How do I make a good first impression?

Welcome to Pressing Questions, Fast Company’s workplace advice column. Every week, deputy editor Kathleen Davis, host of The New Way We Work podcast, will answer the biggest and most pressing workplace questions.

Q: How do I make a good first impression?

A: Since this is a work-life advice column I’ll focus mostly on how you can make a good impression at work, but many of these tips work for other situations in life.

Be interested: Ask questions

It’s a simple truism of most conversations and human interactions: People like to feel like they’re interesting and important. If you know whom you’ll be meeting, you can go one step further and do a little research in advance. Job candidates who ask questions about the interviewer’s own time at the company show that they are interested in both the company and the person they hope to work with. The same goes for meeting potential clients, networking connections, etc.

Regardless of if you have the chance to prep or not, you can listen to little conversational doors and jumping-off points to be curious and dig further. Most people casually give little details as they talk. Be a good listener and you can ask a follow-up question that shows you’re engaged. In a world where most people are distracted, overwhelmed, or self-absorbed, paying attention goes a long way. 

Be interesting: Say something memorable 

While you should be a good listener and ask questions, you won’t make a good impression if you don’t say anything of interest. Sharing an interesting “did you know” fact related to what you are talking about goes a long way.

It’s a little harder to plan for this, and you certainly don’t want to throw in a random non sequitur. But if you’re generally well-read and well-informed, hopefully a natural opportunity to mention something relevant will present itself.

Be helpful

People like others who help them. Fast Company contributor and psychologist Art Markman says “starting your time with a new team by helping others reinforces a favorable first impression and also generates a sense of support from people you can rely on when you need help in the future.”

He calls this a “service mindset” and says it’s particularly valuable for people taking on management roles. “A leader who finds ways to help their team achieve their goals can develop loyalty from the people who report to them, which pays significant dividends down the line,” he explains.

If you’re not a manager, you can make a good impression at a new job by being proactive and developing your own plan for your first 90 days. It will help you to have goals laid out so you don’t feel as lost and will make a great impression on your new boss and colleagues.

Being helpful works in other areas to make a good first impression, too. If someone you are talking to mentions a problem they are having, following up with a recommendation will make a lasting impression.

Want more advice on how to make a good impression? Here you go:

• Four easy ways to make a memorable first impression
• How to make a good first impression when starting a new job
• 3 ways to create a good first impression at your new job
• 2 surprising science-backed ways to make a great first impression (even virtually)

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