Charismatic First Impressions

YOU NEV ER GE T a second chance to make a great first impression.

Within a few seconds, with just a glance, people have judged your

social and economic level, your level of education, and even your

level of success. Within minutes, they’ve also decided your levels of

intelligence, trustworthiness, competence, friendliness, and con-

fidence.

In fact, people judge your level of charisma based just on how you

say hello! For more complex judgments, such as persuasiveness, more

time is necessary, but that longer time means only a maximum of

sixty seconds.1 Although these evaluations happen in an instant, they

can last for years: First impressions are often indelible.

Is it possible to overcome a bad first impression? Yes, it is. Over

the course of several meetings, you can sometimes change a person’s

initial perception of you. But you’ll have to work much harder than

if you’d come across as charismatic from the start.

Why do split- second impressions last for so long? One reason is

that, according to economist John Kenneth Galbraith, “when faced