First Impressions (the 7/11 Rule)

You have probably been told time and time again about the importance of first impressions and have heard the saying ‘You don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression’.

One of the reasons behind this and why people often mention the importance of first impressions is because of a university study that showed that people make 11 decisions about us in 7 seconds. This is what is referred to as the 7/11 rule.

The 11 Decisions

They are the following:

• Education Level
• Economic Level
• Perceived Credibility, Believability, Competence and Honesty
• Trustworthiness
• Level of Sophistication
• Gender
• Level of Success
• Political Background
• Religious Background
• Ethnic Background
• Social/ Professional Desirability

While I had appreciated that we were wired to make quick decisions and that we would, as a result, have unconscious biases until someone actually listed out the 11 different items that we make quick decisions on, I never knew there were so many.

There were two key things that I took away from this, the first is that unconscious bias is more than “look and sound like us” and other known protected characteristics – it is a judgment of the whole person based on what you can perceive. This means it is even more important to be aware of your own unconcious biases and keep them in check.

The second was the importance of making a good first impression. After all, after that judgment is made you can spend a lot of time and energy trying to change that perception.

Observable Behaviours

A good way to overcome or challenge these 11 decisions is to think about your own observable behaviours and what you can change about them (those that you can change or influence), so that you are more likely to give a good first impression.

This might include your voice, your gestures (handshake), how you move and hold yourself, whether you make eye-contect, your words, how you dress and your facial expression (i.e. smile!).

Your appearance is a tool. Use it.