By Katie Scheer
First impressions are paramount since they are highly accurate; how you are instantly evaluated can make or break your success. And you have heard before that a first impression is made within 5 seconds, but I believe it’s faster. Why? Personal experience– I get a feeling about something or a situation within 2 seconds (don’t you?). The science– 20 million billion bits of information move around our brains every second, and it calculates sounds, sights, smells, taste, touch, and thoughts in every moment at the same time (from The Phenomenal Experience). This means we need to up our game and make sure that we control the impressions that we are making.
Mr. Carnegie certainly simplifies this, doesn’t he? How do you come across? You don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression. If we can master each of these four types of contacts, we will make our stepping stones that take us to ongoing success personally and professionally. Let’s dive in to mastering each of these during a first impression encounter…
