It goes without saying that making a good impression is a super important thing to do. When you are trying to make new friends or get ahead in life it is important to have connections, and the first impression you give can really change the way people think about you and/or your business.

Today we want to talk about how to make an amazing impression on other professionals and the public in the workplace: from listening to their concerns, designing great convention exhibit displays, and even sharing personal stories… there are lots of ways to make a good impression and many ways to connect.

Listen More

If you want someone to think good things about you, it is important for you not to stand there talking for an hour and not letting anyone get a word in. If you are to make a good impression on someone you should take the opportunity to listen to them. Find out who they are, what they want out of a business or project, and how they see their future. Listening is something that can be taken for granted but it is super important. Shut your lips and open your ears, and people will come to you more often.

Shift Focus

When trying to make a good impression as a business, it is important to know what you should focus on. For example, you will want to make sure that you focus on what problem your product or service can solve rather than what profit you can make. Think about how useful your product is and use this to market the product to the public. By showing that your product helps with a task, you are more likely to make a good impression as it will seem like you are doing a favour to the customer by providing the product.

Give Before You Receive

In order to come across in a good light to all who meet you, it is important for you to give rather than expect to receive. Always be willing to give to others whether it be information, a physical item or something else. Showing that you are a generous person who is willing to work hard to make people happy will make people want to spend time with you and flock to your side.

Give Your Full Attention

There is nothing more annoying and off-putting for another person than you flicking through your phone or computer while speaking to them. When someone comes to speak with you it is important for you to give them your full attention. Be ready to listen to every word and show that you value their time. If you are doing something else when speaking to someone they won’t feel like you value them and this can damage your relationship.

Don’t Be Self-Important

People who think they are the most important person in the room are the worst types of people. If you want to win friends and influence people it is important for you to be approachable and personable. People want to connect with someone who they feel equal to, and if you push up a barrier and act more important than them, you will never make a good impression.

Show That People Are Important

Following on from the point above, if anything you should consider showing others that they are more important than you. Give people a sense of superiority and this can immediately give them a good feeling inside and will allow them to feel like they are valuable.

Change Your Attitude

The attitude you put across at work and at home is important. If you want people to like you and connect with you over all others, you should change your attitude to one which is more positive. For example, when at work make a point of talking about tasks in a positive way. You don’t HAVE to create a spreadsheet, you GET to organise and create order. By labelling things as opportunities instead of chores, the people around you will respond better to you and will be more likely to ask you to take on responsibilities and invite you to things. The way you see things in life has an effect on those around you and they will be much more likely to feel inspired by someone who puts a positive spin on everything.

Don’t Discuss Failures

Gossip and workplace drama is all too common. When someone makes a mistake or fails, it is natural for people to jump at the chance to talk about it and discuss a person’s short-comings. If you want to make a good impression and be a trusted confidant in your workplace and beyond it is important not to join in with this kind of discussion. Show people instead that you don’t stoop to that level and this will make people trust and rely on you for support when they do fail or struggle.

Admit When You Are Wrong

One of the things that bosses in particular don’t do well is take responsibility when things go wrong. It is important as a adult and a professional to admit when you make a mistake and guide others on how to overcome mistakes in the future. For example when completing a campaign that fails due to poor planning, you should hold your hands up and meet with your team to discuss what things need improving in the future. Working in this way makes a whole world of difference to the working environment you are in and it shows people that you are human just like they are and you don’t see yourself as above failure.

Be Honest

The best thing you can do to make an impression as a person or as a business is to be transparent and honest at all times. This means when speaking to anyone for any reason, you tell the truth and don’t try to hide things or lie. If someone catches a lie this will make a bad impression and this is never something you want to do.