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Category: Personal Development

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Accounting Best Practices Entrepreneurship Health and Wellness Industries Management Marketing Skills Technology Women In Business

Maximize the First 30 Minutes of Each Day

How do you set the tone and maximize productivity at the beginning of each day? Do you give yourself space to map things out or are you more of a wing-it kind of person? I believe how you START your day, sets the intention and momentum for how the rest of the day’s will transpire. When you begin with 30-minutes of focused attention to what really matters most –  that time will pay generous dividends by the end of the day.

Here are strategies maximize productivity and ensure a successful day in the first 30 minutes:

  1. Turn OFF your phones. It’s all right. That magical device that is glued to hands seemingly every waking minute of the day, delivering phone calls, chats, text messages and emails at an often-alarming rate does turn off. So does the desk phone! Take 30 minutes to create space for focus. It will all be there when you turn it back on. It’s just an hour. And there’s voicemail! If it’s important, they’ll leave a message or call back.  If you want to maximize productivity – turn off your phones.
  2. Close your door. If you’ve got one. This sends a signal to your team (or your family if you are a work-from-home entrepreneur) that you are unavailable unless there is an emergency. If you are new to the practice, educate your team what procedures you want to have in place when your door is closed. Once everyone is on board that this is your time to create, get strategic, work a business plan, and map out your day, they’ll recognize the importance. Especially when they see the RESULTS.  If you are forced to work in an open environment, consider headphones. I used this technique in one organization, and people eventually got the idea that when your headphones are in, it’s the equivalent of a do-not-disturb sign.
  3. Use smart time-blocking. My recommendations? Book all meetings to start after 9.00 am. If you’ve always had early morning meetings, this might be a tough change, but if needed, can you start your “clock” an hour earlier to ensure that you have a full 30 minutes to complete your planning?
  4. Start off-site if possible.  Can you complete your 30-minute mindset and strategy session BEFORE you walk through your office doors? That way when you are actually in office – you hit the ground running. Once you’ve mastered this, teach your team. Once they’ve mastered it – your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will go through the roof. A study done by Ctrip shared that remote workers are able to complete 13.5% more than their comparable office workers. How’s that for food for thought.
  5. Quit the clutter. Seriously. Inboxes. Coffee cups. Paperwork piles. These distractions are stealing brain bandwidth and steering your attention away from streamlining your day. Out with them!  Maximize productivity by decreasing visual distractions.
  6. Check off that early morning workout. If you can muster it, get your exercise out of the way first thing. Start small if you have (15-30-minute increments) but do start. You’ll feel like you’ve already checked one big daily goal off your to-do list! Cheers!
  7. Nix the gossip in the bud. Honestly, gossip is one of the biggest time, energy, and productivity drains an organization can have. We Aussies call a gossip a “flibbertigibbet”. Studies show that 39% of workers admit that gossip and workplace chat are their biggest productivity killers. Another study conducted by Equisys also shared that the average employee spends 65 hours a year gossiping in the workplace! Cull this invasive “thief” from your company if you truly want to maximize productivity.

Starting your day in planning mode will help you stay focused, on track, and set the right tone for not just your day – but that of those around you. Lead by example. Pay ATTENTION to the INTENTION you set for each day. Your productivity, profitability, and bottom-line results will reflect your efforts!

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Best Practices Growth Health and Wellness Human Resources Management Women In Business

You Think You’re Paying Attention? You’re NOT! Say NO to Interruptions

Do you remember when you were growing up and your parents would say: “Don’t interrupt when grownups are talking?”

Ever had your parents say “Pay attention to what you are doing?”

Now we ARE the grownups and somehow, we’ve forgotten those very basic rules of engagement.

We cannot pay attention to what we are doing if we are constantly battling interruptions. Better yet, when we interrupt others, we are disrespecting their need for attention. Don’t believe you fit into one of these categories? Think again!

