3 Elements To Make A Good Impression

It is true that appearances can be deceiving . There are people who make a very good impression, but then it turns out that they have a second, or perhaps a third or fourth, harmful personality; the opposite also happens: at first we have the feeling of having an unreliable person in front of us or with whom we will not get along well and then we realize that we were very wrong.

More than for interpersonal relationships, the first impression is important in professional or social situations. In these cases, a relationship is established in which in the short term it will be impossible to get to know each other thoroughly and, for the same reason, the first impression will be decisive. We have all needed to make a good impression in some circumstances, because thanks to this the doors open or even certain obstacles disappear. 

According to psychologist John Bargh of Yale University, the first impression on someone is formed in two tenths of a second. It originates in the limbic system. The consequence of this first impression is concretized in the predisposition or in the interest that we will show to establish a bond with someone. If the impression is positive, we will show ourselves more open and vice versa.

Professional situations or public relations tend to be more calculated. One does not behave the same way in front of a boss than in the living room of one’s home. It has nothing to do with hypocrisy, but with a reasonable estimate of certain expectations that must be met. Below we present the three fundamental elements to manage well the first impression to give.

Naturalness: a key factor of the first impression 

Acting naturally does not mean being shameless or cheeky  or “folkloristic”.  Without a doubt, it is not the same to have a job interview or an academic presentation as going out with friends or staying in bed watching television. If you overdo it with spontaneity, you can seem rude or very full of self.

Being natural means offering an image in line with the person you really are. If we are messy, for example, we shouldn’t try to look like orderly people. What we can do, however, is to try to control this feature if we think it may harm us. In a good first impression, therefore, it is necessary to highlight the virtues and contain the defects. To do this, a good knowledge of both groups is required: our virtues and our defects.

You can put on some makeup, but without looking like another person and being unrecognizable when you take it off. We must think that naturalness is like aroma, it is quickly identified and quickly associated.

Reliability and trust 

It will be very difficult for them to trust us if we are not honest. If we want to make a good first impression, but to do so we lie or deceive, we will most likely end up generating some apprehension towards us. At the same time, we were provoking additional tension. If we lie, we will be obliged to be very careful so that they do not discover our falsehood.

We must have faith in ourselves, in others and in reality. Better to say you can’t talk about a certain topic because you don’t know it well enough than to speculate trying to convince the other person of your words. It is better to admit that you are a little nervous than to appear falsely confident and obviously tense. You don’t have to force anything. Trust: Whatever the outcome of the situation, it’s always best to be honest.

Direct communication

We have to specify the messages we want to express. If they ask us a question, we answer and we do not deviate from the subject. Let’s avoid making many turns of words or giving a long and detailed speech; in this sense, we must think that the first conversations give a better impression when the exchange of turns of speech is dynamic.

It is important to be communicative. We must not even take our motives for granted or assume that, being synthetic, we will be concrete. Those who do not respect the turn of the word projects insecurity and, of course, that is not what we want. 

When we start a relationship, it must be as less complicated as possible. This new constraint is a blank sheet of paper, an opportunity to start writing beautifully and clearly. Constraints built from simplicity tend to flow better. A good first impression helps prepare both parties positively. In this sense, we can use some makeup, but in an intelligent way, in tune with our true character and without it transforming us.