I know…your mother gave you this advice when you were growing up, so how does it apply now? It just reminds me of the simple truths that permeate our lives. Simple advice, simple truths. Let’s talk about some examples.

• You really never know when you’ll run into a potential hiring manager, candidate, client, significant other, just fill in the blank. One of our account managers was walking his dog on a Sunday afternoon when someone jogged by and stopped to admire his dog, because it was similar to the jogger’s dog. Lo and behold they struck up a conversation, and the jogger was a venture capitalist. Now we recruiters would pay almost anything for an introduction to a VC, but when dog walking! You just never know.
• Last week my partner and I went to visit a potential new client. They are not a Silicon Valley icon, in fact they are a central valley family owned business. And what a first impression they made! Before we arrived we had an agenda (and remember, we’re trying to sell to them!), clear directions, and plans for a tour. Everyone we met from receptionist to tour guide was professional, knowledgeable, and polished. They ran a comfortable, but precise timetable. The tour was fantastic, humor mixed with story telling and history. After 2 ½ hours with the team I knew that ANY candidate I sent to this client would get the “royal treatment”, because if they treat their potential partners this way imagine how they treat potential employees! Simple stuff, but BIG impressions.
• But sometimes impressions can inadvertently go awry. Take one of our clients trying to close a candidate for a “hard to fill” position. The candidate had a great interview experience and really enjoyed the people on the team. There were high expectations on both sides. And as sometimes is the case, the salary discussions became a little uncomfortable. Our client wanted to participate in the “offer dance” and despite our best efforts, the candidate’s salary expectations were just a bit high. Unfortunately the client pointed out that the candidate was “unemployed” so their current salary was zero, which implied the candidate should be happy with any offer. In this case the client had a point, and the candidate did come to realize this, but the message was perceived to be delivered in a blunt, hurtful way that changed the candidate’s impression about the company and questioned their perception of the people. Five hours of interviews and endless hours of reviewing candidate and resumes gone in a 15 minute conversation. The message is, even if you are right, impressions still matter.

So what’s my point? Twofold, it’s that no matter what situation you’re in, whether it’s business or pleasure or both, remember that even the off handed, non-consequential comments you make can leave a big impression, and have a bigger impact, both positive and negative. Second, always be alert because you can never make a second first impression. Especially in today’s social network environment where the lines between business and friends overlap, it’s best to always be aware of the impression you’re making.