Brain and 1st Impressions, Part 2

First impressions are more heavily influenced by nonverbal cues—they are estimated to have over four times the impact on the impression you make than by what you say. You are ‘selling yourself’ all the time in a sense. That’s just another way of saying that the impression you make on others can have ramifications for years to come. The ‘universal sign’ of acknowledgement is said to be the ‘eyebrow flash.’ You can raise an eyebrow slightly or open your eyes a bit more than normal to simulate the ‘eyebrow flash.’ No surprise, smiling is another positive nonverbal. A genuine smile indicates friendliness, approachability, and an invitation to converse. (Of course raising an eyebrow or offering a genuine smile is predicated on whether or not one’s face lift or Botox injections permit that much facial movement. If not, you’ll need to rely more on how you dress and other nonverbals such as the amount of warmth in your tone of voice or the quality of your handshake.) Part 3 tomorrow.