The Power of the First Impression

I consider myself to be a very intuitive woman. I often make decisions without checking all the facts.  I decide on what I sense is right, which is mostly a fast response without methodically evaluating pros and cons.  Enemies of this approach might call this “too emotional” and believe that due diligence is needed before acting.  I call this using your intuition.

There is truth in both viewpoints and I don’t want to deny the necessity of collecting facts on a matter or problem before resolving it.  There are many situations in life when due diligence seems to make sense, but still the final decision is often based on your unconscious mind known as your senses, gut feeling, or intuition.  Let me give you a couple of examples, perhaps similar to your own experiences.

When my husband and I went house hunting, we knew whether a house would be right for us the moment we stepped through the front door.  We did not need to see the fact sheet to know that the house was or was not right for us.  The first impression was the moment of decision and no facts could change our minds.

Do you recall shopping for a blouse, dress or jewelry this way?  You saw something in the shop window and knew immediately that it was what you wanted.  If someone had asked you why you felt that way, you probably could not have explained your reasons.  It just felt right.

In a business scenario, successful managers often make decisions based on their gut feelings.  They cannot explain why a deal or offer seems right or wrong.  They simply sense the right decision within the first moments without first having to analyze all of the facts.

When I met my husband for the first time, I knew he was the one.  I felt attracted to him before I knew much about him.  Trust me; at that time there were many facts speaking against our relationship and friends and family members never tired in presenting these facts to me on a golden tray to change my mind.  They were not successful, glad to say.  We have been happily married for almost 15 years.

Since our society is so mind-driven and fact-oriented, it takes a lot of courage to allow your senses to prevail.  I understand your worries, but at the same time I encourage you to allow your intuition or instincts to unfold.  In my book Be a woman and act like one. Succeeding in business and life, I talk about this topic in the chapter “Follow Your Instincts”.  Use the power of the first impression to your advantage and have the courage to express how you feel.

For more encouragement and deeper explanation I recommend Malcom Gladwell, the author of the book Blink.  He illustrates intuition with amazing examples of the power of the first moment.  He also cites examples from the world of science which prove his theory that someone can sense the right decision in the blink of an eye.

I highly recommend this book.  Gladwell suggests implementing techniques to short-circuit prejudices in our every day lives.  In this way, he contends, we can reconnect with and benefit from the power of the “blink,” the intuitive moment.

Here is a link to an excerpt of his book – the introduction.

Enjoy!

About Hertha Wolff-Arend

I am a business coach and writer located in Paso Robles, California. I am the author of the book Be a woman and act like one. Succeeding in business and life’’ and I write a blog for women with the same title. I give motivational speeches and offer leadership and personality trainings to women. I also work with business owners and managers to support them in their leadership skills and personal development. As a strategic consultant, I also help companies with their communication and marketing strategy. Born and raised in Germany, I spent most of my adult life in Europe. I have a German university degree in languages and economics and I worked for many years in the advertising industry as one of the few female managing directors in Germany for major international advertising agencies such as Young&Rubicam, TBWA and Bates. My client list consisted of mainly blue chip clients, where I was responsible for their communications strategies and the development and execution of the advertising concepts. Just to name a few clients: Lufthansa, Danone, Kraft Foods, Bosch, Singapore Airlines, Ericsson, Campbells etc. In 2004 I relocated with my husband and son to California. I graduated from New Venture West in San Francisco as a Certified Integral Coach and started my own coaching practice in 2007. I am fluent in German and English and have conversational skills in Spanish. Aside from my dedication to work and family, I am a passionate dressage rider. I am devoted to supporting women in business, with a focus on women in the lower and middle management who are aiming at a career in the higher ranks or who want to develop their own business.
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2 Responses to The Power of the First Impression

  1. Asiat says:

    Je voudrai vous dire que c’est clairement de la joie de venir sur votre site

  2. Une fois de plus un bon article : j’en parlerai dans la semaine avec des
    amis

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