Imagine this: You leave people with such a powerful, positive impression of you that career doors open for you all the time. It’s possible — with a little practice, you can impress anyone, anywhere, anytime and boost your career as a result.

“The ability to impress anyone, anywhere, and at any time is the key to both professional and financial success. In today’s virtual world, the workday is no longer 9-to-5, it encompasses your social media, emails, phone calls, and it can even be interwoven with your personal life. It’s 24/7,” says Ryan Alarid.

But in order to truly master this concept, it’s important to get clear on what being an impressive professional is all about. It doesn’t mean flaunting flashy cars or watches. It’s about your character.

“If you can impress someone with who you are and the traits you have, like trustworthiness, honesty, and motivation, you are more likely to create a professional bond with them and create a business connection out of the relationship,” said Alarid.

Authenticity is key: Being impressive is not something you can fake. You want to remain true to yourself and lead with integrity.

“Whether you are in your very first job or the CEO of a large corporation, being an impressive professional is a trait that not only people will notice, but they will talk about. The idea is to have others inside and outside of your organization see you as someone they can depend on and execute both actions and ideas.”

We’ve asked Alarid, who’s developed a tried-and-tested way of impressing others and advancing his own career, for his six best tips on developing your own influential superpowers.

“Contrary to what you might think, these tips are centered around other people and not myself, but the result is that your peers will walk away from each interaction with you utterly impressed,” he says.

It might sound counterproductive, but if you want to stand out, stop talking shop for a second. “If you want to be heard above the growing marketing ‘noise,’ you need to first listen to [others] so when you do speak, you get it right. What are they saying, what are they feeling, what are their pain points, and what solutions do they need?” says Alarid.

According to him, positive excitement creates positive emotions and, as a result, positive relationships:

“Excitement makes people more likely to act. When a person is excited, their emotions become more powerful and can affect their decision-making abilities. Excited people are more likely to make a decision.”

And when it comes to career success, you want to get stakeholders in a state where they’ll be making decisions that lead to positive outcomes for you.

“Trust me, if you are excited to see them, they will instantly return the excitement.” So don’t be shy and show your genuine enthusiasm when interacting with others.

Another key piece of being able to impress people with your presence lies in your ability to make them feel seen, understood — and like they matter to you.

“Compliment them. Acknowledge them. Be wowed by them. If you are only focused on the money and the business, you risk completely overlooking the people. Don’t make that mistake!” says Alarid.

This is powerful because people naturally want to be around people who make them feel good. But, again, this cannot be faked and has to come from a genuine place for best results. “You might have to dig or ask them what exciting things they’ve done, experienced, or accomplished lately, but you will find it. Try it and you will see how making them feel like somebody will increase your personal brand — and you will impress them like no one else.”

Notice a trend? Being impressive lies in your ability to get out of your own head and focus on others. “When we are advertising instead of building relationships, we are focused on what our partners can give us instead of how we can best serve them.”

When you become the kind of professional who regularly offers support instead of thinking about what you can receive, you boost your professional brand and get organic referrals because others are happy to talk about you.

“When other people talk about the positive experience they’ve had with you, they tell other people about it. Basically, you are creating a small army of people building you up.”

“Impressing people is about starting a meaningful dialogue and thoughtfully and genuinely engaging in an ongoing conversation,” says Alarid.

“Relationships should focus on getting to know your partners/clients and giving them reasons to stay engaged — not just getting them to react. This needs to be all the time, not simply when you need something from them.”

The takeaway? Stay in touch on a regular basis and nurture those relationships long-term.

Here’s the irony: The more you try to impress others, the least impressive you will be. What you don’t do is as important as what you do if you really want to be able to impress anyone, anywhere, anytime. And the first thing you’ll want to stop doing is bragging or one-upping others in conversations, according to Alarid.

“The other person is going to stop listening or even worse, leave the conversation,” he says.”

“Also, be aware of who you are speaking with. Don’t try to ‘one-up’ them. For example, if they just bought a new 2018 Ford truck, don’t continue to say, that’s wonderful, I just bought a fully loaded 2021 Lincoln Navigator. Allow them to shine and be okay with them being the highlight of the conversation.”