How to Impress Someone

Seek out new and interesting experiences.

People are impressed by those who have unique experiences. If you want to truly impress people, it’s time to get up off the couch and put yourself out there! Seek out new experiences and, preferably, do things that other people do not normally do. Impressing someone requires doing something that makes an impression! For example, you could start hiking or trail running in your free time or join a local climbing gym. Or, if you have the budget for it, you could start traveling to exotic locations or take up an extreme sport like kite surfing.

Care about other people.

Be careful not to get overly self-centered when trying to impress others. It’s natural to want attention and to want to feel impressive in order to feel good about yourself. However, you want to do so in a way that is healthy and positive. Show others that you care about them through your actions. Unexpected acts of kindness can impress people by showing you care about them. For example, you could cook a meal for a friend or a significant other, give someone a “thank you” card at work, or offer to babysit for a family member so they can take a night off.

Develop a talent.

A talent is something you can show off to impress people. Everyone is born with a set of gifts, and you can hone skills you already have with a little work. Try new things to develop the skills you have always wanted to have, or take something up again that you used to be good at or enjoyed doing. Stop making excuses like "I'm not that kind of person" or "I'm not talented enough to try ____": just go out there and try something! A dumb or ridiculous talent can be a wonderful thing, if you handle it right. A funny trick is a great ice-breaker at parties, for example, even if it is good for little else. For example, drawing is a good example of a talent that some people naturally figure out. But it is a skill that can be taught and actually does not require any kind of innate temperament or skill.

Try to be well-informed.

That way, you can impress people with your knowledge. Stay up to date on the latest important news and political developments in order to be aware and ready to go when people start discussing those topics. You'll be able to chime in and join the conversation or even fill people in on aspects that they didn't know about or understand. Being well informed doesn't require you to be super smart. For example, reading the newspaper is an easy habit to develop, and your knowledge and information can impress others when they’re trying to learn about a topic. Remember to always be curious and skeptical. Always question everything. People make mistakes and it's possible that what you read or believed in the past has since turned out to be wrong.

Be humble.

Don't brag or rub it in people's faces that you do all these things. In fact, try not to tell them outright at all. Instead, let them see you doing impressive things in a normal way. This will make it seem more natural and impress people without looking like you’re trying to show off. For example, when your friend invites you to a party, say something like, “I'll try to make it but I usually volunteer at the church on Friday nights. I might have to be a bit late.” When you're going to meet someone somewhere, show up early. Start doing an impressive activity like reading a classic novel or practicing guitar. They'll catch you "in the act" and be impressed. You don't even have to say anything!

Go out of your way to make your loved ones happy.

The easiest way to impress someone is to make them happy. Do this unselfishly and just because you want to see them smile. Try to base what you do on what you know about them and what matters most to them. For example, you could bring your girlfriend an entire box of her favorite donuts when you know she's having a bad day. Include a note that says something like "I tried to find something as sweet as you but they only had a dozen of these left." Another example would be to leave a fridge full of pre-prepared meals for your boyfriend when you know he's sick or going to be very busy, so that he doesn't have to cook for himself. He'll be smitten!

Remember things people tell you.

They’ll be impressed with your attention to detail. Pay attention when your friends and family talk and log away tidbits of information for later, even if you have to write them down. Remembering small, off-hand comments that they make and acting on those comments can earn you serious points. For example, maybe your girlfriend mentions that Valentine's Day is her favorite time of year because it's the only time when she can find conversation hearts, her favorite candy. Find a supply company and surprise her in a few months when her birthday rolls around with an entire bag full of the candy!

Care about things your partner cares about.

Show them that things that are important to them also matter to you. Do something selflessly because you know it’s important to them, or embrace a hobby that they’re really into. It’ll go a long way to show that you are above the rest of the competition! For example, maybe your girlfriend is really into dancing. It might not be your thing, but you can take a few secret lessons on the side from a local community center and surprise her by taking her on a special date and dancing with her. Another example would be if your boyfriend has an autistic brother whom he's very close with. Play with his brother and maybe even go out with him to movies or other fun locations. By genuinely connecting with the brother, you'll get to know more about the boyfriend's life. You'll also make it clear that you're a caring person.

Be unashamedly yourself.

Impress others with your self-confidence. When you focus on just being yourself, without shame or trying to hide what makes you happy or upset, you show a lot of confidence, and we all know how sexy and impressive confidence is, right? The ability to be comfortable in your own skin is also a trait many people feel like they don't have. When your significant other or a love interest sees that you are totally comfortable being you, they'll be impressed and want to be around you more.

Work hard for its own merit.

This is a good way to impress someone in a professional setting. In order to impress your boss, a potential boss, or your coworkers, you should generally start by working very hard without expecting anything in return. People usually want to reward that kind of behavior and your bosses will definitely be impressed! You should also do all of this work while keeping a positive attitude. Try not to complain too much and when you do bring up problems, remember to present them with a suggested solution and in a happy way. For example, keep your ear to the ground for tech developments that could improve efficiency in your office. Another example would be really pushing to get things done ahead of schedule so that you have time to do more work or to go back and make the work you did as good as it can possibly be.

Take on extra professional responsibilities.

Go above and beyond to impress your coworkers and superiors. Working the bare minimum is fine and doing it well will generally make people happy. However, going the extra mile to make sure more gets done, and gets done well, will really catch the attention of people around you. For example, if your boss has a mindless paperwork task, offer to take it on for them so they can refocus their efforts on improving the rest of the office. Another example would be pushing to finish early and then cleaning up the office at the end of every day so that people can relax and focus on their work.

Anticipate needs and solve problems at work.

A good worker doesn't just do the work they are given. They also anticipate and look for ways to fix problems so that everyone can work better, and the work they do can be of higher quality. Take note of the problems that come up in your own day-to-day activities and look for ways that you can make those problems go away. However, if you also notice problems that plague your coworkers, you can also find solutions for those problems and suggest them, even if the problems don't affect you at all. For example, let's say you notice that two coworkers aren't getting along because they both think the other is too slow at getting in the different pieces of paperwork that they each need to do their job. You can suggest a solution, such as a scheduling or process change, that helps their jobs both go more smoothly.

Find ways to do more with less resources.

When you find ways to do this, you can save your employer a lot of money. As it turns out, they like that! Look for ways that you can streamline what you do and make your work, as well as the work that others do, more efficient. Your boss will be really impressed. For example, maybe you've noticed that a piece of paperwork which is almost completely identical gets filled out by you and another person as well. Talk to your boss about having one or the other of you do both sheets, in order to fill them out faster and more efficiently.

Be a supportive team player.

Coworkers and bosses love to see someone who's a great team player. Share the credit, even if you did most of the work. Compliment coworkers on their strengths and ask for their advice when you're working on something you know they know a lot about. Be similarly helpful when other people look to you for help. These kinds of behaviors show that you want to work with everyone to make sure that your company can do the best work possible. This is especially impressive if you're in the under 35 crowd, because the older generations tend to see younger generations as poor team players.