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Education
ChapterTitle
StreetSmarts SM

Making a great first impression

By Nick Cucci How to make a great first impression every time
Fluid Pay LLC Some people are exceptionally charming by nature, but
most of those behaviors can be learned (see www.wikihow.
ave you ever met someone and liked them com/Be-Charming). While it might be a little awkward to
immediately? Many people assume that this is get started, with time, you will find that you refine your
an indication of a natural chemistry between practices and adapt more effectively to new people and
H two people, but the truth might be more relat- circumstances. With these simple guidelines, you can
ed to habits than you think. A great first impression can make a great first impression no matter who you meet.
open doors to new opportunities and help you cultivate
lasting relationships. While you can certainly leave it up • Maintain a respectable appearance: Humans are
to chance, there are several things you can do to leave a highly visual, and you can trust that they will be-
positive, lasting impression on others. gin to develop an opinion about you before you ever
say a single word. How do they gauge this? Your
A first impression is someone’s first interpretation of your appearance.
character and personality, according to Psychology Today,
https://tinyurl.com/4vkn9mak. When you make a great The truth is that we cannot maintain an appear-
first impression, people will be more likely to see you in a ance that makes everyone happy, but by focusing
favorable light and will want to engage with you more. A on maintaining a respectable appearance, you are
poor first impression, on the other hand, can cause you to more likely to appeal to a larger number of people.
miss out on opportunities or may even negatively impact To accomplish this, focus on hygiene and personal
your reputation. style. Make sure you are clean, your hair is combed,
your clothes fit comfortably, and your wardrobe is
With a great first impression, you can: well-maintained. Even small tips, like smoothing
down flyaway hairs or making sure you use chap-
• Perform better during interviews stick, can improve your appearance.

• Kickstart relationships with friends and cowork- • Be warm and welcoming: It is often said that peo-
ers ple do not remember what you said; they remember
how you made them feel, a keen observation first
• Increase your reputation attributed to Maya Angelou, https://tinyurl.com/yxs-
dwcby. When someone is warm and welcoming, it
• Charm romantic partners leaves a great impression. You can achieve this by
focusing on smiling, showing an interest in the oth-
• Feel more confident in every other interaction go- er person and being courteous in your behaviors. A
ing forward welcoming smile and offering someone a drink or
handshake can work wonders.

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