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The Basics of a Good First Impression

By: Kaitlyn Miller

I�m sure that a lot of this I really don�t have to mention, but a fact I�ve learned is that there are all sorts of things that might seem obvious, but get ignored a lot of the time. When it comes to first impression this list might be common sense to many, but if it were so well known--I wouldn�t have encountered as many people as I have who seem to fail to adhere to these basic tenets.

The first is to be on time. Yes, this is rather obvious, and yet why am I meeting up with people who are a few minutes late? Even a single minute can seem like quite a while when you�re waiting for someone to show up, especially if you happen to be early. I�m notorious for being early to whatever I�m going to, and so if the person is late I�m waiting around for that much longer.

I would really suggest that you try to always get to places five minutes early. Any earlier than that and you might make people uncomfortable, or be forced to wait for a long time in a waiting room. Still, try not to cut things too close, and be sure that you never keep the other person waiting.

Next you need to let your personality out. Don�t just go into a routine for selling yourself, and don�t fall back on rehearsed lines or planned stories. Some people can pull off using rehearsed material with ease, but they seem to be in the minority. Instead I see people who seem to be reading from a script, and it makes them come across seeming stiff and odd to me. This isn�t a good way to gain my trust.

Also, always keep custom business cards on you at all times. Never be without something like a color business card, and yes, I�ve once again encountered many people who didn�t have one on them. Given the importance of this I would always keep a spare business card on you at all times separate from the cards you would normally bring to give people. That way if you leave your color business cards at home by accident you always have a spare. Consider it like keeping a spare car key in your wallet. Just in case you need it you�ll have it.

Be sure to dress for the part as well, and make sure you make a lot of solid eye contact. Diverting your eyes makes you look nervous and like you might be hiding something. You never want to give off an impression like that when dealing with a person for the first time.

I hope most will think all of this is as obvious as it comes. Well, you can think it�s obvious, but you also need to be sure you follow it. Sometimes the most basic stuff is the first thing that gets overlooked and forgotten.

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