What is “Image”? Image is how you visually present
yourself to the rest of the world. It has to do with the clothes
you wear, the way you enter a room, how you stand, your facial
expressions, your handshake and much more. Your Image creates
a message that you communicate to everyone, without ever saying
a word. Each of us has an Image, whether we realize it or
not. You can’t avoid projecting an image because each
of us has a certain appearance, behavior and communication
style that creates our unique Image.
I mage can be divided into 3 areas, often referred to as
the ABCs of Image
To summarize, your Image is the “whole package”
of how you present yourself to the world by the way you look,
act and communicate to others.
Now that you have an idea of what your image is, you may
ask, “Why is my image important?” We’ve
agreed that you have an image that communicates a message
to everyone around you. So the question becomes “What
message is your image communicating? And does it meet your
needs and the needs of your clients?” Do people see
you as an expert in your field? Are you perceived as intelligent,
reliable and responsive to the needs of your clients?
Let’s consider for a moment, the case of a Criminal
Law Attorney named Henry. He is defending Tom, who is accused
of murder. Tom insists he is innocent of the crime. Henry
does his research and discovers an important piece of evidence
that proves without a doubt that Tom could not have committed
the murder. The trial day arrives and the judge, jury, prosecution
and Tom are all in the court room and ready to begin. Unfortunately,
Henry has not yet arrived. Ten minutes later Henry walks into
the courtroom, he is unshaven, his eyes are red and swollen
and his shoes are dirty and scuffed. Henry is not wearing
a tie, and as if that weren’t bad enough, his suit looks
as though he slept in it last night. The handle of his briefcase
is broken and he keeps dropping it as he shuffles down the
aisle and slumps into his chair next to Tom. If you’re
the accused murderer, how do you feel right about now? Terrified?
Absolutely!
Henry’s image is communicating to the judge and jury
that he is unreliable, unorganized, lazy, dishonest and probably
not the brightest bulb in the package. The judge and jury
are going to project those same characteristics onto Tom,
the accused murderer. Will they believe the “special”
evidence the attorney will present to prove Tom’s innocence?
Probably not, at the least it will be a hard sell. I don’t
know about you, but if I’m on trial for murder, I want
my attorney to show up on time, looking professional, powerful,
intelligent, organized and honest! Will Henry get business
referrals with his current Image? Absolutely not. Is his business
likely to succeed without referrals? I seriously doubt it.
Your Image, and the message it projects, goes a long way
toward determining how you and your clients will be treated
by everyone else. Image is important because it’s intimately
connected to your success in life, professionally and personally.
It’s imperative that your image is communicating the
right message because people make a decision about you within
the first 10-15 seconds of meeting you. That’s how fast
our senses register the visual and audio cues that send impulses
to our brain and determine if you will be viewed favorably
or not. This is how the important “first impression”
is created.
I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “You
don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression.”
But why not? Why are first impressions so important? Shouldn’t
we get to know you over time to understand what a great person
you are? Yes we should, that would be the ideal. But the reality
is psychological research has shown people weigh initial information
much more heavily than information received later when evaluating
someone. People are more likely to believe the first things
they learn about you are true. And negative information is
weighted even more heavily. If you meet someone for the first
time and seem distracted and self absorbed, that same person
will ignore and even resist later encounters when you are
warm and engaging. It may take as many as 30 positive behaviors
on your part to overcome one initial negative impression.
That may add up to lost business or lost affection in a personal
relationship.
In summary, we all have an image that is communicating our
own unique message to the world, even if we aren’t aware
of it. Our image is important because it’s linked to
our success in life. What people think about us is based on
our image and determines if they will do business with us
or engage in a personal relationship. Be certain you understand
what message your image is communicating to ensure your success
professionally and personally.
