impression if you smell bad, if you act in
an arrogant manner and if you dress poorly. Chances are few of us deliberately do
these things, but it’s worth considering how we present in those first few seconds of
human contact with someone who might become a friend or advocate.
Source:
Post by Bob Veres
Bob Veres, a Financial Planning columnist in San Diego, is publisher of Inside Information, an information service for financial advisors.
