I bet you can’t get over the 20 seconds part to even start wondering what this strategy is – so let’s talk about the 20 seconds first – then I’ll share the strategy…
So – “the first 20 seconds” – really?
Actually, no, not really.
It’s really in the very first second! – and there’s research to back this up …
Michael Bond summarized it well in a feature he wrote for NewScientist magazine – Come-to-work eyes: Secrets of Interview Success …
“Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov at Princeton University found that showing people an unfamiliar face for just one-tenth of a second is long enough for them to form judgements about the person’s attractiveness, like-ability, trustworthiness, competence and aggressiveness. Having more time to deliberate doesn’t change our opinions, it only increases our confidence in them.”
His article further explains that of course you don’t want to rest your laurels on that first second – keep oozing out that authentic charm and warmth especially through the next 29 seconds or so – here’s why…