All posts in Image

Did you know that 93% of how we communicate every day is made without the use of words but  through our body language and appearance. Just 7% of the impact we make on people is based on our words.

We live in a visual society. We make 83% of our decisions through the use of our eyes. The amount of information we receive through our eyes is amazing. As an example when you meet someone, how you are dressed, the colours you are wearing, the accessories, the style of your clothing, will convey a message about you, your personality, your self-confidence, your leadership abilities, and even your background. All this information is transmitted within the first 5 – 30 seconds of meeting someone and without having even said a word people will have an opinion about you

The sense of smell is present when we are captivated by someone who smells really good, making us feel wanting to spend more time talking to someone who smells good.  But in the same way we can be turn down by someone who has a bad odor, bad breath or sweats too much.

The sense of touch, so powerful in personal relationships, and also in business relationships is even more important to close a deal through the use of a shake hand. Some people fail in projecting a nice impression of trust and credibility. Have you ever met someone who by just shaking hands has made you feel you cannot trust them? Once more the silent communications is present.

And what about the way we listen? As previously said our words represent just 7% of the impact of our communication.  Can our words determine the perception other people have on us? Of course yes, the tone, pitch and pace will express your personality and confidence. That is why is really important to pay attention to the way you greet people, the tone of your voice and the emotion you put into can create a massive difference.

Another little detail that can say so much about you is punctuality. Trust is affected every time you’re late for an important appointment. What is the most valuable quality one can have?  Reputation. If we don’t pay attention to it and we allow people to lose trust and credibility it might take us years to get it back

So for all we mentioned above, talking about image is much more than your clothes or fashion. It is about an intangible tool that is capable of getting or stopping you from getting success into your personal life and businesses. Don’t forget that you are treated the way you are perceived. Make your  image work for you not against you.

‘Smile and the world smiles back’ ………..Love it! Try it. It works because it is almost impossible not to return one.

We are programmed to imitate each other’s behaviour. A smile is one of the most important business tool we have, and the one we most frequently forget to use. The busyness of business and life often leave us reflecting the same anxiety on our face.

We need to consciously remind ourselves to ‘lighten up’ And I am not talking of a fake, forced smile into you face. Instead a sincere, happy relaxed smile that can lift the spirits of all you share it with.

By smiling you feel better, you can’t help it but your posture will be fixed immediately.  As a result you will portray a confident and powerful impression. And we have talked before of the importance of creating a strong positive impression with all people you meet.

A first impression must create a human connection that includes everyone around you and creates a great ‘feeling ’. It will influence whether you land or lose a contract, get hired or overlooked for a job, or diffuse or increase conflict.

I was speaking to a very successful businessman last week. He was sharing with me his key to success and we ended up having the most fascinating conversation. It’s amazing how simple it is to create the life and business of your dreams when you have a very clear end goal in your mind and you take action every day towards that goal.

We also talked about the importance of creating an impact everywhere you go and to be remembered. I shared with him what in my opinion would be the most important things to achieve this. He agreed with me 100% and here there are the 3 top things to remember:

Act with Confidence. Even if you don’t feel as confident in a situation, act as if you were. Take a deep breath, visualize yourself in a situation where you were very confident, take yourself to that moment and bring that emotion to the present. Stand tall and see how that little change creates a massive difference to the way you feel every day.

Always overdress. You at least need to meet the expectations of the people you are meeting with. You are never too dressed up for a meeting. You can always dress down an outfit but you won’t never be able to transform shorts and t-shirt to a suit. Be aware of the colour and contrast you are wearing. Remember high contrast is the power dressing (red and black). Power-dressing might make other people feel inferior, medium contrast is the most people friendly contrast,  and low or no contrast is the most sophisticated but also the one that might get you to be unnoticed

Smile, from the heart, create rapport, get interested in people and who they are and what they stand for. Create an unforgettable experience with the people you meet with by being genuine, being you and sharing who you are.

Being myself on the corporate world for 14 years has helped me to understand the importance of creating a positive Professional Image. You can easily use these tips to your advantage to create a successful positive image which could lead to unlimited opportunities and open big doors.  

1. Dress in a way that makes your role credible
People we meet will automatically accept the role we have packed ourselves for. The first step in gaining a credible professional Image is realizing that we can control the opinion of others, especially concerning what they think we are capable of. Remember people make snap judgments about us within the first 20 seconds of meeting us.

