First Impressions and why service matters

Part of what I do an an image professional is to help my clients by sourcing garments to fit with their lifestyle and career/business goals.  I contacted a boutique in Lygon St Carlton that I had not worked with before (had walked past to check out the labels and quality of stock and gave it the thumbs up).  So, all good based on first impressions.  This store looked great, great labels, not a bad size range and lifestyle range to boot.  I'm impressed.

The Experience - Lucky me, I got straight onto the manager.  Fabulous!  Well, not really .......  She proceed to tell me that due to a negative experience with an image professional once before, they no longer allow us to shop in the store.  She went further to highlight the fact that all her staff are trained stylists and well qualified to build wardrobes for clients based on their colour, shape and needs.  And then she hung up on me.  Interesting, isn't it?

I decided that I really needed to give them another go, so off I went into the store for a bit of a mystery shop to test the service levels. As I entered the store the two women working in the store looked at me.   I picked up a pair of smart casual leggings and held them up for a look.  At this stage one of them walked over to me and said 'they are great, just like a girdle to hold everything in for you'.  I proceeded to look at my tummy and toosh and wonder if it were so obvious that I had gained a couple of kilos?  I told her I was looking for a pair of smart business pants for work.  She took me to the rack at the back of the store and picked out a couple of pairs.  'You'd be a size 10?' she asked.  I asked her for the size 12 bemused that 60 seconds ago she thought I needed girdle pants, now she thinks I'm a stick?  Oh dear!

She pointed at the change room and sent me in to try them on.  Well I tried both unsuccessfully. The shape was not flattering on my body at all.  There was no assistance forthcoming and I left the change room with those flash pants hanging on their lovely wooden hangers.  As I was leaving the store, she assured me she could do an entire wardrobe for me.  Because that's what they do there.  They know your colours and style and entire lifestyle just by looking at you.  Seems they know your underwear needs too!  I left empty handed but significantly wiser.

The Point - Take care to not be fooled by a person or a products good looks.  Things are not always as they may seem underneath.  Service matters.  It matters big time.  I may forget what she said about the girdle pants but I will never forget how that comment made me feel.  It significantly reinforces for me that as image professionals we must never underestimate the power of building rapport with our clients to help them to step up to and embrace the confident and savy individual that they are.  It's about permission to give feedback.  This is a privilege that we earn, it's not just handed over.

I will continue to take my clients to boutiques where they will be respected and looked after, and they will choose to spend their money where it feels right for them to do so.  Its a sure thing I wont be going back to that boutique!  Remember Pretty Woman?  Great lessons to learn.  I'm very interested to hear about your shopping experiences!  Do post a comment!

Speed Dating? Speed Impression Management?

Speed dating, speed networking – seems we just don’t have time to invest in making a good impression any more.  Get it right first time or you lose the opportunity!

Never before have first impressions been so important.  Singles looking for the right partner are speed dating.  Business owners and executives looking to expand their network of contacts are speed networking.  Time is precious.  It is all we have.  Money can be made again but time, once spent is gone forever!

It’s a relatively new concept that makes sense if time is precious, you don’t know which networking event to attend or you are a little on the shy side.  All you do is spend 5 minutes, the bell rings and you move on to the next person.

All well and good!  In a time span of 5 minutes you have the opportunity to talk about your business and how you may be able to do some business with the person sitting opposite you.  Business etiquette out the window!  Let’s get down to the nuts and bolts and see if a connection can be made.

The reality is that the minute we meet someone for the first time, we convey powerful first impressions.  We live in a highly visual world and our impression is either positive or negative.  There is no middle ground here.  How are you being perceived when you sit down in front of that new contact?

First impressions are broken into three categories.

55% is visual - relating to what they see when they meet you for the first time.

38% is auditory – relating to how you sound.

7% is based on what you actually say!

So if you don’t make a positive first impression real quick, you have to work hard to make it up.  You don’t have much time in speed dating or networking.  Give your prospect a chance – make your impression positive!

A business women I met recently attending one of these events and overall found it to be an intense and somewhat overwhelming experience.  She met a man working in a service based industry and decided on first impressions that he would not be someone she would work with.  The minute he spoke, her first impression was confirmed.  He sounded a bit too slick and she felt uncomfortable.  Do you think she listened to anything this guy had to say?  The answer is ‘no’!  Her perception was formed so quickly with the visual and reinforced with the auditory.  And then there was no time for him to make it up!

So before you head out the door to speed date or network, check in on what messages you are sending.

