(Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of stories in print and online by Susan Osborne where she’ll discuss improving personal presence to succeed in the workplace.)
Is your image undermining your hard work? Let’s face it, your image speaks volumes about you. In fact, a whopping 55 percent of communication is conveyed visually according to research by Albert Mehrabian, professor emeritus of psychology at UCLA. Before uttering a word, your image signals your perceived level of intelligence, confidence, affability, power and success.
With first impressions made within 30 seconds, and someone’s opinion of you shaped by non-verbal cues like physical appearance and body language, how could you possibly afford not to pay attention to your brand? Especially given that when people observe a single physical characteristic or behavior, they tend to assume a number of related qualities, too.
For example, a firm handshake often connotes confidence while a handshake like a floppy fish gives people the impression of a lack of confidence. Think about where that leaves you when people assume your qualities based on one unfavorable look or behavior. Ouch.
Talking Volumes Silently
Your personal brand is the cohesion of all the communication vehicles coming together (verbal, vocal and visual). Have you ever been told by a boss that you’re “not ready” for next level management despite being told that you’re great at your job? Or, how about being overlooked time and again for that promotion without an explanation? While you must work hard to move up, success goes beyond expertise. Landing that next opportunity may mean building your brand to obtain gravitas.
And it’s not just your appearance. Things like protocol, etiquette, and body language—silent indicators that precede speech—play a large part in forming perceptions. So your boss might be thinking, but will never say, “I want to promote him, but he’s lacking the finesse and refinement we want our clients to experience when dealing with our organization,” or, “I just can’t picture her presenting to our marquis accounts and working closely with C-level execs.”
According to a new study by the Center for Talent Innovation, being perceived as leadership material is essential to reaching the C Suite. In fact, the 268 senior executives surveyed say “executive presence” counts for 26 percent of what it takes to get promoted. You probably smirked or cringed when your mother told you to sit up straight—she had a reason and this is it.
Use your image as a tool to help you get what you want. When you complement your skills with a strong outer appearance, you will be perceived as more credible, increase your visibility and ultimately showcase your career potential, all without saying a word. (How nice for us introverts!)
Professional Presence
If you’re mentally thinking about the brand names hanging in your closet, stop. It’s not how fabulous you look or the fancy clothes you wear. It’s about becoming conscious and intentional about your appearance when communicating with others in business.
Look at it this way, appearance is a medium for your message. You don’t want it working against you by either distracting or detracting from what you stand for and what you want to say. A well-groomed professional conveys that they are confident, organized, dependable, and detail orientated. Imagine the qualifications that can come into question if your appearance signals laziness, disorganization, lack of professionalism, and being harried. Working against negative perceptions is like swimming upstream. You’re at a communication disadvantage before you’ve said one word.
Setting standards for yourself is a great place to start. What are your professional goals and what is the vision that you hold of yourself? Determine what your professional attributes are and define and express your message through your image. When you bridge the gaps between your personal image and the vision you have for yourself, it strengthens your potential to attract and hold on to clients.
Dressing for success isn’t just about clothes, but dressing your brand to successfully relate to people you work with. We know in sales, and certainly in a job interview, that looking the part opens the door, but it’s your skills and abilities that keep you in the room. However, executive presence is always evolving. It’s the trifecta of how you act (gravitas), how you speak (communication), and how you look (appearance).
Yes, first impressions are important, but so are the second and third ones too. Adapting your professional presence so that people respond to you will give you the consideration you deserve. Unless that is, you want to be regarded as a dispensable workhorse and never be given the attention of a thoroughbred.
Susan Osborne, certified personal and executive image coach, is president and founder of Be Image Consulting, LLC in Manchester. She is a business consultant, keynote speaker, seminar leader, a one-on-one image makeover strategist and feature writer. For more information contact Susan at 603-496-6667 or susan@beimageconsulting.com.
Current Issue - May 2024