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Summary: First impressions are exceedingly important in sales. You can learn to better manage these initial interactions.

I wish I had a nickel for every time my mother made me comb my hair or put on a nicer shirt when I was a kid. She did that because she wanted me to make “a good first impression.” As it turns out she was right. First impressions are extremely important because they set the stage for the duration of the relationship.

Sales professionals know the importance of first impressions. Because of this we tend to be a little self conscious and nervous sometimes when it comes to meeting important decision makers for the first time. Anxiety like this can make it harder to express our real personalities, which can ironically hinder our capability to make the kind of first impression we’d like to make. Sound familiar?

Lucinda Bassett of the Midwest Center for Stress and Anxiety has the following rule when meeting people. Twenty percent of the people you meet are going to immediately like you and always will, twenty percent aren’t going to like you and never will, and sixty percent are up for grabs. What is the sales application here? You aren’t going to click with all prospects and customers. Don’t take it personally and move on to the next opportunity. Give yourself permission not to be loved by everyone; it’s unrealistic.

Depending on whose research you look at, it takes about 5-20 seconds for someone to form an initial impression about you. Most people trust their first impressions so they almost always believe they have accurately assessed you. As a result, people are resistant to letting go of their first opinion of you - even if it later proves to be inaccurate. This is great if you make a good first impression, but not so good if you make a bad one.

First impressions are an art and a science. Here are some thoughts on how to manage them:

1. Relax and be yourself. Nothing is less endearing than someone who is not being themselves. Remember that the person you are meeting wants to meet you and is probably a little anxious about how they appear to you.
2. Ask open ended questions about the person you’re meeting and then listen to their answers.
3. Be in the moment. Don’t be thinking about what you’re going to have for lunch; be thinking about them.
4. Make eye contact. When first meeting someone it is appropriate to make eye contact. It communicates that you are open, interested in them, and forthright.
5. Capture, remember and use a person’s name during your initial conversation. Dale Carnegie taught that “a man’s name is music to his ears.” Nothing could be truer.

Do you feel like you’re good at first impressions? Is this an area you could improve upon?

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Tags: listening, personality

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