First Impression

By Anna Lynn C. Sibal

So ladies, we all know the saying 'First impressions last'.  We meet these words as a catch phrase on some commercial on TV or the radio, or in some book or magazine that we happen to read. We hear our mothers and our girl friends alternately nag and advise us about making a good first impression. It is an idea that is deeply ingrained in most of us.

We are headed for a job interview, a first client call, a blind date, a dinner with potential in-laws, or whatever important meeting which would have us making new acquaintances. We are dressed to the nines, with our faces perfectly made up and not a hair out of place, and we smell great. Is that enough to make a good and lasting first impression?

Sadly, the answer to that is no. We may look great, just smashingly gorgeous, and that is just fine. But we may ruin what picture we have painted for ourselves at that first glance taken of us with our first move or the first word we utter. How then do we solve this dilemma and create an impression that truly lasts beyond first glance?

The first thing to do would be to make eye contact with the person you are meeting and maintain it for more than a second. And then you smile. Prolonged eye contact and a smile make for a good ice breaker and set the atmosphere for something friendly and pleasant.

If something bad happened to you before the meeting and it brought you to a foul mood, don't show it to the person you are meeting up with. Making a dour face and whining a lot at that first meeting would lead the other person to think that you are not at all nice to be with, so fake a good mood. Soon enough, you would not have to fake it, and you will start believing that you are feeling great all along.

If you are feeling nervous about this meeting, try to hide it by controlling your twitching, fidgeting, jittering, or whatever habit you may have that conveys anxiety. If you feel that you are not making good conversation, you can still redeem yourself by keeping the other person talking about himself. Also, try to talk more slowly. Nervous people have this tendency to talk too fast and to talk too much about themselves. Try to curb that and just let the other person speak.

Once the two of you get warmed up, just encourage him to talk more about himself. Do not be a narcissist by turning the conversation back to your own self. Respond genuinely to him and keep your gestures in sync to what he is saying, or else it would seem to him that you are bored and are not actually listening to what he is telling you. Flatter him with sincerity but do not overdo it.

First impressions truly last, whether it is for good or for bad. Make every impression you make good and lasting.