 Do you know what is legitimately crazy? What's crazy is that it only takes seven seconds for someone to make a judgment about you. So if this is the first time you've ever seen one of my videos, chances are that in the time it took me to say those first two sentences, you've already formed an impression of me. It's kind of not fair, right? That we don't have more than seven seconds to come across as who we really are. Now I said that's crazy, but what's even crazier is that there's some research that suggests that you're gonna be judged in one tenth of a second. One tenth of a second. And those are for big things like trustworthiness, honesty, which means that the first impression you make on someone is extremely important. It goes without saying and we all know the same. Whether it is a job interview, first day at work, a first date, you do not want to mess this up because not only do you never get that chance again, but if you come off the wrong way, it can be very hard to change people's opinions of you in the future. So how do you do it? How do you make a great first impression? Well, keep watching because I'm gonna share 10 of the best tips I've ever found to help you make a great first impression. I'm Brian Sakawa, this is He Spoke Style. Advice and inspiration to help you dress well, develop your personal style, and be more confident. Sorry, hold on a second, I just need to reply to this text real quick. Okay, so, hold on, sorry, sorry. I just really need to, so that scenario is one that we are all too familiar with these days and being on your phone when you meet someone for the first time or even just having it in your hand will make a terrible impression. It tells someone that you aren't paying attention and it also communicates that you aren't interested in them. So tip number one for making a great first impression is to put the phone down and actually you'd be better off just completely putting it away and make sure you turn off the ringer. This next one is one of my all-time biggest pet peeves. In fact, it's probably the biggest pet peeve I have. It's something that my mother was always insistent about. It's something that if you're in the military could get you in a lot of trouble. If you are meeting someone for the first time, make sure you get there on time. Do not be late. Being late is the ultimate sign of disrespect. So especially for a first meeting, make sure you're planning ahead. You know how long it's gonna take you to get there and follow probably the best advice I've ever gotten which is on time is late and early is on time. And if your first meeting happens to be virtual which happens a lot these days, make sure you've checked your connection and downloaded any software updates you need well before you need to hop on that call. So remember again that right or wrong people are gonna make a judgment about you within the first seven seconds of meeting you for the first time. So what you say is definitely important but those nonverbal things are even more important. The first one and possibly the most important one to keep in mind is eye contact. Eye contact is often taken as a show of honesty and as a way of showing respect to the person you're talking to. And try to initiate that eye contact before you start talking. And then while you're talking, maintain that regular eye contact to show the other person that you're paying attention to them and listening to what they're saying. Now just be careful that you don't confuse making good eye contact with staring someone down. There's a big difference there. So this next one could be considered superficial. It's not fair that someone is going to judge you in seven seconds, but one of the keys to making a great first impression is to understand that your appearance matters. In fact, two researchers from the National Research Council of Canada found that quote, people are affected by your appearance whether or not they realize it and whether or not they think appearance is important. So basically what that means is what you wear and how you look has significant consequences. In terms of clothing, you always want to dress appropriately for the situation. If you're going to a job interview and you're underdressed, that's going to send a signal that you're not serious about the job. If you're overdressed for a casual meeting, that's going to send a different kind of signal and maybe not the one you intend. In terms of physical appearance, the first thing someone sees is your face and taking good care of your skin is an easy way to help you impress in that area. When I look for skincare products, what I look for is simple, easy to use and no nonsense. And that's why my favorite skincare products are from Teege Hanley, who I'm proud to partner with for today's video because they check every single one of those boxes. Now, all you really need is Teege's basic plan. That's a face cleanser, exfoliating scrub and AM moisturizer that has SPF. You need that to protect your skin from the sun and a PM moisturizer that helps with the important repair process that goes on while you sleep. If you're an older guy like me, I would definitely recommend bumping up into Teege's level three system, which includes a firming serum and an eye cream. Now you might think, well, you know, I don't know how to use this stuff. And that's where Teege makes it super simple. 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So let's talk about three specific things you can do to make a great first impression related to another non-verbal form of communication body language. Number one, when you first meet someone and you go in for a handshake, make sure it's firm but that you're not gripping too hard. A firm handshake will appear confident, too hard and you'll be that guy. Number two, stand or sit up straight and hold your head up. When you do this, you present yourself as comfortable and confident. And number three, avoid crossing your arms or legs. If you do this, it subliminally closes you off to the other person and projects that you might not really be interested in listening to them or hearing what they have to say. So one of the things that will contribute to someone having a great first impression of you is if you are able to create a positive environment and a positive experience for them. And the simple way to do that is to be positive and optimistic. People love being around optimists. Being positive lifts people up, makes them feel good and generally makes you someone that people wanna be around. A positive person is approachable. A negative person, people don't really gravitate towards. So keep it positive and use this next tip to turn it up a notch. Okay, so part of creating that positive environment is to put the other person at ease. And there's no better way to do that than with a very sincere smile. A genuine smile will create an impression of trust and sincerity. Now, sometimes you might think you're smiling and you're really not, which is why I honestly recommend practicing smiling in a mirror. And the thing you wanna pay attention to is how your face feels when you smile. So try to memorize that feeling and then recreate it when you're in that situation. Now be careful that you don't go too overboard with the smile. It's gotta be genuine because a fake smile or a smile that's too big will come off as insincere. An important thing to keep in mind when it comes to first impressions is that people will always remember how you made them feel. If they didn't like their interaction with you, then you've definitely not made a good first impression. You can help the other person come away with a good feeling if you listen to them. If you talk too much and don't listen enough, that comes off as rude, overbearing and that you're not interested in them. Listening shows that you're being attentive and it lets the other person know that they're being heard. And another way to let someone know that they're being heard is by asking questions. And there are two different types of questions to ask each one of them with a different aim. An open-ended question like, what is art or who inspires you? That's gonna let the person know that you're interested in them. A closed question like pet sounds or revolver, that'll help you focus in on something more specific. Ideally, you're mixing it up, but don't overthink it, just be sure to listen and engage. So the previous tips, definitely important to making a great first impression, but probably the most important thing is to remember to be yourself. People pick up on insincerity extremely quickly. So be authentic, be yourself. That's gonna make you feel more confident, it's gonna help you build trust with that person as well as earn their respect. Now what happens if you don't make a good first impression? Like at that point, have you completely screwed up this relationship forever? Because it can seem like an absolutely impossible task to recover from something like that. If this has happened to you and you felt this way, what you should know is that it is definitely possible to come back from something like that. And here is a blueprint to help you do that. The first thing you need to do is accept it. Use some self-awareness, go back, replay the interaction in your mind and identify what you could have or should have done differently. Next, find that person and admit your mistake. Apologize if you have to. Something like that is gonna go a long way to repairing that relationship. Then, once you've done that, forget about it. It happened, it's in the past now, let's focus on the future. And finally, you need to be consistent with your positive actions going forward because it takes time to build trust and especially to repair trust. So be sure that every future interaction is positive. Thanks once again to Teach Hanley for sponsoring this video. Just a reminder to click the first link in the description and you'll get 30% off your first Teach Hanley box along with a free gift.