Image, Personal Branding
Your image is a very first thing that is available to others and is immediately evaluated and judged. Even if you truly believe you care more for someone’s values, personality and character, you also judge others based on their appearance. It happens instantly and subconsciously. It is not about rational reasons, but about emotions and impressions. It just feels right or not.
Your image reflects who you are, not only your personality and lifestyle, but also your values and goals. It is a way of communication and says about you much more than you may think. Reflect for a minute on your image…
- Are you easily approachable or rather to be avoided?
- Do you appear confident or shy and timid?
- Do you look trustworthy or irresponsible?
- Do you appear competent and intelligent or inadequate and irrational?
There is no one right image. There is no good or bad image. There is an image that either supports or doesn’t your career and personal goals. Your image matters because it can help you accelerate in your professional and private life. And the image is much more than the appearance. It is also about how you act and communicate. It matters because it is about You.
As an entrepreneur or a corporate executive, you are the business card of the company you represent. And before anyone does business with you, they must first like you and trust you. Now think, does your image and the first impression you make actually can attract people. Can it open them to you, to spend time with you, have a conversation? How likeable are you? How do you make people feel around you? How do you want them to feel?
Image matters because it is about trust. From the first impression you make, you must take responsibility for the way you are perceived. And you are the only person that is in control of it. If your outer presence reflects your qualities, then it is extremely important that your appearance supports the message of authenticity, honesty and reliability.
Image matters because it is one of the pillars of your personal branding. And if you feel confident about the appearance, you feel confident about your actions and you are more willing to take on challenges. Look good and feel good is a simple recipe for success. And it is not about the clothes you are wearing, but the general impression you make.
The image is about the outer presence, while the personal branding is all about the value. Your image is like a packaging for the product, it is either attractive or discouraging. And before people check what’s inside, they have to judge the product by its look. You have a choice to have a great packaging or a poor one. You decide what you communicate via your image. That’s why it matters…
Communication, Image, Personal Branding
Image perception and the first impression creation process is somehow similar to the decision-making process when it comes to buying products. Economics Nobel prize winner Daniel Kahneman describes the decision making process theory in his book ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’.
While we would like to believe that we make decisions based on a calculation of needs, price and product benefits, we actually based on our intuition and emotions. Kahneman describes two systems: System 1 is the lazy one – intuitive and emotional, the one he calls ‘a machine for jumping into conclusion’.
The conscious assessment of product features and benefits comes later and requires effort and energy. That process is a rational system 2. As Kahneman says: ‘You generally believe your impressions and act on your desires’.
This is exactly what happens when it comes to the first impression. The intuition, feelings and desires take over and we jump into conclusion. We do not have time to analyze all elements, it is the general feeling that is created instantly that impacts us the most.
Similarly to the packaging of the product and information the package contains. Customers rarely spend the time to look at the detailed information. Our brain actively seeks information that confirms its view of the world, and if the information is not available or missing, it simply fills the gaps by making up the stories, that it can access from its own memory.
When it comes to the first impression of someone, we base our opinion on very little information. But our brain needs to fill the gaps, so it draws conclusions to create a full picture. That picture is a result of a person’s previous experience, hence the created image might be different and is more a reflection of own beliefs, values, expectations than the reality.
The more information we have about the other person, the more contacts and interactions, the more detailed the picture is. Another important factor is time. With time we can actually think and assess the information. We suppress the first impression and feelings and we start rationalizing.
Intuition is your sixth sense.
It is striking, how many resemblances it has with a buying process. The less information and time we have to make a buying decision, the more likely we are to make an intuitive, emotional purchase. The cheaper the product, the more likely we are to make the quick decision. If we are buying an expensive product like a house or a car, we take our time, we analyze and compare.
Very similarly we react to people. We heavily rely on the first impression and we quickly jump to conclusions based on persons appearance and behaviour. But when it comes to important matters like choosing an employee, we run an extensive process. We gather information, conduct meetings, compare and evaluate. The first impression gives us the feel, that impacts the way we perceive the candidate. If it is positive we are more likely to interpret the other information to his or her benefit. If the impression is not positive, even the best resume will not convince us.
