The first impression that a person gets when initially meeting you will greatly influence how they interpret all your interactions after that. The typical time it takes to form this first impression is around 10 seconds, so you need to know how to get it right if you want to maximize the benefit.

Dress For Success

I have a friend who refused on principle to belief that the way people judged him was heavily influence by what he was wearing. I challenged him to test the theory for himself and if you have any doubts I issue you with the same challenge.

I suggested that he select two different establishments that sold luxury cars. He was to go into one dressed in his worst clothes and into the other dressed in his best suit. He was to act the same in each and simply stroll around looking at the cars. His real task was to note how he was treated in each case.

What do you think happened? When he was wearing his best suit the salesman couldn't get to him quick enough. He was offered coffee and treated with respect. The salesman was doing everything possible to interest him in buying a car.

When he was dressed in his old clothes nobody spoke to him at all. The salesmen glanced in his direction and then went back to what they were doing.

If you want to be taken seriously in life learn to dress for success!

The Body Language of Confidence

On the conscious level we communicate with through our language but at the subconscious level much of our communicating is via our body language. Psychologists have discovered that if the words and the body language don't match each other then the message from the body language takes precedence over that of the spoken language.

When you are meeting a person for the first time this body language is doubly important. Learn to walk like a successful person, stand like a successful person and sit like a successful person. It all contributes to how you are perceived in those first ten seconds.

Verbal Communication

The verbal communication that is most important in regards to the initial impression is the greeting. What you say when you greet a person for the first time will help them decide whether or not you are a person that they should respect or not.

It is well worth your time to think about the best way you should greet a person according to the circumstances of the meeting. If you are going to practice anything in verbal communication then practice greetings.

Non Verbal Communication

Verbal communication refers to what you say and non verbal communication to how you say it. As with body language if the verbal and non verbal are in contradiction it is the non verbal message that makes the lasting impression.

If you don't already have it then develop a confident, self assured, friendly tone to your voice; the tone of a leader. After all, most of the great leaders throughout history have inspired their followers through the inspirational, charismatic way that they speak.

Mental Rehearsal

Because you only have 10 seconds to make that first impression you can't leave it up to chance. Mentally practice meeting people and making a good impression. This will make it clear to your subconscious mind exactly what you expect to achieve in those initial moments and then your subconscious will work to bring all the body language and non verbal aspects into line with your objectives.

Those first 10 seconds can make the difference between building a successful, mutually rewarding business or personal relationship or simply having a casual one off meeting. It is well worth perfecting the art of making a good first impression.