Do First Impressions Count?

Authored by Priya Bala, Managing Director at The Edge. She has a decade of recruitment experience in the local and regional markets and retains a personal focus on the Marketing, Communications and Digital sectors.

As a recruiter, I meet and speak to dozens of people on a weekly basis. Some have left lasting impressions and years later, even if I haven’t met or spoken to them for a while, I will recall them instantly by the mere mention of their name or just randomly running into them.

Why is it that some people are etched in your mind and others simply fade away?

A study published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology found that the first 15 minutes are when an impression is made during an interview, and that’s enough time to connect and sell yourself.

Here’s how to make your first impressions count.

#1 First impressions include how you sound

I started thinking about this today after a call with someone I hadn’t spoken to in over a year. The tone of their voice conveyed to me instantly the mood the person was in. It wasn’t good. I could “hear” this person’s grumpiness loud and clear in spite of the bad connection.

We make many connections with people throughout our daily lives. It could be in a social setting, in the office, at a business meeting, at an event or like my experience today, just by how we speak to someone on the phone. To a large extent we can control what sort of impression we want to leave behind.

#2 Time to sharpen your senses

A warm smile. Eye contact. A firm handshake. Awareness of other people and our surroundings. All these seem pretty simple right?

But how many times have we given deathly stares to the person next to us in a café or some other public place who is talking loudly on the phone or watching some video on YouTube? How many times have we rolled our eyes when that annoying co-worker struts around the office speaking too loudly on the phone, laughing too loudly and worse still cursing like a sailor, deliberately to attract the attention of anyone who is within earshot. Attention seeker much?

By the same token how many times have we done a double take at the person who strides into the room impeccably groomed, a friendly and confident air about them. And the one who doesn’t just make interesting conversation but is also a good listener.

First impressions matter. It sets the tone for any engagement you have after that.

#3 Put your best face forward

I remember in my first job, my Manager used to remind me to touch up my lipstick before I went in to see the boss or meet my clients. I thought that was funny back then, but I never forgot that piece of advice. To this day, I always touch up my lipstick before any meeting!

#4 Mirror now and then, a reminder to self!

And last but not least, your mood does travel through the phone – my solution to that is to have a little mirror next to my phone on the desk. I have a tendency to frown when I am concentrating but the mirror reminds me to smile and that smile always changes my tone of voice too.

There’s a lot more that goes into making a positive impression. Don’t just take our word for it. Share with us your thoughts in the comments below: do first impressions count?