A good introduction helps you feel comfortable anytime, anywhere. We are all tempted by the desire to misrepresent ourselves to influence others. It is a major mistake in Networking. Be yourself. And give the message that you're ready to accept people the way they are. Individuals preserve their connections only with unbiased people who allow them to feel comfortable with the way they are.
Knowing "why" you are in a certain environment will help you give the right message about yourself.
Are you an introvert? Then, think about environments where you introduce yourself, and rehearse. What would you tell about yourself to a person you have not met before? How would it be more effective? Once you rehearse, you will not struggle trying to find the right words when it is "the" time. Rehearsing also help you keep your anxiety under control.
The way you look and feel are most of the time linked to each other. Therefore, be careful about your outfit. Appearance comes before your voice.
Smile. Our feelings are mixed, we skip one from the other all the time. Be positive, if you want to leave a positive impression.
One thing we often tend to forget about is our posture. Spending our days at the desk may end up with a hump in our back. Forced by the necessity to adapt ourselves to our working environment, we are more and more leaving our inborn postures. Make sure you have good posture, to keep healthy and impress others.
Hygiene does not end with having a shower. Make sure your nails, hair, teeth and mouth are also clean. Not all of us are born beautiful or handsome. But being well-groomed is a win.
First impression matters. We feel it whether or not we'll get along with a person in the first thirty seconds. Our instincts are our reliable guides. However, be careful. I have seen many people who have managed to sabotage their great first impressions.
Appearance will not mean anything unless we support strongly from within.
Ertugrul Belen & Optimist Publishing House