The Game Changer: Great First Impressions
January 27, 2011, By P.K. Lassiter 4 comments
I can’t believe it. Simply cannot believe it. I’m having a normal business trip in the beautiful Southeast, traveling to New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Atlanta and Jacksonville and seriously TCOB’ing, if you know what I mean. Totally “Takin’ Care of Business” if you don’t. Kicking rear and taking nombres. Killin’ it. And then, it happened…
I met someone. Now, I didn’t go into this trip looking to meet anyone but the gate agent at the airport and some business associates that I would be less likely to see again than the gate agent at the airport. From experience I knew to plan on short exchanges. But as I sat at the hotel bar having a thoroughly decent meal by myself after a long day, I noticed something across the room. Something amazing.
She strolled in like she owned the place -- and I was there to buy it. It was instant, and I knew I was in big, big trouble.
As I nearly dropped my fork mid-bite, the thoughts (all of them) raced through my head (like rockets). How would I introduce myself to this woman? Is she here with a significant other or friends? How will she react to an invitation to get together? I was indeed hooked. I just needed an in.
So as I casually watched from the bar I noticed that she was meeting friends, and she was definitely a local (I have great hearing). She looked over once, just scanning the place and I caught her eye. If she was to look again I would have my in, and I was going to have to make some sort of advance or I would be kicking myself from beyond the grave.
And then it happened. She made eye contact again. It was warm, lingering… Inviting. That was all I needed. I got up out of my chair. As I walked over, everything went into slow motion, and I must have wiped my entire head off with my hands just to make sure a sprig of asparagus wasn’t tucked behind my ear. It wasn’t. I was clean. All systems were a go.
Then I was two feet away, and she looked up at me again, and her friends all turned and saw me standing in their midst. They seemed to part as if they knew I was there for her. Subconsciously, their collective action registered… This sort of thing must happen to this woman quite a bit. And normally that might have planted a small seed of doubt in my head to do something stupid, like pretend I needed the saltshaker behind her -- even though I had one right in front of my aforementioned asparagus.
So I did the only thing I know how to do well when introducing myself to a woman. I reached out to shake her hand, smiled and said … “Hi. I’m P.K.”
It seemed as if my hand lingered there forever. And her mouth wasn’t moving to speak. But I had put it all on the line, and I refused to move until I at least received some sort of acknowledgment. I did … And it wasn’t at all what I expected.
To be continued…
P.K. Lassiter is a freelance writer and featured contributor to ManoftheHouse.com.
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