Throughout our lives, we are constantly coming in contact with new people, and in the conversations, we have with these people, we subsequently stress over what type of first impression we may be making. In other words, we fret about whether or not we were interesting enough, likable enough and engaging enough. Most people, according to recent findings, are not all that adept when it comes to gauging the type of impression they made. In fact, in a recently conducted study at the University of Essex, researchers looked at five interactions and discovered that in general, participants liked the person with whom they were paired more than they thought that person reciprocated this liking.
Essentially, the study involved partnering people together who'd never met before. They were then to engage in icebreaker type questions. At the end of a five-minute conversation, they then had to assess how much they thought their partner liked them. Most were incorrect in their assumptions. They underestimated what their respective partner thought of them following their conversation.
Those conducting the study suggest that the participants were so wrapped up in their worries and thus overly concerned about how to make that good first impression, that these feelings ultimately influenced their perception regarding their partner's behavior.
This has been coined by some as the "liking gap." This liking gap is not just restricted to brief first-time conversations either—some studies have shown that it can last throughout a few months of first meeting someone.
This goes to show how critical people truly are regarding their social performance. It's surprising because, in other areas, researchers explain, people tend to be far more optimistic; when it comes to how strangers perceive us though, much too often we undervalue our qualities. We become overly concerned when for instance moving into a new neighborhood and meeting people, building new friendships, trying to interact with new colleagues. This, in turn, can hurt other areas of performance in terms of both the personal and professional.
A business's first impression has the same effect on its consumers. That is why it is very important to be up to date with equipment and having an evolving business plan. If your business is in need of funding, First Union Lending is here. We offer loans from equipment financing to short term loans. Let's find out what you qualify for!