superficiality isn't always superficial

during a night of insomniac unrest this week, i caught the movie 'the devil wears prada' on late night cable. it was a good flick in the theatres as i remember, but i had never had a chance to see it until now. it's the basic story of an fashionably-challenged journalist who falls into the world of NY fashion just b/c she wants a good job. in the process of climbing the ladder to success, she succumbs to the temptation around her to become one of the 'beautiful people' in the fashion world.

at the end of the story she has the revelation that she doesn't want to turn into one of 'those people' and is just as happy with inner beauty so she ditches her glorious wardrobe (probably worth more than the GNP of many developing countries) and heads back to a life of serious journalism. so much for bolstering the american fashion industry.

what i found interesting, though, was that part of the lesson that the female lead tried to walk away from (but didn't completely since she kept her $400 coif and designer bag) was that what's on the outside DOES SOMETIMES matter.

now, i'm not saying that if you are over a size 4 or your shoes aren't from manolo blahnik that you won't be successful as a small business. in fact, if you can afford soes from manolo blahnik, your business is probably doing better than you think.

but when it comes to the impression of your company, or yourself as its head, your outward impression IS important. let's think of it this way, do you attend a new client meeting in jeans and a tshirt or do you put on work attire (be it a suit or other appropriate gear for your industry)? there is a part of you that knows that impressions are important, whether you want to admit it or not.

in that vein, i encourage every small business owner to invest just a few dollars in a professional head shot. it's really not as expensive as you may think, and the ability to present a completely professional impression of yourself whenever needed is extraordinarily valuable. whether you use it in your press kit, on your brochure or just for the web (your website or Linkedin profile) a PROFESSIONAL impression of you is what the world should see if you want them to take you seriously as a small business owner.

as my friend carlene godfrey, photographer tells us :

"Thanks to the “People You May Know” section on LinkedIn, there is a very good chance that anyone from the lowest intern of a major company up to its CEO will see my face enclosed in its little square...We all know that first impressions are made in the first moments of seeing someone’s face, so when it comes to your profile picture, make it a good one... A professional headshot – or even a well-posed snapshot – will get more clicks on your (Linkedin) profile. People are more likely to recognize you after meeting you once at a Chamber mixer, and most importantly, you will immediately look more professional than many of your competitors."

you don't hesitate to have your marketing materials professionally produced, because you know the impression it will make. why should your virtual persona be any different?

to prove that i'm willing to eat my own dogfood, i'll be heading over to Carlene's after my vacation to have her give me that professional impression. i can't tell you if i'll get more clicks on my profile, but at least i know i'll be making the right impression no matter who sees it.