If you have ever:

  • interrupted another person when they were speaking;
  • stopped daily tasks to answer digital demands – text messages, alerts, personal emails or social media;
  • walked into another person’s workspace unannounced or without a scheduled time;
  • checked work email or messages during family time outside of the office;
  • surfed the internet during a task, telephonic or video conference call;
  • answered a text message while driving;
  • interrupted a social event to take a call or answer a message;
  • sent, or responded to, an after-hour message to a coworker or employees;
  • lost your train of thought mid-project or mid-sentence of a conversation;
  • answered a non-critical phone call mid-task,

Then you are living in a world of interruptions and distractions, unable to truly pay attention to what matters most.

You see, I believe distractions decay our ability to think clearly, remain focused and be productive. When we allow for interruptions – or become the interruptions – we are limiting our ability to pay attention to what matters most. As a result, we feel frustrated and stressed from our ‘crazy busy’ lives where we interruptions and distractions are costing us our ability to get anything of any real value accomplished.

I challenge you to pay attention. Become mindful of your daily distractions and interruptions – those you suffer from and those you create. You have the control to change how, when and what you focus on achieving. You have the control to change your demands of other people’s attention as well.

Become an Attention Ambassador in your workplace and demonstrate to others – Attention Pays.

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Growth Management Operations Personal Development

Six Customer Service Amazement Tools

Ask 10 people about the best customer service companies, and you would expect to hear names like Nordstrom, Ritz-Carlton, Apple, Amazon, Zappos, and a few others. When Business Week listed the top companies last year, those names were on the list, along with some others as well, including Ace Hardware.

Ace Hardware is a chain of small, locally owned stores that manage to thrive in a very competitive marketplace among “big box” stores that are 10 times larger and spend 30 times more on advertising. How do they do it? Ace has successfully instilled a special brand of customer service built on being helpful. Ace employees will help with a weekend project, locate an obscure part … do whatever they can to be helpful.

If you are striving to build a successful business, customer service must be the foundation. If you come to the competitive world of business without a sound customer service strategy, your may watch your plans crumble as your customers seek a better experience. Study the “rock stars” of customer service like Ace Hardware to learn what sets them apart. Here are some basic strategies the top companies use to set themselves apart and reach a higher level of customer service:

  • Customize your style of service and make it part of your brand. Like Ace with its focus on helpful, deliver a special version of customer service that is unique to your business. Ace promises to be the most helpful hardware store on the planet – not just the nicest (although that’s part of it) – and judging by its continuous success in the customer service arena, Ace is living its promise.

 

  • Don’t make it too complicated. The best companies can clearly state their vision, and all employees are working together to achieve it. State your vision (or motto, mantra, etc.) in a clear and concise phrase or sentence. Ace is “the helpful hardware place.” The Ritz-Carlton’s employees know its credo, “We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.” By knowing and following these simple brand statements, company personnel deliver amazing customer service that customers appreciate and remember.

 

  • Hire the right people. Consider the mission and vision of the company as well as the personality you want the company to project, and then hire people who will fulfill the mission. It takes the right people to create a service-oriented culture.

 

  • After hiring right, train the employees properly. This means not only teaching the technical skills, but also, you guessed it, customer service.

 

  • Trust and empower the employees to do the job you hired them to do. After they are trained in all aspects of the job, let them do it and trust them to do their best.

 

  • Don’t forget to celebrate success. Once you have trained your employees and empowered them to take ownership of their responsibilities, let them know you appreciate their hard work by celebrating their successes.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling business author. For information, contact 314-692-2200 or www.hyken.com. For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs, go to www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken

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Human Resources Management Marketing Personal Development Women In Business

Developing a Curious Mindset

James Taylor recently interviewed me regarding developing a curiosity mindset. James is a keynote speaker, author and entrepreneur on a mission to help people and organizations maximize, market and monetize their creativity.

To hear the interview, you can go to: https://www.jamestaylor.me/diane-hamilton/. 

