Tweet

Your Image Is You

Written by: Louise Pope

Article Overview: Do you have the walk to succeed?

Your Image Is You

One of our clients, a major multinational with head offices in Sydney was in the midst of a major reorganisation. The Finance Director was retiring and the general word on the street was that the Financial Controller was first in line to take his place. A consultant was brought in. The Financial Controller talked to him and asked for his feedback. The consultant was very frank, looked him in the eye and said, "I'm sorry, I don't think you will be chosen." The Financial Controller was devastated. He said, "But I have the seniority! I have the skills! I have the qualifications and the experience! I'm the logical choice to be the next Finance Director of this company."

The business consultant turned, deadly serious, and said, "Yes, there is no doubt about that, but… you just don't have the walk!"

The second I heard this I knew what he meant.

What's a Walk? A walk is the way you look, the way you package yourself and it says a lot about you. People see you and make snap judgments about you, just as you make snap judgments about others. This is why the way you look really matters, especially in business.

Successful people believe their success is attributable to a pattern of mutually beneficial interpersonal relationships, as much as it is due to technical skills or business knowledge. Your communication and the image you present create the first impression - often the lasting impression and form the basis of those interpersonal relationships.

First impressions are lasting impressions. But if you're like most people, you probably can't see the first impressions you,yourself are making.

"Dress for the job you want, not the job you have currently." Every heard that old nugget? It may be a tired saying, but that doesn't make it less true. Even in this day of business or smart casual dress for work, your professional image will serve you well when promotions, lateral moves, choice assignments and departmental visibility are available.

Now this may be bitter medicine for some. Many claim that what they are in the inside matters more than what they look like on the outside. True. No argument there, but if you don't make a good first impression you'll rarely get a chance to demonstrate what is actually on the inside.

So, what can you do to audit your own walk? Ask one or more of your close friends if you are guilty of any of the following image deficiencies below. If so, thank them for their honesty, and immediately correct the deficient areas! Create a lasting impression by being conscious of the following:

1. Your handshake.
Don't shake with a limp wrist, sometimes called the dead fish handshake. Some think they are conveying humility by doing this. For a man this is a sign of weakness or disinterest. For a woman it is a sign that she lacks confidence. To shake hands with confidence grip the whole hand pressing the fleshy part of your hand between your thumb and index finger to the same area in their hand. Grip tightly without crushing the other hand and pump slightly 2 - 3 times. This will immediately put a positive impression in the other's mind.

2. Your clothes.
I hear consultants say, "Your clothes do not have to be expensive…" Now coming from a seasoned shopaholic allow me to tell you that it is extremely difficult to get good, respectable and decent business clothes without investing in quality. And quality costs money. Good clothes last longer and turn out to be more economical when used for the long haul. You only have to have a few quality pieces in your wardrobe if you shop smartly and mix and match appropriately. Make sure you get pieces that flatter your shape and put a professional, polished image forward. Simple lines and basic colours typically work well.

3. Your Words.
Now we're moving into the less visible qualities that define you. If you have a weak vocabulary do what you need to do to strengthen it. You must be articulate to express your ideas well and have people understand and respect you. Avoid filler words like "ah" and "um" or "blah, blah, blah" etc. And avoid using the latest slang you've picked up from your 11 year old daughter.

4. Your grooming.
Unruly hair, sideburns, three-day stubble, bad makeup, un-tucked shirt or blouse, unpolished shoes all say to people: "Can't be left alone for a second with prospective clients" - also a sign of sloppiness!

5. Your hygiene
Foul body odor, dirty fingernails, chronic bad breath - One of those things you want to ask your most trusted best friend about because (1) chances are, you can't notice it, and (2) some people won't want to hurt your feelings.

6. Your posture
People notice the way you enter a room, the way you carry yourself. Take a few deep breaths to collect yourself. Stand tall and hold your head up high. Walk with purpose and direction.

7. Your character
While it is difficult to assess the worthiness of a person's character in their first few encounters, people can sense whether the person exhibits nobility by the way they speak and most especially by the way they treat those who are below them.

Studies about people meeting reveal that most people make decisions about a new acquaintance within the first thirty seconds to two minutes of interaction. This does not give you much time to make a good impression. So remember first impressions do last and you never get a second chance to create a good first impression.

