7 Psychological Tricks that Can Help You Make a Good Impression
7. Pay attention to your body language.
Studies have shown that body language has four times the influence on first impressions than what you actually say. It’s important to be cognizant of the way you present yourself. Make sure that your posture is good when you stand, sit, and walk. During a job interview, provide a firm hand shake, smile, and make strong eye contact. On a first date, be sure to lean forward to express interest. If it went well, be sure to follow up with a hug or kiss at the end. Remember, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t land that dream job or if you don’t hear back from your date. Never feel like you have to be someone else. There will always be more opportunities to connect with others.
What do you do that helps you make a good impression? Psych2Go would love to hear your thoughts! Leave a comment down below!
References:
Economy, P. (2015, February 20). 9 Ways to Make a Great First Impression. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
Whitbourne, S. (2014, May 10). 5 Ways to Make a Great First Impression. Psychology Today. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
Hi! This is a particularly useful article especially for those who are anxious about not standing out enough during important events in their lives. Everything here was well written and developed. I do have a couple of suggestions for ways in which you could develop these points to include some more tips.
For point 3, an idea for trying something new regarding dates is to choose something (for example, paintballing) that neither one has experienced before. Sharing reactions to something new – whether good or bad – can actually act as a topic of conversation and can also be entertaining. Not to mention, it is an ice breaker which is particularly useful if they have only just started dating.
The issue you’ve raised in Point 5 can be particularly worrisome for those with social anxiety, as one can suddenly become aware that they have spoken about themselves for a long period of time. A tip for dealing with this and not creating the wrong impression, is to talk about the bigger reasons and issues in the world that affect your motivations for doing what you do. This will give the impression that you are engaged with current issues in the world and also helps to develop an air of humility.
Another general piece of information that I thought was interesting to the topic is the effect of clothing colours on first impressions. For example, wearing red on a date can stimulate feelings of hunger, bizzarely enough. And wearing blue to a job interview can apparently inspire confidence. A further general tip for job interviews is to try (if possible) to arrange your interview to either be first on the list of candidates or last on the list. This actually increases the likelihood of the interviewer remembering you due to the primary and recency effect on memory.
Overall a great article with a lot of useful information for readers!
Hi Rosie, thanks so much for reading. =) Those are some excellent points you bring up. I took into account your recommendations and developed points 3 and 5 further. Thanks for your help! Have a great day!
I am a Human Resources, Recruiter and found your article on point, very useful and honestly, it was a little “wake up check” for me. I try to assist candidates with preparing for their interview but after reading your article, I realize that I need to include a few more tips!
Thank you!
– Kathy
Hi Kathy, thank you so much for reading and sharing your thoughts with us! I’m so glad the article was of help! 🙂 We aim to provide helpful insights everyday to our readers and fans like you! Interviews can be nerve-wracking. I’m glad you found some tips you can give to the people you interview to make it a better experience for all of you. Have a great day! ♥