Episode #173- Mastering the Art of "A Great First Impression"

Episode Notes: 

It’s a fact you only have about 7 seconds to make a good first impression … interested in how that first 7 seconds can determine your future business success?

If you think that’s not much time, it only takes your potential NEW customer 1/10th of a second to determine “trustworthiness” of your shop!

The appearance of your auto repair shop is more important than ever. This episode explores the evolution of collision centers and focuses on three critical areas: the parking lot, the front office, and the overall customer service experience. With the majority of customers being women who value aesthetics and quality, it's crucial to maintain cleanliness, enhance signage, and create an inviting front office. We discuss practical steps to ensure your business stands out and attracts clients right from the first glance.

This week, we’ll uncover the art of making a memorable first impression, drawing from my 30+ years serving the collision industry as a jobber, I'll reshare insights from a 2020 episode and explore new perspectives on self-awareness and your personal presentation in everyday life. Whether you're meeting a potential client or simply greeting a customer, understanding the power of these first impressions, can set the tone for higher levels of success.

 Personal grooming, nonverbal communication, and verbal interactions are key components of making a great first impression. We dive into the significance of good hygiene, appropriate clothing, and the power of a firm handshake. Touching on the importance of eye contact, body language, and much more, I’ll share some practical tips on verbal communication, to ensure you leave a positive and lasting impression in both professional and personal settings. Join us to elevate your game and achieve next-level growth by mastering the art of first impressions.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Making a Memorable First Impression
• 10:27 First Impressions in Auto Repair Shops
• 15:39 Enhancing Customer Experience in Business
• 29:26 Making a Great First Impression
• 34:11 Make a Great First Impression

Transcript

Rick: 0:00

Throughout my career as a jobber salesman, I've met thousands of people and seen hundreds of shops all over the Midwest, and something I noticed along the way were the first impressions that were made, some intentionally, some unintentionally, and, if I'm keeping it real, many of these shops made less than a stellar first impression and also had no idea what kind of negative impact this had on their possible success or failure of their business. Along my journey, I've also met many business owners, managers, leaders, as well as countless salespeople and industry professionals, and noticed the exact same thing Many had no idea of the impact of the first impressions they made on those they met and how that would affect their careers or their ability to be successful. So I thought this would be a great subject to cover this week.

Rick: 0:47

Welcome to the MindWrench podcast with your host, rick Sellover, where minor adjustments produce major improvements in mindset, personal growth and success. This is the place to be every Monday, where we make small improvements and take positive actions in our business and personal lives that will make a major impact in our success, next-level growth and quality of life.

Rick: 1:16

Hey, what's up everybody? Welcome to the MindWrench Podcast. I'm your host, rick Silover. Thanks so much for stopping in. If you're a returning listener and haven't done so already, please take a minute and click the follow or subscribe button, and then rate and review the show. When you rate and review the show, the algorithms for Apple, spotify, google Podcasts, iheartradio, amazon Music and all the other platforms will see that it's valuable and show it to more people that have never seen it before, and hopefully it can help them too. I would really, really really appreciate your help, sharing this word with your friends and family as well, and if you're a brand new listener, welcome. I hope you find something of value here that helps you in your personal or professional life as well. Please make sure to click the subscribe or follow button so you never miss another episode.

Rick: 2:01

Throughout my career as a jobber, salesman and then a business development manager and ultimately leading multiple sales teams, I've met thousands of people and seen hundreds of shops all over the Midwest, and something I noticed along the way were the first impressions that were made, some intentionally, some unintentionally, and, if I'm keeping it real, many of these shops made less than a stellar first impression. Keeping it real. Many of these shops made less than a stellar first impression and also had no idea what kind of negative impact this had on their possible success or failure of their business. Along my journey, I've also met many business owners, managers, leaders, as well as countless salespeople, manufacturers, reps, suppliers and industry professionals, and noticed the exact same thing. Many had no idea of the impact of the first impressions they made on those they met and how that would affect their careers or their ability to be successful. So I thought this would be a great subject to cover this week. Now, just giving you a little peek behind the curtains here. I really don't pre-plan too many of my episodes. I kind of like to keep it fairly open to whatever strikes me as worthwhile sharing, usually based on my daily life's observations, situations and experiences I've lived through.

