Are you ready to make a “Great First Impression” on everyone you meet? In this article you will read six practical things that you can start doing right now to start making great first impressions.

Let’s get started, shall we?

Your handshake tells a lot about what kind of person you are. A sloppy handshake most certainly means that you are either (a) a sloppy person yourself or (b) you have problems. And both of these things mean just one thing — You are putting off the other person from doing business with you!

According to a research done by University of Alabama’s Associate Professor of Psychology, Dr. William Chaplin, people with firm handshakes are generally more extroverted than are those with limp handshakes and that the firm handshakers make a better first impression.

Remember not to shake too much. You should just shake the hand a few times and a good handshake takes just about 3-4 seconds. Don’t move the whole arm - just your lower arm, below the elbow.

Look straight into the eyes of the person — especially when you are shaking hands or when he or she is speaking. Don’t stare and don’t forget to blink. Eye contact is the sure-shot way of telling someone that you are interested in him or her and everyone likes people who are interested in them.

If you are one of those shy types who can’t really look people in eyes, no matter what, here’s a trick for you — focus on some other faical feature other than eyes without making it look that way. Nose is one and another is eyebrows. But make sure it is something near the eyes.

Make it genuine and make it sweet. One excellent way to make your smile genuine and sweet is to think happy thoughts when you are smiling. Oh and look in the person’s eye when smiling.

Also, make sure that your teeth are hygienic — I seriously mean it. You don’t have to have pearly white teeth but there is nothing which puts people off more than dirty teeth with bits and pieces of turkey they ate last thanksgiving.

Mark Twain once said - “Clothes Make the Man”. And you know what, he was totally right. Your clothes are the very first thing that the other person will notice about you, so make sure that you are using it to your advantage.

Dress according to the occasion and the kind of people who will attend the event. Don’t dress like a rockstar at a business convention and don’t wear a business suit to a weekend pool party. The objective is to “stand out” without being the odd man out.

It has been proven by researchers that even if the other person knows that you are praising him or her falsely then also he or she will give you a preferential treatment. Everyone loves to hear good things about themselves.

No I am not saying you should be sleazy. But always been on a lookout for something “genuinely praiseworthy” in another person. Perhaps it is the wonderful watch the person is wearing or a big achievement he or she just mentioned about.

DO NOT EVER try to push your services or products on the first meeting. You don’t want to come out like a sleazy hard-pushing salesperson. No one likes them, seriously.

Focus on building a relation. Get to know the person and be genuinely interested in him or her. You will not only enjoy learning something new but also make a friend.

So those were my Top 6 Tips. Got any more tips to add?