First Impression

"First impression is not last but long lasting impression"


Earlier, they use to say that “Your First Impression is the last impression” and now, they say that “your first impression is not the last impression but long-lasting impression. Hence, there is a scope to rectify your “first impression” and at times there is also a need to do so. There are times when we think that we have made a mistake…we should not have carried ourselves the way we did and then we look forward to one chance to correct our “first impression”.


What is “First Impression”

Though, your looks and appearance is a part of your impression but that is not the only thing, which matters. Your impression means your overall personality and it consists of:

1. The Way you carry yourself
2. Your Dress-up
3. The way you express yourself
4. Your Mannerism
5. Your Behavior
6. Your Communication
7. The way you treat the other person

For an impression to be called as FI, this must be your first meeting with that person. FI can be of two types – Planned and Unplanned. It is planned, when you are aware of it. For example,

1. Your job - interview,
2. Business meeting with client,
3. Dating,
4. You are invited as a guest

FI can be planned, when you are not prepared for it. For example, people looking at you when you are walking down the street; when you are traveling; when you are just passing through a place, you are at a place where people around you hardly matters to you etc. This first impression process occurs in every new situation. Within the first few seconds, people pass judgment on you – looking for common surface clues. Once the first impression is made, it is virtually irreversible.

The process works like this:

1. If you appear to be of comparable business or social level, you are considered suitable for further interaction.
2. If you appear to be of higher business or social status, you are admired and cultivated as a valuable contact.
3. If you appear to be of lower business or social standing, you are tolerated but kept at arm's length.

If you are in an interview situation, you can either appear to match the corporate culture or not, ultimately affecting the outcome.

For the purpose of this article, we will be concentrating on Planned FI because people making an impression about you, when you are walking down the street, hardly matters to anyone.

How to Change your First Impression????

Suppose you are at the receiving end, you met a person and he made certain opinion about you, it can be about your behavior or the way you carry yourself. Or he has read about you or has heard about you and based on that there was already some notion in his mind. You know that you are not what the other person is thinking or assuming about you. Will you make an attempt to correct that impression or assumption?

Well it depends from person to person , some people are hardly bothered what other people think about them , and some are highly social and for them impression and what people think and talk about them is very important. What actually important is that one should understand what that everyone have positive and negative. Just be confident of themselves and they will end up giving Good Impression.