The Difference Between An Average And An Awesome Image Consultant

Is the ability to not judge

It was almost a decade ago, and I had just started my practice in image consulting with no exposure to the science and psychology of image management till then. I remember meeting this wonderful person who needed my help as an Image Consultant in her professional life. 

She was facing some challenges in her career and needed guidance to overcome them. So we decided to meet, and now I'm sitting in front of my prospective client for the first time, and while she was sharing her story, I couldn't help but notice that my eyes were wandering to her left arm 3/4th covered in tattoos.

Now before I share more about the client, let me share something about me, personally I don't prefer tattoos for myself. I love them when I see them on others, different designs, and the concepts behind them always intrigue me, but I never liked the idea of having them on my body.

As a result of my personal bias, my mind formed an impression and passed judgment in my sub-conscious. When I came back home after the meeting, I remember sitting down and going through my notes and, for some reason trying to blame the tattoos for all the things that were not working out for her in office. Thinking about it further, I also couldn't let go of the fact that she was absolutely comfortable with her tattoos; in fact, she had some fascinating stories behind each one of them. Having reached a roadblock, I decided to put the notes aside and call it a night. 

The next day, I had this moment of enlightenment on a fresh cup of ginger tea, where I realized that all I have been doing was to judge this person. I immediately told my mind, let's pretend there are no tattoos then where is the problem. That was it! Fifteen minutes later, I figured out the problem, and I was on the phone with her about how we take this forward and work on her goals. We ended up working for three months together, six months later, she was promoted with all the perks and benefits that she wanted. 

What did I do? I just changed my mindset from a judging individual who brings personal biases into the process of image consulting to someone who has the ability and maturity to put her judgment aside and accept the other person the way they are. The way we all are a great mix of strengths and weaknesses, which makes us who we are. 

Today, One of the first things I teach my aspiring image consulting students at Indian School of Image Management is to train their minds to put their judgment aside when working with a client. If a person comes to you with a hope of enhancing and improving, but you look at them with the shades of your pre-conceived notions and set stereotypes formed over the period, you will not just do a lousy job; you may end up doing more damage then helping the client. So practice the art of no judgment. Remember, every person is unique and complete in their ways; they may have some weaknesses, and that's why they come to you. Your job is to help them overcome or minimize their vulnerability. Most importantly, you have no authority to judge another person irrespective of your profession. 

It's tough to achieve the state of no judgment, but with enough practice, you may end up there, which will make you an Awesome Image Consultant.