Make a good first impression when meeting customers to build trust and positive relationships. According to studies, people make initial judgments about others within the first 7 seconds of meeting based on attributes like dress, punctuality, eye contact, and body language. It is important to listen more than talk, ask questions, smile, and make the other person feel important through active listening in order to shift the focus onto them and their accomplishments.
3. Why First Impression Matters
Education level
Economic level
Perceived credibility, believability, competence and honesty
Trustworthiness
Level of sophistication
Level of success
Political background
Religious background
Ethnic background and
Social/professional/sexual desirability
(source: Michal Solomon, NYU)
According to a study, people make eleven decision about us in the first seven
seconds of contact (“7/11 Rule”), and the rest of their time is spent finding
evidence to prove their original impression, no matter that impression is true or
not:
5. Good first impression as a personal behavior
In order to leave a good first impression when meeting customer face to face, here are some useful
tips:
Dress professionally
On-time
Smile
Introduction: “Great to meet you, Susan, I am John”
The right handshake
Speak clearly and calmly
Make eye contact
Use body language
Turn off your phone
6. To earn trust with a potential customer, you need to show
that you’re someone who can build and maintain great
relationship – and make people feel better about
themselves.
7. Listen 10x more than you talk
Ask questions, maintain eye contact, smile, nod and respond, verbally and
nonverbally. That’s all it takes to show the other person he or she is
important.
Don’t offer advice unless you’re asked, because when you offer advice, you
make the conversation about you.
Only speak when you have something important to say and always define
important as what matters to the other people, not to you.
Don’t ego-driven.
8. Shift the spotlight
No one receives enough praise. Whenever possible, start the conversation
by telling the other person what they did well.
Not only will people appreciate your praise, they’ll also appreciate the fact
you care enough to pay attention to what they do.
And they’ll then feel a little more accomplished and a lot more important…
and they’ll love you for making them feel that way.
Example:
“You’ve made $60,000 savings over this short 3 years, it’s great. In fact I
found that saving up enough deposit is the biggest hurdle for first home
buyers. You’re way ahead of the most people. Well done!”