The following are highlights of what we discussed in the interview:

  • Curiosity and its decline
  • Creativity and AI
  • Beginning of current fascination
  • Uniqueness of the next generation
  • Data from assessments
  • Muse and inspiration
  • Disagreeing with other’s vision
  • Daniel Goleman and Reuven Baron
  • Promising and delivering
  • Benefits of working under pressure
Categories
Best Practices Growth Personal Development

Rebrand with Your Brand Equity Intact

Rebranding is risky! Be careful! Ever notice that so many brands disappear right after they’re acquired? It’s because the acquirers thought they could do whatever they want with the brand—they thought they “owned” it.

Perhaps the new acquisition is just another label to them, or maybe a new outlet for their raw materials. Or, maybe they wanted a blank slate for their marketing team to redesign. Maybe they wanted it to feel like their other brands. Whatever the reason may be, the brand they acquired was, and is, owned by the customers! This makes the acquirer more of a brand representative than a brand owner.

Serious changes to the catchphrase, logo, packaging, or positioning can diminish the brand’s equity the acquirers thought they purchased. Why? Ultimately, because brand equity is customer loyalty. The brand isn’t strong enough to keep its present customers through any changes that dissatisfy them. It’s delicate, and it’s risky to mess with.

When the brand’s customer base feels a significant change, they become suspicious. The brand’s perception of authenticity and entrepreneurial look may have kept them faithful. It could’ve been the reliable positioning and familiarity that kept them coming back. It was their brand, but someone has “degraded” and “ruined” it, giving a friendly, original label a boring, “corporate” look.

When it comes to rebranding, we recommend evolution, not revolution! Be cautious as to not drop your supporters and customers along the way. Keep in mind, consumers don’t want to shop for new brands. They are only so faithful and forgiving because finding a new brand leads to uncertainty, anxiety, and potential disappointment. So, take it slow. Be patient. Rebranding while keeping your customers is an art. You need a sharp sensitivity to your consumer’s concerns—those who actually own the brand.

What do devoted customers expect the brand to look like? What do they think it represents? What do they expect quality, price, and status to be like? What kinds of changes will lead to suspicion, doubt, and loss of trust? Get this all figured out first! Unless you want to rebuild your customer base from scratch, you may not have the privilege of making big, drastic changes. We like to say, “Competition doesn’t kill brands. Self-inflicted wounds do!” Rebranding an already-established brand, especially when it comes to larger corporations, can be a death sentence.

One of the most frequent errors we’ve seen in rebranding is corporate standardization—for standardization’s sake. It makes things easier for the corporation (as if that’s a real reason to disappoint the customer). Quality ques are the first to go. The use of pricier treatments and inks in labels, like silver and gold, are eliminated. The logo comes next. It’s usually simplified into a version with less color, character, and individuality. It is now apparent to the customer that this is just part of a wide range of brands owned by a giant corporation, not an entrepreneur’s only brand. To the customer, the brand is losing its individuality and even breaking its promise.

After rebranding, there’s always discussion in the press about whether the new or old brand is better. But we think successful rebranding should be delicately phased—there is no debate because the change was so gradual that nobody even noticed. Of course, being noticed is the fundamental goal of rebranding. Drastic changes will be noticed alright—Just be prepared to rebuild when you rebrand!

For more, read on: http://csnetworkadvis.staging.wpengine.com/advisor/michael-houlihan-and-bonnie-harvey/

Categories
Growth Management Personal Development

How Are You Expressing Gratitude as a Leader?

There’s all sorts of science out there that supports the notion that gratitude is good for us. Psychology Today, for instance, ran an article not long ago that listed seven “scientifically proven” benefits of having a thankful attitude. Among them: You’ll be more physically fit, sleep better, and increase your mental strength. Plus, you’ll become fabulously wealthy.

