We start forming opinions about people within seven seconds of seeing them. Trustworthiness, professionalism, even your work ethic can all be communicated with your image. In a highly competitive climate garnering trust is imperative to standing out in the crowd. It is also difficult to communicate without putting in the time prove it . . . but it is not impossible. Two pillars of trustworthiness are maturity and work ethic and those are quite easy to show through personal brand.
Maturity
In our society we tend to associate sloppy dress and lack of a cultivated image with youth. Say the word teenager to most adults and they immediately picture the shaggy haired boy from the skate park in the oversized hoody and baggy jeans. Another image may be the emo girl in black with purple hair and a nose ring. Just for the record, there is a world where elements from both of these examples can be translated into a cultivated personal brand but admittedly that is for a niche audience.
Within the mainstream, not cultivating a personal image that is in line with your message may be giving off an air of immaturity.
If your potential client goes into a sales pitch with you and assumes you are immature due to your image then they will not take your pitch seriously. You may be able to turn their opinion around but you will have to work even harder to be heard. Why create more work? Remember we are trying to cut your work in half. For more on that concept check out my post How a Personal Brand Can Cut Your Work In Half.
Work Ethic
Let’s face it cultivating a personal brand and staying consistent with it takes work. You have to take the time to analyze yourself, analyze your audience, organize your closet, curate outfits, learn about the right hair and makeup, pour over your messaging to get it right, and bring it all together to form your perfect brand.
If you are willing to do this consistently then you probably have the work ethic to deliver on your product or service. If done properly your dream client will notice and they will hire you. The biggest image cue that projects from a great personal brand is “Wow they really care, look at how they put themselves together”.
If you can master communicating these two pillars and back up your message with impeccable work and customer service your dream clients will flock to you and stay loyal.
If this resonates with you but you are struggling on how to cultivate your personal brand and image join my mailing list and follow me on Instagram to learn more tips and trainings.