PERSON PERCEPTION

“If you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far go with others.” –African proverb

Networking, this has become my new normal. Small group networking, larger groups, one to ones, meeting up for a coffee and a chat. I have found myself networking on a weekly basis to increase my exposure, to build positive business relationships, to gain and share advice, information and aid the referral process.

In a short space of time I have met a wide array of people and I have been reflecting on “person perception”. I have been considering how we form impressions of people and also contemplating the impression I myself may give to others.

Our brains are designed to help us judge others efficiently. Our first impressions can be remarkably accurate. So how are we able to form accurate impressions? One way is by viewing non-verbal behaviour, we also judge people by their traits, physical properties and verbal behaviour. The goals, values and beliefs of a person also influence first impressions.

It is frequently said that first impressions matter and social psychological research supports this idea. The “primary effect” describes the tendency for information we learn first to be weighted more heavily than that which we learn later.

Experts say that we size up new people in somewhere between 30 seconds and two minutes. As we only get one chance to make a first impression then we better do all we can to make it a good one!

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