Jobs for the beautiful people

Faces with perfect symmetry are seen as beautiful

It appears that some employers put a higher value on an attractive face than qualifications or experience!  A PR agency admits that whilst the quality of their service is their main attraction for clients, having good looking account executives is a bonus enjoyed by clients.  It seems that as much as we think that appearance dosen’t count, it does!  This relates quite strongly in client facing roles according to Professor Nicola Rumsey who heads the Centre for Appearance Research at the University.  In these roles, your appearance is selling the image of the company you work for”.  As a society, we are pretty much obsessed with looks and reward attractive people accordingly.

How’s this!  Research has proved that attractive people are found guilty less often in course and receive less severe sentences.  Attractive applicants also have a better chance of getting better paid jobs.  One survey revealed that employees spent 1/5 of their salary on looking the part as they believe that the right image is vital to their career.

In comes personal branding.  It’s no longer acceptable to have a great business card, website and an attractive entrance to the building with great feng shui.  An organisation’s staff need to reflect the brand too!  Good looks is about taking care of your appearance, not looking like a cat walk model. 

Most people just don’t know what they don’t know.  It’s a great skill to know how to manage the perceptions of your clients and peers with visual tactics.  First impressions speak volumes.  You can tell a lot about someone by the way they dress and the attention they pay to their grooming levels. Of course you must be able to back it up with the knowledge and skill required for your position.  Research has shown that visual impressions are not so important when the relationship is well established, but remember you need to get to that stage by making a good first impression!  The world we live and do business in is highly visual today.  Skill yourself to play the game!

 

Source:  The Age, HR & Recruitment Section.  Journalist: Eve Ahmed

Maintaining consistency - 7 things you can do right now

People believe what they see.  The first impression happens in the blink of an eye – so you haven’t got much time to work with!

• 55% is visual - clothing, accessories, mobile phone etc.
• 38% is auditory – is your pace fast, slow? Is ‘nup’ part of your vocab?
• 7% is what you say - not much is it?

Let’s face it - people do business with people they like.  This means building a great rapport fairly quickly.  What does your industry look like?  Do you fit that image?  What do your clients expect of you?  All this means is that you get some things right and maintain consistency!  So there are some simple things that you can do that will have a huge impact on your clients.  This will reflect positively on your business success too.  All you have to do is manage the perceptions of others.  You can do it quite easily!  Take a look at 7 things you can do right now:

Colour

The most flattering effect is created when you wear your designated colours. To assist with rapport building, use your eye colour in ties and scarves.  This will ensure your eyes remain the focal point – great way to build rapport!  This rules applies to anything worn close to the face.

You can create the illusion of being taller and slimmer by wearing the same tone from top to toe.  This takes the eye up and down.  Creating the illusion of height has many advantages – so use it.

The best first impression is created with a strong contrast close to the face.  This means teaming a dark jacket with a light shirt for example.  It expresses confidence and is great for business.

 

Personality Dressing

Always dress to suit who you are as an individual because people will relate to what they see.  If you have a bright, outgoing personality, choose a bright or high contrast tie or a bright, trendy handbag for women.

 

Style & Fit

Your clothing must fit your body perfectly.  If it is too tight, the perception is that you outgrew it and can’t be bothered to replace it.  Anything too big looks like it has been borrowed from a friend!  Not good messages to send.  Look out for horizontal creasing on pants and skirts – this indicates the garment is too tight.  Vertical draping on jackets indicates the garment is just too big.  Ok, so maybe it was on sale and didn’t quite fit – the perception is ….. I’ll let you figure this one out!

 

Grooming

The condition of your clothing communicates the level of care you will give to others – particularly in a service based industry.  So repair that hem, get that jacket dry cleaned and press your shirt!

Irregular hair – this occurs in the ears and nasal passages for men and women find it appearing on lip and chin areas!  It forms a visual distraction about the face and this makes it difficult to hear what you are actually saying!

Clean your shoes weekly.  This is crucial – especially for men.  Women will decide how successful you are based on the quality and condition of your shoes.  Remember it’s all about perception and there is no truth in perception!  Women tottering about on very high heels are perceived as flippant.

 

Accessories

Briefcase, quality pen, appropriate compendium to hold your note book.  Keep it all relevant and appropriate to your industry or profession.  Listen to the ring on your mobile phone.  Is it appropriate for the image you wish to project?

 

Intuition

Trust that you are doing many things RIGHT in regard to your current image.  Very few people are in dire straights with their image.  Most people are looking for skills and strategies to save money and time with their clothing choices.

 

Appropriate

For goodness sake – just be appropriate!  Whether you are working on a building site, in a suburban office, with a major corporate or out on a hot date.  Think about where you are and what is going to be appropriate.  There will be times when a tie or complete suit just won’t work for you!