First Impressions

One of my favorite slogans is from an ad I’d never seen.  A teacher once told my class, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”  What I later learned to be a Head and Shoulders tagline has stuck with me for years. 

Right now, I’m witnessing this tagline in action.

My husband and I are hosting a French exchange student who arrived last week.  Pierre is a really great kid, but his English is limited.  The judgments he makes remind me of the importance of visual appeal and first impressions.

At the grocery store, I asked Pierre to pick out cereal for breakfast. His preference?  Cocoa Puffs.

On his first day of school, Pierre wasn’t sure which group in the gym was his track class.  So he went to the class with students that appealed to him most.  Cheerleading.

At the mall, Pierre quickly found a black t-shirt with white writing that reads, “Overdosed on Confidence.”  My husband and I tried to explain what the shirt meant.  We tried to help Pierre understand the innuendo associated with the word “overdose.” Pierre didn’t mind.  He said that in France, people wear shirts because, despite not knowing what they mean, they look cool.

Every day, people make judgments based on what they see.  And though most of us do speak and read English well, the lesson remains.  Whether an advertisement, a memo, our appearance, or our website, impressions matter. 

Always strive to make your first impression a great one.