I wonder if image is everything than why are we always harping on how to have the best image? You would think that after a while people would get that they should dress nice, smell good and have excellent hygiene when they are performing tasks related to business and frankly everyday life.
I am taking an ethics course in school and it brings up this subject yet again. Is it a common theme that those involved in the massage therapy profession have issues with image?
I know that not everyone is able to apply the results once they are learned. I often see people come into job interviews wearing jeans with holes in them, skirts that are way too short and hair that could easily pass for a bird’s nest. Why would you come to an interview that way? If I can look at you and size up in the first thirty seconds that you are not taking this seriously, why should I even bother talking to you?
I think that is the same way I would feel if I was interviewing new massage therapists. This is your business and your life. If you are not always trying to sell then how do you expect to grow your business? What you project is what people will perceive you are selling, which means if you smell like death warmed over I will probably wonder what you were doing last night as opposed to what you are doing in the office today.
Your personal style should really reflect the place you work. If you have your own business then find a way to set the tone appropriately. Relaxed and comfortable does not mean wearing worn out beat up clothes into the office. It probably means finding something comfy and clean that still portrays that you are there to work. I often hear the phrase “look neat and professional” and that still feels murky to me. However, it does provide for a bit of your own style to be thrown in to the mix.
If you work for a corporation I would bet that they are going to have a dress code. That dress code is there for a reason. Probably to push the brand that they are marketing and the image they want people to see whenever you are on the clock for them. Odds are that said company would probably like it if you also looked “neat and professional” at all times so that they are portrayed properly even when you are not on the clock. It just makes things easier and I know that if you follow the same rules off the clock then more clients will follow.
The bottom line, everything you say, and this includes online, and everything you do, are reflections of the kind of person that you will be in your business. If you can use your image to cultivate a stronger business then you have done things well. If you find that you are having trouble getting new clients in the door take a look around at your workspace, office or self and see if the image you are sending out is really what you want others to be thinking of you.
I have struggled with the same thoughts as you explained above. Since I am not someone who is really into to all the dresscodes we have, I had to look for a way to fit in every time. And I have to agree with the statement that the place you work should reflect who you are.
Still, I like to add something to it. In order to really be the person you intend to be, you always have to be that person. In every situation. Both privately and business wise. This is, in my opinion, the only way to find a place you really fit in and be respect for who you are. Instead of the person you could have been. It is really what I miss these days. Genuine people who have the guts to be the person they truly are in any situation.