#TO BE FOCUSED ON PERSONAL APPEARANCE PROFESSIONAL#

They form part of your Personal Brand, I have written an article on this topic which you can read. You can see these are very basic elements and seemingly simple but so many people either don’t think they matter or just forget/run out of time to get them right. Awareness is the starting point to preventing them.ĭefining the time you are in the room – make sure your perfume/aftershave isn't so strong it remains in the room after you. Mannerisms – consider any that may be distracting or which are more exaggerated when you are nervous or bored. Slumped posture can communicate sentiments you don’t want to communicate and look sloppy and disengaged. Posture – keep yourself standing and sitting tall.

Open body language – despite how you may be feeling, you need to make sure you take up appropriate space and you don’t tighten your arms across your body in any way, such as folding them.Įmotion in your voice – if you have had a difficult day or are feeling a particular emotion, try to ensure this isn't communicated in your voice unless appropriate read my article on voice). For example, red communicates power and dynamism in Western culture. Well-fitting clothes – so they look like they are yours!Ĭlean and cared for shoes – despite the fact they are on the floor, most people notice the state of shoes.Īppropriate colour choices – think about what the colours you have chosen might communicate and whether this is appropriate for the meeting context. If you can’t turn up with clean nails, people will doubt your ability to do your job as ridiculous as that sounds. Here are the top 10 things on the image checklist:įocal point – glance at yourself in a mirror, where does your eye go? Are you happy with someone else’s eye going there.īasic hygiene and grooming - clean you, clean shoes and look like you’ve made an effort in terms of hair and nails are all essential.

It’s no good having an Armani suit on if you haven’t bothered with basic personal grooming!

#TO BE FOCUSED ON PERSONAL APPEARANCE PROFESSIONAL#

You want to avoid any distractions in a professional context so that people focus on what you are saying. It really is the small things that make the difference. Whenever I run workshops and I ask others people what they notice about others, the list is varied but also very simple. Think of it as your image checklist that no matter how much of a hurry you are in, it’s essential to consult. These areas can be discussed for hours, so today is all about providing the bare essentials of personal image for you to consider when you are going to a meeting. These are the areas that impact the first impression we make on others and the perception they form of us. You will always hear me refer to the A, B, C as the key areas to think about – Appearance, Body Language & Communication skills (voice). We can’t help but have an image, it’s impossible to not have one.

To be focused on personal appearance