You're right! First impressions are probably more important. But after you strike gold on your first meeting with that important CEO, how do you keep the pace going in your succeeding encounters?
Remember, you will never win someone over completely with one great meeting. In relationships, business and social situations, it turns out the second meeting is the hardest of all. This is especially true when the first meeting went well. While a first impression usually sets the tone for a relationship, it doesn't define its boundaries or potential. Subsequent encounters determine the real quality of any relationship.
During a first meeting, people decide if we are generally okay to be with. Then they look for connections. You have to be relevant to someone's needs or interests to take the relationship to the next level.
Here are five simple things that will help you have a great second meeting after you have given a great first impression.
1. Note down important details during the first meeting. Don't make people repeat themselves. Make it appear you are giving people your respect and full attention the first time you talk to them. Important things to remember are names, dates, and events.
2. Do not repeat yourself too much. Don't tell jokes a second time unless you are asked to. Don't over-emphasize your accomplishments if you've already mentioned them during your first meeting. If the first interviewer is introducing you to someone else, let that first person repeat things for you. That way, you know what you told them is important to them.
3. Be prepared. Give as much preparation to your second meeting as you did for the first. There will always be something different in the second meeting that you did not quite anticipate based on the first encounter. Try to research these differences and let the conversation from meeting one give you material for a much deeper dive into the details in preparation for meeting two.
4. Thank people for the second meeting. People's time is important. The fact that they are giving you a second dose cannot be overemphasized. Even the most successful businessmen appreciate repeat customers as much as they do the first-timers.
5. Level up! This is not just another meeting. Raise the bar. Surprise your audience by doing more than what you did the first time around. In business, try to make something happen right then and there. In a personal scenario, move from getting-to-know you to some kind of real progress in the relationship.