Rick: 3:09

And as I was thinking about what I would cover on this subject, it suddenly dawned on me that I had already done an episode on this subject early on in my podcast journey Duh Although in my defense I'll blame this lapse in memory on my years in the fog of overspray. I spent the first part of my career in. Did you ever read the warning label on the back of a paint can. Yeah, anyways, I looked back through the archives and, sure enough, there it was, way back in 2020. Just my second month of podcasting was episode number seven.

Rick: 3:39

Are you Making the Right First Impression? And I thought, well shit, I'll probably have to completely redo that old message. But then I listened to the whole thing to refresh my mind on what I did cover and I got to say it was pretty damn good the first time. So I decided I would share the original message in its original form. But the thing I did not cover was the equally important subject of the personal first impressions we make every single day and how those can impact our own individual success or lack of, and how we can recognize our own shortcomings and how to make some improvements on how we present ourselves when it really matters If you're a salesperson in this industry or really any industry, but of course, I gear this show towards the automotive repair industry.

Rick: 4:23

Whether a job as a salesperson, manufacturers, rep, equipment or software supplier, people leader or any other customer-facing position, your ability to make an outstanding, memorable first impression can make or break your level of success. Almost on a daily basis, you know, but in reality, no matter what you do for a living, just interfacing with any other human being, without even thinking about it, you're making a first impression, probably every single day. Maybe it's a teacher or coach at your kid's school, maybe the bank manager when you're applying for a loan, or someone in your golf or bowling league or fitness center, or maybe it's just a new neighbor that moved in. The situations are endless. Just a new neighbor that moved in. The situations are endless, but that first seven seconds you meet someone. They have gotten first impression of you good or bad imprinted in their mind. That sets the tone for any future interactions they'll have with you.

Rick: 5:15

Now, in good conscience, there's no way I could not include this critical piece, so I added it towards the end of the original message. Now, be advised the original audio from 2020 recording is absolutely not the quality standard of today and it was recorded in my car while I was sitting in front of a shop, so it is a little scratchy, but the content and the tips provided are well worth the listen. Hey, what's up everybody? It's Rick Solover here, and welcome back to another episode of the mind wrench podcast. Hey, today I'm recording from my car as I'm sitting in front of a collision shop right now in the parking lot, and it just uh brings to mind a subject I wanted to talk to you about.

Rick: 5:59

Today we're going to talk about first impressions, and here's a little hint. First impression of this shop is not very good. I about lost a tire in the parking lot pulling in. I'm looking at the outside of the building there's paint peeling off the walls, the sign is old and half lit and it just doesn't look that appealing on the outside. So have you ever pulled up in the parking lot of a restaurant that you've never visited before and before you can even open the front door? You've already decided this probably isn't a good choice. Or once inside, the decor or the way you were greeted, or no greeting at all, makes you turn around. Get back to your car and try somewhere else so you don't waste your money or your time on another bad meal or a bad dining experience. If you're looking for a competitive edge for your business or a more effective jump start to your personal development in 2024, I'll make your first step super simple.

Rick: 7:03

It is a fact that an incredible number of the most successful business owners, nearly half of the Fortune 500 companies, top-running professional athletes, entertainers and industry leaders like Microsoft's Bill Gates, former President Bill Clinton, richard Branson, amazon's Jeff Bezos and Salesforce's Mark Benioff all have one thing in common they all have at least one coach and some have several that they work with on a consistent basis, someone that helps, guide, mentor and support them, challenge them, help them set and achieve goals that move them forward and then hold them accountable to follow through driving personal and professional growth. Working with a coach has many substantial benefits. Just for an example, 80% of coaching clients report improved self-esteem or self-confidence thanks to coaching, 99% of individuals and companies that hire a coach report being very satisfied and 96% would do it again. If, deep down, you know it's time to make those improvements in your business, your personal life, that you've kicked down the road year after year. If you're tired of knowing there's a better version of you waiting to shine, but unsure of how to bring that version to light. If you're tired of wanting to enjoy a more successful business but not sure how to start. And if you don't want to go another 12 months without better results, but you don't want to go it alone, then take the first step. It's super simple. Sometimes talking to the right person can make all the difference. Go to wwwrixelovercom contact and I'll set you up with a free consultation. Call with me to see if one-on-one coaching is right for you.