Ok, I made that last one up. But if it does happen, you’ll have another reason to be thankful. In the meantime, you might need some other reasons to embrace an attitude of gratitude. But when you’re counting those blessings, don’t limit yourself to the typical personal things like your health, your family, and your friends. Extreme Leaders go further. So, you should also give thanks to the people in your work world – to your employees, your colleagues, and your customers and clients, not just for what they do, but for who they are. That’s one way you demonstrate love as a leader.

Employees

It’s always good to acknowledge people for their work performance – for meeting deadlines, achieving goals, hitting targets, etc. But many of their contributions are hard to measure, even though they add real value – things like compassion, service to others, grit, or honesty. Express your gratitude by rewarding those things. Give someone a bonus or a raise or a gift certificate to the movie theater, for instance, simply because you appreciate who they are. You might have arrived at that appreciation because of their actions, but focus on the actions that are selfless and not tied directly to their performance review – catching them in the act of cleaning the break room or regularly helping co-workers solve problems even when it’s not part of their job description.

Colleagues

I define colleagues as people in my work circle who don’t look at me as their boss. It could be someone on the same rung of the organizational ladder, vendors or other people who work with your organization but not within it.

Because you work with them and around them, these folks provide value through the things they do for you. But you will make their day if you find some tangible way to express your gratitude for their character. You might send a heart-felt email thanking them for always responding promptly to your questions. Or maybe can publicly acknowledge how they handled a difficult situation with a co-worker or client.

Customers and clients

Who among us isn’t thankful for our customers and clients? They keep us in business, right? But how can we thank them for who they are, not just what they do for us?

One way is to nominate them for an award. For instance, some publications recognize individuals and businesses in special issues. You might nominate someone for a 40-under-40 list or nominate a company as best-in-class. Or consider the impact on your best client if she’s driving into work when she hears an ad on the radio and it’s your voice listing her company as one that operates with the values you respect and admire.

You also might even reward them on the spot when you witness them doing something you appreciate. If you own a shoe store, for instance, you could give away something each day to a valued customer. Imagine these words from you or a salesperson: “We noticed how patient and loving you are with your toddler, and we really admire that. Here’s a certificate for a free ice cream cone at the shop next door.”

We all appreciate recognition for helping our teams and organizations succeed. But we also have a basic human need to feel loved and appreciated for something more. Unconditional love says, You are important to me because you are you. The more you share that message, the more trust you build and the more you inspire others.

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Accounting Economics Entrepreneurship Management Marketing Negotiations News and Politics Operations Skills Women In Business

8 Words That Will Make You a Better Negotiator – Part 1

“Choose your words carefully in a negotiation, they’ll determine your degree of effectiveness.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

This article is part 1 of a two-part article. It contains an explanation of the first 4 of the 8 words that you can use to become a better negotiator. Part 2 will be released in the next ‘Negotiation Tip of the Week’.

Now imagine the new you, not limited, because you are instantly free.

There are 4 words contained in the sentence above that will make you a better negotiator. Do you know which words they are, how to use them, and why they’ll give you an advantage when negotiating? After reading this article, you’ll know why 4 of those words have such power, and how to use them in your negotiations.

“You misunderstood me”, said the first person to the second. “No, I didn’t. You used words that had a different meaning then what I understood,” was the response.

Communications can get dicey when negotiating.  Thus, you should always be mindful of the words you use, and which words have a greater impact on the negotiation.

The first 4 words are, new, free, because, and you.

1. New – Everyone is drawn to the word, ‘new’. It symbolizes something that’s not been seen/heard and/or revised. Some people are influenced by this word simply because they want to be/remain state-of-the-art. They want to be part of what’s trending so that they can be in-the-know.

Use the word, ‘new’, in your negotiations when you wish to instill a degree of excitement about a changed or enhanced position/offer. Be mindful of not overusing it. To do so will weaken its impact.

2. Free – Who doesn’t like to get something for free? The word, ‘free’, has been used throughout time to draw people in to examine how they might acquire something for nothing. At least that’s their initial impression when they see or hear the word, ‘free’.

