Am I making a good impression?

Must admit, this is something that evades me at times.  I have been told that I have a resting bitch face, and that a lot of people find me scary on first meeting me. There’s a number of reasons for that but I suppose the combination of those two things don’t make for a good first impression.

The Young Entrepreneur Council suggested 10 things that improve a first impression:

1. Smile, it makes people happier  – something I’m not naturally good at.
2. Be present, give the other person 100 % of your attention, put the phone away and listen.   I’m ok with that one.
3. Be on time, be respectful of other people’s time – I am usually the other way, I turn up super early for things, I like to make sure technology is working if it’s a virtual meeting, or get there in plenty of time, I would rather be hanging about that be a minute late.
4. Be authentic, be yourself – I am very much “what you see is what you get”. If I don’t agree with you, I’ll tell you, I don’t try to be something I’m not, it takes too much energy.
5. Make eye contact, stand your ground but also so the other person they have your attention – I try to do this as much as possible but sometimes it’s difficult.  It can be a bit creepy or appear confrontational.  I worked with someone once who barely even opened her eyes when she spoke, let along looked you in the eye.  She used to do this weird fluttery thing (not in a flirty way) that I found intensely irritating.
6. Show confident body language, moving slowly and confidently shows you take yourself seriously and confidently – I think I’m generally confident in how I move.
7. Ask questions, this shows you’re listening – I do ask questions, sometimes those questions that everyone else is thinking but don’t want to ask in case it makes them look stupid, I’m not afraid of that.
8. Put your phone away, be present – This is one of my pet hates.  When people constantly look at their phone during pre-arranged meetings, especially when they are the one who instigated the meeting.  It’s just rude.
9. Show sincere interest, explore others’ uniqueness – I try really hard to explore people’s skills and knowledge, but also what they want and where they want to go.  I will help people progress, much to my own detriment when they go off for a better role elsewhere, but I’m pleased to have helped them on their way.
10. Exude warmth, make someone feel warm and fuzzy when they’ve left. Exuding that feeling through being exceedingly kind, staying ultra-engaged in what the other person is saying and staying authentic, you will be seen as a trustworthy and all-around good person – I probably need to work on that one.  Some people leave a meeting with me with more knowledge, or supported, or valued, but I know I’m known for not being particularly warm and fuzzy.

I know that I can be judgy of other people, although I’m trying hard not to be so judgy, and I know others’ are judging me. How do I make them judge me with a good impression?