Rick: 8:35

Now you have no idea what the actual food is like. Right, their Italian may be the best in town or their burgers may be out of this world, but you never know because they lost you to a bad first impression. Did you know? In all areas of life, not just business, you have approximately seven seconds to make the first right impression and within that seven seconds, only one tenth of a second to determine trustworthiness. So obviously that fast of an impression, feeling and decision comes through only through our eyes. Now these facts come from a Harvard study done on communication. In fact, approximately 55% of all first impressions are visual. Only Another 38% of first impressions are based on what you say or how you are heard by the other person That'd be vocal tone, volume, speech pattern and so on and only about 7% are the actual words themselves. That means more than half of the first impressions of you or your business are determined even before one word is spoken. Good news is bad first impressions can be overcome with some work, but according to a Harvard study, it can take up to eight positive experiences to bring it back around. Now. You may never get that chance if a potential customer leaves your parking lot even before getting out of the car or just scrolls right past your outdated website. But if they do manage to make it to your door and in your door, you'll still have a chance to recover. But to be successful at this, you must have a solid plan or even an SOP, standard operating procedure, for when they enter your shop.

Rick: 10:27

Now, in the past 28 years of visiting shops, I have driven by and visited thousands of shops in several different parts of this country. I have seen collision centers whose outside appearance rivals some of the nicest restaurants and professional buildings around, where their wow factor is off the hook. I've also seen many average body shops that look clean, professional and reputable from the outside, but the office area leaves something to be desired. I've also seen bump shops that probably should have been leveled a couple decades ago, where the parking lot location is truly a guessing game. You have no idea where you're supposed to park. You end up out in the street or in the neighbor's building's parking lot, where the building just doesn't look safe to enter.

Rick: 11:17

The only thing they have in common today is that they are fixing cars. As most of you know, 30 to 40 years ago lower-end shops and the quality repairs at that time was acceptable. Customers didn't have high-quality expectations, they just wanted their wrecked cars drivable again. The quality and finish of those vehicles back then was not very high either and the technology was low to non-existent. Most shops could repair them. It was purely a necessity repair and most folks went to the closest repair shop to where they lived or where they worked. First impressions did not play a part in those decisions. Now fast forward 30 or 40 years and the average cost of a vehicle is anywhere from $30,000 to $70,000. I mean there are pickups close to $100,000 now. So the finishes are, you know, three-coat and quad coat. Technology is so far advanced, with ADAS systems, electronification and more, that most people are a lot more particular now about who they leave their baby with.

Rick: 12:26

Now, if you're getting that feeling pulling up in the lot, like I did, pulling up into that questionable restaurant, it's game over. They have a lot more at stake than just a bad meal, and we're talking, you know, a lot of money. Safety concerns, quality concerns. So, as you can see now, first impressions are more critical now to your success than any other time in history. So here I'll break down the three key areas for improvement. Number one parking lot in front of building. Number two, front office in customer area. And number three, your customer service experience or reception experience. Now, something to keep in mind as we go over these three key areas is that, unlike 30 to 40 years ago, the majority of your customers are going to be women. They are more in tune to looks, first impressions, quality, color and experiences. So you make sure that those changes that you make will appeal to women predominantly.

Rick: 13:31

So first area I'm going to talk about is parking lot in front of shop. You must get your potential new customer past this first gut test. The first impression sets the tone for the possible interaction with your business. You really need to nail this part. They may get past the rough looking building and confusing parking lot situation, but it has already altered their expectation of what the rest of this experience will be like and, believe me, they're not expecting a smooth, hassle-free repair at this point. You may have to spend a few bucks for improvements, but you need to look at these costs as an investment. Just one or two new jobs in the door per week, or even per month that may not have been captured, could cover that expense.