In your negotiations, you can use the word, ‘free’, as a tool of risk reversal (i.e. I’ll reduce or eliminate the risk of accepting what I’m stating to be true). As an example, you might offer the other negotiator the opportunity to examine or engage in your offer for a period of time before she makes a commitment to engage further. By doing so, she’ll have the time to experience for herself the value of what you state as the outcome she’ll receive.

3. Because – Studies have shown, when you use the word, ’because’ in a request, people are more likely to grant your request. This has been borne out even when there’s no following reason given after the word ‘because’ is used.

Use the word, ‘because’, when making a request during a negotiation to give the other negotiator more insight into why you’re making the request. You’ll be giving him more insight into your negotiation strategy, so be alert about how much information you give and only give what’s needed at the time.

4. You – There’s nothing more powerful to you than the sound of your name. Your name captures your immediate attention. In a negotiation, it would become tiresome to continuously use someone’s name. That’s where the word, ‘you’, comes in.

During a negotiation, you can use the other negotiator’s name when speaking to him; a subliminal trick would be to tie his name to the word, ‘you’, every time there’s a perceived positive aspect to the negotiation (e.g. John, the outcome of this negotiation is going to make you look like a superhero to your bosses!)

You now have new insights into how the above words can instantly increase your negotiation abilities. You acquired these words for free because you read this article. Imagine what this new knowledge will do for you. Use these words in your negotiations … and everything will be right with the world.

Please be sure to see the next “Negotiation tip of the Week” for the other 4 words that complete the list of ‘8 Words That Will Make You A Better Negotiator”. 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

To receive Greg’s free 5-minute video on reading body language or to sign up for the “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

Remember, you’re always negotiating.

#HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #psychology

Categories
Growth Management Personal Development

Executive Leadership Tips to Reshape Company Culture

For many leaders and senior-level executives, the phrase “company culture” may sound like a soft, feel-good slogan, but in fact research shows that having a positive work culture is a hard core business practice.

Maybe you’ve actually bought into the importance of your work culture, however, it’s tempting to look for the “hack” for creating your optimal company culture. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just click on the ‘download’ button and, after just a few short minutes (depending on your wifi connection), voila, your new company culture would be installed?

Company culture is created slowly and improves slowly, like a good thick gumbo. Like most southern Louisiana cooking, it’s not finished in the blink of an eye, and it will take some time – and effort – to perfect a recipe.

If your employee engagement is down, gossip is running rampant, and your team members are not trusting one another, efforts will need to begin with a cohesive, committed, collaborative leadership team. Notice I didn’t say you should start with a strategic plan. That’s where many team leaders start, and that’s their first mistake.

All of the strategies and all of the plans in the world won’t work if your leadership team is pulling against one another instead of all rowing in the same direction.

I work with executive leadership teams to help them to function effectively so that they can achieve results in a much shorter time frame. Once we’ve accomplished that, then we get to work on strategy.

Think about what kind of experience you want to create for your customers and then what kind of environment you want to cultivate for your employees. The two are intertwined.

Try these steps to reshape your company culture:

Don’t take yourself too seriously. Southwest Airlines experienced a major computer outage right before my flight. Needless to say, there were delays, passengers were, uh, cranky, and stress was high. Once in flight, our flight attendant had everyone in stitches, served drinks on the house, and literally turned what could have been a nightmare into a pleasant experience. Southwest has worked hard to build a fun company culture. Team members are given latitude and encouraged to express their sense of humor. Throw some spice and spirit into your workplace culture wherever you can. Throw a mini office parade next time your team hits a mile-marker, complete with noise-makers, music, and beads to toss.

Place people over profits. Your team members will treat your customers no better than you treat your employees. Take an interest in your people. Ask what they’re working on, struggling with, what stresses they face. Talk to them about their learning and growth goals.

