Building your personal brand - Element No. 2:

Create the right first impression

Continued from last week

If you don’t brand yourself, others will and it may not be to your satisfaction. Today, it’s about 'packaging you'. Last week was about the product quality – that’s ‘product you’.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and so the 'picture' you first present says much about you to the person you meet. Is your appearance saying the right things to help create the right first impression?

It takes a quick glance, maybe three seconds, for someone to evaluate you when you meet for the first time. In this short time, the other person forms an opinion about you based on your appearance, your body language, your demeanour, your mannerisms and how you are dressed.

With every new encounter, you are evaluated and yet another person's impression of you is formed. These first impressions can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo, making those first encounters extremely important and they set the tone for all the interactions that follow.

Your clothing style can demonstrate your culture, mood, level of confidence, interests, age, authority, values and sexual identity. Consider how clothing style might send a negative message.

A sloppy appearance, messy hair and wrinkled clothes send the message, 'I don't care'.

Whether they are in your career or social life, it's important to know how to create a good first impression – take it seriously if you want to be a winning personal brand.

Love at first sight

You are familiar with phrases such as 'Love at first sight', 'First impressions count' and 'People judge you by your looks'. Don’t you pass judgment on people based on their appearance? We judge the quality of a product first by its packaging.

No matter how good the quality is but if the packaging is not right we don’t buy the product. This principle is true for people as well. Dress communicates – it creates a perception, surely you want this perception to be positive and amplify your inner quality to reflect who you are in the eyes of others.

Your projected image will influence what others think of you and how they might choose to interact with you. You may stumble upon this image accidentally or you can deliberately target a specific type of image to be perceived by your target audience. You also have an internal brand. This is what you think of yourself. The question for you is, is there a difference? Is the difference positive or negative to you? But it certainly does not mean you need to look like a model to create a strong and positive first impression, unless your meeting is with a model agency. The key to good impression is to present yourself appropriately – not underdress or overdress.

Grooming

No point you getting into the best clothes unless you are well groomed. A clean and tidy appearance is critical for any business and social interaction. A good haircut, clean shave and quality make-up will complement your good dress sense.

Accessories form an important part of your power dressing. Make sure that you match accessories with your dress. These include things you use every day such as jewellery, ties, shoes, handbags, hats and glasses.

Ill-fitting, inappropriate and wrong coloured stuff suggests that your choice is bad. This is an art you have to learn, practise and master. Add all this up and you are well on your way to creating a good first impression.

Your body language reflects the person in you. Your background, professionalism, passion, values, attitude, confidence, friendliness and your etiquette can be judged by how you behave. A good sincere smile is a gem you have.

With a smile, you immediately get due attention and it helps create interest. Be sincerely interested in people and demonstrate it. Be excited about meeting people and making a mark to broaden your customer base for your personal brand.

The more happy customers you have, the more admired and loved you will be. Mind you, if you are not genuine, people will pick it too – haven’t we come across such people in life? Packing helps you stand out from the rest and to be clearly differentiated. Dress for the job you want not for the one you have. Communicate that you are ready for the next break. Socially, life is a fashion - living is an art – live it the right way and enjoy it.

Next week I will tell you about the next element - Communication