Do you remember that old Head and Shoulders TV commercial that said, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Most people agree that first impressions are lasting, but just how long do you have to make that first impression? Some experts say that upon meeting someone you have 19-34 seconds. If you thought that was fast, listen to what a study out of Princeton University concludes — it’s much faster.

Researchers asked 200 people to make judgments about 66 faces of which they saw for only a fraction of a second. What they discovered may amaze you. It takes people as little as one-tenth of second to decide if a person is attractive, trustworthy, competent and likable. Furthermore, according the article about the study that appeared in the journal Psychological Science, the first impression made after that first one-tenth of a second differed very little with impressions made with no time limits.

So what’s that mean to salespeople? You’d better look your best, because your prospects are sizing you up quickly and making strong judgments about you long before you ever get the chance to show them what you’re trying to sell.

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