Browse 281 quotes about First Impressions Quotes.
“A closed-ended question, however, is one which could be answered with a one-word answer or a simple "yes" or "no." It can bring a dynamic dialogue to an awkward halt or stalemate. You can easily flip the encounter around by making a little more effort.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Open-ended questions open doors for new discoveries and opportunities. They encourage others to speak their truths, share their experiences, and express their ideas.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“When you sincerely want to connect on deeper levels and encourage other people to talk about themselves, use open-ended questions to stimulate your conversation and get the ball rolling.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“In sales, this tactic comes across as pushy, arrogant, and uncaring. It doesn’t have to be this way. Admittedly, it may take great restraint to resist the temptation to dominate a conversation, but when you do, you are rewarded with an appreciation for your interest and attentiveness. Simply by changing your approach and becoming a discovery expert, you will receive relevant answers for how to better connect and serve others.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“In medicine, prescription before diagnosis is malpractice. Asking the right questions will help you discover a person’s needs and concerns so that you can respond intelligently and appropriately.
Yet salespeople, consultants, or managers often try to push their solutions on you before they even know what your needs are. This is a fast way to alienate people and push you toward their competitor, isn’t it?”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Socrates would teach his pupils by asking them intelligent and probing questions. By using their critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities, they could discover the answers for themselves and retain their lessons longer. By using this same approach for Socratic Selling or Socratic Communication, there is no telling how much you might teach and solve for another person, all the while creating a memorable encounter.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Push versus Pull Marketing. Who wants to be pushed around? I certainly don’t. Statements push and questions pull. Don’t you prefer the latter? Questions pique interest and can keep the dialogue flowing when your other alternatives aren’t as attractive or magnetic.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Use questions to find out where people are, where they want to be, and how you can help them cross the great divide. When I was in real estate, there were times when brand new clients would get into my car for a day of touring and house hunting. In many cases, I had never met them before. My first goal was to break the ice and build rapport as fast as possible so that our time together would be enjoyable, interactive, and successful for all of us.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“People love to talk about themselves. When you provide them with an opening and a platform for them to do so, you will be amazed by how your conversations can blossom.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“In sales, there is a questioning funnel for building rapport in which you start with broad questions and discreetly and respectfully move to the more specific. If you don’t honor this progression, you risk coming across as pushy. As you build rapport, you earn standing to get more personal.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“What do you do? It’s amazing how people will qualify, quantify, judge, assess, and form complete opinions about you based on that one age-old question. It is a boring, uncreative default setting for attempting to engage a new person.
Spice it up and try something new. Instead, ask "What do you do for fun?” Your creativity will make you more memorable and help you stand apart from the crowd.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Tell me about yourself” is one of the best icebreakers and conversation openers you can have. Learn to ask questions using this phrase as the guide. Let the other person do the talking and they will think you are the most delightful conversationalist they have ever met. When you make the effort to do this for others, they feel relevant and valued.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Leading the Witness. Know the difference! Using questions to manipulate, coerce, or lead people in directions which are not in their best interests connotes dishonesty, fraud, disrespect, and a lack of integrity.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“I once knew a woman who had a reputation as a snob and a gossip. I would avoid her at parties because I did not want to participate in her judgmental inquisition. It rarely felt like her questions were based on genuine interest and caring, but rather an attempt to gather information that she could use behind my back. I had her number and could see past her overly eager friendliness. Her attempts to be the expert on everyone else’s business have continued to make a poor impression on me these many years later. If your gut reaction is "Why do you want to know?" trust your instincts.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“11 Benefits of Asking Questions
“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
– Albert Einstein
1. Builds rapport.
2. Nurtures creativity.
3. Grows your knowledge and awareness.
4. Exercises critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
5. Makes the other person feel valued.
6. Helps you make thoughtful decisions.
7. The better our questions, the better our answers.
8. Keeps you agile and open to new ideas.
9. Improves your memory and retention.
10. Helps you stay informed and relevant.
11. Enables you to discover a new world of possibilities you would not have known otherwise.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Finding commonality with another person can help you create an instant bond by transcending social differences and going straight to creating rapport. Finding common ground allows you to connect the dots in the big picture to discover what feels most comfortable, how to connect, and where you might fit in when meeting new people.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“When people are like you, conversations flow naturally and feel more relaxed, don’t they? You know what to say, how to talk, what to expect, and how to understand them on an intuitive level.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“The romantic notion of "opposites attract" works well in fairy tales. However, science proves that "like attracts like" for healthy communication and successful relationships. Social psychologists have long relied upon the "Similarity Attraction Theory" to explain why we are more positively inclined toward people who are the most like ourselves.
