A first impression is what a person thinks when encountering or meeting another person. It is the feeling that a person gets due to their initial evaluation of another individual. The first impression can happen within seconds of meeting someone and can be based on many factors, such as appearance, body language, tone of voice, and even smell. Once we form a first impression of someone, it can be complicated to change that opinion, even if we later learn that our initial assessment was inaccurate. Because first impressions are so important, we must ensure that ours are positive. One way to do this is to smile and make eye contact when meeting someone for the first time. We send the message that we are open, friendly, and interested in getting to know the other person.