ARE YOU FACING ANY OF THESE?
Have you ever wondered about your personal and professional relationships? Do you often feel FOMO (Fear of missing out) upon something in your life? Do you feel that your ability to influence and convince others is somewhat weak? At times you feel confident about a task and yet despite of your sincere efforts, it doesn’t materialize in your favour? If the answer to all or some of them is yes, then perhaps you have landed up at the right place.
WHAT EXACTLY IS YOUR PROBLEM?
Though this is a problem with majority of us because only few are blessed with a natural flair and personality that can attract and influence people with minimum efforts. Majority of us have to develop our persona and aura in order to leave a positive impression. In other terms, we all need to manage our image while interacting with others, in such a way that the people around, perceive us in a positive light and are ready to accept what we have to present.
Image management is one of the most essential personal skill (other two being behavioural and communication skills) required by every individual to stand out in the crowd. We all wish to be popular with friends and colleagues. Man is a social animal and to be loved, liked and listened to, is what every individual whether its you or me, wants, and that is precisely our problem.
WHAT IS IMAGE MANAGEMENT?
Managing your image among your personal and professional circles is a very conscious, concrete and continuous process of analysing, evaluating and enhancing your image. An important aspect of image management is to understand how others perceive you and the way they respond to you. You all meet a lot of people in your day to day life, many of them are important to you in terms of personal or professional life.
Leaving a lasting impression on them is crucial for developing a long- term relationship. If you are able to do so in the first meeting itself, it empowers you to carry forward, manoeuvre, control or negotiate with others in the manner, you want them to act and behave. ‘Managing your image is not just the in thing, it’s the only thing’. In the competitive world of today, mere educational and technical qualification will not ensure success, what you need today is an aura, a personality and an image that makes you stand out in the crowd and creates a lasting impression of yours in people’s mind.
Your image is something that helps you stand out of the crowd and leave a lasting impression with others
If people talk about you in an awe, behind your back, be assured that your image is positive with them. Image management essentially is, about respect i.e. respect for self, respect for others, and respect for occasions and respect for honouring and recognizing the roles and goals as per the situation and occasion.
HOW TO CREATE A POSITIVE IMAGE?
A very simple mantra for creating a positive image with people around you, is, to be a ‘SAGE’, I actually mean it. By being a SAGE, here means; S-Smile, A-Attitude, G– Grooming and E-etiquette. If you develop this SAGE personality within you, be assured that you will not only create a positive first impression but this positivity will remain with people even after you have left.
Smile is contagious, a smiling face can not only make your personality positive in the eyes and mind of the person whom you are interacting with, but will also create a positive and conducive overall environment, so as to facilitate communication among people. Your attitude determines the direction in which conversation and interaction will go.
A positive and cooperative attitude blended with assertive style of communication can work wonders in business deals and negotiations. Corporate image management is hence gaining a lot of attention these days in business circles. Appearance and grooming play’s a crucial role in creating a positive attitude and helps you build your confidence.
You don’t have to spend money on buying expensive clothes and accessories to look good. All you need is some simple ideas to revamp your wardrobe with the apparel and accessories that complement and enhance you face and body appearance. You can look gorgeous with what God has bestowed you, just by changing the colour, texture and style of your clothing. Wear your hairstyle and accessories in a way that enhances the shape of your face and body or masks the blemishes if any.
The art of carrying yourself and behaving while among people is called etiquette. While smile is something which nature has taught you, rest all aspects like attitude, grooming and etiquette, can be easily learned through image management courses.
SAGE MODEL OF IMAGE MANAGEMENT
WHY IMAGE MANAGEMENT IS IMPORTANT?
Image management is an important skill required by people involved in building relationship, business and those in leadership positions.
Your image directly affects your thinking, your thought process, your feelings, and the manner in which you act or behave. Accordingly, people around you will react or respond to you. For managing your image, an important part that you must understand, is, that you have to project your ‘actual/authentic self’.
The first rule of image management is that you have to be, what you are, not what you should be. A person whom is able to put forward what he/she is, by being more concerned, conscious, objective oriented, consistent, and persistent about you being you in a manner better than you have been in the past. In if you are able to do so sincerely, then your image shall work for you. Be genuine in being who you are and what you stand for.
In the competitive corporate world, the image you project plays an important role. It helps you to achieve your professional, career and even personal goals. Your image is something that sets you apart from others and enables you to distinguish yourself from your competitors and also gives you a competitive edge over them. All you need is to take a first step towards your image management and that is to be aware of the messages you send through your image.
WHAT IS IMAGE MANAGEMENT IN PUBLIC RELATIONS?
PR or public relations is an essential activity in every organization, whether a large corporate or a small firm. In order to reach a wider audience, a firm has to involve itself in PR activities, whether through online or through offline platform.
