There are many things in life that you can do multiple times. Making a first impression on someone isn't one of them.

First impressions are lasting. Once a first impression is made, if it’s less than great, it takes a long time to change it.

Experts say it takes between five and 15 seconds for someone to form a first impression about a person. According to William Thourlby in his book “You Are What You Wear: The Key to Business Success,” the first time we meet someone, we’re trying to size them up. People look at socioeconomic status, level of education, social position, level of sophistication, economic background, social background, moral character and level of success.

First impressions are influenced by our backgrounds, including our families, friends, education, religion, jobs and other factors. These include body language, dress, appearance and voice. Your body language and appearance speak much louder than words. Use your body language to project appropriate confidence and self-assurance. Stand tall, make eye contact, greet with a firm handshake.

Quite possibly one of the most important and terrifying times to make a spectacular first impression is when you are interviewing for or starting a new job.

The first day of a new job can be exciting and nerve-racking at the same time. Even if you never plan to leave your current job, you’ll probably be promoted or switch to a new position at some point, and the experience will be much the same. There are some guidelines for relieving day-one stress that you should keep in mind.

-- Don’t be late. In fact, it’s best to be a little early. Double-check where you’re supposed to be and what time you’re expected to start. If it’s a new workplace, test your route and give yourself extra time for a prompt arrival.

-- Learn the lay of the land. Your manager will probably show you around, but make an extra effort to remember what you see so you don’t have to repeat the same questions. Yes, you can always ask for directions later, but you’ll impress people more by being a quick study.

-- Master people’s names. Again, you’ll gain a reputation for attention and thoughtfulness by memorizing the names of everyone you meet. There are a variety of memory strategies that will help you match names and faces. There is no bigger compliment than using someone’s name when you speak to them.

-- Bring your lunch. Maybe the boss or co-workers will take you out to lunch on your first day, but don’t count on it. Stay in the workplace and eat in the lunchroom so you get a chance to meet more people. Just don’t waste too much time chowing down on your first day -- demonstrate your eagerness to get back to work.

-- Smile. Put a pleasant expression on your face. Be friendly. Show that you’re glad to be there. People respond to smiles and sincerity. Ask questions and be interested in your new co-workers. They’ll remember and appreciate your effort.

-- Restrain your instincts. Your first day is a time to learn, not to show off what you think you know. So, show you are glad to be there, but don’t let your enthusiasm get the best of you, lest you come across as insincere. Concentrate instead on what you can contribute and how you can fit in to the culture.

On the other side of the equation, when I hire people, I am acutely aware of the first impression they leave on me. Will a customer have the same reaction?

We’ve all had cringeworthy moments hoping we came across as positive as possible. Remember the movie “Pretty Woman”? Julia Roberts’ character goes into a swanky Beverly Hills shop looking for a wardrobe upgrade, wearing a very casual and somewhat provocative outfit. The saleswomen ignore her, thinking she can’t afford their clothing. She gets the message and walks out of the store as quickly as she came in.

But a couple days later, she returns, dressed to the nines. The sales staff is most attentive, anticipating a huge sale from this elegant woman. They obviously don’t recognize her. So, she reminds them that they had snubbed her and so she took her business elsewhere. Nothing could make up for their pathetic first impression.

Mackay’s Moral: You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

In a village long ago, there lived a young boy who loved nothing as much as competing in athletic contests. Because he was fit and strong, he usually triumphed and grew to love the adulation he received from the villagers around him.

One day, he challenged two other youths to a race from one end of town to the other. The villagers all lined up to watch. The boy won, and the townspeople cheered wildly.

“Another race!” the boy demanded, greedy for more praise. “Who else will race me?”

Two more young men stepped up, and again the boy won handily. He laughed in pride as the villagers cheered -- though they were a little less enthusiastic than before.

“Who else wants to race me?” the boy said. “Come on, are you all afraid?”

An elderly woman was watching the races, and she grew annoyed at the boy’s arrogance. So, she prodded two elderly men to challenge him. They could barely make their way to the starting line, but they seemed willing to compete.

“What’s this?” The boy was puzzled. How could he win the applause he craved by beating two old men who could hardly stagger two steps?

The old woman walked up and whispered in his ear: “Do you want applause for this race?”

“Of course,” said the boy.

“Finish together,” the woman said. “Just finish together.”

The boy did as he was told and received the loudest applause of his life when the three of them reached the finish line, side by side.

That boy learned a valuable lesson that day. No one likes arrogance. Have you ever worked with someone who is arrogant? It’s not a pleasant experience.

Of all the human failings that can destroy a person or a business, arrogance is the deadliest. It is the most readily acquired, the easiest to justify and the hardest to recognize in ourselves. Arrogance can infect all employees in a company with the silent destructiveness of a computer virus.

