Make first impressions count

It takes just 27 seconds to make a good first impression, with 69 per cent of people forming their first impression of somebody before they even speak.

The research conducted by Dollar Shave Club investigated the key contributors and timings to a positive first impression and found that smiling, being polite, smelling nice, being a good listener, and making eye contact number among the leading factors.

Results confirmed the importance of smelling good when seeking to form a positive first impression – as 85 per cent of respondents said their first impression of somebody will be more positive if they smell good. That doubles when you’re on a date. Things move a bit quicker in the dating world, as six in ten (60 per cent) admit they take even less time than normal to form a first impression in a dating context.

You better impress early, as the average person knows within 15 minutes into a date whether they want a second date or not, with half saying it takes even less time than that.

Quite a bit of prep goes into a first date, and it may actually involve Google. If you’ve got a first date lined up, you better hope your online presence is squeaky clean, as two in three say it’s a good idea to search your date online before meeting up.

Confidence can go a long way when it comes to dating, as 83 per cent say they’re more likely to form a good first impression of somebody they perceive as confident.

But smelling bad, acting arrogantly and dressing poorly were found to be the top reasons people will form a bad first impression of somebody. And if you fail to impress early on a date, then it probably won’t last for long. If a date is going poorly the average person will call it quits after just 16 minutes.

The data also shows that similar traits also count when you are in a job interview or work meeting. With one in Seven suggesting they wouldn’t continue business with a company if an individual representing the company came across as rude or smelt particularly bad.