Rick: 14:15

So there's a couple things you need to look at first. Number one would be signage. Signage is everything that's you, that's your brand, that's your shop. That's the first things customers look at. Now they may just be looking to see the name on the sign to make sure it matches up with where they were expecting to end up, but your sign does say a lot about you.

Rick: 14:35

You've got a beat-up old sign with you know half the letters aren't lit up if it's a backlit sign or the paint is faded on the sign and you can't see all of it clearly, or you just it looks like the sign is 40 years old.

Rick: 14:48

That leaves an impression it's not a great one. So your sign should be clean, clear, well lit or extremely visible from the road and from the parking lot. That brings me to the parking lot. So ultimately and I know this is impossible for everybody because, believe me, I've seen plenty of parking lots that it would take an act of Congress to get this done. But the optimal setup is going to be a nice coat of blacktop, striped if possible, if gravel, at least have it level, have all the ruts and the chuck holes you know leveled out and at least sprayed or oiled to reduce the dust bowl arrival syndrome. That's where you come, pull into the parking lot and you park and then a cloud of dust follows you in from where you just were and heads right to the front door. So if you can avoid that, that's good.

Rick: 15:39

Designate customer parking spaces, clearly marked, along with a handicap spot right in front of your door. And is it lit? Does it look safe? These are important things to consider. You may not have thought about them before, but believe me, your potential customer is thinking about that as they pull in. If the place looks a little seedy, a little untrustworthy, remember that one-tenth of a second they've already made a decision that they're probably not in the right place, but they may come in anyways.

Rick: 16:07

So do the best that you can with what you have. Don't be afraid to spend a couple bucks on your parking lot or on your sign. It's not going to be a waste of money. It's always going to be well worth the cost. Just depending on your market and where you're at and what kind of work you do and your volume. It's going to depend on how quick you get an ROI on it. So that's all, anyways.

Rick: 16:27

Next front of shop. Now this needs to look appealing and professional and if it's old brick is rough, you can paint the bricks on the parking lot side. Freshen up any windows you know, clean, declutter a fresh coat of paint on the entrance door, put up a welcome sign and clearly mark you know, front office or estimates or customer service, customer lounge. You can be creative, it's your business, but have something that clearly marks the front door as a place to enter and that's a place where the customer wants to go to see somebody in the front office or to get an estimate or for any questions. Also, be sure to make sure there's a clear path from your parking lot to the front door. They don't want to have to trip over old car parts or walk around a grease spot or the unshoveled snow and ice buildup. I mean, that's stuff you get. You need to take care of that. So have a nice clean, clear path from the front lot to the office door.

Rick: 17:25

Otherwise they may not even bother.

Rick: 17:27

If it looks too difficult, they're gonna get right back in their car and go to the next shop. Replace any failing outside lights as well. Please remember curb appeal. I know we've all heard that phrase, but curb appeal applies to more than just houses and home buyers. It applies to your business as well, more often than you think. Okay, so on to front office and customer area. Now keep in mind, when your potential new customer walks through that door, the clock starts ticking on that for seven seconds. A little preparation will go a long way right here Now. This should be obvious, but it isn't for everybody. But sense of smell can hit them before anything else, before what they see. I'll say this again Scents of smell can hit them before something that they see. So make sure what they're smelling is something good, like freshly baked cookies, scented candle, poopery, you know whatever you can come up with. Not wet dog smell, not paint fumes nor garbage can smell.

Rick: 18:29

Now, if you can't notice any offending odors, you may be nose blind. So invite a female friend or two, pay a random visit to your shop. Maybe some family members, maybe some good friends who you can trust that they'll be honest with you because they may have better feedback for you than you or any of your employees.