Herb Kelleher, the now retired head of Southwest Airlines, understood that arrogance is the greatest danger to a successful company. He said, “A company is never more vulnerable to complacency than when it’s at the height of its success.”

In 1993, Kelleher began his annual letter to all employees by describing the major threat to Southwest Airlines at the time in these words: “The number one threat is us!” He went on to say, “We must not let success breed complacency; cockiness; greediness; laziness; indifference; preoccupation with nonessentials; bureaucracy; hierarchy; quarrelsomeness; or obliviousness to threats posed by the outside world.”

There is nothing at all wrong with being proud of your company and the work you do. In fact, if you don’t take pride in your work, you are probably not doing the best job you can do. But pride is not arrogance.

Arrogance is defined as engaging in behaviors intended to exaggerate a person’s sense of superiority by disparaging others. It’s not the same as narcissism, which is self-admiration. Nor is arrogance the same as being confident, which I consider a positive trait.

Unfortunately, many leaders today confuse confidence with arrogance. Confidence in one’s ability is a critical element in the willingness to take risks while still steering the ship. Arrogance takes risks by assuming everyone will get on board even when the boat has a hole in it.

According to an article in The Industrial-Organizational Psychologist newsletter, arrogant people "inflate their self-importance and see themselves as better than others, purport to be more knowledgeable than others, consider their own behavior acceptable, make others feel inferior, avoid blame and pin blame on others, discount feedback, don’t perform their job well and are less likely to help others."

I would add to that list that arrogant people are name droppers, avoid eye contact, frequently interrupt conversations, seem to have an opinion or an answer for everything and aren’t afraid to blast their competitors.

If you recognize yourself doing any of these offensive acts, check your behavior. It’s nearly impossible to be a team player if you think you are better than everyone around you. Before long, you will be looking for a new team. You’d better hope your reputation doesn’t precede you.

As Elvis Presley said, “If you let your head get too big, it’ll break your neck.”

Mackay’s Moral: Don’t let arrogance get in the way of “finishing together.”

A third-grader had to do a book report, and he chose a Socrates biography. His report consisted of three succinct sentences:

1. Socrates was a philosopher.

2. He talked a lot.

3. They killed him.

Not much more to say about brevity. Maybe that’s why President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “Be sincere. Be brief. Be seated.”

This is a good explanation for why people are so long-winded. It’s easier. You don’t need to think and prepare as much. Just let it roll.

Maybe that’s why William Shakespeare wrote, “Brevity is the soul of wit.”

One thing I know is that brevity is powerful. People who can speak or write concisely and to the point are more successful.

The late comedian George Burns was right on the money when he quipped, “The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and to have the two as close together as possible.”

I have a little different take on preparation. The nature of my public speaking engagements usually requires me to orate for longer periods. But that doesn’t mean I don’t need to be completely ready and well-researched to keep my points brief and interesting.

If I have to make a 60-minute speech on a new subject, I figure it will take 60 hours of preparation. It boils down to about an hour of preparation for every minute, if you want your message to be good. You never want your audience to wonder if you will ever stop talking. You want to leave them wanting more -- more fabulous content, not just more words.

Are you one of those people for whom conveying information can sometimes turn into the unraveling of a saga? Here are some tips adapted from the now-defunct iVillage.com on how to keep your conversations short and sweet when necessary.

-- Don’t get bogged down with irrelevant details. Get to the meat of the information as directly as possible. “I talked with Jim Thursday, or was it Wednesday? No, I think it was Thursday.” Does anyone really care? Get to the point.

-- Don’t repeat information. Unless the person with whom you’re talking indicates that he or she didn’t hear what you said, say things only once. I can’t tell you how many times I hear the same message repeated over and over with different words. Don’t rehash old news.

-- Take a writing class. A good writing class can teach you to make your points using the fewest words possible. The training can also benefit your spoken communications.

-- Eliminate non-word fillers. I am very aware (and annoyed) when people use too many “ums,” “likes” and “you knows.” It’s better to pause briefly and say nothing.

-- Bring up information that is relevant to most of the group. Save any questions specific to you or any specialized conversations for later discussion.

Here’s a grand example of when short is sweet. One of the most memorable Academy Award acceptance speeches was delivered by Patty Duke, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “The Miracle Worker.” She uttered just two words: Thank you.

If all the winners were so succinct, the entire program would last about an hour instead of three or four.

Here's a funny story to wrap things up. The lesson in writing for newspapers is always “Be brief!” However, a certain beginner in journalism picked up what seemed to him to be a big story. He hurried to text his editor what he had uncovered.

The editor responded promptly, “Go ahead and write 600 words.”

The enthusiastic young reporter was depressed and fired back a text, “Story can’t be told in less than 1,200 words.”

The editor’s reply said, “Story of world’s creation was told in 600 words. Try it.”

Mackay’s Moral: Short speeches often deliver big messages.