Online, You *Really* Only Get One Chance to Make a First Impression

Photo by Vanessa Garcia from Pexels

Recently, I was introduced to a potential business connection by a mutual friend, and we decided to connect on Skype for an initial chat. I had entered the information incorrectly into my calendar, so it was a bit late by the time I got everything straightened out and we connected. I was frazzled by the experience, and on top of my distractions, the Skype connection was unusually poor; it kept winking in and out.

I could see — and sense viscerally — that my potential connection was giving up. Here was this late, frazzled, technologically incompetent person. Why bother? I wanted to say, “The impression you’re getting — that’s not me! I’m usually cool, I’m technologically competent, and I’m nearly always on time. A completely different person!”

The connection did not thrive, and no business resulted. In person, I could have rushed in, obviously sweating and harried, and explained it away with an excuse that would at least have been human. And we might have survived the experience. My personal presence might have compensated for my tardiness.

Here’s the problem: online relationships must begin well, or they won’t go at all.

Online, there is no second chance. As the old saw has it, if I do something…