Happy Monday everyone!  Today I wanted to touch on the topic of appearance a little more in depth than usual.  I’d like to go ahead and issue a disclaimer that today’s post may ruffle some feathers.  Please know that the message is not pointed to any one individual, but is intended as a reminder to all of us to look and act consistently when representing our brands.  I’m going through some branding changes myself right now based on recent reflections of this topic.

In today’s world, it is very likely that prior to someone meeting you in person, they will google you, look at your facebook page, have seen you referenced in a tweet, etc.  I confess to googling people in advance of meeting them and I’m sure that you do as well.  Many times, we meet people in person and suddenly realize that we have seen their Twitter name, saw an event that they were a vendor on, read a blog post they wrote, etc.  How many times have you met someone after first getting to know them “virtually” and you are surprised, even a little disappointed? 

If you regularly follow the blog, it’s no secret how much I adore Seth Godin.  Probably my favorite posts from his blog are the short and succinct ones, such as this post from August 1, 2010 called, “I thought you’d be taller.”  In the post, Seth says,

“The chances that you and your brand will first be encountered digitally grow every day.  The only question is what sort of reputation and anticipation you create before they actually encounter you in real life. I think it’s a conscious choice.”

I couldn’t agree more.  Wedding professionals are notorious for using adjectives in our company names.  If you are using words such as, “unique, chic, exquisite, luxurious, elegant, stylish”, etc. in your company name, tagline, or company description, please exhibit that when we meet in person for the first time.  This is visual integrity – showing others that you are in person what you say that you are online and in your marketing materials.

I’ve said this a hundred times…wedding professionals are some of the most passionate people you will ever encounter.  We love our work.  We are in the business of making dreams come true.  We are extremely dedicated.  We deprive ourselves of sleep.  We skip meals altogether, or try to convince ourselves of the high nutritional value of cheetohs.  We throw on whatever we have that is black and clean for the client meeting.  We love our clients, but we are tired and frazzled and sometimes that shows, a little too much.

Visual integrity is not about looking flawless 100% of the time.  We all miss the mark every now and then.  It is however, about showing consistency in our image, our actions, our values, and in our work product.  (If your company name is Flawless Weddings & Events and I notice a typo on your website, you are instantly less credible to me.)  Make absolutely certain that you are what you say you are.

If you disappoint others with your first “in person” impression, trying to prove your ability and worth will become an uphill battle, or you could be taken out of the fight altogether.  Not convinced of the importance of your image and style?  Research has shown that 55% of first impressions are based on appearance, 38% on vocal expression and 7% is attributed to what we actually say.  With business start-up’s at a 14 year high, (according to the Kaufman Foundation) there are more self-employed people than ever competing for business.  It’s time to up our game – if our talent is the gift we give our clients, shouldn’t the packaging create excitement and anticipation for what is to come?

Are you confident in your visual integrity?  What is your opinion on image – does it really matter?