How to Impress Everyone...!!!

Far more often than any of us like to admit, our actions are driven by an inner desire to impress other people.  This desire is often reflected in the brand name products we use, the bars and restaurants we frequent, the houses and cars we buy and the careers we choose.

But are name brand products, fancy bars, houses and cars really that impressive?  What about a person who holds an elite position in a career field they dislike?  Some of these things might capture our attention for a minute or two, but they won’t hold it for long.

Here are some ways to impress everyone around you.  If you practice these tips on a regular basis, they won’t just impress others, they’ll help you become a better person too.

Stay Focused When Others Take It Easy

This one is easy to notice. There are times when most of the folks in a group start to take it easy. The few who don’t are easily picked out of the bunch. It is in your best interests to get a feel for when those around you are becoming relaxed or comfortable, as that is your chance to jump out like a dancer getting onto the stage.

Taking it easy is easy. This is why it is not worth much in the eyes of others. Real focus takes energy, and can be improved upon. If you want to impress, you can’t let up as quickly as others. Although this is partially competition-based, it is more about pushing a little bit against your limits, as we all are similar in this aspect.

Be authentic.  Be true to yourself. 

 Judy Garland once said, “Always be a first rate version of yourself instead of a second rate version of somebody else.”  Live by this statement.  There is no such thing as living in someone else’s shoes.  The only shoes you can occupy are your own.  If you aren’t being yourself, you aren’t truly living – you’re merely existing.  And ask yourself this:  If you don’t like who you really are, why should I like you?

Underpromise And Overdeliver

How do you do this? You keep yourself from telling 20 people you are going to do things for them, ending up only doing the things for 5 of them, and instead tell 5 people you will do things for them, and do them a little better than you described. This way, you have a higher percentage of folks believing in your reliability.

In this post by Bud, he mentioned how Glen said that he was “so unreliable” when he didn’t come through on his plans for him. This is something to keep in mind. When you limit how many things you are doing for/with other folks, you can do each one better than you said you would, providing a welcome surprise for the other person.

Care about people.

 If you don’t genuinely care about people, they won’t care about you.  The more you help others, the more they will want to help you.  Love and kindness begets love and kindness.  And so on and so forth.

Make others feel good.

 People will rarely remember what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.

Be honest and take ownership of your actions.

 Nobody likes a liar.  In the long-run, the truth always reveals itself anyway.  Either you own up to your actions or your actions will ultimately own you.

Smile often. 

 Everyone likes the sight of a genuine smile.  Think about how you feel when a complete stranger looks into your eyes and smiles.  Suddenly they don’t seem like a stranger anymore, do they?

Everyone likes to hear from others.

 Even the folks who act like they are annoyed when hearing from others actually enjoy shrugging them off or rejecting them. When you are looking to talk to someone, being the first to initiate the conversation impresses them, as they can see that you weren’t afraid of coming off as foolish, and valued their communication as well. Just as a girl is likely to not feel as attractive if the boy she likes doesn’t make an effort to ask her out, people are likely to feel less valuable or relevant when less individuals are initiating contact or conversation with them.

You really can’t lose when you initiate contact first, because you then have control of the conversation, and control means that there is no way you can get hurt in the process. This builds your self-esteem, and the person you contact will remember that you made the effort to talk to them. Even with use of technology to contact others, it still depends on taking that initial decision-based risk.

Respect elders.  Respect minors.  Respect everyone.

 There are no boundaries or classes that define a group of people that deserve to be respected.  Treat everyone with the same level of respect you would give to your grandfather and the same level of patience you would have with your baby brother.  People will notice your kindness.

Come Slightly Early To A Gathering

When you come on time, or early, to a gathering, you are showing that you take the other person/people and their time seriously. This will remain notable in their minds, as they will know you thought of them during the time you were getting ready to arrive early. Going late shows more of a concern for not looking bad, as opposed to concern for the other involved.

It impresses others to know that you have your life in order enough to be where you say you will be at the time when you say you will be. This is not a small thing, as people rise to greatness based on simple things(which are harder than they seem) like being on time to gatherings and functions. You can get labeled as “professional” just based on this alone, and the person labeling you would be accurate as well. Just as the first result in a Google search gets the highest percentage of click-through, the earliest folks at a gathering are usually the most concerned and influential(aside from any of that ‘fashionably late’ garbage).

Put Yourself In The Other Person’s Mind

There could be a lot more empathy in our society. When you show it, you instantly get a +1 from the person you are talking with, because you put the effort in to feel how they feel. Instead of looking at them like some other creature, putting in the thought to understand their position, and looking to get along with them better, makes a big difference.

Others are not that different from us. The few who realize this, and make an effort to see why any social problems are occurring, are the few who build a continually larger group of people who are on their team.

Address people by their name.

People love the sight and sound of their own name.  So make sure you learn to remember names.  Use them courteously in both oral and written communication.

Say “Please” and “Thank you.”

 These two simple phrases make demands sound like requests, and they inject a friendly tone into serious conversations.  Using them can mean the difference between sounding rude and sounding genuinely grateful.

Excel at what you do.

 I am impressed by great guitarists, writers, bloggers, painters, motivational speakers, internet entrepreneurs, computer engineers, mothers, fathers, athletes, etc.  There is only one thing they all have in common: They excel at what they do.  There’s no point in doing something if you aren’t going to do it right.  Excel at your work and excel at your hobbies.  Develop a reputation for yourself, a reputation for consistent excellence.