Communication, Image, Personal Branding
“First impression is an idea, feeling or opinion about a person formed without conscious thought or on the basis of little evidence.”
We deeply believe that it is our character and personality that counts, but the reality is that people make judgements about who we are based on first impression. It is not always the most accurate representation. And because it is formed in very short time and based on a very little information, it is always related to the other persons personal experience. Hence it is someone’s perception of you and not a real image. The accuracy of the image increases with the time. With every event or meeting with that person, we gather more information and that brings more clarity to whom he or she is.
We need to think about first impression as a snapshot, a snapshot that captures the moment and nothing else. And those few first seconds are sufficient to make a conclusion about fresh acquaintances. The first impression is created in seconds at the very first encounter – either in person or over the phone or even via email or website. Surprisingly, it has a lasting effect, as we reckon it impacts the way we perceive the person in 60%.
First impression is also about the initial feeling people have meeting you. How you make them feel is more important than what you are saying. Your appearance together with your body language and the tone of your voice create the atmosphere of the meeting. You can make others feel comfortable and relaxed or stressed and pressured. Think of how people respond to you.
From the scientific point of view, our brain is a thousand years old structure. Thanks to the increased use of our brain capability, we evolved as homo sapiens. But many reactions were inherited from our ancestors, like the one that allows our brain to recognize another human as a threat or friend in a few milliseconds. It has been trained for a thousand years to judge the situation and react very quickly based on little information.
The first impression is not the same for various people. They heavily depend on their expectations, prejudices, beliefs and stereotypes. We all have a tendency to interpret situations, events and objects in our own unique way and the distortion of opinion is the result of personal experience. In the same way we differ in interpreting another person’s appearance and behavior. It is not always a bad thing, it makes life interesting and meeting people an exciting experience.
What we need to remember is that to every person their own opinion looks real, true and solid. While it is only an illusion, their perception is their reality.
Personal Branding, Uncategorized
Understanding that client’s perception of you impacts your relationship and your business is a first step to look into your personal brand.
If you do not have yet a strategy for developing and maintaining your personal branding, here are 5 elements you need to consider.
1. Positioning – start with thinking how you are positioned in the minds of your clients, how you are perceived and how would you like to be perceived. Then evaluate your appearance, behavior and communication to support the message you want to pass. With every action you take, consider how it will be received, what emotions will trigger and how will it reflect on your personal brand. If your behavior will be perceived in a negative way, it will surely influence the way you are perceived and it will become an obstacle to achieving your business goals.
2. Consistency – keep in mind that your image and brand is constantly evaluated and every action is assessed and judged. Therefore, you should work hard on achieving consistency in all three areas – appearance, behavior, communication – to strengthen your brand. If it is perceived as consistent, it gives your clients reassurance on what to expect from you in any given situation. If you consistently deliver on targets, meets deadlines, have a professional look, you are considered reliable and trustworthy.
3. Authority – your personal brand of expert or leader has to command authority. While authority can be imposed by seniority, higher rank, longer service, it is equally important to be earned. And all elements of the image have to support it. If you look good, appear comfortable and confident then the focus is on the conversation and your appearance doesn’t distract from your message. There are many experts in the field, but not all of them are authorities. The difference is, the experts have the knowledge, authorities have the knowledge and the audience because they earned their trust.
4. Branding– your professional image reflects your products and services. You are the business card of your business and very often you are the first point of contact for your clients. Ensure that your appearance is consistent with your message and your image is consistent with your brand. Always strive to be the best possible representation of your company.
5. Timing – timing can make or break everything. Think strategically on introduction of various aspects of your image. Make sure that is not overwhelming. If it is too perfect, too well planned and executed, as it might be perceived as staged or fake. It has to come naturally from within and you have to consistently deliver the same values and qualities. If you are starting with building your personal brand, best take one step at the time and embrace the change. Let it become you first, before you show it to the world. You have to own it and control it, and it has to be an immanent part of you.
