To make a good first impression when meeting customers, properly dress, arrive on time, smile, introduce yourself, have a firm handshake, speak clearly, maintain eye contact, listen more than you talk, ask questions, shift the focus to praising the customer, give without expecting anything in return, avoid distractions, don't be self-important, and keep the conversation positive. Research shows people make judgments about others within the first seven seconds of meeting based on factors like appearance and that first impressions are difficult to change.

1. Life Cycle Selling
Make Good First Impression

2. You must create trust with potential customers, before you
can convince them that you’re someone that they can leave
one of their biggest financial commitments, mortgage, in your
hand.
A good first impression from peoples gives you the
opportunity to establish your credentials and experience with
people, and the trust, eventually.
Otherwise people will simply shut off to what you say.

3. Why First Impression Matters
Education level
Economic level
Perceived credibility, believability, competence and honesty
Trustworthiness
Level of sophistication
Level of success
Political background
Religious background
Ethnic background and
Social/professional/sexual desirability
(source: Michal Solomon, NYU)
According to a study, people make eleven decision about us in the first seven
seconds of contact (“7/11 Rule”), and the rest of their time is spent finding
evidence to prove their original impression, no matter that impression is true or
not:

4. YOU DON’T HAVE
A SECOND CHANCE
TO MAKE
A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION

5. Good first impression as a personal behavior
In order to leave a good first impression when meeting customer face to face, here are some useful
tips:
Dress professionally
On-time
Smile
Introduction: “Great to meet you, Susan, I am John”
The right handshake
Speak clearly and calmly
Make eye contact
Use body language
Turn off your phone

6. Listen 10x more than you talk
Ask questions, maintain eye contact, smile, nod and respond, verbally and
nonverbally. That’s all it takes to show the other person he or she is important.
Don’t offer advice unless you’re asked, because when you offer advice, you make
the conversation about you.
Only speak when you have something important to say and always define
important as what matters to the other people, not to you.
Don’t be ego-driven.

7. Shift the spotlight
No one receives enough praise. Whenever possible, start the conversation
by telling the other person what they did well.
Not only will people appreciate your praise, they’ll also appreciate the fact
you care enough to pay attention to what they do.
And they’ll then feel a little more accomplished and a lot more important…
and they’ll love you for making them feel that way.
Example:
“You’ve made $60,000 savings over this short 3 years, it’s great. In fact I found that
saving up enough deposit is the biggest hurdle for first home buyers. You’re way ahead
of the most people. Well done!”

8. Give before you receive (and assume you will never receive)
Never think about you can sign up and convert that particular customer.
Focus on what you can provide. Giving is the only way to establish a real
connection and a real relationship.
Focus, even in part and even for a moment, on what you can get out of the
other person… and you show that the only person who really matters is you.
It will make whatever you say and offer is genuine.

9. Put everything else away
Don’t check your phone, don’t glance at your watch. Don’t focus on anything
else, even for a moment.
You can never connect with others if you’re busy connecting with your own
stuff, too.
Give the gift of your full attention. That’s the gift few people give. That gift
alone will make others want to do business with you and remember you.

10. Don’t be self-important
The only person who are impressed by your stuffy, pretentious, self-
important self are other stuffy, pretentious, self-important people.
You’re not to show off how important, how successful you are in front of the
potential customer.
They can’t care less. They’re irritated, put off and uncomfortable with it.

11. Keep positive
People only want to be around with those who make them feel good.
Even though they can’t achieve what they want to achieve at the moment,
such as low income, insufficient deposit etc, you should always point out the
bright side of the situation.
Nothing works better than providing people with the right direction to achieve
their goals, when you want to establish a long-term relationship with them.
If they eventually succeed based on your suggestion, they will never forget
you.
Resources: Michael Solomon NYU, Jeff Haden @jeff_haden