The Social T-Rex™

You never have a 2nd chance to make  a 1st impression.  So how do you make those 7 seconds count?  You are asking, 7 seconds?   Yes!  How can someone size me up in 7 seconds?  Let’s put this time length in perspective;

• The length of time a bull rider must stay on a bull is 8 seconds, ever watch a rodeo, that is a long 8 seconds.
• Time it takes for James Bond to down a martini (shaken, not stirred).
• Time it takes to stick your foot in your mouth by responding poorly to an email, blog post or comment (may seem like 7 years)!

The point is, you have 7 seconds to make a good 1st impression.  The other person has made a preliminary decision about you within the first 7 seconds.  So how do you win? Look at the first 7 seconds as the foundation, the next 15 minutes are critical!

7 second impress

• Confidence!
• Firm Handshake
• Eye Contact – look them directly in the eye
• Direct and simple introduction;  “Hello, my name is ____, it is great to meet you!

Next 14 minutes and 53 seconds

• Knowledgeable:  Do your homework and know more about the person and company than what is on their website.
• 3 degrees:  LinkedIN, reach out to someone in the company, offer them lunch and pick their brain!  More than a website!
• Honest & Transparent:  Tell the truth about your resume, don’t make excuses for shortcomings, but offer solutions.
• Don’t Be a Bad Date:  Be interesting, offer stories that are short, to the point and highlight successes and mistakes you learned from.
• Engage in the conversation:  Just like above, it is a two-way conversation.  Don’t just ask questions about sales volume, benefits etc.  Instead, discuss how your long-term goals match with the company’s strategy (remember your “friend” from the LI lunch!).

Most importantly, control your personal brand!  Be sure you control the information in the social groups about you.  Google yourself and see what pops up.  If nothing, you have some work to do.  At least your LinkedIn profile should pop, be sure it is complete with great information and references.  If tons of info is out there, be sure it is what you want, not the Facebook photos of your college keg stand championship!

7 seconds, seems like such a small amount of time!  Remember, their 7 second impression is based on 30+ minutes of research they have already completed before they meet you in person.  The 7 seconds will support or debunk their researched impression of you!