| What
really amazes me, with all the personal and
professional development seminars people attend,
from executives in corporate world, business owners
and employees alike, very little investment has been
made into the way they look ... personal image.
Perception
is Reality I'm no image consultant, however I
have been to a couple of different ones to try and
improve my appearance. Not from a vanity
perspective, but to look as good as possible.
Wouldn't you prefer to do business with someone who
looks confident and credible? Whether we like it or
not people will pass judgement on you within a few
seconds of meeting you. They will make assumptions
about you personally and your organisation.
Would I Do Business With You?
Think about it, what opinion would you form about a
person who looked old fashioned, dressed in ill -
fitting clothes and wore heaps of make-up? You'd
probably think their ideas were old fashioned to
match their image. And that also gives an impression
of the organisation they represent.
What about the 50 year old lady I met who runs
conferences and turned up in high-heeled shoes,
short skirt, long hair and big dangly earrings?
Did she look like a competent and professional
person? What first impression would she create?
How about the manager who wears a cardigan, light
grey suit and brown shoes. He also has a beard.
Would you feel confident using his services? Does he
appear to be 'with it'? Would you think his
organisation is up with the times?
And the personal assistant with the low cut top and
tight fitting pants? Is she being perceived as a
competent person and someone you'd take seriously?
She may suit the image of a trendy organisation and
yet what opinions would you form if she worked with
you?
We've all seen or know of people like this. Perhaps
it's you and you don't even know it!
Image in the Workplace
It's a serious business. Image Consultants are being
hired by organisations to teach their people how to
present themselves in the best possible way. How are
you and your people perceived by your clients,
prospects and suppliers?
Your personal image can be either positive or
negative. It can accelerate your success or hinder
it.
The Final Word
Looking successful is just as important as being
successful. Whether we like it or not, people judge
us in a number of ways. To be credible we have to
look like we know what we're talking about as well
as having the skills and abilities to deliver.
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