Why First Impressions Are Paramount as a Woman in Business

First impressions last 

It used to be said that we had seven seconds to make a first impression, but the latest research I could find was in Psychological Science Magazine, July 2006 and it had reduced to one tenth of a second! And that was bloody years ago, so I think it’s fair to expect that by now we’ve got even less time to make a good impression these days. 

Think about all the different places as a woman in business, where you make a first impression. It could be on social media, it could be your website, it might your profile pictures on LinkedIn or Facebook or any of the places where you are showing up daily online as well as in real life. When you turn up at networking events and client meetings – even on Zoom, people make conscious and subconscious judgments. Little details all add up to us making these split second decisions 

Even though none of us like to think we’re being “judgy”, we are. We are all judging all the time, whether it’s a conscious thing or not. There is scientific proof that we very seldom change what we think about somebody once we have formed that first impression. Instead, apparently we start looking for evidence to support our opinion. 

Looking the part as a woman in business 

The Science of People Research Lab, conducted a survey asking 209 people their opinions on first impressions. Here are the important statistics you should know: 

• 95% of people believe first impressions are very important 
• 68% believe their first impressions of others are accurate 

This is why your personal branding and brand identity is so important. How you AND your business looks is sending messages out to the world. We as humans do actually judge a book by its cover. We like people to conform with our expectations, at least until we get to know them. 

You might want to stand out from the crowd and dress to set yourself apart, but also be mindful of how you come across to your client base, would you want to go so far as to challenge what they expect? Context matters, so it’s important to get the balance right. For example, rocking up suited and booted in your high heels and designer handbag might be ok if you’re auditioning for The Apprentice, BUT doing that at a relaxed, informal networking meeting of holistic, hippy type coaches? You might appear out of place, feel uncomfortable yourself, possibly giving off a vibe that doesn’t gel with the rest of the crowd. 

OR imagine meeting an accountant or a solicitor for the first time to discuss finances or writing your will. If they turned up in a smart suit you wouldn’t be surprised, it would instil confidence in their ability. The same person wearing jeans and a football shirt for a first meeting would probably throw you. It would create dissonance and you’d be distracted – they would not be any less qualified to provide a service but your impression of them would not be the same. They would not look the part. Maybe once you got to know them the football shirt would be less relevant. 

So, when I talk to you about your personal branding, it is in the context of helping you as a woman in business to look the part. First off, we need to establish what ‘looking the part’ actually means to you and how you want to be perceived. 

Why personal branding matters 

Getting your personal brand identity sorted is actually about the ALIGNMENT of your FABNESS. Perhaps you want to be seen as warm and approachable? Quirky and creative? Serious and efficient? Remember that you want to avoid dissonance, you are aiming for congruency and consistency across your brand. 

So, let’s think about that in a business context. As a ‘solopreneur’ woman in business, you ARE a walking advert for your personal brand. Your visual communication, how you show up (headshots, social media graphics, website, etc) are your shop window. 

🦩It’s about conveying who you  are and how you might be to work with. 

🦩It accelerates the buying process because people feel like they “get you”, therefore the know, like, trust factor doesn’t take as long to kick in. 

🦩It’s about a picture painting a thousand words. It’s about how you show up in business. 

🦩It’s about your “packaging” reflecting the value of the contents. 

🦩It’s about your social media presence etc being your virtual “shop window” and magnetically attracting potential clients into your “shop”. 

“The way we dress affects the way we think, the way we feel, the way we act and the way others react to us.” Judith Rasband 

How you look on the outside can affect how you feel on the inside and vice versa. This all changed for me after years of depression, when I invested in myself, and learned to hone the language of colour and clothes so that they worked FOR me not against me...the difference it made for me was IMMENSE and which is why I want to help others see that via my business now. It was such a confidence boost to be able to understand which clothes could give me that million dollars feeling on purpose. No more trial and error- taking the guesswork out of clothes shopping was a REVELATION! 

Having more success in your business can start with how you feel in your clothes, because you know how, on those occasions when you get dressed in something that makes you feel a million dollars, you leave the house feeling great? You walk taller that day. You have an air of confidence about you. You feel in your power. Your attitude is different. Things that might have bothered you another day are insignificant. You give off a great vibe that is totally aligned with who YOU are at YOUR best. 

So, you’re going about your business that day and your BEST vibe is reflected across everything you communicate, visually and your tone of voice – both written and when you speak. It all adds up. It’s cohesive. You are authentically showing up as your best self because you ARE your business. 

You speak to that prospective client for the first time and they feel like they already know you because of the content they’ve seen. They “get you”. The know, like, trust factor has been accelerated and they’re ready to invest faster. 

Magnetically attract your ideal clients 

When you are feeling 100% comfortable in your own skin and this is backed up by personal branding that is truly aligned, and authentically tells the world who you are, it’s a win, win. Your potential clients ‘get you’, they feel connected to you. There are no surprises when they actually meet you for the discovery call on Zoom. You already have rapport because they feel like they know you. Converting them becomes easy, it’s just a matter of which package, they already trust you and know you’ll deliver. 

Everything falls into place with ease. This is because you’re representing yourself and your business authentically AND in the best possible way. Moving from a mismatched mish mash of cobbled together outfits and social media images to a cohesive personal brand that expresses the VIBE of who YOU are with consistency. 

In turn, this accelerates the know, like, trust factor; essentially speeding up your marketing efforts. Your ideal clients get a sense of what it will be like to work with you because your personality shines through. 

Accelerate the buying process 

Without addressing it, you are keeping yourself small and holding yourself back. You know you’d feel more confident on every level if you and your business looked the part. All this will help you to magnetically attract those ideal clients and create a visual shorthand to the know, like, trust factor, ultimately accelerating the buying process. 

Controversial statement warning – Next time you don’t want to face up to the fact you’re making judgements based on ‘external packaging’ remember that is highly likely that you are. So are your potential clients. If you feel like it’s time to get it sorted you know where I am. 

Personal brand = personal vibe 

Grab a brew and watch this video to hear what happened to Pam's business when her personal brand became more aligned with her personal vibe.