6 tips for making a good first impression

We all want to make the right first impression, especially in the workplace, but with so many hints, tips and ‘must dos’, you can lose track of being yourself and become openly self-conscious about every aspect of what you say, act and feel! So here is a quick and easy 6 step plan to making the right first impression whilst remaining at ease… good luck!

A smile and a greeting

“How are you doing?”, “the traffic was awful”, “it’s a great day isn’t it?” and – the female favourite - “I love your shoes!”

These are typical conversation starters but they work! It gives a warm first impression, starts conversation immediately and shows your character well through your tone, expression and body language, even if you are talking about something as trivial as the weather.

Show an interest

This person isn't going to be your bff (if they turn out to be then that’s an added bonus!) so it doesn’t matter whether you like the look of them or not, still be polite and give them the right first impression of you.

Positive body language

People can, generally, tell what you’re thinking from your body language. Things to avoid are folding arms, looking at your watch, talking to a person but avoiding eye contact, looking around a room when someone is talking to you, sighing or half turning away from someone you are speaking with. These are off-putting to the person you are speaking to, rude and disrespectful. If you don't want to be there, then act, otherwise you've lost brownie points in the first impressions test!

Be presentable

Take pride in how you look. If you want to wear an expensive suit or a full face of make-up, that’s fine – but it isn’t required. So long as your clothes are clean, pressed, you are dressed suitably (preferably not like you’re about to go to a nightclub) and you are comfortable and confident in what you are wearing, this creates a good impression.

Introduce yourself

It shows confidence, it starts a conversation and it shows initiative if you introduce yourself when you first meet someone. When appropriate, if you've prepared an ‘elevator speech’, that’s even better, as going into too much detail about your working situation can put others off, but dismissing it (if you don't know how to sum it up) makes it look as though you aren’t particularly enjoying it.

Attitude

Confidence is great, but cockiness is not. Think about the way you present yourself, what you say and pull together all of the above pointers to have the right attitude. The result will be that people will instantly respect you. If you need a helping hand knowing what your current attitude is, ask one of your close friends and don’t be insulted if it isn’t quite what you thought!

If you sort out these simple 6 points, we can guarantee that your first impression will be much improved. You only have one chance to make that impression and, in the workplace, it is important to have connections, colleagues and peers who relate to you, respect you and will build up a good working relationship with you. You only have one chance, so give it your best shot!

If you have any ideas, please share them below. We'd love to hear from you!