One of the things that my father always taught me was that the first impression that you make is the most important.  If you screw that up, chances are that you will never be able to recover.

So as a business person, I have followed his advice religiously.  When I am meeting a client for the first time, I make sure to do a bit of rehearsal beforehand, and make sure to brush my teeth.  I also make sure that everything is in its place and that I am organized for my meeting.

I have also put my diploma display in a central position in the room, so that they can see my credentials immediately.  I find that most people gaze long and hard at each college diploma frame to get a grasp of my education background.  Considering that I went to one of the most prestigious schools in the country, most of them are impressed even before we sit down to chat.

For the most part, I do succeed at making a great impression the first time, but when I fail, I make sure to ask for feedback from the customer as to what I could have done better.  Most of them have given me some constructive criticism, and I apply it so that I can be more likely to succeed for the next client.

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