Brand Representation is 24/7

This weekend I had the pleasure of meeting a very nice young man at Jazz in the Gardens. From talking to him I’d say he’s either very sweet or at least good at faking it. He started conversing with my friend who thought he looked like he was 15 years old. No matter where he tried to take the conversation she was stuck on the fact that he looked like he was 15. At some point he sought my assistance but once the first impression has been made then it’s been made.

Maybe he is 25 like he said but he did not look it. When he was telling me how much it bothers him when people dismiss him like a kid because he looks so young I could not help but get into a discussion of his appearance. He has a very young looking face, and additionally, he was wearing an over-sized t-shirt and too loose shorts. So yes, he looked like he was in high school- the early years. He explained to me that he did not plan on meeting anyone, and that he was “just hanging out. That’s what I wear when I’m just hanging.” As he raved to me about how she is everything he’s been looking for, I could not help but think how I’ve heard this before, except that it usually is about missed professional opportunities.

When you have a goal or are looking to achieve certain things, there is no such thing as “just hanging out”. Every step you take can lead you to a great opportunity and you have to be ready to take it. You can easily meet the woman of your dreams in the park or the executive you can catapult your business into a Forbes rated status while standing in line at the post office. The big question is- will you look the part?

If you don’t look the part it’s much harder to convince someone to cast you for it or give you a second chance. Why should they give you an hour when you just wasted 2 minutes? When you step into the outside world you need to look the way you want to be seen. I tried to explain to the young man different things he could do help him look more like a mature adult, but he seemed to be thinking more about fitting in with his current circle than appealing to the type of women he’s looking for. I gave him the same advice I’ve given to some professionals- Be believable!

If the situation was reversed, would you believe you are who you say you are and capable of what you claim? We can’t just expect people to ignore all their own observations and believe the words we want them to despite the obvious contradictions. This is not just about physical appearance either. You must represent your brand on every level at all times. No one wears a suit everyday, but when you step out of your house you are representing your brand. If physical appearance is important to your goal, you need look that part. When knowledge matters, you need to be able to discuss the pertinent subject matter without prior notice. Succeeding is not just about how skilled and knowledgeable you are; you have to also be able to secure the opportunities to show the results you can produce with your skills and knowledge.

To avoid missing out on great opportunities, it’s important to re member that:

1. You can’t delete entries from the human memory at will, so avoid allowing entries that you would later want to delete.
2. You can’t bring your résumé every where you go, so you as the individual must be able to represent what it says.
3. If you would have reservations hiring someone looking or behaving as you are, for your most important needs, others will likely have similar reservations about contracting your services.
4. Opportunities that can be found in the least expected places are often once in a life time occurrences.

 

Life has much to offer, but we don’t always know what will be offered when. As a result, every day has the potential to bring with it that great long awaited offer. Of-course this makes things a bit more demanding, but that’s the way success is.

I’m just saying though…

Dream Big… Live Bigger…

DrJudiC

www.DrJudiC.com