How To Make A Great First Impression: Know Your Audience
April 30, 2013
Bill Gates recently traveled to South Korea on a trip to “build business ties and boost nuclear energy plans.” However, he made one big mistake in the first minute of meeting South Korean President Park Geun-bye that could have soiled the relationship. The seemingly small blunder was enough to make headlines.
Bill Gates kept his left hand in his pocket while he shook the South Korean President’s hand with his right. In the U.S., no one would have noticed, let alone found the gesture offensive. In South Korea however, this action is considered a faux pas.
Now, let’s assume that this trip to South Korea was planned ahead of time. Let’s also assume that Gates was well aware he would be meeting with very important people on this trip (the South Korean President, for instance). This mistake could have been easily avoided if research was done prior to the trip and Gates knew basic etiquette and customs in South Korea.
I know that there is a very slim chance that you will be traveling to South Korea to meet the president any time soon, so you are probably asking yourself, why is this story relevant to me? How is this story related to hiring?
Simple — it’s all about first impressions. Whether in an interview, on a sales call, or networking, it can absolutely make or break you. And in order to make a good first impression you need to know your audience.
How to Make a Great First Impression: A Little Background Research Goes a Long Way
Not every situation is about cross cultural (mis)understanding — another example of flubbing the chance to make a great first impression could be as simple as a Harvard alum going into an interview and trash talking MIT only to discover the hiring manager went to MIT. Or it could involve missing an opportunity to connect, like meeting with the CEO of a company that you are trying to break into and not knowing that you’re from the same town, went to the same high school, and both had that same evil calculus teacher.
Before any first meeting, it is a best practice to do some research and find out a little about the person you are meeting with. Make sure you are careful not to do or say anything that would offend them and, if possible, try to find something in common that you both can relate to and use to become more comfortable with each other.
A good first impression will open many doors for you. Whether it be right away or 10 years down the road, that person will remember you. However, a bad first impression can can unfortunately last just as long — not only sinking your chances in a meeting, but damaging your reputation, as well.