Everything new starts with an introduction...

The following is the rewrite and the rewrite can be found by clicking here.

Everything new has a first; a beginning... an introduction. The other day, I was reminded of how fast and important it can be. 

Among the other things I have on the go, I am helping my father re-organize his home; a fun and wild adventure I might add.  As a carpet installer arrived to give an estimate, we were outside enjoying the day... he walked up to us, introduced himself and shook our hands; he then mentioned he had to run back to his truck and get his carpet samples. When he was out of earshot my father looked at me and said, "I like him. What do you think?"

In an article by Eric Wargo entitled How Many Seconds to a First Impression , he offers some very interesting research that my father seemed to validate. 

"A series of experiments by Princeton psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov reveal that all it takes is a tenth of a second to form an impression of a stranger from their face, and that longer exposures don’t significantly alter those impressions (although they might boost your confidence in your judgments). Their research is presented in their article “First Impressions,” in the July issue of Psychological Science."

My father was right - Woody was an expert in flooring, honest with his appraisal and his assessment; it turned out there was no need for a new carpet. He said the existing carpet was very high quality, just needed to be re-installed, cleaned, and would be as good as new. My father liked him so much after that, he is now having Woody put new carpet in the basement. We all wholeheartedly agree. 

Anything new will involve an introduction to someone, and most likely, many "someones" - In this age of the avatar, we are becoming masters of image control, branding ourselves and managing the degrees of separation between ourselves and others. The inescapable fact though is that anything new, important, worthwhile and significant needs to be done face to face. Don't shy away from it.

You might as well just be yourself - As per the research of Princeton psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov, and validated by my father, impressions will be made very quickly so just be yourself up front. And don't assume people are so easily fooled, it's a survival trait we've picked up over the millennia. 

"You can be the ripest peach in the world, and there's still going to be somebody who hates peaches" - Sometimes a person's impression of you will not be a good one. Like it or not, it is just the way it is - Move on. 

Networking - If you want to practice your introductions, just introduce yourself to everyone you meet... start networking formally and informally. I can guarantee you will meet new and interesting people; that will lead to new and interesting opportunities.

It seems I have been remiss with introducing myself, "Hello, my name is Graham Paul Edwards"

gpe