Until recently, Personal Branding and Personal Image were skills that were not considered important and were regularly swept under the carpet in our country. Today, it’s universally accepted that, the way we act, behave, and sound can have a tremendous effect on the success or failure of anyone.
There are a million talented people out there, ready to pounce on any given opportunity. What makes you so special? That is where the role of personal branding really comes into play. Personal branding can help you have a lasting impact on your client, boss, or influential people which might lead to a future business opportunity or even help get the promotion you deserved.
The art of Personal Branding is all about identifying yourself first and then conveying what you are all about, what makes you unique, so that you can reach your specified audience. Personal Branding is very important because it sends a clear, consistent message about who you are and what you have to offer. If you understand your strengths, skills, passions, and values, you can use it to stand out and can position yourself as a niche expert.
Some of the factors that define your branding are as follows:-
- MINDSET: Your thoughts make and describe who you are; they form your mood, habits, and attitude. Having the mindset that incorporates growth, a positive outlook to any situation, and willingness to be a fighter in life goes on to describe you in a more effective way.
- PRESENTATION: The image you want to project is conveyed consistently via various platforms. This covers your wardrobe, Facebook posts, Blogs, Tweets, etc. So, the next time you post an image on your favorite social media platform, be sure that a positive image is being created.
- CONSISTENCY: Having established your desired image, uniformity in the way you portray yourself is a major factor in personal branding. Laying emphasis on saying only what you mean will help you.
Having understood the importance of Personal Branding, Image Consulting has become the place where young working professionals are honing their skills to perfection. Be it a simple conversation, dinning manners, styling, beauty, grooming, etiquette; every aspect of life is worked upon. Image consulting helps people project the right image more effectively.
Image consulting basically is a process where a person is trained or educated by doing in-depth research on his/her life to project or convey an image of him/her more effectively, efficiently, and much more attractively. This helps greatly in his/her personal and/or professional life.
An Image Consultant is a medium to enhance your Personal Branding. The professionals will help you find the answers to the following questions:
- What perception do I want to leave people with?
- Am I dressed to project an image of confidence and capability?
- Does my image influence my seniors, peers, and team positively?
- Do people perceive me as a capable manager in my new role?
- Do I project an attractive image that enhances my personal and social life?
After working on getting a positive answer on the questions, the person is filled with self-belief, which helps him approach the tasks at hand and the world in general with a sense of confidence. One must however be clear on what image they wants to portray. Creating an image that does not incorporate with who you actually are, is one the most commonly committed mistakes. In conclusion, what one notices is that Image Consulting and Personal Branding is one and the same thing. While one is a means, the other is the product to create a dashing impression. As the old proverb goes “You only get one opportunity to make a first impression.”
Know more about how to become a certified Image consultant.