The Power of First Impressions – Jed Jurchenko

 

In college, I worked a graveyard shift where one of my primary duties was simply to stay awake. Not only did this allow me plenty of time to get my class work done, it also allotted a substantial amount of time for books. As an avid reader, I have always heard that you can’t judge a book by its cover. What’s interesting is that now, as an author, I am continually hearing advice like, “you better make sure your book has a top-notch cover, because that’s how everyone is going to judge your book”.

So, can you judge a book by its cover or not? As a psychology professor, I teach my students that the best predictor of someone’s future behavior is their current behavior. And, this is a principle that can often, though not always, be applied to books as well. For example, it would be rare to find an eloquently crafted book with a sloppy cover. Good writers take their craft seriously and don’t let a publisher slap any old cover on their art.

Writers who take pride in their work will care enough to make sure their book is not only well written, but also has a high-quality exterior. In fact, it turns out that you really can learn a lot about a book by its cover. Is the title serious, catchy, funny, or bland? Chances are, that is what you will find on the inside, too. The cover is an author’s first opportunity to reach out and grab our attention. If he or she fails to meaningfully connect in those initial moments, then chances are, he or she never will.

So, the point of this post is twofold. First, you really can learn a lot about a book by its cover. Second, even if you and I firmly believe that people should not judge a book by its cover, it is important to know that people still do this anyways. This means that if you’re an author, you better make sure you book has an excellent cover.

And, if you have a different means of communication, you will want to make sure to pay careful attention to those early moments of connection. Our cover, or how we present ourselves during those initial, shining moments of communication matters a lot.

Skilled speakers know this and,

• Hold their head high, and look their listeners in the eyes.
• Greet their audience as they walk through the door. You may want to act as though the room you are speaking in is your home, and you are a host, welcoming people in.
• Smile. It’s one of the easiest ways to make a good first impression.
• Speak with confidence. Even if you don’t feel confident, remember that feeling follows actions. If you choose to speak confidently, you will begin to feel confident soon enough.

Professional speakers understand that the moment their audience first enters the room serves as their cover. Much of how people feel about us and our message is decided in those initial moments. For bloggers, their site header, theme, and setup are their cover. Paying careful attention to making positive first impressions is vital in our fast-paced society, because people have become skilled in the art of  split-second decision making. If you and I don’t grab the attention of those we come in contact with immediately, it’s likely that we will never receive a second chance. Whether you’re an author, blogger, speaker, or simply someone who longs to make a difference in the world, your cover is important. So, with that said, how does your cover look, and what are you doing to make it even better?