3 Reasons Your First Impression Matters

Like it or not, we all make snap judgments about one another. What you wear, your facial expressions, and how you carry yourself matter.

1.  The Science Behind First Impressions.

“Thin slicing” is a term used in psychology that describes how people pick up on your behavior by finding patterns that are based on “thin slices” of experience. Thin slicing boils down to making super quick judgments about an individual based on simple first impressions. Put a bunch of those together, and people can make an overall impression on you – just a few moments can be enough to make the person you are talking to feel certain that they already know enough about you to make a final judgment. What does this mean for charisma? That you have to focus on the details of your personality – even things that seem too small for you to notice can be picked up on and used by those you are trying to impress.

2. Your Audience Dictates Your Attire.

The cliché “dress for success” is overused but it’s true. You need to be authentic to who you are, but you need to be YOUR BEST authentic self. Your business meetings may not require a suit and tie or a dress, but never fall victim to being too casual. Assess the situation and know your audience. If you think about how you want to show up and how you want to be perceived by your customers, by your team, and by your boss, you will set yourself apart from others. 

3. Charisma and Body Language: Do You Have RTF (Resting Thinking Face)?

As humans, we have a tendency to judge a person’s attitude, level of enthusiasm, and confidence even before they’ve had a chance to speak. What do your expressions and body language say about your level of charisma? For face-to-face interactions, use an open body stance. If you are meeting virtually, make sure you are on camera and smiling as people enter the video meeting. Look into the camera when speaking and lean in when listening. Charisma and body language also include eliminating unwanted body language. This means eliminating bad habits such as looking around the room when someone is talking to you, not maintaining eye contact, staring at your phone, only pretending to listen to someone, furrowing your brow and scrunching your face, slumping, frowning, and having one of those dreaded weak handshakes. You want to give off the feeling that you are smart, approachable, and empathetic, not closed off and cranky. 

In our latest guide, CharismaQ shares actionable tips on how to up your sales and communication game by making a great first impression, aligning your message to your audience’s needs, and delivering your message in a way that’s memorable. 

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