Image coaching

Sarah Brummitt was interviewed by Management Today.

professionally and intensively qualified in the art and science of image – both in the UK and US. Sarah works with individuals and organizations to understand their professional development goals.

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for us to consider our image, not only when we go for a job interview or to the initial sales meeting or when sitting in front of the board of directors, but also in everyday business life. This is key for a number of reasons, and she explains the major one as, “Firstly, because for us as human beings we are instinctively judgemental, we inform impressions quickly and respectively and those will enable us to make discussions and judgements, rightly or wrongly about capabilities, so we have to consider our image”.

One of the major mistakes that people make around their image is that they don’t think it is that important. Sarah works with people who are very technically skilled and proficient, and they are great at their job. “The issue comes in the package or the brand and if that isn’t right, that can get in the way of them realising their full potential,” Sarah explains.

important whether we are starting our careers, or we are top executives. Sarah emphasises this, saying, “Well the reality is everyone’s got a personal brand whether

62 Management Today | August 2011 Our personal brand or image is She maintains that it is important

arah Brummitt is an award winning image consultant and only one of three women worldwide who is

they like it or not, but the problem is that most people’s branding is accidental. In other words, they don’t realise that they are communicating this impression to the world and that means that they don’t utilise their strengths”. So it is important to know the brand that you want to communicate to the world, and be consistent in how you do that.

a period of recession, Sarah maintains that it is even more important now to invest in our image, as there are many more candidates going for interviews and it is even more competitive. She says, “If you are up against people who are as technically qualified as you are, the challenge that you are faced with is: how do you stand out from the crowd for the right reasons, rather than blending in with the wrong ones? That is why it is vital to look after, and develop your image and presence.” Sarah gives us some points on how to have a fresh look even if you are on a tight budget and cannot afford that new suit – first of all, make sure that your clothes fit well; this makes a huge difference to your appearance. Secondly, try to get your clothes dry- cleaned to refresh them and make sure they look their absolute best even though they are not brand new.

that Sarah sees people making in the 21st century business world, is being under-dressed. We have a more casual working environment now, and Sarah explains that people need to be aware of walking into a room and wearing a

The most common cultural mistake Although most of the world is still in