Are you taking care of your Personal Image Brand?

We all know that Branding is essential for sales. From the more commercial companies like Coca Cola to the Luxury Brands such as Louise Vuitton, Gucci, etc, all the well-known, International companies rely heavily on branding for their bottom line. In today’s fast paced and increasingly competitive world, Personal Image Branding has become very important the small Entrepreneur, as well, becoming an integral part of everything we do both businesswise and socially.

People make an assessment of who we are and where we rank on a professional and social scale in a matter of seconds based upon our appearance alone (What we say accounts for just 7% of how people judge of us).

So what does this mean for Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals in reference to our roles as leaders and centers of influence in business and society, and most importantly to our bottom lines?

Well, the objective of Personal Image Branding is to take your unique qualities and characteristics and package them into a powerful visual identity that differentiates you from the crowd of anonymous competitors in order to attract more clients.

If you want to create a strong Personal Image Brand to attract higher paying clients you should be asking yourself the following questions:

• Am I clear about what makes me unique and reflect that in my Personal Image Brand?
• Does my Personal Image Brand consistently communicate the image my target market expects me to project in order to gain their confidence and give me their business?
• Am I always presenting myself in the most professional light by keeping my appearance, headshots and photos on my website/social media in line with my branding message?

If you aren’t able to answer yes to all of the above, then you need to be taking action towards getting your Personal Image Brand in order!

Basically, it all boils down to who is your target market and how they expect an expert in your field to look. For example, if you are marketing to Bankers they would expect a formal, conservative appearance whereas clients in the creative fields would expect a less formal, more laid back look with a bit of edge. You get the idea… The most important thing of all, however, which would be a cross-over for any group, is that prospective, Top Tier clients always want to do business with someone who looks successful. That means that if you don’t look successful because you don’t put enough effort and budget into your grooming and wardrobe in order to look the part it really will affect your bottom line…chances are you won’t get their business!

So here are a few tips to help you get on your way to establishing a strong Personal Image Brand:

• Choose a personal style that reflects your unique qualities and how you’d like to be perceived by your target market
• Treat your personal appearance, grooming and wardrobe as a business expense and mark it in your calendar as a business priority just as you would with other business tasks. (Hairdresser, manicures, pedicures, Personal Stylist, seasonal shopping, event wardrobe planning/shopping, etc.)
• Make sure that your look – hairstyle, clothing, accessories – is always up-to-date, youthful and flattering to your personal characteristics and body type.
• Pay attention to the quality, design and fit of your clothing and make sure that your shoes and garments are always in the best condition
• Make sure that all of the headshots and photos on your website and social media are updated and consistent with your Personal Image Branding message. It’s important that what prospective clients see online is consistent with what they experience in person to increase your credibility (show how you look now and not 5 years ago)
• Make sure that you are always consistent in your Personal Brand Image, every moment of the day and in every situation, even at the grocery store. (Yes, you can still be comfortable while looking successful)

As you develop and cultivate your Personal Image Brand, be honest with yourself about where you are and where you need to go. Building a Personal image Brand takes thought, time and a decent budget but, at the end of the day, it is well worth the effort both businesswise and personally. Successful people always are meeting certain standards, especially in their appearance and this effort will definitely be measurable in your self confidence and in your bottom line…Looking the part will definitely attract higher paying clients. When you meet the image expectations of a Top Tier prospect, a win-win situation is automatically created because C- level people like to do business with people that match their image perception and reality. This is when they will stop being your prospect and become your client

Here are 7 Euro Chic basic investment pieces that will bring your Personal Image Brand up to the level of Top Tier Client expectations:

1) Classic watch
2) Classic trench coat
3) Semi precious stone earrings
4) Semiprecious stone ring
5) Black platform pumps
6) Neutral leather purse
7) Classic cool wool blazer

Euro Chic Basics – Splurge (Pricey but worth the investment)