You’ve probably heard the old saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” It may sound cliché, but it’s true. The first few minutes spent conversing with someone are incredibly important. Human beings form opinions on strangers they meet almost immediately, taking into account a variety of factors including language, gender, appearance, posture and tone.

In fact, psychologists even have a name for it. “Thin slicing” is the act of drawing quick conclusions from the briefest of interactions. It’s why we’re drawn to some people like a magnet but turned off by others. It contributes to the gut feeling you get after chatting with someone for just a minute or two. Thin slicing helps us gauge a person’s competence, dominance, likability, and – perhaps most important of all – it establishes the trust factor.

While the engagement may be short, the perceptions formed have a lasting effect. Some studies have shown it takes as little as three seconds for someone to decide if they will do business with you. Others show trustworthiness is determined in one-tenth of a second. No doubt, first impressions can make-or-break a future relationship.

No one knows more about first impressions than Harvard Business School professor Amy Cuddy, who recently released her latest book Presence. In the book, she outlines the two basic questions we seek to answer when meeting someone for the first time: “Can I respect this person?” and “Can I trust this person?” Overall, she says these two traits make up 80 to 90 percent of first impressions.

“When we form a first impression of another person it’s not really a single impression. We’re really forming two,” explained Cuddy in a WIRED interview. “We’re judging how warm and trustworthy the person is, and that’s trying to answer the question, ‘What are this person’s intentions toward me?’ And we’re also asking ourselves, ‘How strong and competent is this person?’ That’s really about whether or not they’re capable of enacting their intentions.”

Psychologists have pegged these two dimensions competence and warmth. Most people think competence is the single most important trait to possess – after all, we want to do business with those who know what they are doing – but Cuddy says it’s not the case. Warmth, also known as trustworthiness, is actually No. 1. Competence is only considered after trust has been established.

“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,” Cuddy was quoted as saying in a Business Insider article. “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.”

So how do you establish trust? Here are a few tips from Cuddy.

Listen First, Speak Second

Set the other person up by asking a question and allowing them to speak first. Giving them a chance to speak makes them feel as if you understand them, which has a disarming quality.

“I think people make the mistake, especially in business settings, of thinking that everything is negotiation,” she said. ‘They think, “I better get the floor first so that I can be in charge of what happens’.”

Collect Information

By gaining insight into a person’s interests, it automatically makes them trust you more and shows you care about them. This information is also valuable down the road as you can use it to further build your relationship. If you know they like golf, you can invite them out to play a round. If they like jazz, you can send them a playlist. Sometimes it’s the little things that count most.

Make Small Talk

According to Cuddy, studies have proven just a few minutes of small talk before a negotiation can increase the amount of value created. It has the same impact on first impressions.

“People say, ‘Oh, I don’t have time for small talk.’ Well, you should make the time for small talk because it will really help,” she said.

We can all make a better first impression by simply being mindful of our behavior and body language. Take some time to analyze how you act when you first meet someone and identify areas that could be improved upon, or come up with a few questions that are reliable conversation starters. In a situation where every second counts, it is important to ensure we are portraying ourselves in the most favorable light.