PE6: The Power of First Impressions

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Before we get into detailed discussions about how to inform, influence and inspire others, we need to have a solid understanding of the place where it all happens: the listener’s mind. In this and the next half dozen podcasts, I cover the psychology of persuasion, and it includes the head, heart and gut.

• First impressions. Even though content is king, a lot happens before you even open your mouth, and the impression you make can have a large, and even decisive impact on your effectiveness.
• Attention. You can’t get through to them if they aren’t listening, and attention is one of the most difficult things to capture and hold in today’s distracted world.
• Understanding. They must understand your message and make sense of it.
• Credibility. They have to believe what you say, which depends both on your content and your personal qualities.
• Decisions. If they understand and believe you, how do they process all that information into a decision?
• Motivation. Until someone acts on what you say, you can’t claim to have influenced them. What gets people to get off their butts and act?
• Memory. How much of your message will they remember when they decide or act?

We infer a lot from very thin slices of observable behavior

Logically, one should not judge a book by its cover, but we can’t help it. “Thin-slice” studies have shown that we make judgments about many dimensions including competence, confidence, honesty, likeability, and professionalism merely from observing non-verbal behavior in slices as short as 2 seconds! So, before you even open your mouth, you may have already won or lost. Negative impressions are more difficult to overcome than positive,

The Two Dimensions of Trust

We are hard-wired by evolution to assess people by the two principal qualities that may affect their impact on us: their intentions toward us and their ability to carry out those intentions. We call those warmth and strength, or caring and competence.

How to make a positive first impression

• Professional appearance. Dress the part: “If your attire says you don’t care, trust me, others won’t care, either.” Know what the appropriate dress is for the venue and/or occasion
• Face
• Handshake
• Posture
• Common ground