Know what business you’re in. Zappo’s is not just in the shoe business and Harley Davidson is not just in the motorcycle business. These CEO’s are all about creating exceptional experiences for their customers. Ensure that your employees understand the business they’re in and this will drive the company’s work culture.

Provide challenging work. Studies show that ease is actually a path to dissatisfaction. In fact, when it gets easy, we tend to check out. Provide work that allows team members to stretch their super powers and use their strengths to make them feel valued.

Ask employees what you could be doing better. Don’t assume that no news is good news. Ask for feedback. Ask how the work environment could be improved. Ask what employees like and dislike about their jobs. Ask, ask, ask. Then listen, listen, listen and then take action to make improvements.

Improving your company culture can seem daunting, but you can do it by consistently applying these practices over time. The message must come from you, the leader, and be consistent throughout all levels of the organization. Oh, and in case you didn’t pick up on that, consistency is the key.

CHIME IN:

  • What are some areas where you’d like to improve?
  • What would you add to this list?
  • How you created a positive company culture in your organization?
  • Leave a comment below and share your insights with our community.
Categories
Growth Management Personal Development Technology

Do or Don’t Do, Complain is Not an Option

Recently I wrote an article about why compliance is good and how it can drive security. After I wrote it I saw a conversation on LinkedIn where security professionals talking a lot of crap about compliance and I thought, “ was I wrong?” That was a fleeting thought and I knew I wasn’t wrong in what I had written, but I also knew that we can’t keep complaining about the situation, talk shit, or roll our eyes; we actually have to do something that will impact change or we are just part of the problem.

So what can we do about making a change so that compliance has a positive impact on security?

Let’s start with the reason compliance gets such a bad wrap. Security professionals don’t see compliance help improve the security posture of an organization and organizational leaders see it as a cost for something they don’t understand.

It looks something like this: 1) the organizational leaders have a bad attitude about it, thinking “it won’t happen to me” and do the bare minimum for compliance in order to stay in business and avoid fines, 2) businesses are run by business people and they may not truly understand there is a difference between compliance and security, and/or 3) due to the attitude or lack of understanding they don’t provide the resources needed (people, budget, time).

For the leaders, let’s be real anything that can happen to the other guy can happen to you too. If Target, Sony, Whole Foods, Equifax, and so many more it would take an entire article to list them all (you’ve read the headlines) can be hacked, so can you.

For the security and compliance professionals, if executives don’t understand the difference between compliance and security are we really doing our job? Are making their lives easier or harder? Are we just selling them something and leaving or are we really advising and consulting?

No one this world is immune to bad things happening, but these two groups together can do something to improve the odds.

When these two groups come closer together in understanding, conversation, collaboration, and implementation we will actually start to move the needle.

The point of this short article is not a big how to list or more checkboxes. It is an awareness piece. If you are reading this as an executive you have a responsibility to learn more about how compliance and security are implemented in your organization. You must provide the necessary resources.

If you are a security or compliance professional how can you help your clients navigate this so that it isn’t so hard, so expensive, and so daunting? What can you do to help them operationalize security and compliance and make it part of doing business?

I don’t have all the answers, no one does, but we have to start talking about it. We have to stop complaining and start acting. We don’t have to know how we just have to know it’s possible and that is’t important, but we have start having different conversations. What problem are we really trying to solve and who wants to take real responsibility for solving it?

If you want to further this discussion I welcome a conversation, I want to help come up with the answers that I don’t have. I can’t do it alone because there are much smarter people than me out there. But until enough of us come together to solve the problem and for that matter identify what the problem really is, not much is going to change.

Email sharon@c-suiteresults.com so we can talk in more detail.

Categories
Best Practices Leadership Marketing Skills

Dressing Well for the Camera

Video is the new black. It has forged to the forefront of marketing campaigns and is seen as the best platform to get your message out. Written content and audio are still great, but video brings in the component of both visual and audio communication. As noted in my book, I.C.U., The Comprehensive Guide to Breathing Life Back Into Your Personal Brand, humans are wired to interpret things visually first. It is the most dominant of our senses. So how you appear on camera matters. There will be a time when you will be in front of a video camera, whether it is creating video marketing content, being interviewed as the CEO of your company, or presenting to an audience. I want to make sure you are prepared to bring forth your best self visually.