Related Articles
  Another Technique Catalyst
  Image Versus Identity
  How to Optimize Google Images And Increase Your Website Traffic
  Reducing Load Time Through Image Optimization
  What Your Image Really Says About You

Article Tags: bitter medicine, business consultant, business knowledge, choice assignments, finance director, financial controller, first impression, first impressions, interpersonal relationships, lasting impression, lasting impressions, logical choice, no doubt, nugget, professional image, reorganisation, seniority, smart casual dress, snap judgments, word on the street



Related Forum Posts
OT: A pocket coinholder - Many years ago, I picked up a pocket coinholder. Coin carrier - I'm not sure of the correct term. I think I may have gotten it through Sharper Image, but actually I'm not sure where I got it. But I loved it. It was a small black plastic square, with four spring-loaded columns so you could stack a certan number of quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies in each column. It either broke or I lost it, and I've been searching for something similar ever since, but have been unable to find it. Anyone know what I'm talking about, and where I could get one? If not...someone do some reverse engineering and build one - properly marketed I'm sure it could take off!
Re: What or Who Sparks Your Business Interest - It's interesting to see what the different motivations are by Age Category. I've noticed this around me: 20 to 29yr olds: Motivator: Money 30 to 39yr olds: Motivator: Success/Ambition 40 to 49yr olds: Motivator: Family comes first 50 to 59yr olds: Motivator: Leaving a legacy i've only gone that far in my analysis. Of course this is a braid generalization but I find that it helps direct my marketing to individuals in different age brackets. The product/service can be the same but the Marketing message (Benefit Statement) to a 20 year will revolve around "Money" vs. a 30-something would be on their "Self Image"
Re: Direct Mail Postcards - [quote="jvprosperity":2r71nzqq]Kevin, your situation is very common. Get's me wondering if advertisers are just being lazy and "blanket" areas with advertising hoping that some will stick and get people to respond. mathew1 used the word "targeted" alot but I think that's what most advertisers are either not doing or not going deep enough in their targeting. I disagree that direct mail is more important to small business. Yes, it get's done more often within small businesses but that's 'cos of a small budget and them being forced to utilize it to it's fullest. Big Business focus so much more on Branding and Image Management since they have larger budgets but they also do a fair bit of direct mail and other methods.[/quote:2r71nzqq] Hi Andy, I'd say "naive" is a better word. In fact, "blanketing" areas with unwanted solicitation/ads is costly and will only hurt small businesses in the eyes of consumers (who will resent it).
Re: Direct Mail Postcards - [quote="Kevin":k7jhujz8]But how do you prevent people from just throwing out your direct mail as unwanted solicitation? Anytime I get direct mail, I toss it out. I've noticed solicitors using cheap tricks like printing the message in "hand writing" to make the letter seem more personal. Who are they trying to fool?[/quote:k7jhujz8] Kevin, your situation is very common. Get's me wondering if advertisers are just being lazy and "blanket" areas with advertising hoping that some will stick and get people to respond. mathew1 used the word "targeted" alot but I think that's what most advertisers are either not doing or not going deep enough in their targeting. I disagree that direct mail is more important to small business. Yes, it get's done more often within small businesses but that's 'cos of a small budget and them being forced to utilize it to it's fullest. Big Business focus so much more on Branding and Image Management since they have larger budgets but they also do a fair bit of direct mail and other methods.
Re: Traffic! How do you get it? - Traffic is the lifeblood of your internet business and it is one of the most popular questions asked all the time how do I get more traffic. The following are some good strategies that are proven to work to help ou gain traffic to your website A) Forum Marketing b) Article Marketing - (Where you distribute your content is the key to success with Article marketing) c) Video Marketing d) Blogging e) Social Media ( sharing content amoungst a targeted network of friends or creating Fan Pages and updating) f) Ezine advertising ( send solo mailings to email lists of people within your niche) Go to google and type in your niche name followed by ezine or newsletter g) Pay per Click H) Joint ventures and ad swaps ( generally will need a list of email subscribers of your own) I) Classified adverts online J) Banner and Image ads - go to google and type in google image ads - full tutorial their I would reccomend you pick one strategy and learn it until you can generate some great traffic and then you should look to move on and implement other strategies.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Five Ways to Show Honest Appreciation

What Aweber Can Do For Your Online Business

Web Design in 30 Minutes - Can this be Right?

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.