Is Your Image Showing?
By
People form impressions about us within the first seven to twelve seconds of meeting. Instantaneous judgements are made about how much money we make, how intelligent we are, and whether we are interesting. Those judgments are made based on, among other things, how we dress, the way we behave and what we talk about. Most of us don’t act on those impressions because we know there is often more to the person than what we first see or experience.
In those few seconds of a first impression the direction of our lives can be affected or possibly changed. Even a casual meeting provides the potential for someone to hire us, invest in our company, become our friend, or make a date! If we consider this part of life unimportant, we may find that moving ahead in business or in our social life is ultimately hampered.
With so much resting on our Image, how can we take control of it, understand it, identify it, and polish it?
We develop our Image over time, mostly on a subconscious level. Our Image becomes a non-verbal way of communicating.
Image reflects our values and character, our knowledge and intellect, our sensitivity and objectivity, our ethics and aesthetics, and our personal philosophy. That’s why our Image is important to our success and happiness.
Image is a reflection of everything we do in life. It is a culmination of the conclusions we make which form our core values. It is our morality, and a multitude of decisions we make about everything important to us as we proceed through life. It is the way, for example, that we respond to music or art. It is our view of life, happiness, money, heroes, love, or injustices.
We are often told that to be conscious of our Image is to be selfish and egotistical. That is not so. In addition, we are told not to tamper with Image because it is an unknown quantity! Untrue. Precisely because Image is our first impression we must take control it and make sure the message we send is an appropriate and accurate one.
First, we must be conscious of our Image in order to take control of it, modify it and improve it. We do this by looking carefully at everything about ourselves as if through a mirror. We must ask, how do we look and act; what do we think and how do we communicate? We must evaluate our eye contact, handshake, posture, smile, clothing, hairstyle, make-up, walk, stance, speech, grammar, grace and diplomacy, to name only a few.
Our very appearance can translate directly into power, increasing our self-confidence, as well as solidifying the impression we make. Good grooming, civilized behavior, knowledgeable conversation and polite manners are as important, in a way, as knowing how to close a deal.
It is critical to keep in mind that Image is the backdrop not the feature. It is the canvass upon which the best within us is marvelously reflected. Sometimes we focus on one particularly appealing asset which then becomes the basis for our Image. That is when it is critical to evaluate and reshape the Image.
We see examples everyday of an Image that needs polishing. A skirt that’s too short. A neckline too low. Too much make-up. The caustic prankster. The power manipulator. The insipid handshake. The rude loudmouth.
Excessive hairstyles, makeup, jewelry, and fragrance detract from a professional image, as do worn out, dirty, cheap, or ill-fitting clothes. What you wear should suit, not detract from, your professional and personal role in life.
Inappropriate language, profanity and coarse words are absolutely wrong at any time but particularly at work and in a formal social environment. Some language, words and/or phrases are often grossly out of order in the company of foreigners because their translation could mean something very different than intended. If you’re business is international, know language protocol to avoid an embarrassing international faux pas.
Grammar, voice tone, pitch and volume are an important part of your professional being. You make a statement about yourself by the way you speak. The most dreaded fear is not of dying. It is of standing up in front of an audience and talking. Doing it well will immensely enhance your Image.
Dining finesse tells others a great deal about our understanding of manners. It is never appropriate for a woman to place her purse on a dining table. Soup is spooned away from you toward the center of the bowl. Never place your napkin on the table until everyone leaves at the end of a meal.
Knowing appropriate business etiquette is an important part of fine tuning your Image. Learn how to “work a room” without offending the host or hostess. Excuse yourself successfully from a group conversation. Offer your business card at just the right moment.
There are many issues involved in developing a consistent and appropriately realistic Image. Polish your Image; it’s what you make of it because you ARE the message. While you’re at it, see that your Image reflects the best within you. The results will prove beneficial, personally and financially.