Similarity reduces uncertainty and gives us a comforting degree of psychological safety. It is no wonder, then, that "birds of a feather flock together." Our tribe understands our vibe.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“It is easier to do business and work with people who are most like ourselves.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Establishing social certainty helps you build trust, develop rapport, and strengthen your connection. However, the right questions might lead you to find a niche of commonality in someone who is very different from you. It can be professionally and personally rewarding.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Along with the "Law of Attraction" there is also an "Attractor Factor" for easily building camaraderie and commonality for making a positive first impression. Seek to find:
1. Shared History
2. Shared Stories
3. Shared Interests
4. Shared Attitudes
5. Shared Experiences
6. Shared Beliefs and Values”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Identifying, developing, and connecting on these points of reference will provide you with a rich resource of information from which to engage in stimulating conversations and connect on meaningful levels.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Once you start looking, you will discover unlimited links and openers for nurturing camaraderie. Do you drive the same car? Did you attend the same college? Do you both write with your left hand? Love vacationing in Paris? Prefer sushi over pasta? Both have twins? Attend the same church? Each run marathons? Enjoy the same television shows? Have the same breed of dog? While downright basic, these shared commonalities can often bring a sense of familiarity and affection even for people whom you have never met.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“I recently heard of a real estate professional who LOVES to cook. So, her niche market? Foodies. She attends local restaurant events and cooking classes and turns strangers into friends and clients. Her closing gift to new homeowners? A recipe box. Then she sends new recipe postcards every month to tuck inside. Isn’t that a smart way to stay connected in a meaningful way?”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“In our high-tech world today, there are unlimited ways with which you can search for people, places, and events to connect you with like-minded people. Food enthusiasts? There are local cooking classes. Gardening fans? There are flower shows and garden expos. Kids in school? Join the PTA and get involved. There are clubs and groups for almost any interest these days and venturing out to make those connections is a powerful way to expand your insights, your network, and even your business.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“When all else fails, Mother Nature has provided you with a great social default for finding commonality with others. Since weather is a universally shared experience, it enables you to jump into a conversation with anybody and everybody. While discussing the weather may sound boring, trite, and predictable, it is a safe and the certain ice-breaker that can help you build commonality regardless of who you are addressing. As I write this, we have icy rain! It's never a boring topic.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Earning Trust & Cooperation
The number one thing which stands between you and meeting a new person is tension. What is the number one thing which stands between a sales person and their prospect? You guessed it . . . tension. One of our first priorities as we initiate a first impression must be to focus on how to effectively minimize or eliminate tension.
Regardless of your relationship or venue, when tension is high, trust and cooperation are low. When tension is reduced, trust and cooperation increase. It is an inverse relationship. So, how can you move to reduce tension in your first impressions to increase trust and cooperation? Put yourself in their shoes and seek to relate to them with an equal footing on a level playing field. Demonstrate how you can bring value to their lives.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“As soon as someone believes you cannot be trusted, you are stopped dead in your tracks. Whether this perceived loss of trustworthiness is true or false, the perception alone can be damaging.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“I’ve Got to Trust You to Like You
People want to do business with people whom they like and trust. If anything in a business presentation raises concerns or doubt about your trustworthiness, everything shuts down. And then there's little hope of moving forward in a positive way—you’re done.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“What are those behaviors that make us take pause to think twice about a person’s trustworthiness? Guarded body language, lack of eye contact, nervous fidgeting, interrupting, speaking ill of others, lying, arrogance, and gossip to name a few.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Rapport allows you to create a friendly compatibility and easy companionship which feels comfortable and enjoyable.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“When a leader nurtures an environment of trust, respect, and honesty—business soars, creativity and problem-solving are inspired, and collaboration enables people get more done in less time.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Strengthen your first impressions by making the intentional effort to first earn people’s trust, and rapport will naturally follow.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Can I Trust You?
