We all know how important it is to make a good first impression, whether it’s at a job interview, on a date, or something else, and it turns out you may not have all that much time to make one. A new survey finds that folks have only 27 seconds to make a good first impression, with 69% of Americans saying they form a first impression of somebody before they even open their mouths to speak.
And when it comes to dating, it’s even worse, with 60% of people saying they take less time than normal to form a first impression. Overall, folks say they know within 15 minutes of a date whether there will be a second one, with 50% saying they make their decision in even less time than that.
As for what things help give off a good first impression, a person’s smile and being polite tops the list (53%), followed by being well spoken and making eye contact (49%). Other things that give off a good first impression:
- Good listener (48%)
- Smells nice (46%)
- Holds conversation well (46%)
- Body language (44%
- Tone of voice (44%)
- Well dressed (42%)
As for the top things that contribute to a bad first impression, someone smelling bad tops the list (66%), followed by being arrogant (62%) and dressing poorly (49%).
Source: SWNS Digital
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