2. Dress for your body shape
Understanding your body shape is going to help you save time and money when it comes to shopping. Not to mention that wearing the clothes that complement your body shape are going to make you look amazing and most important feeling confident and comfortable all day long

3. Find out which colors enhance your complexion
Each one of us has a specific complexion, our skin, hair and eye colour combination will determine which colors are going to make us look healthy, younger and more energetic.
A quick tip, wear a top that is the same color of your hair, it will look great on you! Take some risk, and some colours to your wardrobe today 

4. Understand the silent signals of the dress code
The way we dress send lots of silent signals to our potential clients and people we come in contact with everyday. They will make assumptions on our profession, level within the company, even your socioeconomic background. As an example solid colours would portrait more power that patterns. Lower contrast in the outfits we wear might make others feel you are trying to not being noticed.

5.  Your extended image
Your work area is a direct reflection on you. If it is unkempt and disorganized, people will assume you are too. Keep in mind the perfect condition of your handbag,  your shoes and your car 

6. Smile
We all love to be around positive, vibrant people. Smile as many times as you can during the day and keep a positive attitude even when the times are not easy

6. Breath
Breathing properly is the number one way to getting your body functioning properly because it strengthens both the mind and body from the inside out. It allows you to strengthen every bit about you with maximum speed and with the best result. It also gives you the clarity you need to focus on what you want in life, on how you wish to get there

You  can easily use these tips to your advantage to create a powerful image which could lead to unlimited opportunities and open big doors.  

1. Dress in a way that makes your role credible
People we meet will automatically accept the role we have packed ourselves for. The first step in gaining a credible professional Image is realising that we can control the opinion of others, specially concerning what they think  we are capable of. Everyday dress and act in a way that gives others a great experience of you. Dress for where you want to be not where you are.

2. Dress for your body shape
Understanding your body shape is going to help you save time and money when it comes to shopping. Not to mention that wearing the clothes that complement your body shape is going to make you look amazing. For example a 2 button jacket will look perfect on a slim men with a short torso when a 3 button jacket will look better on short men 
The collar of your shirt should complement your face shape, a man with a long face shape will look better wearing medium spread to wide spread collars whereas a man with a rounded face will look best wearing narrow point collars
A tie with diagonal lines will make you look wider so it would suit you if you are slim.  This is just a simple example of several existing tips that men can use to make their body look balanced and in harmony.

3. Find out which colors enhance your complexion
It’s not just about the phsycology of the color. Each one of us has an specific complection, our skin, hair and eye colour combination will determine which colors are going to make us look healthy, more competent, younger and more energetic.
A quick tip, wear a shirt that is the same color of your hair, it will look great on you. The secret lies in the armony, the color we wear must be harmonious to our completion. 

4. Understand the silent signals of the dress code
The way we dress send lots of silent signals to our potential clients. They will make assumptions on our profession, level within the company, even your socioeconomic background. As an example  solid colours would portrait more power that a patterned suit. A shirt without pockets makes you appear more powerful than one with pockets. The price of our clothing is not as relevant as a perfect fit.  

5. Avoid the most common mistakes when it comes to image
Wearing non polished shoes – guys please remember this one
Wearing the wrong clothing size
Carrying your mobile phone on your belt or even in your pockets
Keeping your pen on the pocket of your shirt

6.  Your extended image
Your work area is a direct reflection on you. If it is unkempt and disorganized, people will assume you are too. Keep in mind the perfect condition of things such as your briefcase if you have one, your shoes, your watch and your car 

7. Personal Hygiene
It is obvious but don’t forget about your hair, nails, skin, teeth/breath.

Statistics show that only about 7% of the emotional meaning in a message is composed of the actual words we use. About 38% in communication is through the tone of our voice and 55 % comes through non verbal communication, which includes facial expressions, gestures and posture. Handshakes and a proper eye contact are part of that 55%
Non verbal language is a vital part of the communication process. Body language that is consistent and congruent with the verbal message you are communicating builds trust and rapport.

The Handshake

Most of the time, the handshake is the only physical contact allowed in a business relationship. We often allow impressions based on the handshake to determine the future of a business relationship. Handshakes begin when we make eye contact, once eye contact is made the hand is extended.

If you wait for someone else to initiate the handshake, you risk being perceived as timid or unsure of yourself. Exception: when you are visiting someone else’s office or environment. If they don’t offer one, hold out your hand.
Next, meet the person’s grip web to web and palm to palm and match pressure.. If you receive a firm handshake, match the pressure, same with a light handshake. Shake hands firmly, with only one squeeze. Count 1,2,3, then drop.

