First Impressions—Make Them Count

A 29-year-old self-employed custom cabinet maker is doing well in his business. The problem is that he looks super young for his age. When he meets a client for the first time, they often say, “Oh, wow! You’re young. I thought you’d be older.” His concern is that being a young business person is working against him in a world dominated by older people with more years of experience. So, what can he do? 

I get it completely; I dealt with the same thing. I would be judged negatively merely for looking “too young”—as if facial appearance has any connection to legitimate work experience or the ability to run a successful business. But that’s the problem with first impressions—people tend to size you up based on superficial qualifiers such as age, gender, etc. 

I could totally relate to this guy’s concern. So, I benevolently bestowed upon him some words of wisdom.

I GREW A BEARD…

Seriously… I grew a beard. And that’s the short answer to the question. 

The beard helped. More importantly, I quickly realized I would have to work harder than the next guy to make a great first impression. And what I learned can prove helpful to anyone—regardless of age or being a newbie in the trade—you can bust through any barriers that people put up because they equate youth with inexperience.  

Here’s what worked for me: I’d get on the phone with a potential new customer before meeting them in person. And I tailored that initial conversation to incorporate my resume. I would say something like, “I got your email inquiry. And I’d love to get together in person to talk more about your project. But, before we do so, I wanted to get a little more information about the job.” And then we’d talk; I would answer their questions in a confident, articulate manner (confident, never arrogant). I would explain what projects I’ve worked on that were similar in scope (they learn of my practical experience). If the project sounded like something I wanted to take on, we’d schedule a meeting. I would follow up our phone conversation with an email thanking them for taking the time to discuss the project and a reminder of our scheduled appointment (demonstrating my business communication skills and etiquette). 

FINAL THOUGHTS…

Have you been wondering what it would cost to build the home of your dreams? Give us a call today! We look forward to answering your questions and sharing our expertise. 

—Nick Schiffer