Has this ever happened to you? I bet many of you are answering, "Don't know" or "I never noticed." If I received a dollar for every instance I said it or someone had said it to me, I'd be an extremely rich person.

My most recent experience happened just last week. I was stopped at a corner waiting to cross the street at 57th and Sixth Avenue in NYC. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the beautiful coat a woman was wearing. Just as the light changed, I said to her, "Really nice coat" and started walking across the street. She heard me over her iPod and replied, "Thank you." No other exchange. We both started rushing to where we were going. As always, I forgot about it.

Two days after commenting on the coat, I went to meet a prospective client. The client was behind schedule, and I was told to wait outside his office. A woman rushed over to the man's administrative assistant and proclaimed, "I need to see him ASAP." The assistant explained that her boss was already behind schedule and that I was next in line. This woman looked at me with an initial perturbed look until she recognized me. She was the woman that wore the beautiful coat.

After confirming that I was indeed that person, she remarked that she still had had reservations about buying the coat. That is until a perfect stranger that made her comfortable with the decision to keep it. I was that perfect stranger--the stranger that gave her a good feeling that lasted all day and whenever she puts on that coat.

Why should this matter to you? Well, this woman wound up being the person I needed to work with to deliver what the prospective client needed. She had to give her opinion about me to the client. I was no longer a person that was going to give her a heavier workload. I wasn't yet another consultant taking up her valuable time. My unprovoked comment two days earlier opened the gate to start a relationship. Already, I was someone that this business person wanted to work with even if I was a techie.

I have hundreds of stories where I thought I was meeting someone for the first time and it wasn't. Chances are, the same is true for you. Chances are, you are being seen by others. The tough questions for you are: Are you being noticed? What are they noticing about you?

If you are rude in another situation outside the office, chances are, someone will notice. You will meet that person, who you think, is for the first time. Unfortunately, you aren't. Your first impression was already made before you even knew it.

Don't believe me? Put this to a test yourself. Get your head out of yourself and your current problem. Look around. Make a mental note of the different people you see. Keep your eyes open and notice if you see them again in a different environment. It happens to me at least once a week. I meet someone who says, "You look familiar." Fortunately, I had a smile on my face and treated everyone with respect.

Why is it that so many times you see someone you think looks familiar? It's probably because you had a chance encounter in a different situation. Is your feeling about the person positive, negative, or neutral?

Positive is the only first impression that opens the door to building a relationship. Either negative or neutral responses/feelings means you blew the first impression. Both negative and neutral means you have extra work in establishing a relationship before you get the chance to work on that great project. Before you even show your technical knowledge or are able to show how great you will be in solving their problem with the latest and greatest technology, you blew your first impression.

So, you are about to meet with a business person for, what you think, is the first time. What feeling do they have about you? Is it positive, negative or neutral? The only way you can be sure is if you accept that every moment is a first impression for someone. That someone could be a very important business partner.

Is the person right next to you a stranger? Do you like anything about their appearance? Are they reading something interesting that you may know something about? Make a one-liner statement. No need to initiate a conversation. The other person may be too hurried. However, they will take a second look at you just before they leave. That is the mental note with the emotional tone…positive, negative, or neutral. If they see you again, it is the emotional tone that comes forth first.

What's in it for you?