Experts say that people form their first impressions of you in just 3 seconds. Of course, one of the first things that immediately grabs someone’s attention is your outlook. How you visually represent yourself speaks volumes, in those precious seconds counting down to a first impression.
Every moment is fleeting. Within moments of a meeting, people make up their minds about you, from societal status to intelligence. The ability that enables people to find patterns in behaviour, appearance, speech, etc is called “thin slicing”. This particular concept was made popular by best-selling author Malcom Gladwell in his book, Blink.
Have you wondered if you’ve made a positive impact on certain so-and-so’s you chanced on meeting along the way? Well, we are here to blow those uncertainties away. You do have some control over how you can enhance those thin slices of perceptions about you, and we are here to dish out the good stuff.
Your posture precedes your reputation.
The way you stand suggests a certain attitude. Lift your chin a little, imagine the back of your head aligned with your spine. And pick up those heels, you want to strut, not shuffle your feet along! The same straight posture applies to when you’re seated. Remember, you want a straight A impression, not a slouch grouch reputation.
The three C’s.
Clothes, confidence, conversation. Many a time, clothes really do make the man or woman. Ask your matchmaker or date coach for a few ideas to bounce around. A few keywords into your favourite search engine will also turn up a gazillion possibilities! Any ensemble that fits you well cranks up your confidence a few notches. When it comes to conversation, show genuine interest in your date and level your eyes with them. Not only does it embody sincerity, it’s a game changer. Open-ended questions get the ball rolling, such as, “do you have any brothers or sisters?” or “what do you do during your free time? Soon enough you’ll find similar interests or topics to delve further into.
Put big gestures to pasture.
You aren’t a windmill, and there isn’t any need for you to generate kinetic energy. Showcasing your underarms is generally the pits. A good rule of thumb is to relax your arms by your sides. Any hand gestures should be kept to a minimum, and at maximum shoulder height. A big brownie point? Lean toward your date when you’re listening to him or her and you’ll earn a sizzle of attraction all the way down to your toes.
We at Dateworks understand the yearn for relationship success from the dating pool and we too empathise with any dating anxiety you may have. We’ll handle the speed bumps and let you experience the sizzles, because the most important gesture to expect is ultimately a romantic one, don’t you agree?
