11 things people know about you before you even speak by Larry Kim on Nov 29, 2015, 3:00 PM Advertisement
 You walk into an expensive restaurant and approach the hostess station to confirm your reservation. The hostess is texting and has her back to the customers waiting to be seated. Her blouse is wrinkled, she has chipped nail polish, and she's chewing gum. Part of a questionable tattoo shows around the collar of her blouse. The phone rings; she picks up the receiver and slams it down without answering it or stopping her texting. When a customer standing at the desk tries to get her attention, she turns her back completely on the customer. If you've never been to this restaurant before, what's your expectation of the service likely to be? Even if the food and later service turn out to be stellar, you will always have a negative first impression, created before one word was said. Psychologists at Princeton University conducted a study of university students who were shown images of people for 100 milliseconds, and were asked to judge people on attractiveness, likability, trustworthiness, competence, and aggressiveness. The students made judgment calls in less than a second. Even when given more time, the initial impression remained the same. So your grandmother was right: First impressions count. These things could be sabotaging you before you say a word: SEE ALSO: How to get powerful people to notice you DON'T MISS: The 27 jobs that are most damaging to your health  1. Wrinkles We're not talking facial features, but wrinkles in your clothing. If you show up to a business meeting in a shirt that is crumpled and wrinkled, you convey the impression that the person you are meeting with isn't important. You could also be judged as lazy or ambivalent. If you have never learned how to properly iron a shirt, it's time to learn. It's a life skill everyone needs to know. And while you're at it, invest in a lint brush.
 2. Gum People chew gum for a variety of reasons. Maybe it's a stress technique. Maybe it's a smoking cessation thing. Maybe it's an antidote to the garlicky Caesar salad at lunch. There is nothing wrong with gum, unless you're smacking it and blowing bubbles as you walk into a business meeting. Chewing gum conveys an impression of immaturity. Ditch the wad before the meeting ... in the garbage can, please.
 3. Too much makeup Heavy makeup, or makeup more suited to a night out, sets off alarm bells with some people who ponder what the person is hiding with all the paint.
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