How skilled are you at the Art of Marketing Yourself? Can you define your brand? From there, would you know how to build that brand? These questions, and many more are answered in my exciting new audio series The Art of Self Marketing. The Art of Self Marketing covers all aspects of developing and maintaining your image. Do you know how others perceive you? You must make sure you “market” yourself with the proper public image. Some of the topics I cover are:

• Defining Your Brand
• Building a Virtual Brand
• How to Jump Start your Career
• Risk Taking
• Business Dining Etiquette

Don’t miss out on this lively and highly informative opportunity! It’s conveniently available in Audio CD and MP3 format. Click here for more information. And remember, it’s all about Promoting Your Unique Brand!

It’s wonderful to have casual get togethers at the cottage and summer home… as long as they follow some simple, common sense rules. After all, everybody wants to go home more relaxed than they were before they arrived… Here are some of the most important guidelines to follow:

You will be granted Gracious Host status if:

- you find out if your guests have food preferences, allergies, or restrictions.

- plan optional activities and leave lots of room for spontaneity, redirects, or guest input.

- focus on your guests, not your projects. You may think of your visitor as a much needed extra set of hands for work around the home, but they may not quite see it your way.

You may gain Marvelous Guest kudos if:

- you bring a small carefully chosen gift for the hosts

- offer a hand with the tasks

- get to know and go out of your way to respect the house rules and your hosts’ preferred routines

- take the time to follow up with a hand-written Thank You note

Enjoy your summer!

Remember when working life was simple? All you had to check was your incoming mail (as in post office) and maybe a handful of handwritten phone messages on little pink sheets – remember those? Now you’ve got to respond to your e-mail, your voice mail, your shared electronic schedule with integrated to-do list, and so on and so on.

Electronic communication isn’t always a nightmare, but is often frustrating. A few months ago, I wanted to get in touch with a colleague in another city. I tried calling several times, and got voice mail. His greeting never changed, and I thought maybe he was away on business or on vacation.

E-mails didn’t work either. Finally, I called one early morning and he picked up. “I’ve been trying to reach you for a couple of weeks,” I said, barely able to hide my frustration. “I know,” he said sheepishly, “and I apologize. I get about a hundred e-mail and voice mail messages every day, and I can’t get to them all. I wouldn’t have time to do anything else!”

Wow. What can you say to that? When it comes to communication, technology has given us a blessing and a curse. ‘Instant’ electronic communications can improve our productivity, but only to the point where we become swamped and unable to respond. That’s the communication gap – that widening period of time between the electronic message and our ability to respond.

This incident made me really think. Do we have to be frustrated with communicating these days, or could we do it better? And how do we manage our ‘personal brand’ in an age of electronic communications?

THE ANATOMY OF A COMMUNICATION

In the 1990s the service industry developed a quality theory known as ‘moments of truth’. It says that every contact with a customer, from the first telephone inquiry to an estimate to the service experience and even the invoice afterwards, was a ‘moment of truth’ that could be handled well, or handled poorly. The outcomes determined whether a company would ultimately keep or lose that customer.

This interesting concept can be extended to include colleagues as well as customers. You may not risk ‘losing’ a colleague or an associate as you could a customer, but you can certainly lose their attention and your credibility through careless communication. Are we communicating within our own comfort zone, without thinking about the preferences of the other person? Are we communicating in ways that damage our personal images and reputations?

Which brings me back to my experience with my colleague. What could I have done?

Well, I could have done sooner what I ultimately did – pick a strategic time of day to call. Or I could have been very specific in my e-mail and voice mail messages, making a response more obvious and easy. I could have ‘zeroed out’ of voice mail and spoken with an administrative assistant to book a telephone appointment.

Now that I know his predicament, I could simply ask him, “What’s the best way to get hold of you? What do you like best?”

If I do any or all of these things, I gain two benefits. First, I get a faster response. Second, I make a favorable impression that will probably be reciprocated.

CREATE AND MAINTAIN A SIGNATURE LOOK

Clothing is the outward expression of the inner person. It’s important to dress in a way that sends the right message but also looks effortless and natural.

It’s better to be overdressed than under.

Don’t be a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen. Plan and lay out what you’re going to wear several days before the interview, so you’ll have time to shop or get garments pressed and cleaned. The darker and more solid the color, the more elegant and authoritative. With the possible exception of creative fields like advertising or computer programming, it’s best to stick with navy, black or grey.

For women, you have a choice between a pantsuit or a skirted suit. Again, do your homework. For example, when Accenture recruits on college campuses, the firm recommends skirted suits for the first two rounds of interviews, with pantsuits acceptable for the third round. Take your cue from your research into the company and its culture. You might go wrong wearing a casual pantsuit, but it’s almost impossible to go wrong wearing a skirted suit. You can wear matching or coordinating top and bottom. Make sure your skirt length is not too short so as to be distracting to the interviewer. The cardinal rule is that it’s all about your fit with the company.

Accessorize with colorful scarves to add your unique signature. Carry a simple handbag, and keep it in the same color family as your shoes or complimentary to your clothing. Also, if you are carrying a briefcase, choose a smaller purse. Avoid noisy and oversized jewellery; opt for a more refined look and make sure your shoes are in perfect condition. No scraped heels or scuffed leather.

Men, coordinate your shoes and socks with your suit. Socks should match either the shoes or suit color, and be certain that your shoes are freshly shined. The belt and the shoes should be the same color, and the socks should be executive-length so you don’t expose hairy legs if you happen to like sitting with your legs crossed. You might want to check out to see that your soles of your shoes are in perfect condition if you intend to sit in this fashion. If you carry a briefcase, it should also be clean and well-kept. And please, no tie clips, pocket protectors, suspenders worn with a belt (!) or thick rubber soles with a power suit.

Wear your tie as your signature.

It should be silk, and elegantly knotted, like a full or half-Windsor or a four in hand. Choose the type of tie depending on your audience. Stripes and repetitive small patterns typically are appreciated by the more conservative interviewers. Wear bold abstract patterns when you are meeting with creative people and bring out the power tie (red or yellow with strong repetitive patterns) for negotiating your salary. The tie should not extend below your belt. And please, refrain from wearing short-sleeved t-shirts or singlets under your shirts if they are of a thin weave. You don’t want the interviewer to think, h-m-m-m-m, fearless executive by day, longshoreman by night.

The close you choose for that all important interview are critical in generating that positive first impression.