I’m sure you’ve heard such sayings, probably starting at an early age. But I would take those a step further and say that you make a statement about yourself even before you open your mouth.
This is your “silent message,” and it can include everything from your posture to your positiveness. In short, it’s the way you carry yourself, physically, emotionally, and intellectually. Such quiet signals profoundly affect people’s initial perception, or image, of you.

Of course, image isn’t everything—but it is important. As you know by now, doing well in life doesn’t hinge solely on merit and hard work. Image, especially when backed up by strong performance, is a powerful force. And a negative first impression—saying the wrong thing, wearing the wrong clothes, coming across as uncaring or inept—creates roadblocks that can cut off relationships before they get started.

The truth is, we each carry around a bundle of opinions about what we like or don’t like in others. If you hear a stranger laughing uproariously at the other end of a room, you’ll probably make a quick calculation about that person. Maybe it’s positive, maybe it’s negative. But you do judge how their behavior fits the situation—even though you don’t know them, haven’t spoken to them, and may not even know what’s being discussed.

We’re all influenced by images. Researchers in Texas, for example, had a thirty-one-year-old man break the law by crossing the street against the traffic light. When the jaywalker wore a freshly pressed suit and tie, 31⁄2 times as many people followed him across the intersection than did when he wore a work shirt and trousers. So an acceptable uniform—in this case, business attire—made such a good first impression that it encouraged people to trust a stranger even to the point of breaking the law.

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