You are your logo. In other words, while companies spend many hours, days, weeks and often months on determining the logo that best represents them, you do it every day for years without thinking much about it (or in the case of some of us women, thinking TOO much about it). Let’s deal with both sides head-on.
- If you are the obsessive type, decide right now to pick your “logo” and stop obsessing. I’ll help you do that.
- If you are someone who doesn’t care about what your look says to others, realize that, unfortunately, people do judge you by your clothes, hair, and so on. It’s just a sad fact of life.
I’m not saying anything drastic is necessary (you don’t have to drop 100 pounds or get a nose job), but do think about the way you want to present yourself to your “target audience”. Here are a few questions to get you started:
- Who is your target audience? In other words, who are you trying to win over?
- What do they see as your strengths? What do you see as your strengths? It’s helpful to focus on existing strengths that matter to your target audience.
- What is the best way to project that image to your target audience? A personal example: I love suit jackets. I am more comfortable in them and feel ready to work when I’m in one. However, I have found that when my “target audience” is the type who thinks suit jackets are overly stuffy, I bite the bullet and wear a button-down shirt or whatever is considered appropriate for the people I am speaking with or needing to win over. I’m not going for an image of “stuffy”. I still choose clothing I personally like, but I choose based on the situation and people. When I meet with someone who would be offended by my lack of a suit, I wear a suit. It’s important to know your audience. Sometimes people say, “I want to be me.” I agree with being you! Make sure the “you” that you’re projecting is who you think it is.
To sum up, decide who you are and then present that in a way that your target audience can relate to. You are your logo, and your appearance needs to represent you correctly. Shine on!