If you want to make a good first impression on someone…on your mark, get set, go. The clock is ticking and you have somewhere between seven and 27 seconds to impress.
That’s not new, but a survey conducted by the Dollar Shave Club found a person’s aroma leaves a lasting impression beyond what may have been previously considered.
85% of respondents report they have a more favorable opinion of someone based on that person’s pleasing body odor, though the majority say they don’t give much consideration to their own smell.
If trying to make a positive impression on a stranger, Dr. Laurence Abrams, a Houston psychologist, says size matters. “Bigger people particularly have to have a reasonable look on their face or they become threatening,” he suggests.
And facial expressions matter. Researchers have found a sincere smile to be among the top five most important traits for leaving a good first impression, along with being polite, being a good listener, making eye contact, and the aforementioned aroma issues.
“Attractiveness in one form or another is always the key, and it just takes long enough to measure both the physical and facial properties before you have some impression,” says Dr. Abrams.
7 out of 10 survey respondents say they come to a conclusion about a stranger before the person even says a word.