How to Make a Great First Impression Every Time

It doesn’t matter if you’re interviewing for a job, meeting new co-workers, clients and vendors, or you’re at a networking event, making a great first impression is critical to your career. After all, there is truth to that old saying that you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

Let’s look at some of the most important steps I’ve used in the past to start off on the right foot with people. And honestly, I used to be a very shy and introverted person that needs a stick of dynamite inserted somewhere to get me to approach others. Even today, I have to give myself a quick pep talk before meeting new people. But these steps helped me, and they’ll help you to.

And hey, for you gregarious extroverts who don’t think you need help, these tips will help you too. Because sometimes … well, you can be a bit much for people to digest. Just saying ….

Ensure your words and actions say you’re credible and reliable     

These first two tips lay the groundwork for how you act when meeting others for the first time. Being professional is not a light switch you can turn on and off when you need to, but rather, it’s a way of life. These will give you a rock-solid foundation that makes giving a good first impression much easier.

1. How do others assess your conduct?    

• Develop a code of conduct that you use every time 
• Be a model for others in your company  
• Be supportive of co-workers    
• Only discuss group issues in group discussions; too often credibility and professional image are damaged by “gossip” 

2. Increase trust at work—establish a support network 

• Get to know your co-workers, their interests and their backgrounds because this will lead to:

                        — Group collaborations that run smoothly

                        — People who support you and the effort you make at work

• Always support your supervisor because this will:

                        — Help your supervisor reach his or her objectives

                        — Show that you can be a team player

3. Break the ice and get a good conversation going—even with a stranger

Use “icebreakers” to start conversations, which you can practice in a mirror (seriously, it works). By their very nature, icebreakers immediately put the other person at ease and gets them to talk.

Five sure-fire ways to get a conversation started: 

1. Give someone a sincere compliment and follow it up with a question: “I like your report; how did you come up with the concept?”  
2. Introduce yourself: “Hi, my name is ______________; what’s your name?”  
3. Make a light-hearted comment: “That was some game last night.”  
4. Ask an open-ended question: “How do you like the weather we’ve been having?”
5. If you go blank, give the other person a compliment about their clothes or accessories (“Excuse me, but I noticed the necklace/tie you’re wearing and wanted to tell you how nice it looks.”) And yes, this works for both men and women to give or receive the compliment.   

If you’d like other opening lines, here is a great article from The Muse with some that I’ve definitely “stolen” … but I don’t think they’ll mind. Author Jessica Stillman had more great ones in her article for Inc., as well.

Establish rapport by asking questions that can set people at ease as you get to know each other. The purpose is to start a conversation but avoid questions that are too personal or push views that others might disagree with.

Get accepted into any group—even if you don’t seem to have anything in common

The common goal in communication is a mutual exchange of ideas. You don’t need to know a person well to share that common goal. This is especially true in business. I don’t need to be friends to work with others, but I need to respect them and have them respect me.    

1. Being open to a mutual exchange of ideas:     

• Let go of fear because it serves no purpose  
• Take a chance—say hello!   
• Think of what you want to learn from this interaction  
• Don’t be on the defensive because your body language or voice tone will betray you—maintain a relaxed disposition  
• Smile—your million-dollar asset!   
• Use mirroring (mimic the conduct of the other person/people), so that you have a means to pace yourself and have a reference point

2. What are the reasons we enter into conversations in the first place?

We get into conversations for different reasons at different times and in different settings. Here are some of the reasons we talk to others:  

• Information—to learn from the person we are talking to
• Contacts—to network or connect with the person on a business level  
• Friendship—to get to know more about someone on a personal level. For some, this is the foundation for business networking. 
• Convenience—we need someone to talk to at a gathering

Managing your mouth is vital to making a great first impression at the office

It’s critical that you keep confidences confidential and secrets secret when meeting co-workers for the first time. Granted, this shouldn’t be a problem at things like networking events, but sometimes you and others can give away a bit too much in the workplace.   

1. Speech habits and behaviors that destroy your credibility:  

• Spreading rumors  
• Using profanity   
• Tentative speech  
• Opinionated speech  
• Gaps in logic—be consistent and reliable in the information you present  
• Vacillation—don’t be indecisive and swing between points. You want to be sure of your information BEFORE you present it to others.

2. Discretion and confidentiality in the workplace:  

• Keep confidential information private 
• Stop rumors and go to the source
• Remove yourself from conversations about others that are gossipy and/or unfounded

Here are four steps that help you increase trust after you’ve made preliminary introductions.     

• Don’t tell all. You don’t want to disclose all your information in a work environment. Be friendly without telling your whole life story. 
• Be yourself! If you try to show off all your good qualities and overdo it, people are going to know that you are trying too hard.
• Talk about your goals and the struggles you might have. People like to be helpful and will try to provide you with direction or encouragement. This is also important when you’re the veteran worker and you’re introduced to a new hire. Always ask how they’re getting along and let them know you’re available if they have ANY questions.
• Make new friends. Get to know people and don’t be afraid to let your guard down a little. Just. A. Little. They don’t need to know your life story on Day One, but if you have an interesting hobby, just had a grandkid, or are getting ready to head on your dream vacation, that’s always fun to share.

Can you overcome not making a great first impression? Sure, but why put yourself behind an eight-ball right away. Use these common-sense tips and tricks to stand out from others and be remembered for good things rather than bad.