First impressions have always been important.
Today, however, very little else may count at the outset of relationship building...especially when that first impression goes terribly wrong.
As the saying goes, "You only have one chance to make a first impression."
Studies suggest we judge others based on 3 distinct groups:
1) warm and competent
2) cold and incompetent
3) warm and incompetent
In other words, something as simple as your social media profile can help you...or hurt you.
Harvard Business School professor Amy Cuddy and colleagues, made some fascinating discoveries in 2010, as reported by Marina Krakovsky in her Scientific American article, "Mixed Impressions: How We Judge Others on Multiple Levels."
Krakovsky reports, "All over the world, it turns out, people judge others on two main qualities: warmth (whether they are friendly and well intentioned) and competence (whether they have the ability to deliver on those intentions). A growing number of psychological researchers are turning their focus to this rubric, refining it and looking for ways in which we can put this new understanding of first impressions to use."
You & Your LinkedIn Profile
How many times have you browsed through LinkedIn profiles, unconsciously "deciding" on a person's professional competence based solely on pictures or names? If our criteria for value are not immediately met, we quickly judge the individual as warm, cold, incompetent or worse. We may then choose to treat the person with ambivalence ("He doesn't look like a good connection") or with downright contempt ("Oh, she's [insert ethnicity]. Moving on.") The 3rd group, warm but incompetent, often includes senior men and women, especially those that appear elderly or frail. (Hence the popularity of products like Just For Men.) This group tends to garner pity, or outright neglect. A business professional or HR manager may assume, "This person is too old to be valuable to my company", or "I bet she hasn't updated her skills since 1982."
Of course, judging others based on such stereotypes is wrong. I'm not suggesting you run out and dye your hair, or schedule plastic surgery. But right or wrong, we are a society that worships youth and positivity, so why not do what you can to improve?
A Picture is Worth More Than 1000 Words
Can a few simple adjustments change public misconception? Sure. Cuddy notes, "Everybody comes across as warm or competent in some area of their lives."
Your LinkedIn profile picture is the place to begin.
In our 2nd installment of LinkedIn Profile Spring Cleaning Tips, I'll offer suggestions for improving your profile picture to achieve a better 1st impression (translation: more business!)
If this information interests you, you may wish to join Link InSanity, a LinkedIn group where we dish about LinkedIn all day long!