Tag Archives: personal image consultant

Email Signatures Add Credibility, by Kimberly Law, AICI CIP

As a business owner, everyday I receive unsolicited emails from companies promoting their products and services. Each of these business solicitors tell me their product can make my business more successful. They provide information about how they have researched my image & etiquette consulting business ‘Personal Impact Image Management International’. And why they feel I need their help.

Although I personally don’t like to receive unsolicited email, occasionally something will arrive in my outlook inbox that looks interesting and could potentially be of value to my business.

I read through the email with great interest and then arrive at the signature line. All too often they look like this:

emailThis email signature lacks credibility. Other then the person’s name, it does not tell me anything about the person or the company they work for.

  • It does not provide a company name,
  • It does not provide the company location,
  • It does not provide a contact telephone number,
  • This person is marketing website SEO –  however there is no indication they even have a website; and
  • The email address in the email signature is a gmail account which would lead the consumer to believe this is a personal email address rather than a business email address.

The signature below provides credibility to the company. There are no secrets.

email2A good email signature should include the following information:

  • Your name,
  • Your position (if applicable),
  • Company’s name,
  • Contact telephone number,
  • Company address (if applicable),
  • Company website; and
  • Contact email address.

Providing full information provides the potential client the opportunity to research your company before contacting you. This also provides reassurance to your potential client that you, your company and the product or service you are offering are credible.

Your personal image consultant,

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How to Make Your Feet Look Slimmer or Wider by Kimberly Law, Certified Image Consultant

The shoes you wear can have a major effect on how slim or wide your feet look. The trick is the simpler the shoe and the more front to back details like a long opening or (vamp),  the slimmer your feet will look. To widen your feet  add extra colours, details, texture and horizontal lines like a square toe.

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Gift Giving at Work by Kimberly Law, Certified Image Consultant

During the Christmas season although it may be customary to give gifts to friends and family it can be a little confusing at work. Especially when you don’t know the etiquette for gift giving and there is no written company policy.

Here are three tips to make office gift giving less awkward:images

  1. If you are new to the job, check the company policy for gift giving. Some company’s allow it and others don’t.  If office policy permits or promotes gift giving to co-workers or you are expected to play the role of secret Santa at your holiday party, stick to the limits and guidelines that have been suggested.
  2. If you have developed a friendship with a co-worker and want to give a gift that is beyond the expected, it should be given outside the work environment.
  3. Gifts for the boss are not generally expected and may be considered brown-nosing when undertaken alone. If you wish to buy your boss a gift, ask staff members to chip in for a group gift instead.

Happy Holidays!

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All the Best for your Winter Celebration Kimberly Law, AICI CIP

With Diwali now past and American Thanksgiving coming up this week, November is kick off month for many cultural and religious winter celebrations. Depending on your imagesupbringing or culture, you may enjoy the festivities of Diwali, American Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas or another of the many celebrations during this November or December.

As we become more and more global it is important that we open our eyes and our hearts to the traditions of other cultures. We need to remember that even though all cultures are not all the same, we all deserve the same level of respect, acknowledgement and appreciation.

As you gather together with family and friends this Festive Season, I wish you and yours all the best for your celebration.

Happy Celebrating!!

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How To Make Airplane Odors More Bearable

Unless you are traveling first class, the term personal space unfortunately does not apply on an airplane. Being in close contact with others over a long period of time can be unbearable, especially when unsatisfactory odors accompany them.  Here are three odors to consider before boarding an airplane:

  • With many airlines opting out of providing a meal for their passengers many of us bring food onto the plane to eat during our flight. When deciding what to bring consider your neighbours. While strong smelling foods may be appealing to you, they may not be appealing to the person sitting next to you. Whenever possible, choose food items with more subtle odors or odors that don’t linger.
  • Body odor is not only social killer; it can make the person sitting next to you on the airplane feel ill. Although it can be caused by lack of hygiene or dental care it is often as result of diet, health issues, smoking, or just too many hours cooped up on an airplane. Before leaving for the airport, take the time to take a shower. Brush your teeth before boarding the airplane and don’t forget to floss and gargle.
  • It may be your favourite fragrance, but it doesn’t mean those around you will appreciate it like you do. Many people are allergic to fragrance; many people are sensitive to fragrance; and many people just don’t like the smell of additional fragrance. Before you leave for the airport consider those who will be near you and apply your fragrance subtly or not at all.  Check out my blog post on Travel Packing Made Easy for more tips.

How to Look Older and More Serious at Work

I remember when I was in my 20’s and 30’s all I could think about was how to look older. It seemed that my friends and colleagues who looked older were taken more seriously… especially at work. If this is a challenge for you I would suggest the following:

Wear darker colours – Darker colours come across more mature and authoritative. By wearing them you might not look older but you will come across more experienced and will look like you know what you are talking about.

Wear make-up tastefully – For those of us women who look young, we tend to look even younger when we don’t wear make-up. Make-up will not only make you look older, but is the finishing touch in the wardrobe package. When worn tastefully, it draws attention to your face and will increase your look of authority.

Tame the mane – Big hair or long distracting hair will make you look less mature, less serious and less polished. To focus attention on your abilities rather than your hair, keep it neat and away from your face. This can be done by cutting or tying it back.

Don’t be a walking bill-board – Although we do want our clothing and accessories to appear up-to-date and current at work; we don’t want to be a walking bill-board for all of the latest in fashion styles and accessories. When choosing accessories for the workplace… less is better – less quantity; fewer details and smaller scale.

Is the Way You Dress for Work Up to Par?

According a poll done on Workplace Attire by Reuters/Ipsos, dressing appropriately for work really can make the different between failure and success on the job. Here are a few of the statistics:

  • 66% of employees say senior managers should always be more dressed up then their employees.
  • 55% think someone prescribed attire is more productive.
  • 37% think casually dressed workers will never make it to a senior management position.

The interesting thing about these findings is that I hear this all the time from my corporate clients. Employers really do care how their employees represent their company and feel it does impact their productivity and chances for advancement.  They feel that appropriate dress is important and they know their clients feel the same way.

To learn more about this poll and findings: http://www.ipsos-na.com/download/pr.aspx?id=9809

Use Colour to Harmonize or Dramatize

When applying make-up, colour can be combined in various ways to create different results. Color can create a harmonizing effect by enhancing an individual’s natural colouring. It can also create drama.

  • Similar colours harmonize
  • Contrasting colours next to each other emphasize one another and add dramatize
  • Applying a colour on top of its complementary colour (opposite colours on the colour wheel) will neutralize both colours.
  • Light and dark colour worn side by side will dramatize the facial features making them appear more pronounced.

Highlight Your Facial Features

Make-up application relates to the actual structure of the head and face.

The natural hills and valleys of the face can be recreated or enhanced with optical illusions created by using light and dark cosmetics.

Highlighting is the application of a make-up colour that is lighter than the surrounding area. This area will appear more pronounced than the area next to it.

Not Sure What to Wear to Work?

Notice what your boss and your clients typically wear. To impress your boss, dress at the same level or slightly more casual. If your boss wears a jacket, so should you. To impress your client, dress at the same level or a little more formal. If your clients always wear jeans, you might want to leave the jacket and the jeans at home. Dress for Success with a tailored bottom and a coordinating top.