“You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.”
“Appearance counts.”
- These are cliches we hear time and again. Yet we also hear:
“Don’t judge a book by it’s cover,”
- and
“Just Be Yourself.”
- So which way should you go? Let your freak flag fly and let the judgements fall where they may, or try to fit the mold and give the impression that you are exactly what others are looking for?
- Neither! Your individuality, your passion, is what will differentiate you from the pack, whether you are applying for a job, trying to attract investors to your new business idea or marketing a new product.
- But what happens if your audience (the future boss, potential investor, prospective client) cannot recognize your amazingness? What if you are putting people off, people, who if they could have made it past your initial communications, would have loved to hire, invest in, or purchase from you?
- It is true that we judge others by what we see (and hear, and read). We can think of countless situations in which these judgements are unfair; surely we have been guilty ourselves of forming a negative opinion of someone too hastily. But when it comes to presenting ourselves, our ideas, and our products in a business context, we need to do whatever we can to reduce the risk that an opportunity will be missed because of a bad first (or second, or third) impression.
- How can you do this without losing track of your own, uniquely amazing identity? The key is to find a way to market your true self in way that is accessible, professional and clear. Check out my upcoming blog posts for tips on “Putting your Best Face Forward (Without Wearing a Mask)” and “Best Regards: Straight ‘A’ Tips for Business Emails.”