Rick: 18:48

Next, speaking of wet dogs as much as most of us, including me, love dogs, they just don't belong in a professional place of business like your collision center. I don't feel they belong in Home Depot, kohl's, grocery stores and most stores now that I find them in, but that's a whole different conversation for a whole different time. So striking fear into the heart of a potential customer with animal issues or allergies or the old, you know wet dog nose in the crotch routine does not leave a great first impression. We're clear on this. Okay, good. Next, declutter, clean up and organize your customer service and waiting area. Make sure you have comfortable seating available, not a couple of bench seats from an old conversion van you sent to the boneyard last year and I know that sounds dramatic, but believe me, I've seen enough body shops where that was the seating. In fact, I had one place in mind, that they had that there for years and the only thing that made it even more offsetting or off-putting or distracting was the fact that there's two dogs, usually on it when you walked in the door. So you had strike one and strike two, yet the shop managed to get people in the door and take care of them. It was just an extremely bad first impression. So remember good, comfortable seating.

Rick: 20:11

Have some basic refreshments available, like coffee, tea, some bottled water, cold water, not warm. Nobody wants bottled warm water. Keurig machines are great for coffee and tea. That way you can buy a selection of different pods and keep them available there with some, you know, some sugar and some cream in powdered form. So you know you don't have to keep fresh cream available all the time, unless you have a little fridge right underneath it. Then you can have some in there. But it's great to have just the basics like that. As far as the refreshment goes, maybe a bowl of candies or mints. Optimal would be some fresh baked cookies, because not only do they smell good, it's a nice little snack for someone to munch on while they're waiting for you to complete an estimate or they're waiting to pick up the car to go home with. So snacks like that can go a long way of winning over a customer and make a great impression. All totally nonverbal and fairly automated. Lastly, you have a few current magazines available for quick reading while they wait.

Rick: 21:14

When I mean current.

Rick: 21:15

I mean like within the past two months or three months tops, I've seen so many magazines in shops that are three years old, four years old, that nobody has interest in. They're just sitting there collecting dust. That nobody has interest in. They're just sitting there collecting dust and, remember, nobody wants to. You know, read the industry rags or tool catalogs, something more appealing like People Magazine or Us Magazine Time or Newsweek or some of the other local community papers. Newspapers are great to have as well. And lastly, a lot of shops have now got flat screen TVs in waiting areas, which I think is great, you know, because it gives somebody something visually to do.

Rick: 21:55

If they don't want to read they don't want to stare at their phone, which most of them are going to stare at their phone anyways, but having a flat screen TV on it brings comfort to most people.

Rick: 22:05

It gives them something that's going to entertain them if they need that, and something to look at other than the inside of your shop or the inside of your front office. Just, whatever you do, make sure you're a little conscious about what you do have on that flat screen TV. Stay away from news channels or talk shows. Stick to something lighter and more calming. Remember, your visitor is just recently involved in something rather upsetting and you want to treat them to something a little bit more calm and relaxing. Believe me, today's news and all the stuff that's on there, that's not relaxing. That's the opposite of relaxing. That is stress inducing. So keep the news off there and the talk shows are just very confrontational and controversial. Your customers really I don't know don't put them in that spot where they've got to start hearing views that may be opposing their own, whether just you know, trying to get something else accomplished, Like I said, something calming, something relaxing.

Rick: 22:59

you know, get creative there. Okay, last area, number three customer service experience, or reception experience. All right, so your potential new customer has made it past your clean, well-lit, striped parking lot, where they found a nice spot marked customers only right in front of your beautiful building and your front office, and made it effortlessly through your cleared, marked, freshly painted and inviting front doors. Now, if this isn't your exact scenario, here's your chance to hammer it home. When they walk in that door, promptly greet them immediately with a smile, a friendly hello and a welcome to ABC Collision. How can we make your day better? Just a simple phrase like that lets them know that they're welcome and you're there to do something for them.

Rick: 23:50

You're there to make their day better. Now, if you're the owner and this is not your normal personality that's perfectly fine. Hire this job out to someone else with a positive outgoing attitude for your CSR. If you don't have anybody in your office staff that has that kind of cheery outgoing attitude or a positive you know, friendly voice, that's okay. It's not that you're doing something wrong or you know you've made a mistake. No, this is your opportunity. Recognize that that that's what you need to have in there and that that'll do more for you than anything else. Hire that out. Hire you than anything else. Hire that out. Hire a young person, someone that's outgoing, someone that's friendly. They may not have to know your business, but they know how to do customer service.

