Want To Succeed In Business, Social, Personal Life? Take Good Care Of Your Personal Image

Your personal image: It's the most important YOU asset you own.

Your personal image, the perception that people have about you, affects your success in every aspect of life - your life on the job, your social life, even your love life!

That is true because, no matter who you are or what you do, your success depends on what other people THINK about you - the image they have of you.

Your personal image has a number of elements. The way you dress, the colors you choose, the way you talk and the way you relate to others are some of the more important ones.

Some examples:

Personal Image And How You Dress

One very dramatic real-life example of how the way you dress can affect your success was recounted in the New York Times. The Times reported on what happened when two young men attempted to get an online service executive to give them $500,000 for their surfing website.

The young men bought new suits for the meeting and their presentation was equally buttoned up.

After just five minutes, the executive ended the meeting, saying, 'These are '#@%+! surfers?'

A couple of months later they came back for another presentation. How were they dressed this time? Like surfers - with Hawaiian shirts, shorts and sandals. For good measure, they acted the part in everything they said and did. But they didn't change their presentation at all.

This time, they walked out with the $500,000 order. Clearly, the way they were dressed made a huge difference. They now 'looked the part' and this gave them the credibility they lacked before.

'Looking the part, by dressing correctly has been proven critical to success in getting people to do what you want them to do.

In a famous experiment, two men approached 50 secretaries each in the same building to see which could best get past the secretaries to see the decision-maker.

Both used the same approach - but one man succeeded 24% of the time, while the second succeeded an astounding 60% of the time!

Even more astounding, they weren't two different men at all.

They were the same man.

The first time the man approached 50 secretaries he was wearing a black raincoat.

The secretaries perceived him as a messenger or delivery person -- someone who should not be allowed to get in to see their bosses.

When he approached the second 50 secretaries, he wore a tan raincoat. This time the secretaries perceived him as an executive, a peer of their bosses. So they granted his request to see them.

The clothes he wore and the colors he chose in each situation profoundly shaped the secretaries' image of him and made the difference between success and failure.

Personal Image And Your Conversation

Your talk (conversation ability) can be even more important to your success in business than your grades in school or college, according to a study by the Stanford University School of Business.

The study tracked the success of MBA's 10 years after they graduated. The result? Grade point averages of graduates had no bearing on their success -- but their ability to make conversation did.

The most successful graduates were those who could make conversation with anyone -- anyone from strangers to secretaries to bosses to customers.

Your image as being good in conversation helps you achieve success in social and personal relationships in two ways:

(1) Good conversation promotes 'liking.' We like to be around people who can carry on an interesting conversation.

(2) Good conversation creates an attractive image of wittiness, intelligence and self-confidence.

If you are able to carry on a good conversation, this makes people think of you as having more intelligence, wit and self confidence than those who cannot do so.

And, a university study showed just how important the perception of intelligence and self confidence can be.

In a study to determine the characteristics of the ideal male or ideal female -- intelligence and self confidence were rated as most important by 60% or more of respondents.

The message in all this for people who want to put themselves in position to succeed in their business, social and personal lives:

Take good care of your most important YOU asset - your personal image.

Copyright © W. Paul Barton

About The Author

Mr. Barton, an internet publisher and author of How To Be GREAT!!! In Conversation, offers a range of books to help 'sell yourself,' including personal image improvement books for both men and women. http://www.Sellfire.com/PersImage.htm.

---

How Two Powerful Words Can Guarantee You Success

I see it happen all too often on the internet... Read More

The Amazing 3-Step Formula To Success!

Believe it or not, there is a special 3-step formula... Read More

Success Is Based On A Realistic Plan

Everyone wants to be successful. However, many people often rely... Read More

Reach Your Goals - Use Your Holidays

Use birthdays and other gift-giving holidays to help reach your... Read More

Success Intelligence : Attitudes to Success

For each of us, how successful we feel will depend... Read More

Plan to Succeed

Have you ever made plans in your career but never... Read More

As Long As You Try Your Best, There Is No Such Thing As Failure

I always say to my children, as long as you... Read More

What is Your Process of Discovery?

When Julie looks through the lens of her camera she... Read More

A Friends Evaluation

Evaluations are a tremendous resource to help us know where... Read More

Creating Meaningful Success

'No man is an island' the saying goes. The implication... Read More

Discover Your Path to Success - Part 3

If you have read this far, we both know you... Read More

The Four Key Traits of Highly Successful People

Recently, I was asked to write a Top 10 list... Read More

From Making a Living to Creating a Lifestyle

(excerpted from the Day That Turns Your Life Around)After having... Read More

You, 5.0: How To Master Any Skill Quickly

So you want to expand your horizons by securing a... Read More

Book Summary: The Seven Spiritual Laws Of Success

Dr. Deepak Chopra is a well-known author of more than... Read More

Remembering What You Read - Nine Effective Strategies

Reading lots these days? Having trouble remembering and recalling? For... Read More

Creating Success - Understand The Tao of Success

One of the most important aspects of creating success involves... Read More

Awaken to Something New in Your Life: Conscious Change

What do we want most from life? Certainly, we all... Read More

For Meeting Planners: Organizing Your Office for Less Stress and More Profit

If you discovered your speaking career depended on how organized... Read More

Changing Your Mind Can Be a Wrestling Match

If you've been walking this earth for any length of... Read More

Plan On Opposition to Your New Ideas. It?s Normal!

Lets face it, no one enjoys rejection. But the reality... Read More

Work Smarter Not Harder

When you are working over time but yet you do... Read More

Overcoming The Fear Of Money

Many people, it seems, have a fear of money. Does... Read More

7 Tips for Success

In this article we mention 7 tips for your success.... Read More

8 Ultimate Secrets Skyrocket Your Success!

Whenever I ask people this question, "what do you really... Read More

Reach Your Goals - Have A Pitch Party

Have a "Pitch Party" Invite friends and work together to... Read More

Hows Work Going?

Think how often you see a friend or an acquaintance... Read More

Personal Traits You Need To Succeed

Hello again! I have some more useful tips you can... Read More

The Story of Big Jim

The power went out. Again!I looked out my second story... Read More

Success = Prosperity

Material or physical success is often measured by the level... Read More

How My Friend Bob Went From Being A Failure To A Winner By Taking Intelligent Action

Let me tell you story about a friend of mine... Read More

What Is Your Legacy of Success?

Success! Easy to talk about, but difficult to achieve. Or... Read More

Think Yourself To Success

-- The One Pager Shortcut Series --What are the sharpest... Read More