IMPORTANCE OF GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION

First impression is the last impression. Thus goes a well!nown platitu"e. Man#$
"ou%ting the &era'it# o( the statement ignore its (or'e an" (a'e "i((i'ulties in li(e.
Others harm or "amage their 'han'es o( su''ess in inter&iews.
The# are 'o'!# a%out their merit. )en'e$ the# thin! that the# ignore the wis"om in
this sa#ing. In an# 'ase$ ma!ing a (irst goo" impression is a sure personalit# asset$ not
a lia%ilit#. There(ore$ it must %e put high on the list o( personalit# plus points.
There are reasons (or it. *e ha&e to intera't with people. Man is a so'ial animal. The
impression we 'reate an" lea&e on people trails us. *e 'annot es'ape it.
Our attitu"e to other people is more important than attitu"e to us. People ta!e us as
the# (in" us.
I( we are (rien"l# an" outwar" loo!ing$ intereste" an" +est(ul$ people li!e us an"
a''ept us. I( we la'! these ,ualities$ the# ten" to "istan'e themsel&es (rom us.
Positi&e approa'h ma!es it eas# (or us to get along with others. Also$ we lea&e a ni'e
impression.
This has other a"&antages$ too. *e 'reate so'ial opportunities (or oursel&es %# going
out$ meeting an" %uil"ing %ri"ges. Sharing a'ti&ities (orges 'hains o( (rien"ship.
It is we$ oursel&es$ who put strain on human relations. A (oulmouthe" man$ howe&er
attra'ti&e his ph#si'al appearan'e$ is %oun" to lea&e a %a" impression. One who
spea!s a pleasant wor" o%&iousl# lea&es %ehin" a pleasant impression.
There is no nee" to %e theatri'al or o&er"ramati'. -ou are not a (ilm star. In or"er to
'reate a goo" impression$ it.s ne'essar# to %e natural an" at ease. /et others see an"
meet the real #ou0
There is no "en#ing the &ital (a't that$ at heart$ we want re'ognition$ a''eptan'e an"
appre'iation. *e 'annot isolate oursel&es totall# (rom others an" lea" a (ull an"
satis(#ing li(e. *hen we 'ut oursel&es (rom others$ we %e'ome an islan" o( isolation.
)owe&er$ this "oes not mean that we shoul" %e'ome 'rawling 'owar"s an" ea'h an"
e&er# a'tion o( ours shoul" %e 'al'ulate" to please others. *hen it is a ,uestion o(
sel(respe't or 'on&i'tion$ we shoul" a't "i((erentl#. That is rightl# whate&er others
ma# thin!.
-et$ a ma1or portion o( our li(e is lin!e" with the li(e o( others. This 'annot %e helpe".
This naturall# 'on'erns what the# thin! o( us an" what the# e2pe't o( us.
/es Gi%lin has put it3 4A %usinessman wants %usiness (rom other people. A hus%an"
an" wi(e want lo&e an" a((e'tion (rom ea'h other. A parent wants o%e"ien'e. A 'hil"
wants se'urit# an" lo&e. A salesman wants other people to sign their names on a
"otte" line. A %oss wants lo#alt#$ pro"u'tion$ an" 'ooperation. An emplo#ee wants
re'ognition.5
The %ur"en o( this argument is that people (rom &arious wal!s o( li(e pla# a %ig role in
our li(e. Though we ta!e this role (or grante"$ #et$ the (a't remains that others "o pla#
a signi(i'ant part in our su''ess as well as well%eing.
Ladder of Success
The in(eren'e is3 the #oungster stri&ing to go up the la""er o( su''ess in li(e must "o
all he 'an to ma!e a goo" impression upon them. That.s one wa# he gets their no".
The impression that we (irst 'reate on others ma# or ma# not matter %ut it 'ounts.
Opinions in the light o( e2perien'es ma# 'hange$ %ut the (irst impression "oes sti'!.
Thus$ it is important to 'ulti&ate it. It is %etter to present a (ront whi'h 'annot %e
'hallenge"$ rather than a (ront whi'h has to un"ergo a "rasti' 'hange later$ or at one
stage a(ter another. The (ront must %e genuine. I( it is a (a!e$ it will %e seen through.
No one 'an put on an a't (or all times. No one 'an (ool all the people$ all the time.
It implies that we ha&e to %e natural otherwise the impression is %lighte". This means
that our real sel( must %e winsome. This is what we must wor! on. Not the (a!e
impression$ whi'h 'an %e (aulte".
Thus$ we shoul" stri&e (or a (a'eli(t o( personalit# so that it has a winsome an"
magneti' in(luen'e on people we ru% shoul"ers with. *e shoul" stri&e to %uil" the sort
o( personalit# whi'h ma!es up an instant an" pleasant impa't on those we 'ome in
'onta't with.
