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!