Don’t sandwich the other’s person hand between both of yours, it suggest you are trying to overpower. Don’t bone crush, glad hand, or wimp out with a two-knuckle finger wiggle, the kind of handshake that only includes half of the hand. Treat men and women with equal respect. It is as appropriate for a man to offer his hand to a woman as it is for as to offer first.

Eye Contact

The eyes are the window of the soul. Eye contact is one of the most powerful ways to establish trust. Effective use of eye contact helps us exhibit confidence s a speaker and respect as a listener. Eye contact should be held while people are speaking to demonstrate respect and interest. Some Asian cultures believe the opposite, the eye contact is a show of disrespect.

If you lose eye contact or focus on everything else but the person you are speaking to, you may not be taken seriously and the truth in your points may be lost.

Failing to maintain eye contact during a conversation can send mixed signals to the person you are speaking with. It is often construed as a tell-tale-sign that you might not be forthcoming or truthful in what you are saying—liars tend to not keep eye contact. If the lack of eye contact is not construed as a lie the person may be trying to conceal, it is often perceived as lack of interest or an indication of a short attention span.

“The business expands or shrinks in direct proportion to one’s courage”

Self-promotion starts by overcoming shyness or feelings of inadequacy. When interesting opportunities arise, are you overlooked? The chances are you have unique problem-solving capabilities and achievements that have made a difference to both people and businesses. These important contributions deserved to be exposed.

Self-promotion is not just for special times. Every time we meet someone for the first time, give an opinion in a meeting or take a customer for lunch, we are promoting ourselves.

Here are 6 things you can do on a daily basis:

1. Keep business cards available at all times. Keep lots of them in your wallet, in your car, in your handbag, in your briefcase….in any possible place. When someone asks for any type of information, as the name of a good restaurant, someone else’s phone number, write them down on your business card. And make sure your business card is a true reflection of you and your capabilities. Spend a bit of money and thinking into getting a very good business card.

2. Keep agreements and Commitments. Make sure you project a powerful statement by arriving to all appointments on time. And most important, do and follow up everything you have agreed or offer to do.

3. Make very clear to everyone what do you do. Be certain that everyone you come in contact with have a very clear idea of what is your business about and how can they locate you. Just do it in a friendly way, ask them what they do and lead the conversation towards what you do and how you can help them.

4. Send thank you and congratulation’s cards. Keep on top of mind of your clients or friends. Send thank you letter after they have used your services or they have referred someone to you. Remember their Birthdays and any other special occasions.

5. Make business referrals to friends and clients. Give first then you will receive. Referring clients or a friend to your clients is such a great gesture. Your clients will definitely appreciate what you have done and will look for ways to reward you.

6. Be accessible at all times. Be at least 30 minutes early to all networking events or any other event. Talk to people, show sincere interest in what they do. Return phone calls and emails rapidly, hopefully within the same day or next day.

Shopping for some of us (not me!) is a challenge. But even the most experienced shoppers will make mistakes. So I have put together some strategies that will help you to have a more successful expedition to the shops:

1. Make sure you know what you want to get and how much you want to spend. Being clear on the items you want to buy and the money you are willing to spend is going to help you and save you time and regrets later.

2. Just for girls! Be sure to dress comfortably but wear your best bra. You need to be wearing your best foundation items (underwear) to be able to get the perfect fit on the garments you are getting. Wearing comfortable shoes is going to help you to enjoy the shopping experience.

3. Do not spend a lot of money on here today gone tomorrow trend items. Spending lot of money in a very fashionable item that might look a bit outdated in few months is not a great idea. Do this is your basic which you will be able to wear over and over again.

4. Buy your wardrobe foundation garments including coats and shoes in the best quality you can afford. Again these items are going to be worn a lot so it’s best to get good quality ones

5. Keep impulse shopping to a minimum. You will end up with lots of ‘orphans’ that don’t go with anything else in your wardrobe. Think for a second before buying an item, Do I have at least three pieces of clothing I can wear this with?

6. Always buy clothing in the right size, don’t expect to lose a few pounds or the fabric to give in. And remember sometimes alterations can make such a great difference to the fit.

7. Develop an accessories wardrobe to vary the look of your clothes. Accessories can completely change the feeling of an outfit. You can dress up or downs a dress or an outfit in a second just by changing the accessories.

8. Never shop last minute for an important or expensive garment. Planning in advance will help you to look at different options until you find a garment that you will feel great on.

9. Consider the price beyond the price tag. If you can’t afford to dry clean the garment pass it by.

10. If you are in doubt when you try the garment on then don’t buy it. By the time you get home and try it on you are going to keep asking yourself, why did I buy it? It will be another ‘orphan’ sitting in your wardrobe.