3 Tips For Making A Positive First Impression

3 Tips For Making A Positive First Impression

It takes a long time to truly get to know someone. It just does. And in the fast-paced world in which we all reside… sometimes a first impression is all we’re given to leave our mark.

In recent years, I’ve been told that I can sometimes come off as rude when meeting someone for the first time. This was completely shocking to me – and really frustrating, too. Those who know me have said that rude is one of the last adjectives they’d ever use to describe me – but it seems that my off-beat sense of humor is not always so well received upon first making someone’s acquaintance. So I’ve been trying to take steps to soften my first-impression personality a bit. I’d never advise to change who you are – not at all – just to try and foster a more inviting energy that gives a better picture of who you really are, and draws others in with open arms, naturally. That way, they’ll want to get to know you. It’s all about inviting people in – never shutting them out.

I’ve come up with three ideas that I think are a great starting point to cultivating a positive synergistic vibe with others. These are all pretty simple in concept – it’s just about making an effort to actually put them into use. Let me know what else we should add to this!

Give a gift

If a friend brings you along to, say, a dinner party hosted by someone you’ve never met, bring a little gift along. A delicious homemade dessert, a beautiful plant in a unique planter… something that helps paint the picture of who you are and what you’re about. The simple gesture of giving creates a positive energy right off the bat, and if you’re able to give a unique gift that somehow tells the receiver something specific about you (like, that you love to bake), you’re opening up the door that much wider for a connection to be made.

Smile

Maybe an obvious suggestion, but an important one nonetheless. I’m quite smiley by nature, but I find that when I’m “being funny,” I often keep a straight face so as not to ruin the joke. But when you’re meeting someone for the first time, keeping a straight face can possibly do just that: ruin it. Be your smiley self and keep the initial jokes light-hearted, and before you know it, you’ll be cracking all sorts of jokes with your new friends.

Be present

This, I think, is one of the hardest things to do when first meeting someone. You’re in an unfamiliar situation, and your mind is racing faster than ever: What was her name? Does my dress look weird? Is there anyone here I know? Am I sounding like an idiot? Stop it. Silence those voices. A racing mind with pull you right out of the present moment, and suddenly you’ll have just had a 10-minute conversation without actually retaining a single piece of information. Slow it down. Take a breath. Be truly interested. Repeat the person’s name. Match it to his or her face like a photograph in your mind. Ask questions – questions to which you really want to know the answers. If you’re present, the other person will be able to feel your genuineness, and a level of comfort will arise naturally – one that isn’t always easy to find upon first meeting someone – and it will be very much appreciated.

Has anyone else ever been told that their first impressions aren’t truly representative of themselves? What do you do to change that?

Follow Brigette on Instagram, and have a look at her blog and Etsy shop!

Free People Blog

3 Tips For Making A Positive First Impression 3 Tips For Making A Positive First Impression 3 Tips For Making A Positive First Impression 3 Tips For Making A Positive First Impression 3 Tips For Making A Positive First Impression

3 Tips For Making A Positive First Impression
Free People Blog

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