Years ago, I heard Lou Holtz speak at a national conference. His rock-solid reputation preceded him—he is the only coach in the history of college football to take six different football teams to a bowl game. He is not only well-respected for his ability to elevate football programs, but to elevate individuals as well.
During his humorous and entertaining keynote, he taught a few small lessons which carried big meanings. He shared that every person you meet is privately asking themselves three questions:
1. Do you care about me?
2. Do I like you?
3. Can I trust you?
When you make an authentic, sincere, and dignified effort to create a positive first impression, you increase your chances of receiving a "Yes!" to those questions. Unfortunately, if someone you meet answers "No!" you’ve got an uphill battle to earn their business or develop a friendship.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“When trust is broken, foundational cracks occur which weaken the entire relationship. As with concrete, no amount of filling and patching you apply with the hope of fortifying the fracture will ever repair the weakness caused by the rift.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Sometimes we break people's trust accidentally. An infraction such as not returning a phone call, missing a deadline, being late for an appointment, divulging a confidence, or speaking out of turn can damage our perceived character and reputation.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Take steps to be humble, sincere, and authentic, and apologize if necessary. If a relationship is valuable to you, it is worth your concern and effort to make it right.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Going with Your Gut
Your natural instincts are a great barometer for a person’s trustworthiness. Listen to your gut when something feels amiss. When your natural “Spidey-Sense” kicks in, it may alerting you to red flags you would not see on the surface otherwise.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“People consider trust differently. Some approach a new relationship with a degree of skepticism and want the other person to earn their trust before it is freely given. Their reluctance is often influenced by a previous experience when they were hurt, betrayed, or let down by others.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“I, however, typically trust people until they prove me wrong. As an energy-sensitive person with a highly intuitive nature, I pick up on clues as to whom I can trust or should be wary of. I will take my chances and continue living with my heart wide-open. Having faith in humanity and expecting the best from others improves my happiness and well-being.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Trust and rapport are listed in that order because without first building trust, healthy rapport is not possible.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“As you rock rapport, you will open doors, earn loyalty, establish long-term relationships, and promote mutually respectful interaction. How can you break the ice and move toward creating a positive connection?”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“11 Tips for Building Rapport
1. Adapt to the other person’s energy level.
2. Assume rapport.
3. Be open and friendly.
4. Exude warmth and approachability.
5. Find common ground or mutual agreement.
6. Keep your commitments and always follow through.
7. Make eye contact.
8. Soften your voice, your smile, and your eye contact to convey openness and interest.
9. Match and mirror a person’s gestures and body language.
10. Pay attention.
11. Validate the other person by asking questions and showing sincere interest in their answers.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“The bottom line is that, as human beings, we all crave belonging and connection. This only happens when trust is established and continuously cultivated.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“For leaders, trust can make all the difference in the viability of their teams. When there is mistrust or low connectivity, teams can falter and fight—making productivity and profitability suffer.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Top sales professionals will confirm that nurturing their “sphere of influence” is essential to their success. When trust and rapport are well cultivated, it can yield tremendous bottom-line results.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Trust and rapport are the connective tissue for gaining and maintaining healthy relationships. They provide people with the comfort and reassurance that they are doing business with an organization who cares.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Animation. Enthusiasm. Sincerity. Excitement. Acceptance. Have I just described your family dog? You’re happy to see him because he is so happy to see you. It is no wonder dogs are called “Man’s Best Friend” with attributes like that. Their natural propensity for joy makes them among the most personable and friendly creatures on the planet. Human beings could learn a thing or two from their eager and earnest approach to life.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“People who exude these qualities are treasures indeed—not only to the friends they make and strangers they meet, but to the companies who employ them.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“These special people are genuinely warm, sincerely kind, and put people at ease with their inviting nature and light-hearted conversation. They are easy to talk to, easy to like, and bring a positive vibe to even the most stressful situations.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact