We’ve all been in situations where we had to make a first impression. Unfortunately, sometimes it doesn’t end the way you planned to. Today I decided to point out the seven worst first impression mistakes, and how you are going to fix them.
Mistake number one is eye contact. If you don’t make eye contact with the person you are conversing with, they might think you’re weak, and they will have the advantage of dominating you. It is absolutely essential for you to make eye contact especially if you’re trying to gain their trust. Without this trust, it will be very difficult for you to make a good first impression, and the levels of respect will go down the drain. So in order for you to become better at eye contact is by simply looking people in the eye. I know it may be difficult to do so because we all become self-conscious of how we look when we’re making eye contact with somebody, but would you rather make a good first impression or lose respect?
Mistake number two is smell. Have you ever talked to somebody who smelled absolutely horrible or smelled too much like cologne/perfume? If you have, then you know what I’m talking about. But if you think about it, nobody wants to be around you smell like a bottle of fragrance or a pile of sweat. So what I recommend is taking a shower, grooming, and brushing your teeth, and also try to stick to only one or two puffs of cologne/perfume. Of course, if you are meeting somebody at the gym or somewhere after doing strenuous activities, it might be more difficult for you to avoid this.
Mistake number three is disclosure, and by this I mean gossip. Nobody, and I mean nobody (unless you are also a gossiper) likes to hear someone talk about the life of somebody you don’t know. It’s OK, I’m pretty sure Debra is a nice person and Katherine didn’t mean to steal her man (or maybe she did), but save this to yourself before the person you’re meeting for the first time loses respect for you. The way you talk about other people behind their backs says so much about you, and if the person meeting you for the first time loses your trust, unfortunately you have just made a horrible first impression. To avoid this is by simply keeping those things to yourself, simple as that.
Mistake number four is asking nosy questions. Please don’t be the person who asks personal questions to the person you’re barely meeting. First, you’re going to annoy them, and second, they might think you’re trying to get something out of them, and it might backfire if they purposely lie to you and you begin to tell everybody, "Timothy owns three houses down in Mexico" when he is really living in his parent’s basement with Debra and their dog named Electrolyte. Don’t be that nosy person. And similarly, if the person you’re meeting is asking personal questions, be careful about what you decide to disclose.
Mistake number five is the handshake. I don’t really need to get into detail with this, but make sure when you perform a "proper" handshake, you look at the person in the eye, you don’t shake for too long, and you make it a firm handshake. Practice, practice, practice, but make sure they’re not your pets, that won’t work.
Mistake number six is bad attitude. I believe this one should be number one, but attitude is a turnoff, let down, and annoying if you’re not showing a positive attitude. I know everybody goes through struggles at any point in time, but fake your positivity for a second. Unless they have the time to listen to your story and understand why you’re not being positive, then you can be negative… no, even then you still have to show confidence. Push yourself to smile and engage in a positive conversation. Although it may be difficult to do, in the end you will show strong character and you will make one hell of an impression.
Mistake number seven is judgement. When you meet somebody for the first time, you should not be too quick to judge. People may appear as one thing, but inside they may be something else. Don’t label somebody, even if you’ve known them for a year. It’s best to gradually build up a story behind a face piece by piece rather than just looking at the big picture.
Unfortunately, most of our first impressions cannot be fixed with a second or third one, so avoiding the first seven mistakes will help your impression become a better one, but still, don’t sweat it, we’re all humans and we’re prone to mistakes. If you know you’ll have a second or third chance to make an impression, don’t worry about the first one, work on the next one. I know there are many more mistakes people make, but these are the top seven I believe should be emphasized. And don’t have the "next time I will practice on this" kind of attitude, because in reality, you never know when you’re going to have to make a first impression, so it’s best to begin practicing now.
