How was President George W. Bush’s first week in the Oval Office? “We were all raised by mothers who told us we had one chance to make a first impression,” said Democratic Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut. Saying he was encouraged by the first few days, he added, “And a first impression can last you awhile.”
It’s all about first impressions — government and business — both making them and responding to them. In critical situations, everyone’s antennas are up, super sensitive to even the most inconsequential signal. We seem convinced that almost everything rides on making a correct first impression: “Did we put our best foot forward?” “The first meeting is always pivotal. How did we do?” “What can we do to make it more impressive?”
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Why all the concern with first impressions? Why do we believe that the first contact makes a difference? Is it true that no one gets a second chance at making a first impression or is that just popular business lore?
In some ways, it is difficult to understand why we place so much importance on first impressions. It isn’t only making them that gets our attention, of course. It’s reading them, as well. Armed with extremely limited information, we often come to conclusions that are instantly indelible. If we know such conclusions may be questionable, why do we persist in making snap judgments that are virtually impossible to change?
The answer is simple. First impressions work. They reduce anxiety and allow us to move through the day with less stress. Walk into an auto dealership to look at a car and you are immediately turned off by a ‘pushy’ salesperson. How often do we hear someone say, “From the very moment I met her, I knew… ?” Or, “They didn’t have us fooled for a minute. As soon as they opened their mouths, we could tell….”
Making judgments on such limited knowledge may seem difficult to defend. Yet, studies support the extensive influence of first impressions. Consider, for example, one research project. Conducted by Jennifer Humble and Dr. Barbara Bremer, the objective was to evaluate the extent that dress and physical appearance affect the quality of social interactions.
Using a retail store setting, the researchers discovered that the sociability of the clerks was significantly higher when interacting with a well-dressed actor than when interacting with a poorly dressed one. Other studies suggest that facial expression, gestures, glasses, personal coloring, garment style, and make up can play a key role in impression formation. As Humble and Bremer conclude, “Individuals tend to make intrinsic judgments about a person based on external cues.”
What is true about first impressions of individuals may be equally significant for companies. Businesses select street and building addresses for
company offices because they send “the right message”-they are believed to make the right impression.
Even though we acknowledge the role a first impression can play in making a sale, signing on a new client, or walking away with an order, we often “come up blank” when it comes to other issues. A few questions may make the point:
- We are often satisfied with a one or two color brochure, even though full color is known to attract far more attention.
- Why do we use “Dear Valued Customer” on letters even though a personalized letter receives more attention?
- Why do we persist in using “cold calling” even though we are personally turned off when we receive such calls ourselves?
- What is the impact of a logo designed by an amateur or one that is 30 years old? What type of impression does each make?
- What is the subtle effect of using a heavier weight paper stock for letterhead verses a thin but far less expensive paper?
- What impression do customers have when a company responds to requests immediately instead of weeks or days later?
- What is the impact of a projected presentation that is typed with black letters on a white background verses one that has been professionally designed and the presentation made with a PowerPoint-type program?
- How does image advertising influence the perception of customers and prospects?
- What effect does a newsletter that looks like an “ad” and contains self-serving material have on readers?
- How effective is a Web site in attracting customers when every page is company-focused verses one that provides visitors with helpful information?
- What impression does a company make when it delivers orders quicker than promised?
Clearly, business is about impressions. The psychological literature is filled with examples of studies verifying that misjudgments result from incomplete or misleading information. In one such study, for example, a group was asked to memorize a list of words that included terms of praise, while another group was asked to memorize a list that included scornful terms.
Then, both groups undertook an ostensibly different task in which they read an ambiguous news story about a young man. When questioned, the first group was much more positive about the young man than were those in the second group, presumably because the positive words they had just memorized came to mind and vice versa.
There implications in this can be serious for a business. On the one hand, taking steps to shape and protect customers, vendors, stockholders, and the public’s perceptions can be positive and beneficial as a company like Nordstrom’s knows so well. Even those who have never shopped at a Nordstrom’s store have a positive impression of the company. The story is quite different for a Firestone.
Here are just a few ideas that may help make a difference in the way a company actively fosters appropriate, positive impressions:
- Be painfully clear about how you want your company to be perceived. What impression do you want to make? A good example is United Parcel Service. No matter how bad the weather, UPS trucks are clean and the drivers are always neatly uniformed no matter how hard they have been working. UPS knows that the way it looks on the street and at the door influences how customers rate its service.
- Take every positive and negative message seriously. What do customers like-and what do you dislike? If there are disconnects between what you say and how you perform, someone is getting a confused message-and that means the wrong impression. Negative messages should never be ignored, even though they may be way off base. What’s behind the misconception? How did it happen? And what can be done to change it?
- Be clear in your understanding of what the customer is thinking. Although it’s not easy, it’s necessary. An insider’s perspective is out of the question when it comes to impressions. For example, what’s the message of the company logo? It might be worthwhile holding a focus group and asking customers what they think when they see it. Many banks still picture themselves in terms of “strong, solid buildings.” Is this the impression a bank wants to make today?
John R. Graham is president of Graham Communications, a marketing services and sales consulting firm founded in 1976.
