Having a positive image of yourself is essential to your confidence.
People who feel good about themselves perform at much higher levels than those who have a less than favourable self image. This is the point at which you are presenting yourself with great integrity to those you come in contact with.
1.Being consistent is vital to your success. Maintain an excellent standard of grooming and dress at all times. People will relate positively to your appearance each time they see you. This consistency builds up a level of trust in other areas such as reliability, competence and intelligence. If your image is inconsistent – suit one day, jeans the next, you are communicating a mixed message. Have you really got what it takes to get the job done? You run the risk of having the client think you may let them down at some stage.
2. An effective image is one that is appropriate for your lifestyle, personality and your business. The successful combination of these 3 elements will ensure your success. When your image is right for your lifestyle, getting dressed in the morning becomes effortless. Personality dressing is crucial in business because people relate to what they see and build rapport and relationships after that. All over the world, human being do business with people they like and relate to. Consumers have so much choice – why would they choose you.
3. Pay particular attention to detail. It is only ever the smallest things that make the most impact. The smallest detail also has the potential to bring you completely undone.
4. We often hold ourselves back with self imposed limitations. In other words, we create a whole lot of reasons (or excuses) as to why our image is where it is and can’t be changed. The end result is that they hold us back and stop us from moving forward in life. Identify which ones you create and get them handled!
- Can’t afford it
- Haven’t got the time
- I’m too old or too young to be concerned about that
- I like to wear what I want
- I’m just going to loose some weight first
- No matter what I do – I never look any good anyway
- Most of my business is handled over the phone not face to face The most flattering effect is created when you wear your designated colours. To assist with rapport building, use your eye colour in ties and scarves. This will ensure your eyes remain the focal point – great way to build rapport. This rule applies to anything worn close to the face.
5. You can create the illusion of being taller and slimmer by wearing the same tone from top to toe. This takes the eye up and down. Creating the illusion of height has many advantages – so use it.
The best first impression is created with a strong contrast close to the face. This means teaming a dark jacket with a light shirt for example. It expresses confidence and is great for business.
6. Your clothing must fit your body perfectly. If it is too tight, the perception is that you outgrew it and can’t be bothered to replace it. Anything too big looks like it has been borrowed from a friend. Not good messages to send. Look out for horizontal creasing on pants and skirts – this indicates the garment is too tight. Vertical draping on jackets indicates the garment is just too big.
7. The condition of your clothing communicates the level of care you will give to others – particularly in a service based industry. So repair that hem, get that jacket dry cleaned and press your shirt!
Clean your shoes weekly. Women will decide how successful you are based on the quality and condition of your shoes. Remember it’s all about perception and there is no truth in perception. Tottering about on very high heels may be perceived as flippant.
8. Accessories include your briefcase, a quality pen, appropriate compendium to hold your note book. Keep it all relevant and appropriate to your industry or profession. Listen to the ring on your mobile phone. Is it appropriate for the image you wish to project?
Helen Robinett
Helen Robinett
Image Quest
Helen Robinett is obsessive about helping people to feel fantastic about themselves. With a background of over 20 years in sales and marketing coupled with extensive experience advising leading corporate and individual clients, Helen understands why personal and professional image are key ingredients in business success. Helen works with clients to develop a comprehensive image-management strategy and ensures that staff reflect the image and branding of the company.
Aha…m’hargies…you’ve discovered the solution to your eighth clue.
And now for Secret Clue 9
You close your eyes and go to bed
And wonderful scenes rush through your head
You know they probably mean something amazing
Seek out now the name of the person with the gift ‘dream intepretation’
Your Special Hint: Go here
