Harvard Business School professor Amy Cuddy has been studying first impressions for more than 15 years, and has discovered patterns in these interactions - people judge you in a matter of seconds.

The two primary questions they ask themselves are:

Can I trust this person? (i.e. warmth)

Can I respect this person? (i.e. competence)

While many people are eager to show off how smart they are it's really trust that plays the biggest role in a deal getting done or a job being won.

“From an evolutionary perspective,” Cuddy says, “it is more crucial to our survival to know whether a person deserves our trust.”

Harvard Business School professor Amy Cuddy has been studying first impressions for more than 15 years, and has discovered patterns in these interactions - people judge you in a matter of seconds.The two primary questions they ask themselves are:Can I trust this person? (i.e. warmth)Can I respect this person? (i.e. competence)While many people are eager to show off how smart they are it's really trust that plays the biggest role in a deal getting done or a job being won.“From an evolutionary perspective,” Cuddy says, “it is more crucial to our survival to know whether a person deserves our trust.”

Cuddy says:

If someone you’re trying to influence doesn’t trust you, you’re not going to get very far; in fact, you might even elicit suspicion because you come across as manipulative. A warm, trustworthy person who is also strong elicits admiration, but only after you’ve established trust does your strength become a gift rather than a threat.

How do you present yourself in a meeting or interview? Are you putting on a show or are you someone with whom the other person can themselves being friends?

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