During my personal Branding and image consulting training, I always emphasize on developing your personality.
The truth is that in preparing for opportunities, your persona is crucial. Many people may have great potential but lack the poise and persona required to help them shine, especially when connecting with high-profile individuals. You see, the quality of what comes out of you when people meet you will determine how they interact with you, how you are perceived, how they reward you, and what opportunities they will present to you. Your personality will either make you pleasant or irritable and repulsive. That’s why you must be deliberate about building a strong and pleasant personal brand.
Your brand is your reputation, your identity, and everyone has one, either by design or default. It is what you are known for, what people think of you, and how they feel when they see you or hear your name that can determine the opportunities you get. A positive and pleasant identity is key. It opens doors of opportunities and support. It is an endorsement.
I have enjoyed many favours from strangers just for having a pleasant aura; many people have told me that I possess what the French, in their grand manner refer to as je ne sais quoi.
There is an unmistakable air of confidence, finesse, style and authenticity whenever I step into a room; from the moment I step into a room, everyone knows I have arrived. I have been told I command attention even without trying. It’s in the way that I carry myself, the way I speak, in everything I do; every little detail matters. I deliberately dress and look the part whenever I go out because you never know what opportunities await. I have learnt how to manage the visual messages I communicate. I want to be taken seriously, so I always level it up.
I mean, it’s okay to wear whatever you want or like. You are certainly allowed to have your unique sense of style; just be aware that every choice you make helps create an image, and that image impacts your opportunities. People relate with you based on the perception they have of you. Perception is shaped through communication, verbal and, most often, nonverbal. How you appear, speak or act builds a perception about you, and people will react based on that perception. This reaction cuts across the way they talk to you and act and the opportunities they either bring your way or steer away from you. If you give an impression of a person with the ability to get things done, you will be given access to more work opportunities that can level you up. However, if you are perceived as someone who always gives excuses, these desired opportunities may never come your way, and this becomes your reality. You must start by being deliberate about how you are perceived. That said, you’ve got to come correct always.
First impressions are lasting, and for most opportunities in life, you get only one shot to get the attention of those who matter. When the lights come on, it’s action, and you must be ready when the camera is on you.