Rick: 24:39

My favorite is to steal somebody from a restaurant and we all go out to restaurants to eat and you know what I mean. You run across that waiter or waitress. That's just really phenomenal. They go out of their way to do a great job for you. They're friendly. They treat you with respect. You want to do business with them. You end up tipping well because they did such a good job and all they did was had a good attitude, treated you right. That's all you need at this point. Someone like that. Believe me, you get somebody out of a restaurant or a shoe store or someplace where they're doing person-to-person customer service like that, and they've got the right attitude. It stands out immediately. Believe me, they're probably going to be plenty happy to leave a restaurant job or a shoe store job or something like that, where they've got a potential to grow into an industry like, let's say, the collision industry.

Rick: 25:33

So, anyways, empathy is critical at this point. Remember, it's not about the estimate or the cost at this stage. It's about them feeling understood and that they can trust you. Taking the time to ask them if they're okay and offering them a comforting drink or snack while someone else gets their basic info will take you a lot further in getting the keys than figuring out how to save them a couple hundred bucks off the estimate. Now think about that, just on how you handle them with empathy and concern and understanding can go a lot farther and financially it actually can go a lot farther than worrying about how to try to save them some money off their deductible or save some money off the repair. Take the time to completely explain the repair process. What can they expect to experience? How's your communication and update process work?

Rick: 26:32

And ask their preferred method of communication. Remember, for the majority of your customers, this initial contact can be one. If you understand this is an emotional decision, not financial. At this point, the keys are yours to capture every time if you make the right first impressions. The keys are yours to capture every time if you make the right first impressions. Lastly, make sure you follow up on what you've promised or explained as next steps and then communicate, in their preferred method, the action taken in the next step of the process. If they did not commit to having your shop do the repairs at that time that they're there, do follow up and ask if there's anything else you missed or a concern that was holding them back that you didn't address, or something they need clarity on. If you aren't able to close the sale, make sure to thank them for visiting your shop. Now, these three steps.

Rick: 27:22

Although I spent a good amount of time explaining the three areas to focus on, they all come back to making a good first impression, and most people in life, when they have to deal with a company or spend money or commit to doing something that they know they have to do with a certain business, first impressions will trump almost anything else. Yeah, everybody wants to save money, everybody wants a good deal. I understand that. But if they don't have a good feeling and they don't have a good first impression how bad are they going to want to save money at your place? I mean, how many times have you done an estimate, offered to knock a couple hundred bucks off the repair or do something else for them, and you still don't get the job? And they go somewhere else. And it's not always because the next place they went was much cheaper. It's that they had a better first impression or they had a better gut feeling about that repair center. So keep that in mind. So remember, all these things I've shared with you today are only to benefit you If you do them correctly and you make that decision to change what you're doing, to improve your ability to make good first impressions. Ultimately, it's going to do better for you in the long run. Okay, so there's basically three key categories that influence what type of imprint you leave on others, three key areas of what relays your first impressions.

Rick: 28:54

Number one physical appearance. This one is so simple, so basic and so often taken for granted. Most people are pretty accepting of their fellow humans, no matter how they look or how they're dressed, but don't think for a minute that a first impression wasn't made From your hair or lack of to your shoes or lack of your physical appearance is the first thing people pay attention to. Now, please note, people will judge you. It may not be fair, it may not be right, but get over it. That'll never change. It may not be fair, it may not be right, but get over it. That'll never change.

Rick: 29:26

So wild-looking, uncombed or dirty hair, out-of-control, untrimmed facial hair this is for men only. Obviously baggy or sloppy-looking, mismatched clothes, old, worn-out shoes with holes in them will make a much different impression than reasonably clean, combed hair, clean shaven or neatly trimmed facial hair. Proper, fitting clothes that actually go together correctly and decent looking footwear, right. Also, the appropriateness of what you wear with what event you're attending. You don't wear nice slacks and a button-down shirt to a pool party well, unless you're the server. So why would you wear a muscle shirt and swim trunks to a nice restaurant for a dinner reservation, huh. So why would you wear a muscle shirt and swim trunks to a nice restaurant for a dinner reservation? Huh. I've seen many missteps here in the body shop world A sales rep with a sport coat and shiny shoes with tassels on them won't gain credibility or respect when talking to a shop technician, but is appropriately dressed to meet with the GM or the owner.

