Exactly how much time do you have to make a strong first impression? Research from Experian Credit Expert in the United Kingdom found that the average person forms a first impression in the first 119 seconds of meeting someone new. This means you have just under two minutes to win over an important business contact or potential client! How can you use that time to your advantage and make the best impression possible? Check out our three tips below!
Maintain Eye Contact: In order to make strong, confident eye contact without staring or appearing aggressive, make eye contact for approximately 80% of the time. You can manage this by maintaining roughly four seconds of solid eye contact at a time, and then briefly looking to the side for one second before looking back.
Speak with Confidence: When you first meet someone, pay attention to your tone of voice. Breathe from your abdomen for a strong, dynamic speaking voice, and keep your rate of speech even and relaxed.
Learn the Art of the Handshake: Since the handshake is likely to occur during first few moments of meeting a new contact, be sure yours is warm and confident. Apply firm pressure, but not so much that you are squeezing the other person’s hand. Gently move your hand up and down two to three times while making solid eye contact. Most importantly, make verbal contact as you shake hands using a simple greeting as “Nice to meet you.”
If your communication skills are holding you back from professional success and you want to make your communication skills your most powerful professional tool, make sure to pick up a free copy of my e-book “Communicate with Clarity and Confidence!” by subscribing to our newsletter community on our website. In this free resource, I break down the myriad factors that contribute to confident communication and guide you through how to use each aspect to your advantage.
Give us a call and see how Corporate Speech Solutions can improve your professional life! Call us at 212-308-7725 or send us an e-mail at jayne@corporatespeechsolutions.com to learn more. I’d be more than happy to answer any questions you might have!