With the economy reopening, businesses are once again gearing up. This may mean more meetings and appointments between business owners to establish partnerships and support systems. While this could mean more telecommuting or videoconferencing, the increasingly vaccinated population means you may be having more face-to-face business meetings.
There for, it’s important to once again talk about establishing good first impressions with whomever you are meeting. This can be harder than you think, with 78 percent of business owners saying that they only seldom have meetings with people who give good first impressions.
Here are a few tips on how you can ensure you establish a great first impression during a business meeting.
Grooming
Your personal hygiene and appearance matter when you are meeting with other business owners. You have to maintain a degree of professionalism at all times, and no time is more important than when you are in a meeting.
Although you probably wouldn’t have to do anything drastic, such as getting whitening underarm treatment with laser, you must still exert a lot of effort in maintaining your appearance.
Here are some tips on grooming yourself before a meeting.
- Fix Your Hair — Hair is an important asset to most people’s self-esteem and you have to make sure your hair works for you when you are in a meeting, This means you must have a hairstyle that reflects your maturity and mindset. If you want to be taken seriously, don’t sport frosted tips of fauxhawks in a business meeting.
- Scent Is Important — Your scent should be pleasant and not at all off-putting if you want whoever you are meeting with. If you have body odor issues or prone to heavy sweating, be sure to apply plenty of deodorant. You should also choose subtle scents because you don’t’ want to reduce people to sneezing around you during the meeting. A few dabs of cologne or perfume will go a long way, as long as you reapply.
- Retouch Your Appearance — When you are waiting for the people you are meeting with, it may take a while. Or you could have other things to do before your big meeting. This can be a problem and you may get slightly disheveled before you sit down. Make sure to retouch your appearance, adjust makeup and refix your hair before every meeting. You should also check if your clothing is still presentable. A few creases here and there is fine, a large spot or stain is not.
Clothing
The clothes you wear are a reflection not just of who you are but also how you want people to view yourself and your business. Your clothes will communicate more than you think, especially when you are trying to establish great first impressions.
If you want people to take you seriously when you first sit down with them for a meeting, remember these tips.
- Match Tone — Your clothes should reflect the gravity and mood of the meeting you are having. If you are meeting for the first time in preparation for a potential partnership, slightly brighter colors can send positive vibes across the table. If you have more solemn items on the agenda, muted and dark tones will be more appropriate for the meeting.
- Coordinate Accessories — Accessories can be just as important in making an outfit appropriate. For example, if you tend to wear a lot of jewelry, you may want to tone it down because their clatter could prove distracting. If you like wearing wristbands and other casual paraphernalia, you should switch them out for more appropriate accessories at least until the meeting wraps up. Also ensure that your accessories are working to make your entire ensemble more pleasing instead of clashing with it.
- Balance Comfort — Meetings can last for hours and you will want not just to look good but also feel great. If you wear uncomfortable clothing for the duration of your meeting, your attitude and attention can be affected. Imagine having to listen to someone for an hour or so while your feet are pinched in tiny shoes or your waist cinched by pants that are way too tight. You have to choose clothes that are the perfect balance between comfortable and presentable if you want to make it through a long meeting without distracting yourself or the other attendees.
Establishing a great first impression is invaluable in the business world. Whether you are starting a new business, forming a new partnership or simply building connections with your fellow business owners, a great first impression can help make it easier for you to walk away with what you want.