Practically speaking, your image is the actual ‘you’ in the imagery created by others for you. People involved in sales and marketing are constantly in touch with customers, clients and public as whole within as well as outside the organization they work for.
Your image is actually a visual impression and the way others perceive you. Interestingly, how they perceive you is their reality about you. If how they perceive you is not in coherence with what you actually are or what you want them to perceive, then you might face difficulty in putting your communication or message across to them, let alone convince them for the deal. Therefore, for people in public relations, image management is a must. Whether people whom you meet, will become your friends, clients, employers, employees, colleagues or acquaintances, will largely depend upon the image they carry for you and that too is formed in the first meeting itself.
Although it’s a perceptual bias but nevertheless it is 100% true that, people make judgments about you on the basis of our values, social status and professionalism. Your dressing, the way you groom yourself, your body language and etiquette are all the essential elements of your image.
When all these elements are in sync, with one another, they tend to support you in the achievement of your goals of creating a positive first impression with a long lasting and impressive image about you in their mind.
WHAT DOES IMAGE CONSULTANT DO?
An image consultant is the one who makes you meet with the real you in a manner you have never met before. Yes, an image consultant can work wonders for you without making you do rigorous weight reducing exercise, without making you go for a face lift, without making you buy a completely new wardrobe. Just by making you enhance your true personality through understanding your personal style, face and body shape and suggesting ways to improve upon your hair styling, accessorizing and apparel choice.
An image management consultant will give you some interesting image management tips that may have a potential to completely change people’s outlook towards you. Believe me, a good image consultant will ensure that there is a minimum dip on your pocket while suggesting image modification styles and tactics. An image consultant will work upon the following aspects of your personality:
- Clothing and appearance– your clothing and overall appearance helps you to reinforce your self- image and also defines who you are. Collectively these two can, not only boost your confidence but will also give you an air of influence and authority. An Image Consultant works with individual clients on one on one basis so as to help their clients achieve an image that is especially decided for them, in lines with their lifestyle and personality. An image consultant helps you choose the right clothing, accessories etc. in accordance to the shape of your face and body.
Apparel and accessories help make your first impression among people. They are the first aspect of your overall personality, that is noticed by people.
Psychological aspects determine the behavioural and psyche of an individual
- Psychological aspects- Human psychology is perhaps the most difficult of all sciences related to human behaviour. An image consultant conducts a personal- sessions in order to understand your psychological make-up and accordingly suggests you on the aspects of your personality that needs to be worked upon. He/she is your guide who helps you realise those image dreams, that you alone can never realise, let alone achieve. For example, an image consultant may tell you that you need to control the ‘Id’ part of your personality in certain situations and ‘Ego’ part of your personality in some other situations.
- Physical aspects– An image consultant would carefully examine all the physical aspects of your appearance in a technical and professional manner and would give suggestions of improvement in terms of style, cut, pattern, shape, size, texture of apparel ,and accessories that will help you in mask the flaws and enhancing the strengths of your physical features. For example, an image consultant may tell you, that your ‘diamond shape face’ is best complemented with short and broad earrings, instead of long and tapering earrings.
An understanding about Physical aspects are crucial in chose the right attire and accessories that enhance the appeal of your face and body shape.
Your Aesthetical appeal draw people towards you in a personal or professional gathering.
- Aesthetical aspects– An image consultant will help you identify those colours that enhance your natural complexion and those who makes it dull. They will guide you in choosing flow and feel of the attire that best promotes your overall appearance and appeal to the people who are viewing you. Your choice of fragrance, perfume, deodorant and other toiletries etc. can affect your aesthetic appeal and an image consultant will aptly guide you in choosing the right brands that are neither expensive nor unavailable. For example, an image consultant may suggest that for your ‘inverted triangle shaped body’ wearing dark coloured upper (tops/shirts) and light coloured lower (pants) can enhance your aesthetic appeal.
- Social aspects– An image consultant would guide you in terms of social grooming standards and behavioural etiquette while going for social gatherings both in professional and personal social circles. Your behaviour is an important aspect of your image. How you act and behave in presence of others and how you change your mannerisms while dealing with people, especially of opposite gender, plays a very crucial role in establishing your social image. Remember, your social image percolates faster then your personal image and you have practically no control over your social image, once it is well established, its very difficult to change. Hence your image consultant will guide you in making a positive personal image that will get converted into a gregarious and warm social image of yours. For example, he/she may guide you with the tips for wining and dining during business lunch and dinner.
Social etiquette is a major aspect of your image, the way you behave during a business lunch/dinner, can make or break your image forever.
If you want yourself to be a brand and that too positively popular, it is important that you start giving image management as equal importance as you give to other essential aspects of your life like money management, time management, business management, meal management, home and family management.
If you wish to be popular among people, you must try for a counselling session on image management. Believe me, you will be proud of your decision.
I think I have given you enough food for thought today!
