It’s a great question and one that comes up time and time again. Ultimately the answer is yes it is important. Let me explain why.
What is a personal brand?
A Personal Brand is defined as: “what people think and say about you, ie: your unique combination of skills, behaviour and personality. It comes across in the way you look, sound & behave”
If you think of your personal brand as an iceberg: under the waterline are all the elements others cannot see when they first meet you. For example, your strengths & talents, your aspirations, values and personality.
The elements at the tip of the iceberg are those that others can pick up on immediately. For example, your charisma, your body language & tone of voice, your behaviour, dress and appearance.
First Impressions
Research shows that a first impression is made within 7 seconds. I believe that this is heightened when we are operating remotely across video calls. The focus on us becomes significantly more intense when we are front and centre of the screen.
You can see that to create the first impression you desire is reliant upon your personal brand. But how do you communicate it?
Communicating your personal brand
The first step is to determine whether your personal brand is portraying what you want it to. An easy way to assess this is to ask yourself the question: “If my appearance could speak, what would it say about me?”. For example; If you can describe your appearance as confident, trustworthy & reliable then this is how you are perceived by others.
I understand how difficult it can be to know how to show up on video. If you remember one thing, it is this – to be taken seriously, show up as if you mean business. Consider a newsreader; we have no idea what their lower half is dressed in, but from the waist upwards, they are dressed in a way that means business. If we saw them on screen in an un-ironed, casual shirt, it would be a talking point, and we would not focus on what the newsreader says. The same goes for you when you are on screen.
Let us have a look at a few key areas that can help you with your remote presence.
Use of Colour
When the colours you wear near your face are in harmony with your colouring, you are the focal point. However, when you wear colours that do not harmonise, the colour becomes the focus and can be over-powering and create a pale or unwell appearance.
Applying this to your on-screen colour choices, I would recommend avoiding your brightest shades to avoid distracting others. Give a little thought to your background too. For example, if you wear a white shirt in front of a white wall, you could look like the wall!
The camera does not love stripes, so I recommend you avoid stripes on screen. Similarly, if you are wearing pattern, ensure it is not too bold as it could easily distract. Remember, you want your audience to listen to what you say rather than be distracted by how you look.
Accessories
Have you ever considered how much noise your accessories make? No, I’m sure you haven’t! I hadn’t either, but the smallest of noises can get picked up in the age of HD microphones. I have witnessed it happening with jangling earrings, bracelets and even a noisy fabric! So, be aware that your jewellery could be a distraction, particularly if you talk a lot with your hands.
Grooming
The subject of grooming is always a sensitive one and mentioning it to adults feels somewhat patronising. However, please know that I do not intend to patronise you. Grooming is as important when you are on a video as it is if you were working in the office. You would always make an effort when meeting in person so please make this same effort when showing up remotely,
Make-up
Make-up is a tricky one to discuss because not every woman wears or wants to wear make-up. That is a personal choice. However, it is proven that wearing a little make-up conveys the message that you have good time management & organisational skills. I am not saying you should, but why not consider tapping into that fact and using it to your advantage?
The finishing touches
I hope this blog goes some way to demonstrate how your Personal Brand is still important if you work remotely.
Ensuring that you show up in a way that portrays the tip of your iceberg will positively reinforce those all important first impressions.
Pop over to www.sarahgraystyling.com/get-started and book in a chat to find out how I can help you with your workwear wardrobe.
