Seven Strategic Actions In Seven Seconds To Make A Great First Impression

Have you ever been at a business gathering and you feel ackward, ill at ease and downright uncomfortable because you are encountering many people you have not met before? Are you actually afraid of meeting someone or simply making a negative first impression? If you answered YES, you are not alone. There are many people that do have this type of fear or uneasiness.

So now you ask why is this so important? The importance for first impressions is we know that in a time span of about seven seconds you have already decided whether or not you like the person you have encountered and they have made that same judgment about you. Yes, we know that our opinions may change once we get to know the other person better and vice versa. However the power of that first impression can be awesome and can stay in one's mind for a long time.

We also know that business is built on relationships. Relationships are formed based upon a variety of business interactions. Therefore first impressions in business relationships are critical. It is an oversimplification, but if someone labels another person as "likeable" or "unlikeable," everything else that person does will be viewed through that filter of "likeable" or "unlikeable." When someone likes you, they will tend to look for the best qualities within you. While on the other hand, if someone does not like you or mistrusts you, they may believe that you have ulterior motives behind all your actions.

Another very important thing to remember is that we know that first impressions are more heavily influenced by our body language or non-verbal cues, than verbal ones. Research studies have shown that body language can impact the impression you make four times more than anything you say. Therefore, if we want to do business with people who we can trust and who can make us feel comfortable and positive about being around them we need to make a very positive first impression in those critical first seven seconds.

So what can you do in those seven seconds? Here are seven strategic actions to take for you to make a positive first impression:

Strategic Action #1: Prepare for your encounters by "rehearsing" what you will say and do in those first seven seconds.

Strategic Action #2: Adopt a positive attitude before you greet and meet someone. Your attitude will manifest itself in your body language and your words.

Strategic Action #3: Make very positive eye contact with whomever you meet and greet. Look at the person's eyes while greeting them. This action will send a message that indicates your interest and your openness. A little tip to remember is to notice the color of the person's eyes when you meet.

Strategic Action #4: Always smile as you are greeting and meeting someone. A smile is very powerful and is a clear sign of welcome and a clear demonstration to the other person that you are friendly and approachable.

Strategic Action #5: Extend your hand to shake hands with the person you are greeting and meeting. This is a very quick and efficient way to establish an initial rapport between you and the other person or persons. And please remember to observe the rules of good etiquette when shaking hands.

Strategic Action #6: Opening your eyes slightly more than normal when making initial eye contact can enhance your body language message to the other person to send a signal of recognition an acknowledgement.

Strategic Action #7: Respect the other person's personal space or "private zone" which is about 2 to 3 feet away from them. Be very mindful not to invade this personal space.

Creating positive first impressions provide a great strategic advantage for you and your relationship building efforts. Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach encourages you to take advantage of every encounter you have at: conferences, meetings, seminars, workshops, business lunches, public gatherings, social events, and anywhere else that you are around other people. Each of these situations present an opportunity to meet people, network, and expand your professional network of contacts by making a positive first impression. Always remember: you only have seven seconds to make that positive first impression and you have seven strategic actions to help you do just that.