According to a UCLA study, 85% of all decisions are made with our eyes. This holds true when we meet people for the first time. We make an impression in three ways: Visual, Verbal and Vocal.What s most interesting is that the visual component is the most important by far.

Whether you like it or not, the image you project, what we call your personal brand, affects other s decisions about you -- your intelligence, character and ability -- and further determines if they want to do business with you. Clients have told me that, because they dismissed the importance of personal branding, they lost promotions, deals fell through, memberships were denied and friends disappeared.

If your personal brand is not congruent, attractive and attracting, you will be passed over - guaranteed. Therefore, to be competitive, to have a greater influence on others, attract more business and be more successful, it s critical that you have a unique personal brand.

The Corporate Connection

Before you sell anything -- your product, company or service -- you sell yourself first. Just like branding a product, when your personal brand is powerful, you are perceived to be more desirable and "in demand".

A recent survey in the Wall Street Journal notes that the more charismatic the CEO, the better the firm performs, from 10 - 15 percent better. The CEO s "image" influence translates all the way down the line to the reception area.

Not only do we pay higher salaries and commissions to CEO s, lawyers or architects who have a powerful personal brand, we put a higher value on their property.

Large, successful companies understand the power that branding givestheir products. They spend a lot of time, money and energy to create a brand that is eye catching and appealing enough to sell the product through to market. They want the buyer to feel a strong connection with that brand.

Do you think of yourself as a company of ONE?

How much time, money and energy have you spent in developing a personal brand that is unique enough to sell through to your market? Chances are you haven t even given it a thought, right?  Perhaps, like many of my clients, you will dismiss personal branding as frivolous and unnecessary until, like they did, you hit a brick wall, experience a downturn in business, that big contract falls through or you fail to get the next promotion.

An individual who has a well-defined personal brand has more status and a tremendous advantage over the competition in the market place.  Whether you want social or business success, when you are well branded you are pre-sold, giving you a huge advantage over others selling themselves.

The Art of Attraction

To get someone interested in you, just give away a few pieces of info. You want to tease them, whet their appetite and make them drool for more. In the beginning it is simply style -- substance comes later. Remember.......it s about selling yourself first!

Let me tell you a short story about a woman I met recently while attending a business networking function. She seems pleasant enough when she introduced herself and began to chat.  I immediately sized her up and decided by her out of date clothes (at least by 15 years), her badly scuffed shoes, lack of make up and long stringy hair that she was probably behind the scenes....maybe in a junior support position. To my surprise she was the president of her own company, and was attending the event to meet potential clients to sell her service. She had absolutely no idea how negatively she was being perceived, what her image was saying about her ability, knowledge and credibility. Without even opening her mouth, her image shouted louder than words "How can I keep up with tomorrow if I can t keep up with today?"  Her personal brand was her most valuable asset.... and she left it to chance? She was not someone I would do business with.

Employer's Choose Attractive People

As image strategists, we are being hired by companies to train their employees in the fine art of manners, business etiquette, dining and appropriate dress and how to maneuver in other countries. Even though intelligence, experience and education count, employers tell us they are simply not hiring people who lack important "soft" communication skills and correct ethics and manners.

In today s global economy, competition has increased dramatically and business has become more conservative in attitude and business attire. Even in corporate America, the suit has now returned. The hallmarks of successful individuals are their confidence, manners and poise. Mediocrity is dead, and it s about time. It s no longer acceptable to dress inappropriately or choose the wrong fork.  In business and society today, there is a return to formality, elegance, manners and sophistication. It s evident in what is happening all around us. People are getting dressed up again and fine dining is on the rise. People are entertaining clients and being entertained more often.

If you want to get noticed, be more persuasive, attract new clients and success, now is the time to pay special attention to personal branding. It s the finishing touches that counts.  

"You either create a brand that is distinct......or you become extinct".

                                                                           Tom Peters, In Search of Excellence.