- Do you feel like you are not fulfilling your business and personal potential?
- Do you feel like you have more to offer than people see?
- Do you feel your outer presentation doesn’t endorse you in a way you would like it?
Probably it is time to look at your image and see if it you can take charge of the message you truly want to deliver. If you came to the conclusion that your client’s perception of you and your business is not as you would like it to be, it is time to make the decision to focus and invest in areas that impact the way you are perceived.
Personal Branding
When thinking about Personal Branding you can’t forget about 3 elements – Unique, Reliable, Consistent
Unique
You need to stand out from the rest. If you, as an executive or entrepreneur, are like the others, why anyone would choose you, how would they know you deliver better value than anyone else. How would you differentiate yourself and make yourself and the business you represent special, remarkable and irresistible?
Be different, do not be afraid to stand out, find your uniqueness and market it. Present yourself in a personal way and put emphasis on authenticity and qualities that make you stand out from competitors and colleagues.
Reliable
People need to be able to build relationship with you – whether it is business or private life and it all starts with trust. Your personal brand’s most powerful feature is reliability, and it is built on belief that you are credible, solid and honest in your relationship with business partners, co-workers and friends.
You should have strong business ethics and show high level of professionalism on every occasion. If people know they can rely on you, they put their trust and hope in you. You are then destined to become recognized as an expert and leader.
Consistent
All parts of your brand must be congruent, they must match each other and they need to pass the same message. Elements of your appearance, your behavior and your manners, as well as business ethics have to contribute to a clear picture. If you are a creative person, you may want to emphasize your originality and boldness, but find a way your uniqueness supports your business goals.
Appearance, Personal Branding
When considering your personal brand and image, you must be aware of every single element and make it special to provide a unique experience. This is what I call a signature stuff.
You may consider to use specific colors for your logo, website, stationery, office uniforms and interior design and even company vehicles.
You may have a signature greeting, something that will make you memorable every time you pick up the phone or greet someone in person. You may use it, especially if you are bilingual or working in a foreign country. It would be perfectly appropriate and warmly welcomed by others. You could even use the greeting as the opening of the emails or letters to be consistent even further.
You may choose to have a signature accessory like John Lennon had his glasses, Jerry Springer and his suspenders, Karl Lagerfeld and his high collar shirt. It doesn’t need to be extraordinary, but rather well fitted to your lifestyle and taste, but still noticeable and unique.
Every single part of you really is this opportunity to brand. For those working in creative environment – artists, musicians, celebrities – but also graphic designers, advertisement experts, this could be a great opportunity to experiment and let your personality be expressed in a creative way.
Some men do not even need to work on their signature characteristic. We all remember Steve Jobs black turtleneck sweater and washed off jeans and Donald Trump or Boris Johnsons hairstyle.
If there is something special about your appearance or look, embrace it and use it into your advantage. Even if people do not remember your name, they will be able to recall that one characteristic and you will stay in their memory longer than any other suited up business man they met at the event.
And if you are consistent in your appearance and behavior, you will be very quickly recognizable. Being recognizable is an advantage, because people feel more at ease with people they already know. And if their experience with you is the same today as it was yesterday, it gives them the reassurance of the experience of tomorrow. It gives them the feeling of familiarity, it builds trust because they know what they are going to get. If the expectations conflict with the actual behavior, then we have a tremendous conflict. You want to build an expectation of what they are going to get through every single interaction. And your job is to deliver the value they are expecting and strengthen that relationship. That really is a hallmark of a great personal brand.
Personal Branding
Your personal brand audience is all the people you have contact with and every interaction you have with them, whether random or frequent, has an impact on your image and your brand as an individual.
Now that you have assessed your personal brand, it is time to look into relationship other people have with You. Take into the consideration the following:
- Who is your audience?
