Perhaps your direct reports tend to get promoted faster or your team is more productive. If, for instance, colleagues say you are a great people manager, seek out metrics to support that idea. The next task is to translate those compliments to something measurable. “You might dismiss compliments for things that come naturally to you - but in fact, those are the things that you’re best at” and what you should highlight when you’re trying to make a good impression. Johnson suggests thinking about compliments you’ve received from coworkers and bosses. Ask them what they see as your “strengths, your winning traits, and the most likable things about you,” and then try to emphasize those things when you’re meeting someone new.
It’s useful to have a “trusted cabinet” of friends and colleagues who can help you understand “how you come across to the world,” says Clark.
Observing yourself in this way will help you identify how you can improve your delivery. For particularly high-stakes meetings, it may also be worthwhile to videotape yourself ahead of time so you can see how the other person will view you, adds Johnson. Even if this isn’t your natural way of being, you can assume simple poses that will increase your confidence. That advice is easier preached than executed, of course, so Clark suggests, “using the methodology of power posing to tamp down your cortisol levels.” Take long strides.
Your body language should be “confident and comfortable,” says Clark. When meeting someone new, it’s normal to be nervous but you don’t want your anxiety to show. Your goal, says Johnson, is to “show that you understand the problem the other person is trying to solve and how your skills put you in a position to help.” Clark suggests preparing “two or three talking points that you feel are important and that you want to get across during the meeting.” These talking points will vary, depending on the situation, but in general they should showcase your knowledge, strategic planning abilities, and “grasp of the business.” Ideally the points will crop up “organically” during the course of your discussion, “but if you get to the end of the conversation, and they haven’t emerged say something like, ‘Before we leave, there are few things I want to make sure I mention.’” Know who you’re meeting, what he cares about, and what he might need from you. “So then if you ever say the wrong thing, make a mistake, or arrive at work late, the other person is more likely to assume the best.” A strong first impression, she says, “gives you more latitude to be human.” Here are some strategies to help ensure others see the best in you from the beginning.īefore meeting someone new - whether it’s a potential employer or a new client - do your homework. “You get the benefit of the doubt,” says Dorie Clark, the author of Reinventing You : Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future.
“We make judgments in a nanosecond.” And once that impression is formed, it’s “very, very hard to change it.” Simply put, your relationships and interactions will be a lot easier if you’re able to immediately start off strong. How can you make sure that you start off on the right foot in any of these scenarios? What should you actually say? And what’s the best way to follow up?įirst impressions matter so much because they happen fast, and they are stubborn, says Whitney Johnson, the author of Disrupt Yourself: Putting the Power of Disruptive Innovation to Work. The saying “You only have one chance to make a first impression” holds true in many situations, from job interviews to sales calls.
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