Okay, I couldn’t keep my thoughts all to myself this time so some of you already know what I am writing about today. Should have written about it weeks ago, but Father Time has yet to make more hours in the day for me!

 

“Sarah Palin’s $150K Makeover” – there I said it! Before I begin, let me assure you that this is absolutely non-political and totally bi-partisan. Remember, the race is over . . . I just want to talk a little about the makeover and the statement that it makes.

 

Sarah’s appearance went from capable, homey mom (and there’s nothing wrong with that) to that of a high profile successful business woman. Here is a woman who has already attained the highest position in Alaska state government yet she (and her party) felt that refining her image during the campaign was important enough to spend $150k to do so! The goal, of course, was for people to see Sarah as more professional and, therefore, more capable.

 

There are some people whose appearance shouts “Success!”I’m sure that you know at least one or two. For others, their appearance might scream “Haven’t made it yet!” Which one do you think is better? Which one would you prefer? Whether or not you have attained the level of success that you desire is really not the issue. Sarah hadn’t made vice president, but she started dressing as if she had. This is an important lesson no matter what type of business you’re in  . . . to dress the part of the life you want even if you’re not there yet or not even close.

 

If your life keeps you close to home and you have no desire to venture out much, date, socialize, etc., then wearing sweats all the time is fine for you; there is no need for you to dress any differently. However, if you have the drive to be a successful business person, your image is hugely important. Statistics say 55% of a first impression is made based upon your outer appearance and within 3 seconds someone will form an opinion about you . . . just 3 seconds. Here’s another one: 95% of employers interviewed said a jobseeker's personal appearance affected their opinion of the applicant’s suitability for the job! These stats are true whether you’re an entrepreneur or in sales; you are either selling a product or you are selling yourself. And, successful people (and people who desire to be successful) want to do business with other successful people!

 

What does your image currently say about you? Does your image match you