I partnered with Nancy Morrisey, Vice President of Mirage Productions in New Jersey to gain insight on what her production company recommends to video clients. “No black, white, or vertical stripes” is Nancy’s first piece of advice she offers her clients. Below is a collaboration of her input and my 20+ years of expertise as a brand manager, personal brand strategist, image consultant, and professionally trained model.

Color and Pattern

  • BEST COLOR CHOICES: Gray, Navy, Light Blue, Royal Blue, Brown, Purple, Pink, Pastels
  • COLORS TO AVOID: Black, White
  • COLORS TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT: Green, Red

Mid- to deep tone colors work best. It is a good idea to do a pop of color. For example, if you choose a gray jacket, put a royal blue or purple shirt underneath, or a red or purple necktie.

If possible, know what the background color will be. If there will be a green screen, then you must avoid wearing green.

Red and orange can be hard on camera as they have a tendency to glow. If you choose to wear red, make sure it is a dark red.

High contrast such as black and white together is very hard on camera and can cause problems for the camera to balance exposure properly as is the case of wearing all black or all white. The same black and white contrast principal holds true with contrast between your skin coloring and clothing color. If you have very light skin, avoid wearing a dark color and vice versa.

Solids work best. Stripes, pinstripes, herringbone, corduroy, and polka dots cause a camera to jump and create a moiré effect making the garment look like it is moving.

If you will be on set, I always recommend bringing one backup outfit. You never know if you will spill something on yourself or have a wardrobe malfunction. Also, sometimes you do not know in advance what the background will be and you don’t want to clash with it. So a backup outfit comes in handy.

Shape, Fit, and Line

Make sure your clothing fits your shape nicely and smoothly. Any wrinkling or bulging will only be emphasized on camera. The tighter the clothing, the larger you appear. Anything loose or ill-fitting will add weight to you and make you appear sloppy. Clean lines and silhouettes are always best. Avoid plunging necklines. Wear something that is comfortable to you. If you don’t, that will come across in your body language on camera. It can be hot under the lights, so wearing a lighter weight fabric will keep you from sweating.

Ladies, if you are going to be sitting during an on-camera interview, check your skirt length in a sitting position beforehand as the skirt length will rise up a bit when you are sitting.

Accessories and Grooming

Minimal jewelry is always appropriate. Shiny jewelry can be hard for a camera. However, as Nancy encourages, if you have an heirloom or special piece of jewelry, by all means, wear it.

Hair should be smooth and not fussy. Flyaway hair is easily seen on camera. In a pinch, hand lotion rubbed on your hands can quickly smooth flyaway hair.

Gone are the days where heavy makeup is required. Keep it simple and do wear a lip color, but keep it in a matte finish. No shiny lip gloss or lip balm. You will want to keep some translucent powder or blotting tissue on hand to touch up any shine.

Cameras can pick up on every piece of facial hair, so be sure you have shaved properly or plucked stray hairs.

Facial Exercises

It is good practice to warm up your mouth with facial exercises. This helps alleviate any nervous twitching of the mouth and allows your face to relax and smile. The facial exercises I was taught in modeling school are the ones I continue to use today. Say each vowel out loud and open your mouth as wide as possible as you are saying the vowel, stretching your mouth and facial muscles as much as possible. Repeat this over and over until you feel loosened up. This is also a tip to use before stepping onto a stage to speak.

Stay True to Brand

The rules above are meant to be a guide. Staying true to your personal brand is always encouraged.

I help executives create a powerful image and brand so they look and feel confident wherever they are. Contact me at sheila@imagepowerplay.com to schedule a 20-minute call to discuss how we can work together to grow your visibility through my return on image® services.