We all know that first impressions count. But exactly how much time do we have to impress? Last year, a British newspaper reported on a study which claims to have nailed down a specific number: 119 seconds. This means you have just under two minutes to win over an important business contact or potential client. This may seem like an absurdly short amount of time, but there’s a lot you can accomplish in those 119 seconds. The study also listed the top five ways to make a good impression and the top five ways to make a negative impression:
Five Ways to Make a Good Impression:
1. Punctuality
2. Politeness
3. Friendliness
4. Nice smile
5. Clean hair
Five Ways to Make a Bad Impression:
1. Bad breath
2. Rudeness
3. Being late
4. Lack of eye contact
5. Having dirty fingernails
In the next few blogs, we’ll discuss the ways you can use verbal and non-verbal communication to make a first impression that helps you make and keep the contacts you need to succeed in the business world.
If you want to sharpen your communication skills and polish your speech, you might benefit from the services of a corporate communications coach. Let our team of corporate speech-language pathologists help you reach your professional potential through strong communication. Give us a call at 212-308-7725 or visit us on the web at www.corporatespeechsolutions.com. Don’t live in NYC? No problem! Our services are Skype ready, so CSS can help you improve your communication from anywhere in the world.