12. Brand Yourself Your personal image can help you create a clear and consistent personal brand that distinguishes your unique abilities and talents. A distinctive, recognisable brand that is in line with your values will help you maintain relationships and create an impact wherever you go.
13. Invest in your Professional Wardrobe Carefully select clothes that suit your: A) Job / Role B) Self C) Budget
15. These are only 6 slides from a presentation designed for a whole day. The focus is not just on telling you what is important, but equipping you with the tools required to make your image work for you. Copyright Maximum Effect, 2010
Editor's Notes
Just like books are judged by their covers and houses are appraised by their location, people are initially evaluated by how they choose to dress and behave. It’s not fair by any means, but it’s the hard truth and it’s something we are forced to live by. The good news is that your image is manageable. You cannot NOT communicate but you can control what messages you send out and how you influence people’s perception of you. Don’t be disheartened. What is on the inside counts as well, in fact it counts a lot more eventually, but not right away. But do you want to waste opportunities in the meantime?
Social psychologists have spent a lot of time and effort into researching the impact of image. They have also come to understand that you have a mere 6 seconds to create an impression on someone, that is before you even open your mouth! These impressions give clues about your character and abilities, including:Educational LevelCareer Competence and SuccessCredibilityEconomic StatusPersonalityLevel of SophisticationTrustworthinessSense of HumourSocial SkillsSo we can see that Appearances do count! First impressions are often lasting and can have a substantial effect on the relationship between you and the other person. Psychologists call this the halo effect. When you meet someone for the first time, and they form a positive first impression of you, chances are their impression of you will affect how they react and respond to you and they will assume that other aspects of you are equally positive. But unfortunately, if your visual message is negative, that new customer, client, co-worker or prospective employer may be out off and may not want to spend the time and effort in getting to know your real talents.A lot of research has also been carried out on the impact of an effective professional appearance on a starting salary. Amazingly, the results showed that starting salaries ranged 8 to 10% higher as a result of managing and upgrading one’s image from a mediocre business look to one that is polished and professional. Quite honestly, employers are looking for people who already look polished and project a professional image. It saves them time and money which they would otherwise have to spend to train the person. It’s really one less potentially unpleasant thing they have to worry about.
Invest in your professional wardrobe. If you do it right, it can help leverage your professional standing, command more presence and value and help you to exude confidence.
