First Impressions: The Competitive Advantage

The neural Caveman Effect drives our responses with all six senses. Intuition, the sixth sense, is the dominant decision-maker of first impressions. In a first impression situation, our combined five senses build a conclusion and pass it off to the sixth sense in three seconds or less. This intuition protects our space and promotes our brand. It is our selection process. Not a perfect process, but an efficient one. How do we navigate through to the bright-side of another person’s sixth sense?

Being in the sales industry for 22 years, I know you only get one chance to make a good impression. However, you CAN rewrite your brand. I am including some of my favorite tips and tricks to build a first impression and create long lasting relationships with YOU as your brand.

1. Energy - The Halo Effect of the overall first impression will fade over-time, therefore projecting Energy will result with a profoundly impactful impression.
2. Showcasing – “What are you showcasing?” Dr. Lucy Matthews, Associate Professor of Marketing at Middle Tennessee University, poses this question to students who participate in campus-wide First Impression workshops. Showcasing specific talents and abilities should be the guide to designing your outward appearance and genre dialogue.
3. Listen – Listen first: speak second. Everyone has an agenda.  Listening to another’s agenda first, allows you to know what to add to your showcase. The person who speaks first, will be more interested in listening to you, once they have shared their pertinent information.
4. Be Deliberate – Be deliberate in who you are talking to and why. Shane Smith, Veteran’s Employee Search Agent at Middle Tennessee State University, says being deliberate at a networking and/or career fair event will put you as a front runner in first impressions.
5. Trustworthiness – The above actions plus those all-important first impression basics, (articulation, smiling, dressing and grooming well), will leave a positive, lingering, first impression; giving YOU the competitive advantage.