The power of the first impression

I had just backed into my driveway and my cell phone rang. It was a conference director wanting to talk with me about the details of an upcoming program. As we chatted, some movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention. It was a person walking through my yard and headed right for my driver’s door.

It was not someone I knew. It’s difficult to describe how he was dressed and his general appearance without giving indication there is a bias in play. Simply stated, he was dressed in blue jeans with holes in them (the kind of holes that make blue jeans hip and stylish for a young person to wear). He had on a tank-top t-shirt and his hair was in disarray (again, stylish for young people). As he approached I wondered what he would want from me.

He handed me a flyer for a tree and landscape service. I immediately thought to myself this person does not put me in the frame of mind as a tree trimmer or a landscaper. When I think of a landscaper or a tree trimmer, in my mind’s eye the person is dressed neatly in khaki trousers and a green or beige shirt with their company logo on one breast and their name on the other. They have on work boots and maybe a pair of gloves protruding out of their back pocket just in case they need to do an impromptu inspection. Stated another way… they are in uniform… or costume if you prefer. Call it what you will. Their dress and appearance gives me a first impression that tells me, immediately, if I would even consider for a moment doing business with them.

If my neighborhood were populated with young, hip urbanites, he might have been able to get away with that look. But it’s not. We’re mostly older and, for sure, conservative in our values and judgments. This poor guy didn’t have a chance. I watched him knock on doors and talk with people as he made his way down the street, only spending just a matter of moments at each door.

I suspect this young man wasn’t even an employee of this tree and landscape company. Rather, he was hired to pass out fliers door-to-door. And that’s exactly what he was doing. He probably got paid the same whether someone signed up for their services or not. The sad part is, the tree trimming company spend some amount of money to have this person perform these duties and likely had a very low return on their investment. Why? Because the first impression is so powerful. Never, ever, let the opportunity slip by to make a good first impression.