There’s nothing more important at the beginning of a relationship–whether it’s a personal relationship or a professional one–whether it’s a girl you’re meeting for the first time . . . or a potential employer your interviewing with, or even a resume your creating, or a job application you’re filling out–nothing’s more important at the start of any potential relationship than making a good first impression–you know, getting off on the right foot.

And yet, even though it’s absolutely critical to start well . . . so many times we bomb out.  So many times, we just say the wrong things . . . we do the wrong things . . . we write the wrong things.  For example, I found a number of true, real-life mistakes people actually wrote down on their  job applications.

Yeah, under the category of personal interests . . . on a job application . . . somebody wrote:  “I enjoy donating blood and have managed 14 Gallons so far.”  You probably like long walks on the beach and long, meaningful conversations, too.  I mean really, who writes that down?  It’s creepy?  14 gallons of blood.  So far?  I mean, I guess that implies real commitment . . . but think about it . . . he never says it’s his own blood he’s donating . . . .   Makes you wonder.

Or, there are these–under the category of REASONS I LEFT MY LAST JOB:  Number 1:  “I left my last job because the company made me a scapegoat – just like my three previous employers.”  Yeah . . . no deep-rooted issues bubbling just under the surface there . . . .

Or, number 2:  “I left my last job because they insisted that all employees get to work by 8:45 every morning and I couldn’t work under those conditions.”  Yes, those 8:45 am start-times are grueling.  I suppose you probably had to limit yourself to 1 hour lunches, too?

Or there’s this one:  Number 3:  “I left my last job because responsibility makes me nervous.”   Again, who writes stuff like that down?  And really, what job doesn’t involve at least some responsibility?  What employer would advertise:  Great starting pay, great benefits and best of all . . . job requires no responsibility at all.  Heck, you don’t even need to wear pants most of the time if you don’t want to?”  Yeah . . . every job requires at least some responsibility . . . and even if there is one out there that doesn’t, chances are no employer likes to think of it that way.

Anyway, I could go on and on–and I will in another post because these are so good–but the point I want to make today is that none of these people made a good first impression.  They didn’t get off on the right foot.  They crashed and burned right out of the gates.  They never got running . . . they never had the chance to  hit their stride . . . .  They tripped over their shoelaces the minute the race started and that was it.  They were out.  The guy giving all the blood probably never got to an interview . . . at least not with the employers, maybe with the police . . . but certainly not for the job he was hoping for.

Anyway, starting on the right foot is critical to success.  Absolutely critical.  And it’s not just that way in the search for a job . . . it’s also that way in pretty much anything else we do.  And since my line of work involves paint . . . I’ll apply it to that.

See, one of the big things right now sweeping through the paint world . . . thanks to some very effective ads . . . is the notion that you don’t need primer anymore.  Just go out and buy that special paint that primes and paints all in one and you can skip a whole step.

Yeah, it sounds great . . . and, in some cases, it’s true–though we’ll talk more about that another time.  But in other cases, if you follow their advice and skip the primer, you’re going to find yourself getting off on the same wrong foot that all those people we just talked about did.  You’re project will crash and burn before you even got into your stride.

See, there are certain situations that NEED a primer.  One of those–today’s focus–involves stains that might be on your walls.  And these stains could be anything from ink to markers, to crayons to grease.  Or, maybe they’re stains where water leaked in once–you know those brown, yellow rings–or maybe it’s a smoke stain.   And, honestly, the stains don’t have to be visible.  It could be that your walls stink.  Literally.  Charred wood, kitchen odors, even the overpowering smell from years of cigarette smoking.

All of those stains–in fact, most stains on your walls–are water-based or water-soluble stains.  If you topcoat them with a water-based paint or primer . . . that stain–or the stink–that stain is going to bleed right through.  It may take a few days, a few months, or it could happen within a few minutes, but however long it takes, those stains will bleed through.

In order to prevent that from happening, you need to make sure you use a very specific stain-blocking primer.  We’ve got a couple different ones at RepcoLite that will seal these trouble spots in with one coat.  Remember that.  If you’re trying to coat over any unusual stain or mark or smell . . . stop in at RepcoLite and explain to us what you’re seeing.  Don’t screw up your project right from the beginning.  Avoid the mistakes and start strong.  And seriously . . . watch out for that 14 gallon blood donor guy . . . he’s probably really pale and tired . . . but he may be dangerous.