How to cause a good first impression

A good first impression is especially important when it comes to impressing to establish a relationship with someone important.

So in this post, I will tell you the most common mistakes that make people instantly dislike you. And I’ll also walk you through what you can do instead to make better impressions at business meetings, job interviews, meeting new friends, and even going on dates.

When people come to your interview or conversation, the most common mistakes are looking down, not smiling, and speaking in a monotone voice.

This may seem incredibly detailed, but people form their first impression within the first 7 seconds of an interaction. People decide if they like you before they really know anything about you.

How to cause a good impression?

Act correctly in the first 7 seconds
Get defensive when people laugh at you
Try to hide your weaknesses
Do not answer questions directly
Criticizing the person and not an example of their behavior
Be prepared

1. The first 7 seconds

The first 7 seconds are crucial in your interaction. As I said, what a lot of people do is look down, don’t smile, and talk in a monotonous way.

If you want to impress and make a good pitch, you can’t act that way. You have to approach with confidence, establish eye contact and speak with a smile. You will see that the people you are talking to will smile back for mirroring that same energy as you.

2. Get defensive when people laugh at you

Another aspect in which many people make mistakes is to become defensive when, for some reason, they laugh at you. When someone laughs at something you say or do, you can choose whether to laugh with you or at you.

If you are telling something about yourself and someone laughs at you, you can take advantage and say, “I know it sounds ridiculous but wait until you know the end.”

The vibe gets much better if you laugh with the people, then you can go back to what you were saying.

3. Try to hide your weaknesses

Another common mistake in the business world and even in the dating world is trying to hide your weaknesses. People think that people will like them more because they don’t show weaknesses. But that’s not true.

Contrary to what people think, trying to hide your weaknesses is what makes people not have a good impression of you.

People can partner with you knowing that you are imperfect. But they never will if they know you’re lying to sell yourself out. So, stop thinking so much about what others will think. Sincerity and transparency always win when it comes to a good first impression.

4. Do not answer questions directly

This is an error that sometimes goes unnoticed. And often, even if we recognize it, applying it can be complicated.

When you go to a job interview, you will always be asked to tell about your last job. It seems to be a straightforward question where there isn’t much more to delve into. But there is a question behind this question.

The interviewer doesn’t just want to know about your last job. She wants to know how that last job prepared you to do well in your potential new job.

Another example is on a date. When your partner asks you where you’re from, what you do, or why you’re single. She is trying to find out if she is attracted to your personality and if your charisma matches.

Therefore, try to answer the question behind the question, and things will get much better for you.

5. Criticizing the person and not an example of their behavior

Many times we make mistakes in our first impression when we practice the person himself and not an example of his behavior.

For example, when someone makes you a proposal to present a work in a group, and you don’t want to. Some people refuse and justify it with the fact that they don’t like how the person is.

Instead, you can thank the person for the proposal and then say that you’ve already seen him presenting something, and because of that, you don’t think you two make a good match.

This answer is more specific about how you feel and does not make the other look bad in front of other people when being turned down for a job. That’s how you should deal with the pressure of these moments. The key to dealing with these difficult conversations is to separate the person from the specific behavior that you don’t like.

So in your life, don’t call someone a bad co-worker or a bad friend. Talk about the specific behavior you like the least about him and how it makes you feel.

But normally, the answer may have to be too immediate. And sometimes it is difficult to come up with a good answer in a situation of pressure. Therefore, if you know that an important conversation is coming, prepare yourself in advance.

Think about the questions and tricky situations you may be placed in. Take the time you need to calm down and not become agitated when you are in the situation. But remember, always try to treat people with respect if you to cause a good first impression.

6. Be prepared

If it’s something marked as a job interview, it’s important to do a little research and find out about the people you’re going to talk to. It also serves to know more or less the environment to which you will be exposed and the questions you will be asked.

And, of course, the preparation greatly reduced the nervousness. You can never be completely relaxed, but the fact that you are prepared will help you a lot in that regard.

Conclusion

These were the tips for a good first impression in every environment. Sometimes it’s not easy, but putting this into practice a couple of times, will make you look like an expert!

I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you!

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