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The First Impression
Introduction
If we want to positively impact the people we deal with, the first impression plays an important role. Our own experience confirms this: the gestures, posture and even the perfume that the person we meet for the first time uses remains in our memory and creates an image that is difficult to erase.
Understanding the importance of this first impression will help us to be successful in the relationships we develop, both social and professional.
- Know how the first impression is formed.
- Improve the way you introduce yourself to someone for the first time.
How is the first impression formed?
The first impression reflects that a human being communicates not only through words but also through their physical appearance, their body posture, their facial features...
Our brain collects all the information available at first glance and then analyses it to make a judgment about the people we meet. We especially look at the face; our brain knows that facial clues are the most significant: the face can express many important emotions.
Afterwards, our brain categorizes the information and then makes quick comparisons where our experiences and perceptions influence. When we are introduced to someone who physically reminds us of another person we already know, we tend to attribute some of those characteristics. If the person resembles someone we like, we will attribute more positive characteristics and show a more open attitude.
How to make a good first impression?
As we have seen previously, first impressions depend in part on the experiences and perceptions of the people in front of you, that is, they have a subjective part that you cannot control. However, there are some things you can take care of the first time you introduce yourself to someone.
Even though there are many opinions about how many seconds a first impression takes, most psychologists conclude and agree that only 7 seconds are enough: what things can you take care of to get the most out of that short space of time?
1. Be authentic: being natural, being true to who you are, awakens great appeal.
2. Take care of your way of dressing and do it according to the context in which you are.
3. Be punctual: if you have an interview, a meeting, etc., whether you are punctual or not, it will say a lot about you.
4. Use the appropriate language: the one we use in the workplace is more formal than the colloquial environment used in the context of friends.
5. Cultivate your social skills: smile, be nice, close and friendly in direct contact.
6. Respect social standards.
Conclusion
If you want to impact others, take care of your first impression, it’s not necessary for it to make a big effort and can be truly decisive.
However, don’t lose sight of the fact that sometimes the first impression that one person takes on another is wrong because for knowing someone, it is essential to dedicate time to that relationship.
Typecasting a person only by their appearances can mislead you. Making an effort to eliminate your prejudices before meeting a person, will lead you to have a more real and less limiting vision of them.
Bibliography
Primera impresión, la prueba de los 7 segundos.
Video and PDF presentationPulsa para colapsar
The following video explains the content of this lesson and shows some examples:
Video T9.L1. The First Impression
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Lesson contents in PDFPulsa para colapsar
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