First Impressions

First impressions are a very unique and powerful phenomenon. They can set the standard for how we will perceive a person, business or thing for years to come. I recently encountered a business owner that had met one of my former colleagues. She was at a loss to determine why she disliked him but it ultimately played a part in their decision to not carry our product. I must clarify that my colleague is one of the most honest and sincere people I know and is very well liked by everyone in the company. So what is going on here?


To understand this unusual phenomenon we must look at how our brains function. We navigate the world around us in two very distinct states of mind. Our conscious mind gives rise to our sense of self. We are a very unique species in that we can generate an autobiographical self with awareness of the past, present, and possible future. Our conscious mind has the ability to deal with about 40 bits of information per second.

We also function with a brain that works behind the scene, the non-conscious mind. This is the more primitive part of our brain that is constantly at work processing information that enters from our 5 senses. In general this happens primarily off the radar screens of our conscious mind. What’s truly surprising is the amount of information being handled by this non-conscious mind. And the estimated amount of information processed at this sub-cortical level? Eleven MILLION bits per second! It makes you wonder who’s really in control.

From the moment you encounter a person, place or thing, information is being gathered by all of your senses. This is all part of a self sustaining that mechanism that enabled us to survive in more primitive times. It helped us analyze our surroundings and hopefully make the right decisions. We had to quickly decide if that movement in the distance was going to join us for dinner as host or main course.

This part of our mind had to make very quick decisions and feel confident it was right. It prefers to not disbelieve what it senses and this leads to a desire to hold onto that instinctive feel. That part of our mind is reluctant to relinquish control which is precisely why that “first impression” gets preferential treatment.

A business owner must pay so much attention to how the product, service or establishment may be processed by the 5 senses of your potential customer. The first few seconds could make or break a deal. In our personal lives the same applies. Whether you’re looking for a job or a relationship don’t ever underestimate that “first impression!”