What vibes do you give when you meet people at your friend’s house or a networking event? Are your vibes consistent with your brand? Or do they speak the opposite? Test the waters, ask around.
For me, I want others to perceive me as “fun and intriguing.” By the way, I just added the intriguing part now. I know people get the “fun” impression because people tell me this without me asking. How does this happen? Is it natural? Is it planned? It can be both. For me, it is who I am but embellished with other aspects that can be planned.
Action Items:
Define your desired perceptions, and then craft ways to lead them to that impression.
For example, as the Fun Specialist title (The Meeting Maximizer is my new company name), I believe I convey fun through the following:
Visually I convey my brand of uniqueness through the following:
- Smiles (facial expressions)
- Gestures and body language
- Wardrobe (bright, colorful, striking attire)
With direct interaction, fun is conveyed through the following:
- Comments
- Topics
- By including others
- Attentive listening
Figure out your vibe by beginning with the following:
- Ask your friends for pictures of you, what are your expressions?
- Have friends and/or experts evaluate your wardrobe.
- Take video of yourself socializing or record audio of yourself talking to folks. Listen to your vocal quality, range, comments, and topics. Are you boring? Why?
- Evaluate your impressions of others. This will help you determine criteria for yourself.
- Identify the professionals who have it together or inspire you. Analyze why you believe they have it together.
After you have defined your desired perception, ask for feedback. You have heard thousands of times the power of “they ask.” People enjoy helping. Please do your homework, test it out.
When you are running around in your sweats at Home Depot (which I often do), people should be able to see your qualities stand out even if you aren’t clad in your professional gear. If you are passionate and authentic, this magically shines through. Oh, confidence is a big factor…..that’s another blog.
You want to send out the right vibes to maximize your “Return On Image.”