- Where is your audience?
- How do you communicate with your audience?
- Who would you like your audience to be?
Who is your audience?
Your audience is all the people you have contact with – whether face to face, over the phone, digitally via email, social media networks or website. People you are in regular contact – your family, friends, co-workers, business partners and clients – but also random people you meet in various places and during various occasions – taxi driver, waiter in the restaurant, your doctor’s assistant. All of them are your audience, although you remain in different relationships with them and you most probably communicate with them in different ways.
- Private zone – people with whom you have a personal relationship: family members, friends, colleagues, sport club members, your child’s school teachers
- Business zone – people with whom you have work-related relationship: co-workers, clients, business partners, board members, suppliers, contractors etc.
- Random contacts – people you meet, but do not establish long term relationship: taxi driver, shop assistant, flight attendant, waiter in the restaurant
Where is your audience?
For personal branding this question may be tricky, because everyone everywhere is your audience. But you need to understand that depending on their physical location, your contact with them is of a different nature. Personal contact with people is different than contact over the internet and they way you speak with someone on the phone differs from the way you communicate over social media or personal hobby blog.
How do you communicate with your audience?
Once you know where your audiences are, you need to consider the way you talk with them. As sender of a message you take responsibility for being understood. You need to speak the language that will be easily understood by your audience. You need to adjust your vocabulary and tone of voice to the receiver of the message. The way you describe your job is different if you speak to the business partner and the way you explain it to a 10-year old nephew.
The tone of voice you use when you speak during the board meeting is different than when you talk with family members, or when you write a post on your hobby blog. You are in different roles and your messaging needs to be adjusted to the situation.
Personal Branding
Branding is a term associated with products and services, but when we talk about personal branding, you need to understand it is all about You. And by all I mean every single detail that is associated with you. From your business attire, the look of your office to a small detail like your business card.
If you think about branding yourself, you need to start thinking strategically about your image by creating it and managing to achieve success. And by success I mean to achieve goals you set for yourself.
Building personal brand is a process, which starts with the evaluation of your current image and the way you are perceived by other people. You need to remember that you can control the way you dress, behave, communicate, but you cannot control the way people perceive it, because each person add a different meaning to your image. It is simply the matter of interpretation. That interpretation is based on a person’s experience, beliefs and values. Your image cannot be good or bad, it simply can be helpful or distracting tool to achieve your goals.
Brand and Image are sometimes used interchangeably, but I like to differentiate those two, as they relate to two different areas. Image is more visual representation of a person, while the brand has broadened meaning and is related to values and exists in the heart and the mind of your audience.
To be successful you need to be in control of your total image and every single element of it. This cannot be created against your own nature, against your values. This has to come from within and needs to be constructed on fundaments that are immanent part of you. You can work on certain elements by focusing on developing your strengths and controlling your weaknesses and unsupportive behaviors to increase professional effectiveness and better your social life.
When planning your brand identity, you need to ask yourself; ‘what I want to tell my audience about myself, how I want to be perceived. What is my message?
Whether you are meeting business partners, new clients or going for a job interview, you need to answer those questions. The deal will be closed, new clients acquired and you get your new job if your image perceives the positive values those people are looking for. As I said, it cannot be good or bad, it simply matches your audience expectations of a perfect business partner or executive or not. So you need to realize your image and the way you are perceived is a matter of establishing trust in business relationships.
People do business with people they know, like and trust. And sometimes you have very little time to convince someone. Visual impressions are important and are part of the process of communication. You need more time to present yourself and show your value, so you need to buy yourself time.
Dave van Hose from Speaking Empire, with whom I organized a couple of events in Europe, says; ‘Show up like no other’. This is exactly the point. The first impression has to be remarkable and memorable. Be positive, confident, decisive, honest and pleasant. Gain people’s heart before you talk to their mind. If they experience you positively on an emotional level, they will be more open on intellectual level. And if you control your identity, you can control your career and your personal life.
