Snap judgments? Let's be honest, we've all made plenty and plenty have been made about us––that's just the way it is. Maybe it was the shirt a person was wearing, the car they drove or their tone of voice. Maybe it was an email or even a voice mail. It could have been their walk, an interesting hairdo or some quirky mannerism. Isn't it funny how we can take one small thing and overlay a complete persona? Yes, we all do it. And the scary part: it often sticks and in some cases we become a broadcaster and proliferate an opinion based on our limited if not single interaction with a person. "She must be a bitch." "I bet he's a real asshole to work for!" "What a nerd." All based on a snap judgment, formed in the instant, without deliberation.

1. 1
Tom
McCollum
is
a
visibility
&
personal
brand
thought
leader
and
highly
regarded
auto
industry
innovator
and
CEO.
Tom
recently
co-­‐
founded
SCORESTRONG™,
a
new
First
Impression
Resource™
and
Personal
Brand
platform.
Snap Judgments––Don’t Be A Victim!
Published by Tom McCollum 2013
Snap judgments? Let's be honest, we've all made plenty and plenty have been
made about us––that's just the way it is. Maybe it was the shirt a person was
wearing, the car they drove or their tone of voice. Maybe it was an email or
even a voice mail. It could have been their walk, an interesting hairdo or
some quirky mannerism. Isn't it funny how we can take one small thing and
overlay a complete persona? Yes, we all do it. And the scary part: it often
sticks and in some cases we become a broadcaster and proliferate an opinion
based on our limited if not single interaction with a person. "She must be a
bitch." "I bet he's a real asshole to work for!" "What a nerd." All based on a
snap judgment, formed in the instant, without deliberation. How many times
have you thought one thing and then had an opportunity to really get to
know someone only to learn just how wrong you were? And, whether we like
it or not, we've also been on the receiving end of a snap judgment––that's
just the way it works.
Getting to know someone adds context to who they really are and that
person-to-person intimacy allows for a close familiarity and nearness that
often reminds us of a metaphorical phrase we were taught as children and
yet have a reasonably difficult time following: "Never judge a book by its
cover". In today's digital environment, one that includes a new social media
platform almost daily, person-to-person contact continues to give way to the
efficiency of online interaction. And with only 24 hours in a day, who doesn't

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thrive on being more efficient? We have connectivity platforms like Twitter,
Facebook, LinkedIn, Four Square, Yelp, Tumblr, Instagram and too many
others to list. Each comes with a personal profile page and the ability to
connect and interact with others. As our online relationships continue to
grow in numbers, the intimacy of person-to-person contact and interaction is
getting more and more difficult to come by. Your ability to add "context" to
who you are is getting more difficult and that's not going to change. As a
matter of fact, it's going to get more and more challenging and that's why its
so important that you take charge of your online persona, control the
narrative about yourself and work diligently to add the necessary personal
context for your burgeoning network of colleagues––you can influence that
all important first impression, even if it is occurring online!
Count on this: If I am scheduled to have a first meeting with you, I will
definitely look you up on LinkedIn, Google you, peek at your Facebook page,
check out your Twitter posts and browse through your Instagram pictures––
all in an effort to develop a little advance intel and advantage prior to the
meeting. I'll probably enter your name into Spokeo for some additional color.
In the process, I will form an opinion about you and if I am wrong, you'll
have to work extra hard to recover! What type of online first impression do
you think you make?
Are you confident about your online persona and personal visibility
efforts? Snap judgments and first impressions are happening online every
minute of the day. Like it or not, people are looking at you and for you––
don't be a victim!