How to Project a Better Public Image?

Nowadays people do not buy products or services because of their quality or price. In fact, they don’t even buy the product itself! How many times have you bought a product just by looking at it, having heard something good about it, or even having seen it on TV? This means that the product itself and the benefit we will gain from its use are the least important factors of the purchase.

What we buy is the symbol that the product represents. We are symbolic beings; we understand life not directly but through symbols and representations. What we buy when we go shopping is exactly that: The symbols the product represents. These symbols are also known as stereotypes.
So, the product may gives us the impression of being top quality, may fit into the stereotype of a good cost-benefit relation, might tells us that it will make us feel richer, prettier, thinner, etc. These symbols are always talking to us! And these are always constructions of our minds, our society and of course, the media.

The same happens when it comes to people. We are always seen as symbols by others. This is known as subject-object relation. We are symbols, thus objects to the eyes of others. If we want to project a better image, we have to know what kind of symbols we are projecting, or what kind of stereotype we fit into.

To project a better image, we should begin by doing two things:

The first step is to acknowledge and to be conscious about the image we are projecting right now. This is achieved by seeing ourselves like others do. A mirror can come in handy if we truly want to know what image we are giving away.

Practice in front of the mirror as much as you can. Try to make faces, talk to yourself, cry, laugh, jump up and down and walk in front of the mirror. This will give us a good idea about what kind of image we are holding in the present moment, and what things we need to improve.

The second step is to pick some high figure, someone that you would like to emulate, and someone who you can identify with, and do just that: Emulate!

Pay good attention to the way he or she moves, the way he speaks, the way she walks, the way they are dressed and how they manage their body language, what do they do with their hands? And what about the colors they use? What do they think about life? How did they get into the position they’re into now?

All of this information will help us following some guidelines and give ourselves a role model from where to enhance our public image.

Remember: The image you hold right now is the very signature of your being. There is only one opportunity to make a good first impression, and the better your image is, the better chances you have to enter nicely trough your partners’ eyes.

Change the way you think, change the way you speak and change the way you move and you will surely change the way you live your life.

Practice and emulate! And you will soon become conscious of your personal image and lots of ways to improve it will come to you, even without you noticing it!

Good luck!

Hernan