Create Amazing Results with an Image Upgrade
If you are growing your career or launching new business as an entrepreneur, your professional image is very important. No matter how formal or informal your work environment, the way you present yourself has a huge impact on everyone you come into contact with. Most especially, customers. It is a well-known fact that others assess your competence, trustworthiness, and likeability in a matter of seconds solely based on the way you look, both on and offline.
The difference between today’s workplace and the "power dressing" era is that the range of options is so much broader. In some settings, red sneakers or dress t-shirts can convey prominence and status but in other settings, not so much. The desired image for a 50-something executive at a manufacturing company in Japan may be completely different from a young ad agency CEO in downtown Kelowna. Millennials, it seems, face the paradox of being the least formal generation yet the most conscious of style and personal branding. It can be confusing.
Here are 5 tips to help you create an amazing new image.
Decide if the time is right
As an image coach, I’ve helped many clients to upgrade and refine their professional image during times of transition -clients looking for a new job, stepping into a new or more public role, or changing work environments. If you’re in a period of transition or just feeling stuck in a rut, now may be a good time to change up your image. If you’re not sure, ask for honest feedback from trusted friends, colleagues and professionals.
Be Strategic with your Style
Get clear on what impact you’re hoping to make. Determine if you are looking to refresh your image or simply to pivot it. Perhaps your goal is to be taken more seriously or maybe you want to be perceived as being more approachable, or more modern and stylish. There is no one size fits all when it comes to image, especially in the 21st century.
Know your Audience
Look at your work environment and determine what the norms are. What conveys status? Who are your most important audiences? How do the people you respect and look up to present themselves? The better you understand these factors, the more control and impact you can make with your image.
Work with professionals
Enlist the support of professionals and share your business and career goals with them. Hire an image coach or try a free styling service like Nordstrom, Top Shop or The Room at the Bay. Try a hair stylist instead of a barber. Work with a professional photographer instead of your spouse or friend. Invest in some teeth whitening and treat yourself to an occasional skin care treatment.
Be efficient with your Image Upgrade
The point of a style upgrade isn’t to become more vain or to spend more time stressing over what to wear. Instead, use it as an opportunity to reduce decision making when you are pressed for time. Be selective in your clothing purchases, buy foundational pieces and build your accessories around them.
As superficial as it may seem, image isn’t just how others perceive you but as much about how you see yourself. It’s worth bringing some new awareness and intention to your appearance and style in order to grow your impact and confidence as a leader. We are here to help you at jennifergrantinternational.com