We’ve all heard that first impressions are lasting impressions.

Most of us, when we want to make a good impression, we try to be nice because that’s what we’ve always been told to do.

But there are other ways to make a great first impression when you first meet someone so they really remember you, but more importantly, they remember you in the way YOU want them to.

This is a great skill to have, for business meetings or job interviews because, when you do it well, you can stand above the crowd,

And the people you want to notice you do, AND they come away from that first meeting with you with the impression you want them to.

So how do you do it?

Well, there are 3 mistakes most people make when they first meet someone, so today I’ll take you through what those 3 mistakes are and what you should be doing so you have more impact when you meet someone for the first time and they remember you in the way you want them to.

The first mistake people make is they aim to be nice when they first meet someone, even when that person is, in some cases, rude or obnoxious or racist or generally disrespectful of them.

When a person you meet for the first time is like this, you’ll gain their respect when you stand up for your self and let them know that it’s not ok to talk to you like that.

This happens a lot in business. When it happens it’s usually the more senior person showing disrespect to their subordinates.

However, when you meet someone like this for the first time and they try it on you, when you stand up for yourself and let them know clearly that you won’t put up with being treated like that, you’ll usually gain that person’s respect and they’ll be more respectful of you going forward.

So bullying in the workplace, when a woman receives unwanted attention from a male colleague and abuse are all examples of this type of behaviour.

So when you’re on the receiving end of this type of behaviour, tell the person, it’s not OK to speak to you like that, then tell them firmly not to do it again, then stop talking.

This will stop the person from exhibiting that unwanted behaviour towards you, and the upside is, because you’ve stood up for yourself, they’ll usually show you more respect that other people around you.

So tip number one is to stand up for yourself and set boundaries, even when you first meet someone. They’ll respect you for it.

Mistake number 2 is thinking you should agree with someone when you first meet them, even when you don’t agree with what they’re saying.

When you first meet someone and they express an opinion or say something you disagree with, you’ll make a better first impression when you let them know you disagree and why, than agree with them.

The way to do this is not to challenge them on what they said or their views, but you can start an intelligent debate or conversation about why you disagree.

When you do this, and you both either resolve the disagreement or even agree to disagree, you’ve created a deeper connection with that person.

So tip number 2 is that it’s OK to disagree with someone when you first meet them. In fact, when you do it well, you’ll establish a deeper connection with that person. And that’s a first impression you want to make!

Mistake number 3 is taking ‘fake it till you make it’ too far, or using it at the wrong time so you end up boxing yourself in.

For example, if when you meet someone for the first time you put yourself up as some one you’re not, but you could maintain that in the long term and it’s something you aim to be anyway, then fake it till you make it could be great for you in that situation.

After all, modelling certain behaviours or people we aspire to be like can actually help us to improve ourselves.

However, if when you meet someone for the first time and you put yourself out as someone you’re not, just to impress the person you’ve just met, but you have no way to continue the charade, then you’ve just boxed yourself into a corner with no way out, other than to come clean at some point.

So tip number 3 is, when it comes to ‘fake it till you make it’, be honest about what comes out of your mouth.

Aspire to improve yourself, but don’t back yourself into a corner.

When it comes to first impressions when you’re looking for work or if you’re just fishing for a better job, then the best way to get the job you’re after is when the hiring manager knows you’re a good candidate for the job and they want to meet you.

This gives you leverage to not only be offered the job, but to negotiate a great salary too.

The way to do this is to use Connectzapp.

The way it works is you go to Connectzapp.com and enter the details of the job want.

You’re then given a list of jobs suited to you, ranked in order, with the best matched job for you at the top. You then swipe through each job, choose the ones you’re most interested in, put them into your shortlist and then contact those companies direct.

It’s easy and it’s quick. The other great thing is that once you’ve entered the details of the job you’re after, even if the jobs that are currently available don’t appeal to you, you can wait for the right job to come along.

Hiring managers and recruiters will seek you out and contact you. Then YOU can decide whether you want to go further with that job or not.

So even if you have a job, but you’re open to a better offer, put yourself onto Connectzapp and let companies and recruiters find you and make you offers.

You’ll be in strog position to get the job you want for the money you want.

So give it a try.

Go to Connectzapp.com or get the app.

Good luck with your job hunting!