The Psychology Behind Your First Impression and How You Can Ace It

We make judgments about someone the first second we lay eyes on them. We don’t even have to speak to them. As much as we are told not to do this, it’s a psychological thing that just happens.

These initial judgments come from both physical and material things such as their posture, what they are wearing, what items they are carrying, their hair, even something like how often they blink.

We make another judgment the second we talk to them – tone, smile, eye contact, whether they interrupt you, how they are talking, hand placement. Our brains will have already decided what kind of person they are. Whether they are trustworthy, likable, someone we want to get to know better or someone we want to avoid in the future.

 

Why are first impressions important?

You only get one chance. You can change their overall impression later but it is more difficult to prove against someone’s beliefs. So, why not start off on a high note? How valuable or important we feel about someone’s worth also results in how we treat them.

 

Appearance

The first thing people see is our outfit. The outfit will immediately put you into an easily stereotypical category. Those categories are the ones that we see everyday defined by the media and the ones we see in high school movies. So if you know you want to make a certain impression for a particular event, an interview, for example, you want to dress the part. Depending on the job you are trying to get, you want to fit the role they are looking for.

For example, you want to dress business formal for an interview at a financial company. But you would not wear that to an interview at a skateboard shop. What you wear on your personal time will express your own style. People will judge you based on this but who cares? At work, you need to try to impress certain people, but in your personal life, you don’t have to fit into everyone’s category. But regardless of what you wear, make sure it is neat and clean.

 

Verbal Cues

The next thing people judge us by is how we speak. This will give the impression of a bit of our environment: accent, tones, the words we use, how we pronounce things. That will either support the stereotype someone already put us in or throw them off. Our tone will give them the impression of things like whether we are friendly, confident or don’t want to be bothered – things that are more personality based.

 

Be Genuine

If you don’t have a strong interest in something someone is talking about, most likely the person listening can tell. Don’t try to act overly excited. Just listen to what they have to say. The energy that comes from someone who is talking about something they are truly passionate about is noticeable. You will naturally feel a sense of happiness for them.

 

Have Good Posture

Have confidence in yourself. Stand and sit up straight. When you stand or sit in such a way that is open to what the world has in store for you, things will come to you and you will be more prepared to tackle them. If you catch yourself in a hunched over position with your head down, try these simple steps: lift your head, sit up straight, close your eyes and take a deep breath. It may just be a bad day and you are not in the mood but it will help you feel better. Even letting out a loud sigh helps.

 

So get out there and make a killer impression on every person you meet whether it is formally or passing by.