Rick: 30:21

Right Good personal hygiene, having some basic ability to put together clothes that look smart and, by the way, women are so much better at this, they know striped shirts don't go with plaid pants Will give you your best chance at a great first impression. Number two nonverbal communication. Sometimes a simple handshake can make the perfect first impression. I've shaken hands hundreds of thousands of times and you can tell a lot by someone by this simple greeting. A firm but not crushing handshake transmits confidence, positivity and a willingness to commit versus the old dead fish.

Rick: 30:58

Handshake you know, what that is right. It's like grabbing a dead fish instead of a hand. That transmits a lack of confidence, a lack of commitment, a lack of trust. In fact, I always use this measurement with any guy my daughter brings home. She always asks me later how was his handshake? Dad, she knows what I'm talking about.

Rick: 31:18

Eye contact is critical. You need to be able to look at someone in the eyes. Not a stare down and not looking off to the side. Just simple direct eye contact when talking with someone, especially someone new, instills trust and honesty, which helps nail down a solid first impression. Body language is a powerful non-verbal way of making an impression. Arms crossed, facing away from whom you're speaking with or looking down tells a much different story about you than open arms, open stance, head and eyes equal to the other person and even mirroring some of their movements. You know, sometimes they'll cross their legs. You cross yours. They put a hand up to their chin, you put a hand up to your chin. Just don't make it creepy. Don't make it creepy.

Rick: 32:09

The last nonverbal thing to be aware of is odor. Yes, your odor, whether it's a heavy garlic smell from your last meal or your offensive body odor. If your scent hits them before your voice first does, it may undo everything you did right up until that point. Now, you may not notice your own foul breeze, but others do Trust me. And if you're nose blind, your own foul breeze, but others do trust me. And if you're nose blind, ask someone else you trust for their opinion.

Rick: 32:29

I once had a salesman that came into my office a couple times and his breath would hit me before his words did. I had to cut the meeting short because I just couldn't take it anymore. Fortunately for him, I knew him well enough where I was able to mention it and he thanked me and told me it was some health products he was taking and and he must have changed them because we never had that issue again. But if that would have been his first impression, that definitely would have been his last and number three verbal communication. Quite simply, the words you use in your initial communication will leave an impression, good or bad.

Rick: 33:01

Knowing what makes the difference is extremely helpful. Your tone, volume and pace are important in that first interaction. We all know someone that comes off as a negative Nancy or a whiner, or someone that may be either a loudmouth or a close talker. You know what those are. Those are the ones that you can barely hear and you're forced to keep asking I'm sorry, what did you say? And we all know people that talk way too fast, right?

Rick: 33:26

That might even describe you huh. Well, if so, no worries. Although that may be your normal way of communicating, at least if you're aware of it, you have the opportunity to alter it when it's really important, when you're making a first impression that you want to be as good as possible. A smooth, slightly upbeat, nice to meet you, greeting at a medium volume and pace, will go a long way to making an awesome first impression. And if you couple that with a firm handshake, some direct eye contact, and you're not dressed like you just rolled out of bed or you're ready to mow the lawn, your chances just tripled.

Rick: 34:01

Well, hopefully this overview, along with a few basic tips I shared, will help you, both in your business and in your personal life, start making more successful impressions when it really counts. I know we've all heard it before, but remember you really only have one chance to make a great first impression. Well, that's all I had for you today. Thanks again for tuning in. I really appreciate your support and I hope you have a great week. Thanks again for tuning in, I really appreciate your support and I hope you have a great week. I can always be reached at wwwrickselovercom, where you can find all my social media links podcast episodes, blog posts and much more. I love you.