The (irst impression we ma!e on others is o( great 'onse,uen'e. Sometimes$ we "o
ha&e to re&ise our impression. E&en then the importan'e o( the (irst impression "oes
not lose its &ali"it# totall#.
Man# #oungsters nurse the notion that the# 'an a't smart6 that the# 'an put on a
show an" get awa# with it. One ma# sa#3 4To"a#$ I am meeting soan"so. I will pull a
(ast one on him. )ow 'an he e&er !now it75 )e ma# su''ee" %ut he is li!el#
to get into an a'tpattern$ whi'h will e&entuall# show him in poor light. So'iet# hol"s
an" shows him the mirror0
*hat are the (a'tors that go in ma!ing a pleasant an" winsome impression7 *e
pinpoint some. To this list$ the rea"er is (ree to a"" his own re'ipes$ i( an#.
Appearance. A la"# 'ame to soli'it m# &ote (or the 8ni&ersit# Senate. She was
"resse" in white%louse an" sari9mat'hing her lil# 'omple2ion$ heightene" %# a "ar!
pin! lipsti'!. I was 4stunne"5 %# her appearan'e an" presentation. She !new the art o(
ma!ing lasting impression. She was ele'te". No won"er0
A stri!ingl# well"resse" woman or man has an e"ge o&er others6 at least so (ar as
ph#si'al appearan'e is 'on'erne".
Now$ thin! o( the opposite an" "raw #our own 'on'lusion.
Not man# ha&e this e"ge %e'ause Go" has not %estowe" on them the attri%utes o(
attra'ti&e ph#si'al appearan'e. :ut it is all the more reason that we shoul" stri&e to
'reate impa't we 'an. This means e2tra 'are on neatness$ grooming$ 'leanliness
an" posture that spea! lou" in our (a&our.
Assets shoul" not %e 'on'eale". The# shoul" %e re&eale". The# shoul" %e highlighte".
This shows sel(respe't. *e 'annot e2pe't others to respe't us i( we 'ount "own our
own sel&es.
Generate your own steam. It is one o( the %iggest assets we o(ten ignore at mu'h
'ost. Pleasant spee'h is the hallmar! o( a winsome personalit# as it ma!es a ni'e
impression. Otherwise people sa#$ 4)e is ni'e so long as he "oes not open his mouth.5
A grating s'ree'hing &oi'e spoils impression. Culti&ation o( &oi'e pa#s "i&i"en"s.
Charming people usuall# ha&e a (rien"l# an" 'heer(ul &oi'e. The# 'on&e# amia%ilit#
an" warmth. Those who ha&e seen Ra1 ;apoor.s mo&ies will 'on'e"e that he ha" a
magneti' &oi'e$ whi'h 'ontri%ute" a lot to his 'harisma
Words lin! us to others. The# are use(ul instruments. The# wor! %oth wa#s3 the# 'an
'reate pleasantness$ an" also 'ause o((en'e. Sar'asti' wor"s$ 'ou'he" in a'i"i' tones$
go a long wa# in 'reating enemies. A 'olleague !nown (or his (oulmouth was
ni'!name" 4'o%ra5 (or he was alwa#s hissing with his wor"s0
*or"s an" meanings similarl# matter a lot. <uite o(ten we ta!e wor"s an" their
meanings (or grante". A (rien" intro"u'ing me to a relati&e o( his sai"3 4Mr Soni is an
upstart in writing.5 *hat he meant was that I was up'oming as a writer.
The tone too is important. A rasping$ harsh tone "ispels others. A whining one 'reates
gloom. A 'heer(ul 'hu'!le 'omes out as i( pearls are (alling out o( a 1ar.
Genuine. Pretension o( superiorit# or authorit# also repels people as no one li!es to %e
ma"e in(erior. The %oss# ones are usuall# "isli!e"$ i( not hate". The pompous ones
%e'ome laugha%le. I( #ou are laughe" at$ #ou are ma!ing a s'ene not an impression.
In short$ 'ulti&ate the art o( spea!ing in tones 'al'ulate" to attra't rather than repel.
Positi&es attra't. Negati&es repel. For e2ample3 'ourtes# attra'ts6 'urtness repels.
Similarl#$ %a" an" mis(it wor"s an" &o'a%ular# go a long wa# in 'reating a ,uestion
mar! against personalit#.
Pay a compliment. Don.t %e niggar"l# in "oing so. There is a goo" wa# to
'ompensate (or this la'!3 listen attenti&el# to the person who is tal!ing to #ou. )e will
%e impresse". /istening attenti&el# is also a 'ompliment. Re(usal to 'ompliment
amounts to 'riti'ism.