Most of us have heard it said that you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. The fact is that when you first meet a person, he makes a judgment about you in approximately seven seconds. So, whether you’re meeting people at a networking event, business meeting, or professional conference, it’s important to know how to leave positive first impressions on the new people you meet. In an interview situation also you need to act quickly in order to make a brilliant first impression on your interviewers. To nail the interview and be remembered well here are seven things to do in those crucial seven seconds:
- Smile : Smiling makes other people instantly feel more comfortable around you than if you stay straight faced when being introduced to someone. It also reduces your own stress levels so that you’ll feel better during the interaction too! You don’t have to be smiling through your whole conversation, or be plastered with a huge grin across your face – you want to smile enough that you come across as open and friendly, without coming across as fake.
- A Firm Handshake : In most professional settings , you cannot get wrong with a firm handshake when it comes to the question of appropriate greetings. The more firm a handshake is, more the confidence is reflected to the opposite individual. When a person shakes hand firmly, it shows that a person is confident in what he or she has come forward to accomplish. If a person is not confident, he or she will not present a firm handshake and will try to do away with it, kind of running away from the proposal being finalized. So, firm handshakes highly reflect the confidence level in an individual.
- Introduce Yourself : When you shake their hands just say “Hi I’m XXXX;” they will then introduce themselves and you can reply “lovely to meet you”followed by their name.By repeating the other person’s name, you’re showing that you’re really listening to them and breaking the barrier of ‘stranger meets stranger’ by saying their name back to them. Every one of the seven seconds needs to be productive so don’t waste any on random topics- you are there to talk about you, so do so right from the beginning.
- Speak Clearly : There is little point introducing yourself and saying wonderful things if they can’t understand what you are saying. Speak in a competent and confident way making sure what you say is relevant and appropriate; you want to paint yourself in a good light and give them as much, good information as possible. Make sure you don’t speak too loudly or too fast.
- Eye Contact : People perceive you as shifty, nervous or rude when you don’t make eye contact. Therefore, to make a good first impression make sure you lock eyes with the interviewer as soon as you enter the room and maintain it whilst you shake hands and introduce yourself. Don’t stare or be creepy about it, but hold the interviewer’s gaze for at least three seconds at a time throughout the rest of the interview too.
- Dress for Success : The clothing you select is a key indicator of your respect for the interviewers (and the company they represent) as well as how seriously you take the interview itself. The better you dress, the more seriously you will be taken and considered. Not dressing professionally could be taken as an insult or offense.
- Stick to the scheduled time : Arrive five minutes early and be ready. Remember , your interview starts the second you walk through the door. Every interaction counts.It’s a lot to remember and put into practice but it will be over before you know it- in seven seconds to be exact. So smile, shake hands, speak clearly and look smart to create the best first impression ever.