How To Make A Great First Impression, Guaranteed

Co-Producer of The Price is Right reveals what you can learn from a game show audition.

By single-ish — Written on Aug 31, 2009

How To Make A Great First Impression, Guaranteed

As a freelance writer, I'm always interviewing random and interesting people. And they're not just dating experts—my subjects can range from a guy who ploughs cornfield mazes to a woman who wore lipstick to her mastectomy. So the other day, I was talking to Stan Blits, Co-Producer of The Price is Right. He was explaining how he auditions contestants, and I realized that what he was telling me sounded like dating advice!

When I'm on a date or talking to a guy, I can be pretty oblivious. Stan, on the other hand, is a keen observer of people. That's his job! He interviews every single audience member. In a month, he'll interview 7,400 people, or about 1,800 people a week. Bad First Impression Hard To Shake

He won't just pick you randomly to be on the show. He looks for certain qualities in people, much like dating. "Obviously, a Jeopardy! contestant won't have the same personality as the contestant that we have," Stan says.

Here is how you can make a good first impression on Stan—and all the men you date:

Be open-minded.

At a PIR audition, people line up around the building and do a group interview, 12 at a time. He addresses each person, goofs off with them, and asks them where they're from and what they do, like in a date. "Almost immediately," Stan tells me, "you can see how open their heart is, who is willing to submit themselves to the moment, have a complete openness and energy about being there. Some people you see it that second, some people you have to dig."

Be sincere and authentic.

"People jump up and down. But I'm not looking for the put-on. You can tell the fakers from the real ones. I'm looking for three things: energy, sincerity, and a potential sense of humor."

Be able to laugh at yourself.

"They have to be able to laugh at themselves. I make jokes about their jobs and I see how they respond."

Stay engaged, alert, and energetic.

"I watch how other people are reacting to the interview while I interview. If they look at the floor while I'm talking to someone else, then they're not engaged in the process. If they perk up only when I talk to them, then you can tell it's an act. Stay consistently joyous, happy, and energetic. It's all about energy. But it's not necessarily about screaming and yelling. A 92-year-old lady that's sassy and fun [can have great energy]."

Be proud of who you are and what you do.

"You don't want people to feel they blew their chances by saying they're a housewife. Housewives can be funny! Astronauts can be dull as a cork." Stan also says not to try to be brilliant if you're not. "It's not about what they say but how they say it. They should be natural. Just be yourself and the best part will come through."

I would be scared to date Stan, haha! Even though he was awesome to talk to. "I realized once on a date that I was looking for the same thing in a contestant as I look for in a date," he says. "You really dig into their souls quickly. In a party, I can get somebody's essence in 20 seconds. I know whether they're having issues that week. I look at people and how they relate to each other—even newlyweds—and I see a lot of eye-rolling and correcting ("He doesn't mean that…"). They are trying to be what they think their partners want them to be." 3 Secrets To Exuding Sexy

So basically, in order to make a good first impression on a date, you should do everything you would do at a game show audition. In summary: