Do first impressions really count?

Oh YES!!

It's a fact that first impressions count. Like it or not, our first impressions of people can significantly affect the way we perceive them, deal with them or even listen to them.

It takes just a very quick glance for someone to evaluate you and form a judgment when you meet them for the first time. Without even thinking consciously about it, the person forms an opinion about you. In literally just one second they're basing this on your body language, your appearance and your demeanour. That's why first impressions count. Good or bad first impressions can literally make the difference between success and failure.

These first impressions can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo. That's why it's so important to get it right. The last thing you want to be doing when you meet someone is to give away any sign that you lack self-confidence. Any negative first impressions you give will set the tone for the relationship that follows. So, regardless of whether it's in your career or your social life, giving the best possible first impressions is vital.

More often than not you'll have prior warning before you meet someone new. That means you'll have time to prepare to give the best first impression. You don't need hours for this; you don't even need minutes; just a few seconds will do as long as you know how to make the most of the time you've got. You're considering body language, facial expression, eye contact, clarity and strength of voice and posture.

In short, your sole focus during that window of time before you shake the person's hand should be on looking confident. To do this you need to employ all the traits that constitute assertive behaviour. Start this straight away the next time you meet someone new.

If you want to give the best first impressions to people, it's essential to remember names. People who remember names tend to be perceived by others as confident. It's impressive if you meet someone and they then address you by your name; it's even more impressive if they do this when you're one of a group of people they've just met.

Remembering names is a simple concept that can really help you to stand out, give the very best first impressions and be seen as a confident person. People seem to think it's much more difficult to do than it actually is; you'll have heard people say 'I'm hopeless at remembering names' - maybe you're one of these people yourself!

The main reason why people struggle to remember someone's name is that they don't register it in the first place. When you meet someone for the first time your senses are drawn mainly towards what they look like and how they behave. Without realising it, you get distracted from what they actually say. Of course, one of the first things they'll say is their name - and that's where the problem lies. You can't forget their name because you never actually heard it in the first place!

Here are a few pretty punchy tips to help you to feel and come across more confidently ... Good Luck!

1. Know what you look like
Find out how people perceive you ... if you look as though you lack confidence, then people will treat you as though you do. In other words, you're already on the back foot and it'll be a lot harder to get people to listen to you.

2. Sort out your body language
Like it or not, people suss you out quickly, mostly by taking in your body language and sound. So get yourself in front of a mirror and be honest with yourself. Do you look confident? If not, why not? Then practise looking confident. Look at your posture, your facial expression, your clothing ... Sounds mad but it works.

3. Don't say sorry
Are you a serial sorry sayer? A lot of people who lack confidence are. They apologise for everything. Well don't. Only apologise if your actions warrant an apology. Some people prefix everything they say with a 'sorry'. This is completely unnecessary and suggests you doubt yourself. You might as well hang a sign around your neck saying 'I lack confidence'.

4. Remember you're not unusual
Realise that you're not unusual. Even truly confident people have their ups and downs. They accept this as part of life. An embarrassing situation is an embarrassing situation .. so what? It happened, there's nothing you can change about it. So learn from it and move on.

5. Be realistic
Accept that you're not unlucky. No one was born confident. Confidence is a skill you  can actually learn. Accept this and start to learn. Just like any other skill, it requires practice and self-discipline to get good at it. We can all do it as long as we accept the challenge.

6. Think positively
Understand your mindset. Be honest with yourself ... are you a positive or negative thinker? Are you a pessimist or an optimist? This is important. It's impossible to feel and look confident if you approach life negatively. A problem is a challenge, a mistake is a lesson to be learnt, a failure is a fact of life.

7. Know where you're going
You'll achieve little, if nothing if you don't have a focus. So work out what you want to achieve, both at home and at work and write down a plan. Think strategically (say over 2 years) and more tactically (say 6 months). One leads on from the other - think strategically first and then decide what you need to do tactically to achieve this.

8. Be happy
Think carefully about what makes you happy and get some of it. Confident people tend to be happy people - just watch them and you'll see. That's because they've found a balance between the things they have to do and the things like doing. They're also realists. They accept that life is life and there are some things that just have to be done but they don't let these bog them down.

9. Smile more
Sounds mad but it's true. Smiling really does help you to feel and look more confident. Someone who walks into a room smiling looks confident. It's a fact. It's also true that smiling actually makes you feel happier. It releases endorphins into your system. This even happens when you make yourself smile ... So it's worth the effort.

10. Control your emotions
Control your emotions but don't stifle them. Think about how you let them out. Don't make a fool of yourself. Take a deep breath, maybe a few minutes too and then explain your feelings in a controlled way. Confident people have the self-control to do this.

Have you struggled to keep a conversation going recently?

Keeping a conversation going requires skills in speaking and listening.

The common mistake most people make is to think that the onus is on them to do all the talking. Not so – in fact the key to keeping a conversation going is not talking but listening.

So don’t worry so much about what you’re going to say next; try paying more attention to what the other person is saying and then feed off it. In other words listen and then respond to what the other person is saying. Don't make the assumption that the onus is all on you.

Think about it ..... If you listen, you shouldn’t have to worry anymore about coming up with something to talk about. Just concentrate on what the other person's talking about and you’ve got a ready made topic without even having to think about it.

Listening comes naturally to some people but not to others; it helps of course if you're interested in what the other person is saying.  Don’t assume that you know what the other person is thinking or feeling. Instead, turn your perceptions into questions. That way, you can make sure there’s no risk of misunderstandings, you show you're interested in what the person is saying and ... you keep the conversation going. So if you listen, you can take your cues from the other person.

Here are a few more tips on keeping a conversation going;
Ask thoughtful questions rather than questions that require “Yes” or “No” answers. Everyone loves to talk about themselves and their interests. Look for clues about the person and comment on them. For example, if the person’s carrying a book, ask what they’re reading.

If you know you’re going to be meeting someone for the first time (particularly in work situations), do some research so that you've got some background on the person. You might not have to use it but it might well come in handy in terms of what you’ve got in common. For example if you've discovered through linkedin say that one of the person’s hobbies is skiing, then you might well be able to’manufacture’ an opportunity to raise the subject ... then hopefully the person will show an interest and the conversation starts to flow.

On the other hand you might discover some useful work-related background information that comes in handy during the conversation. So, if you’ve worked out that you and the person have something in common, try to work those things into the conversation.

Use your body language too -
Make eye contact to show your interested. Good eye contact is the key to conveying interest, concern, warmth and credibility. Bad eye contact does exactly the opposite and can be hard to retrieve.

Smiling also helps. A simple smile is a powerful cue that transmits friendliness, warmth, and approachability.

Use gestures such as head nods to show the person you’re listening. and get your posture right; for example, slouching might not send the right message.