12 Behaviors That Can Ruin Your First Impression

Some research shows that the first impression about a person is formed within 7 seconds of initial contact. And in a job interview, your future boss can make the decision to hire you or not in just 30 seconds.

Therefore, It’s important to avoid making some basic behavior mistakes in those first few seconds🇧🇷 After all, you can, as we mentioned, be on a job interview, in a conversation with a client, or chatting with your future boyfriend/girlfriend. Making gaffes early on can ruin everything.

O awesome.club presents errors that can convey the image that the person is rude, selfish, boring or just plain boring.

To avoid these problems, read our post and make the best use of the 7 seconds that build the first impression.

Any manual of business etiquette will tell you that the handshake should be firm but not overdone. Some research shows that people with a loose handshake are considered shy, anxious and not open to relationships.

Another mistake is keeping the handshake too long. If you want to convey the image of a safe person, give a firm handshake and observe the two-second rule, which states that a handshake should not last longer than that time.

Speaking of hands, in a meeting or encounter, try to maintain an awareness of what you are doing with them while you are seated. You can keep them on your lap, but never in your pockets, a posture that suggests you’re hiding something. If you keep them on the table, avoid squeezing them too tightly or putting your palms down, which may indicate that you are trying to control the interviewer🇧🇷 Also pay attention to the profile of your interlocutor. If in Western countries, keeping your hands on the table and folding them is seen as a nice attitude, in Japan and India, for example, this is considered a rude gesture.

nothing more inappropriate🇧🇷 In general, the first impression of a person who is chewing gum is associated with immaturity and lack of education. In a job interview, then, disqualification is certain.

Eye contact is a powerful tool for making a good impression. Some research related to the subject shows that people who keep eye to eye while talking (without exaggerating, of course) and listening to their interlocutors, are generally seen as safer and smarter.

On the other hand, those who avoid eye contact are seen as less sincere, unattractive and very anxious.

Another unfavorable attitude, especially when it comes to professional matters or the business world. While most women have been shown to touch their hair up to 18 times a day, playing with them at a client meeting or a job interview can send mixed signals to the other person.

At a cocktail party, for example, it can indicate anxiety, low self-esteem or stress. And when playing with your hair becomes a repetitive and obsessive act, it can convey the impression that the person is not able to control their own impulses.

Another frequent item in relationship manuals. There are themes taboo who are totally vetoed when it comes to making a good impression. And you probably know what they are: health problems, money, religion, relationships with ex-bosses (what they did good and bad), politics (especially at election time) and intimate issues🇧🇷 Another basic tip on first contact: listen more and talk less.

Here, we get into the question of the physical distance between you and your interlocutor. Some researchers classify personal space into four levels. In a formal meeting, the distance should be of between one and three minus. Less than that conveys an impression of aggression; a greater distance may indicate a lack of interest🇧🇷

Any noise you make, whether voluntary or involuntary, can be harmful. These tics include tapping the floor, tapping the table, and snapping your fingers. Drumming the table or tapping the floor can indicate irritation, nervousness or impatience. Your interlocutor may even interpret these noises as an attempt at intimidation on your part. And while snapping your fingers is a way to relieve tension, as research by The New York Times shows, avoid doing it, whether it’s a job interview or a first date.

On average, a person checks their cell phone about 110 times a day! And, as almost everyone knows (but almost no one does), it’s very bad to spend all the time checking messages or looking at the watch, whether it’s the one on your own cell phone or one on your wrist. The interpretation is the same in both cases: you have more interesting things to do than stay in that boring meeting or date. Research indicates that even leaving the cell phone quietly on the table can impair the quality of a date or meeting.

There’s nothing more embarrassing than that situation where you forget the name of the person you’re talking to — and worse, they remember your name. To avoid this kind of faux pas, repeat the person’s name as soon as they say it for the first time. “A-N-A? Hi Ana, nice to meet you.” Never use the old excuse that you’re not good with names or that your memory isn’t the best. If you’re interested in the other person, don’t forget their name. Basic.

We left this item for the end because many people, especially here in Brazil, believe that it’s okay to delay a few minutes. Sorry to say, but there are problems. Your punctuality says a lot about you. When a person is late, he gives the impression of being unreliable, of not knowing how to manage his own time and, worse, of not caring about the other people who arrived punctually at a meeting or meeting. Anyway, the message you send is that you don’t give a damn about other people. But let’s say you ran like crazy and managed to get there just in time. In this case, you may start the meeting or meeting totally unfocused, trying to recover from the rush. Plan ahead, check public transport schedules, find out how the traffic will be. This avoids inconvenience.

Some surveys show that up to 55% of first impressions are based on the way a person dresses. In addition, some studies indicate that appearance, height, weight, hair color and even the amount of makeup can interfere with the amount of salary. If you are going to meet or date someone for the first time, try to be neutral in relation to the look; no too outrageous clothes, too many rings and earrings, or too strong perfume.

How do you behave in relation to these themes? Which of these points would make you have a bad or a good impression of a person? Would you add anything else to our list? Tell us in the comments!