Your Personal Image Is Everything PART 1/3: Communication

Your Personal Image Is Everything PART 1/3: Communication
Your Personal Image Is Everything PART 1/3: Communication

Your Personal Image Is Everything

PART 1/3: Communication

This 3-part image consulting blog series inspects your personal image from 3 different angles: Your communication, appearance and digital presence. In the first part we look at your communication skills as a vital part of your personal image.

Good communication skills will get you further in life: They help you deliver your message and to sell your ideas. With clear communication you will always have a better chance of getting people on your side. You also have a better chance to make those achievements that you have dreamed of.

Improving your communication skills will enable you to work more efficiently and to avoid unnecessary conflicts. This all will, as a side product, free you more time to do things that matter to you the most.

You Are The Message

Communications skills are often the thing that makes it or breaks it. It’s almost impossible to remove yourself from the very center of your communication. In that light it’s safe to say that you are the message.

Your verbal and non-verbal communication need to support each other and to be fully aligned with your personal brand. This way you are actively participating in removing obstacles away from your listeners. You are also giving them a better chance to understand you.

The core of your communication is your message that you deliver to the relevant audience. Your audience then receives the message and interprets it in their own unique way. The path to mutual understanding is often riddled with interruptions and risks of misinterpretations.

You can only call communication successful once you have confirmed that the audience has indeed understood your message. Ideally it will be the exact the same way as you had intended.

Learn To Communicate Better

It is true that some people are natural born communicators. The rest can be assured that these skills can be learned and even mastered with the right motivation and effort. If you feel that you are lacking on this front, it doesn’t mean that you can’t improve. There are several ways to become a better communicator.

First logical step is to read this blog post. Also there are many courses (live and online) available regarding this topic and you can find a lot of interesting reading wit just a few clicks and clever search words.

My image consulting services are ideal for those who would like a 1:1 coaching session on communication as a part of your personal image and personal brand. It will give you clarity on your current communication skills and personalized advice on how to improve them. You will gain confidence to get your message out there in a stronger yet deeply authentic manner. This service is also available online around the world via Zoom.

5 Ways To Become A Better Communicator

  • This is really a no-brainer but very easy to overlook: Become a better listener
  • Show genuine interest in others. You will be surprised how much you will learn!
  • Observe non-verbal cues in others and yourself
  • Get to know yourself. A professional image consultant can help you discover these aspects of yourself if you find it difficult to get started.
  • Learn to know how people are perceiving you. Some of these discoveries might blow your mind but I assure that the bigger the shock, the deeper and more profound the learning

How Do You Come Across?

If you are the message then it’s paramount that you also gain understanding on how people are perceiving you. Your choice of words is very important here. But they only get a meaning when they are put in the right context and said in the right way.

You will also need to be using the right tone of voice that supports the message and your personal brand. And don’t forget the enormous power of your body-language. The kindest words are perceived totally differently if your body language is contradicting with them. Your gestures should be used to emphasize and strengthen your message, not to deflate it.

In this light it’s very important to learn to gain awareness of your non-verbal communication. We all have habits that others may find confusing. The reliving news is that once you are aware of them, you are able to become their master instead of their victim. I have listed seven of them here.

7 Aspects Of Your Non-Verbal Communication

  • Facial expressions, especially eye-contact and smile
  • Posture
  • Gestures, especially hand-gestures
  • Way of speaking
  • Sense of humor
  • Overall appearance
  • The intensity of your presence

With an image consultant you can approach these topics in a confidential, non-judgemental and encouraging environment. My approach is always gentle and has a strong emphasis on using your natural strengths in your advantage.

I challenge you and give you a push to the right direction. But I want to leave the real discoveries for yourself to unravel. After all, it’s one of the most rewarding parts of this learning process.

What’s In It For You?

Some clients come to see me after hearing the same words from many different sources. These situations and conversations have taken place at work or in private. After careful evaluation they have decided that now it’s their time to shine.

Despite some critics of yours being tough, it’s good to remember that you always have full control of your own image. You can make these changes happen for yourself. Only the decision of wanting to improve has a big impact on your mindset and opinion about yourself.

To help you make the shift in your life it’s good to think about the benefits you will gain when learning to be a better communicator. I will list here three biggest advantages of kicking off the change.

3 Advantages of Gaining Good Communication Skills

  • Gain trust of people
  • Make a meaningful connection with people
  • Gain the engagement of people

Communication skills are some of the most important skills that you need to succeed in life. Here at I on Image I help you gain a better understanding of your verbal and non-verbal communication. Learn to say what you want to say, in a way that nothing distracts your audience from receiving your valuable message.

Communication Skills - Image consulting and personal branding advice
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READ ALSO other episodes in “Your Personal Image Is Everything” 3-part blog series by I on Image

I am looking forward to help you improve your image!

This article was originally published on 3rd January 2018 and updated on 3rd November 2021

15 thoughts on “Your Personal Image Is Everything PART 1/3: Communication

  1. madidearsonladylike says:

    Such an important subject. Sometimes I feel like the more “digital” we get the more communication skills are seem to be fading. And really, nothing can beat a good interpersonal communication. Great focus points and tips. Thanks for sharing these.

  2. I on Image says:

    Thank you so much Ruth! I am very happy that you found my post helpful. Share it with a friend or colleague who would like to polish their communication skills. It’s a nice goal to have for 2020.

  3. I on Image says:

    Thank you so much Sabrina! The good news is that you can practice communication skills, for example with the tips I mention in the blog. It’s important to know that introvert way of communication is not wrong at all. In fact a lot that extroverts could learn from them. And vice versa!

  4. Lisa's Notebook says:

    Learning to listen is one of the most powerful skills we can acquire, I think. So often you can pick up clues from other people. Silence is hard sometimes but often it really is golden, you can learn so much. Great post, Jenni, thank you for sharing! Lisa

  5. Sabrina B. says:

    Good post. Communication is so absolutely important. I’m a bit of an introvert, but it’s an area I’ve been working on improving through the years.

  6. Ruth says:

    Such a great post! I have always struggled with communication skills and I still do. Even at work, I have improved on everything except for making conversation with customers. It’s so difficult for me! I’m sure this post will come in handy for a lot of people 🙂

  7. Ellie says:

    I think we can all work on being better communicators going in to the new decade! Everyone has one area for sure that they can work on 🙂

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