Tool Box
Issue No. 39 - February/March 2008
How to make image work for you
by Darryl Gobbett
We judge people – and organisations – on first impressions, so making a good first impression is crucial.
Staff members are an organisation’s brand ambassadors. Customers judge businesses based on the personal presentation of staff.
Aligning staff members’ personal presentation with the corporate brand means brand values are ‘lived’. Customers are more likely to engage with a company when staff, and therefore the organisation, present as confident and credible.
Today’s organisations not only compete for customers, they also compete for highly talented staff.
Talented people want to work with forward-thinking organisations that value staff and offer professional and personal development.
By helping staff present confidently and professionally, and teaching them the art of impression management, an organisation differentiates itself as an employer of choice.
People are not always aware of how they are perceived by others. Megan’s experience illustrates
this issue.
Megan held an executive level advertising position in a forward-thinking organisation with a six-figure salary, but she was never included in any interactions with the company’s ‘big’ clients.
She decided to find out why.
She compiled a list of the star qualities of a professional in her position, then asked colleagues, clients, friends and her boss whether she possessed these qualities.
...
