SOAR TO SUCCESS / Personal Growth Strategies So how can you make a best first impression? Smile. Smile and the world smiles too! Heard this expression? It’s true. Smiling when greeting someone helps to put you and the other person at ease. Be Yourself. The best way to create a good impression is by being your authentic self. Doing this will make you feel more confident, help you to build trust, and earn the respect and integrity from the people you meet. Be Open and Confident. Use your body language to project appropriate confidence and self-assurance. Stand tall, smile (of course), turn toward the other person, make eye contact, greet with a firm handshake or elbow bump. It goes without saying that good manners and polite, attentive and courteous behavior help make a good first impression. Almost everyone gets a little nervous when meeting someone for the first time. But this can lead to unwanted side effects, such as nervous laughter, fidgeting, the “jitters” or sweaty palms. By being aware of your nervous habits, you can try to keep them in check. And you’ll be able to adjust your body language to appear more positive, engaging and approachable. Use Small Talk. Conversations are based on verbal give and take. Prepare some questions for the person you are meeting beforehand. Take a few minutes to learn something about them to determine if you have anything in common. Asking a thoughtful question or comment can be a great way to open the conversation and to keep it flowing. Give Your Full Attention. Set aside distractions, for instance, by turning off your mobile phone so that you can give the person your full attention. Expressing interest and enthusiasm in what someone has to say can help boost your chances of making a good impression. After all, what kind of first impression would you create if you are more interested in talking to someone else? Your new acquaintance deserves 100 percent of your attention. Anything less and you’ll likely make them feel unimportant or even irritated.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTQ2Nzk4