Your personal image: It's the most important YOU asset you own.
Your personal image, the perception that people have about you, affects your success in every aspect of life - your life on the job, your social life, even your love life!
That is true because, no matter who you are or what you do, your success depends on what other people THINK about you - the image they have of you.
Your personal image has a number of elements. The way you dress, the colors you choose, the way you talk and the way you relate to others are some of the more important ones.
Some examples:
Personal Image And How You Dress
One very dramatic real-life example of how the way you dress can affect your success was recounted in the New York Times. The Times reported on what happened when two young men attempted to get an online service executive to give them $500,000 for their surfing website.
The young men bought new suits for the meeting and their presentation was equally buttoned up.
After just five minutes, the executive ended the meeting, saying, 'These are '#@%+! surfers?'
A couple of months later they came back for another presentation. How were they dressed this time? Like surfers - with Hawaiian shirts, shorts and sandals. For good measure, they acted the part in everything they said and did. But they didn't change their presentation at all.
This time, they walked out with the $500,000 order. Clearly, the way they were dressed made a huge difference. They now 'looked the part' and this gave them the credibility they lacked before.
'Looking the part, by dressing correctly has been proven critical to success in getting people to do what you want them to do.
In a famous experiment, two men approached 50 secretaries each in the same building to see which could best get past the secretaries to see the decision-maker.
Both used the same approach - but one man succeeded 24% of the time, while the second succeeded an astounding 60% of the time!
Even more astounding, they weren't two different men at all.
They were the same man.
The first time the man approached 50 secretaries he was wearing a black raincoat.
The secretaries perceived him as a messenger or delivery person -- someone who should not be allowed to get in to see their bosses.
When he approached the second 50 secretaries, he wore a tan raincoat. This time the secretaries perceived him as an executive, a peer of their bosses. So they granted his request to see them.
The clothes he wore and the colors he chose in each situation profoundly shaped the secretaries' image of him and made the difference between success and failure.
Personal Image And Your Conversation
Your talk (conversation ability) can be even more important to your success in business than your grades in school or college, according to a study by the Stanford University School of Business.
The study tracked the success of MBA's 10 years after they graduated. The result? Grade point averages of graduates had no bearing on their success -- but their ability to make conversation did.
The most successful graduates were those who could make conversation with anyone -- anyone from strangers to secretaries to bosses to customers.
Your image as being good in conversation helps you achieve success in social and personal relationships in two ways:
(1) Good conversation promotes 'liking.' We like to be around people who can carry on an interesting conversation.
(2) Good conversation creates an attractive image of wittiness, intelligence and self-confidence.
If you are able to carry on a good conversation, this makes people think of you as having more intelligence, wit and self confidence than those who cannot do so.
And, a university study showed just how important the perception of intelligence and self confidence can be.
In a study to determine the characteristics of the ideal male or ideal female -- intelligence and self confidence were rated as most important by 60% or more of respondents.
The message in all this for people who want to put themselves in position to succeed in their business, social and personal lives:
Take good care of your most important YOU asset - your personal image.
Copyright ? W. Paul Barton
About The Author
Mr. Barton, an internet publisher and author of How To Be GREAT!!! In Conversation, offers a range of books to help 'sell yourself,' including personal image improvement books for both men and women. http://www.sellfire.com/persimage.htm.
Lincoln Stretch rentals Alsip ..What do we want most from life? Certainly, we all... Read More
I could labor the idea but then that would only... Read More
Most of us fear change, because - as we've all... Read More
Creating a goal tracking chart is as simple as drawing... Read More
Recently I stumbled across a list of Microsoft Interview questions... Read More
Successful people do not achieve success on their own, they... Read More
Today I was glad that I had bothered to read... Read More
As very few people achieve enlightenment in one lifetime, as... Read More
If we are involved in a project, how hard should... Read More
Success can easily be compared to the "genie trapped in... Read More
Thomas Edison wrote his quote " I have not failed,... Read More
Everything we have in life is because of the help... Read More
Abundance is intangible, spiritual and attracts energy. To attract this... Read More
"Fighting to pay the bills is hardly worth it? fight... Read More
Did you know that your past, present, and future can... Read More
This is a little primer on how to start, survive... Read More
The best and fastest way to learn how to make... Read More
Being busy has become a way of life for many... Read More
Recently, I have been riveted by the amazing reality show... Read More
One of the keys to being successful in anything you... Read More
Wealthy people share common traits. That's why they are wealthy.... Read More
In this article we mention 7 tips for your success.... Read More
Do you think you have an "average" or perhaps an... Read More
Lots of people network but few reap the rewards of... Read More
One of the hallmarks of all successful and high achieving... Read More
Western Springs shuttle limo ..Imagine that right now, right here, today? there is within... Read More
Daddy was a very, very odd little man-possibly a schizophrenic-for... Read More
Bill is a man for the people, of the people... Read More
Let me say this to get it out of the... Read More
"If you want to increase your success rate, double your... Read More
No one becomes successful by accident. Success requires making a... Read More
Your Head, think about what you want and move towards... Read More
What with the millions of words printed every day about... Read More
Revolution:a sudden, radical, or complete change a fundamental change in... Read More
Here are seven essential keys to success. Use these ideas... Read More
Thomas Edison wrote his quote " I have not failed,... Read More
So many of us want success, but how many of... Read More
The fastest way to succeeding in anything, be it online... Read More
Since December 1st 2004, I have written one article or... Read More
A few weeks ago I took my boy on a... Read More
Our lives and the circumstances we live in are largely... Read More
Most of your behavior is determined by your habits. Everything... Read More
Here is a great way to create affirmations that may... Read More
The Chicago Times once printed that Henry Ford was an... Read More
As very few people achieve enlightenment in one lifetime, as... Read More
Unless you have been living in a cave, you have... Read More
The most under rated method to achieve success is: The... Read More
Picture this scene: Little Johnny's mother places a large piece... Read More
You teach others how to treat you by how you... Read More
Wow, what an outrageous claim! Why do I say this?... Read More
Success |