The Truth About Body Image
Have you ever considered how much your body image - your
personal packaging, contributes to your business and personal
success?
The multi million pound cosmetics industry is acutely aware of
the value of packaging. You'll know this if you've ever bought
anything from those glamorous ladies whose counters are always
just inside the front door of Department Stores.
However, from time to time we're presented with surveys about
the creams we rub on our bodies which take years off our age and
make our skin as soft as a baby's bottie. The surveys tell us
"Buy the cheap stuff or the own label one from the supermarket,
'cause they're all the same."
But do we? Of course we don't. Human beings are driven by
emotions not logic and never more so when spending their money.
People buy with their eyes, we love packaging. The marketing and
merchandising experts have it down to a fine art and know the
colours and shapes that we're most likely to buy. They then
design their packaging accordingly and make sure it grabs our
attention.
The product in the packaging has to do what it says it'll do,
however if it looks like it can do the business, then we're more
likely to believe it can.
It's just the same with people. Whether we like it or not,
people are likely to make judgements about us by our body image,
the way we're packaged.
They'll then decide whether they like us,whether they'll give us
a job or even just believe what we say.
This seems to be so obvious. Yet I've seen professional speakers
with scuffed shoes, business leaders with outdated suits and
politicians wearing clothes that don't fit them or suit their
shape.
A few months ago I attended a function where an accountant was
invited to speak about his business. He told the assembled
audience how efficient his business was and about their
attention to detail. However his tie was undone and his shirt
looked like he was breaking it in for a smaller friend. His
suit, though probably expensive, wasn't the right colour for him
and merely drew attention to the fact that its wearer liked his
food. All of the things he was saying were totally contradicted
by his body image.
Lawyers, accountants, plumbers or software engineers; it doesn't
matter what you do, other people are very liable to make a
judgement about your abilities by how you're packaged.
Your colleagues and your boss will all make decisions about the
quality of your work and your promotion prospects by your dress
and body image.
There's the famous story about the 1960's pre-election
television debates between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.
These debates were also heard on radio, which was much more
popular at the time. After the debates a poll was taken of how
TV and radio audiences had reacted to the two participants. The
radio audience voted for Nixon, however the TV audience voted
overwhelmingly for Kennedy. The TV audience liked the look of
Kennedy better than Nixon - they liked the packaging.
We also tend to make decisions very quickly about people we come
into contact with. Psychologists have established that we
subconsciously make around eleven decisions about other people
within the first six seconds of meeting them.
Personnel managers have admitted in surveys to making a decision
about a job applicant within the first thirty seconds of an
interview, these decisions being made primarily on how the
people looked and carried themselves.
How we look will confirm or contradict what we say. First
impressions are also lasting impressions and take a lot of
changing.
Okay, so we can't all have the perfect looks or the perfect
body, what ever that is. It doesn't matter what shape you are
but it does matter how you package that shape, if you want to
make an impact on other people.
How you package yourself can also make a huge difference to your
self-confidence. Have you ever noticed how confident and
self-assured you feel when you dress in something you feel good
in? Particularly when someone genuinely compliments you. How you
dress can have a huge impact on how you carry yourself and
project to other people.
The problem is that many of us don't have a clue as to what
really suits us and compliments our shape. This is why so many
business people are turning to an image consultant to improve
their personal impact. This may seem like a costly luxury
however consider the cost of restricting your career or possibly
not winning a new account.
So what do you do? Well you could ask your nearest and dearest
to be honest with you and tell you what they really think about
what you wear. The thing is, you really need to listen and take
heed of what they say.
Buy some of the fashion magazines and keep up to date on the
latest fashion. It can also help to find a good clothes store
where the sales assistants will give unbiased advice.
It's also important to look after the details. Do your
spectacles suit your face? Are you in need of a more modern
haircut? What does that cheap plastic watch say about you?
Men need to be careful about novelty ties and fancy socks with a
business suit. Women need to take care with make-up, colours and
perfume.
You may have a lot more to offer than a jar of anti wrinkle
cream or a packet of cornflakes; however no one is going to pick
you off the shelf if they don't like your packaging.