5 Simple Ways to Impress People in any Setting
Before you begin working on your people-impressing skills, you ought to remember that most people feel a little awkward, a little ill-at-ease. So, you’re not on your own here. If you really embrace this reality, walking into a crowded room - now packed with slightly insecure people - suddenly doesn’t seem to be such a big deal any more.
So, now that you know that everyone struggles a little, let’s look at five simple ways to impress people in any setting. These methods are applicable whatever the situation, be it social, professional or personal.
#1 – Be Authentic and Feel at Ease
The first and perhaps most important thing to do is to be authentic. Just be yourself and be comfortable in your own skin. There’s nothing more impressive than observing someone who is 100 percent at ease with themselves.
Start by wearing an outfit you love and talk to people you don’t know like you would to a friend. Don’t try to pretend to be better or more successful than you are. People smell ‘fakeness’ in a heartbeat and don’t like it. What’s more, bolstering yourself is really exhausting.
Don’t blow your own trumpet and don’t put yourself or your achievements down either. Reveal your true passions without overpowering your conversation partners.
By going down the authenticity path, you make more lasting connections with people. What’s more, trying to be someone you’re not is rather tiring and unsustainable in the long run.
#2 – Be a Good Conversationalist
Usually, people are impressed by someone whom they’ve had a good conversation with. So, what makes a good conversationalist? Well, begin by being a good listener. That way, you ease your way into the setting, provide your counterpart with a platform and take some pressure of yourself. Listen carefully, ask the odd question and begin to engage others with your own contributions.
Soon, the conversation will flow like a good tennis rally, with each person making a valuable contribution. Both, listening and talking sense are crucial and equally important. Your aim is to hold a mutually-stimulating conversation that flows freely. When you’ve exhausted the topic, don’t be afraid to make a polite exit and start a new conversation with someone else.
#3 – Don’t Be Afraid to Make Your Unique Contribution
Remember, you’re the only one who can bring what you’ve got to the table. No one else can do that for you or instead of you. So, regardless of whether you have to give a presentation in a lofty boardroom or need to engage with other parents at your kid’s school, don’t shy away from sharing your knowledge and experience.
This means presenting solutions to a problem, putting a shoulder to the wheel or supporting someone else’s work. By engaging fully in the setting you find yourself in, you’ll be able to respond in your own unique way.
In purely social settings, you can tell funny stories or partake in small-talk. Just make sure that you don’t leave your own platform outside the door.
Naturally, you’ll have to allow others to get a word in, too. Thus, it’s about finding the right balance between making your contribution and listening to and learning from the contributions of others. If you manage to achieve this balance, you’ll make lasting connections, while leaving an enduring impression.
Some people struggle to find topics to talk about. If you do, take the time to make a list of topics most people find interesting and you feel comfortable talking about. This can be anything from food to vacations, right through to sports or entertainment.
#4 Use Your Humor and Wit
Little is as impressive as someone’s ability to make others laugh. Humor is one of the ultimate social driving forces because laughing provides such a great stress release. Now, not everyone is a comedian, but everyone can poke fun at situations, people or themselves.
We don’t want you to sit at a high-powered meeting cracking jokes. Just use every opportunity to have a laugh. Oftentimes, interjecting with a smart, witty comment eases tensions and provides a welcome relief. What’s more, humor shows your engagement and intelligence. In fact, scientists believe that humor is a strong sign of intelligence.
The ability to poke fun at issues and people – with kindness, needless to say – points to confidence and confidence is one of the all-time people-impressing qualities.
#5 Be Nice
As trivial and basic as it may seem, being nice works. Ultimately, people appreciate kindness and find it impressive when someone makes an effort to be decent and kind.
This doesn’t mean going overboard with sweetness. Instead, it’s about awarding your counterparts respect, listening to them, and offering support when they need it.
At the same time, you need to be nice to yourself too, which means you make sure you’re treated with respect and kindness too.
The simplest way to find a way of being genuinely nice is to treat others just the way you would like to be treated yourself.
Though kindness has often been wrongly associated with weakness, truly kind people are the ones that manage to impressive most others in the long run.
Final Thoughts
Think of the people who’ve impressed you most in your life. You can bet they’ve managed to be themselves while also applying their unique gifts. At the same time, you’re most likely to be impressed with people who allow others to shine too.
With these 5 simple ways to impress people in any setting, you’ll find people responding to you and wanting to find out more. The most important aspect is to be yourself by building on and bringing out your unique personal strengths. If you enter a room intent on being authentic, you can’t go wrong. You’ll inspire others, while encouraging them to do likewise.
And, if you find yourself struggling with insecurities, remind yourself of the fact that most people share your struggles and doubts. That way, meeting new people, impressing socially or in professional settings will be much easier.
