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Create a Climate for Success by Mastering Your Total Image
Part 1 By Dianne Daniels
Your Total Image is made up of several essential components:
• Your Hidden Image – attitude, honesty, confidence, self-esteem, knowledge,
ability and experiences
• Your Reputation – what others think about you based on past experiences; often
second or third-hand
• Your Visual Image – dress, grooming and external factors
• Your Experienced Image – your expressions of courtesy and caring, your body
language and communication skills
• Your Proven Image – personal experience with you over time
These areas must be considered and managed to ensure long-term success in your
professional and personal life. In this article, we’ll discuss one aspect of
your Total Image: Your Hidden Image.
Your Hidden Image is made up of your attitude and how you treat others. If you
consistently have a negative attitude, people will begin to avoid you. You will
repel potential customers, and develop a poor sense of confidence and
self-esteem.
It all starts with your attitude – even if things aren’t going exactly the way
you want them to, having a negative attitude will not change that. It probably
will make things worse. Make a deliberate effort to turn your attitude from
negative to positive, and you’ll see your mindset and circumstances change as
well.
Honesty is essential to your life as an entrepreneur – if you are consistently
honest and fair in dealing with current and potential customers, you will
develop a reputation that will bring you even more business.
We’ve all heard the story that a happy customer will tell 3 others about their
good experience with your business, while an unhappy customer will tell 7
others. You can be sure that news of dishonesty in your business practiced will
travel than the speed of light – always be honest with your customers.
Confidence and self-esteem are very attractive qualities. When a client comes to
you looking for the solution to a problem, your projection of confidence and
self-esteem will put them at ease and reassure them that you are the one to help
them solve their challenges.
If you do not project confidence, your client may doubt your ability to help
them, and may even try to get you to lower your fees. You must project absolute
confidence in your abilities and the value you provide – your clients expect
nothing less and you should accept nothing less from yourself.
Knowledge and ability, combined with experience, are an essential combination
for an entrepreneur. When you know that you can solve a client’s problem based
on your ability and experience, you project professionalism. You know what to do
and are able to give your client the guidance they are willing to pay good money
for.
These aspects of your image are portrayed physically through many factors –
whether or not you make eye contact when talking to clients, that you stand or
sit straight and have a confident posture, and your attire. It’s hard to be
successful in convincing a client that you are a professional when your attire,
body language and image don’t reflect that
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