Image Matters! Just Ask Tiger

It doesn’t matter if you are a billionaire golfer or a plain Jane, image matters. Tiger Woods’ pristine, winning image helped him earn 90% of his $1 billion fortune since turning pro in 1996. Now, as companies divest from the Tiger brand, his earning potential is temporarily on hold, at best.

We’d like to think there is a separation between our personal and business lives. The truth is our personal behavior can negatively affect how people perceive us. And, you know perception is everything. Bad perception is a distraction. In a bitterly competitive environment companies do all they can to avoid anything that distracts from their products. Customers are not likely to support companies that make them feel uncomfortable.

Secondly, you are also judged by the company you keep. Relationships are a pseudo endorsement of a person’s lifestyle and behavior. For example, a company associating with a known pedophile would offend millions of people. People don’t usually spend money with companies or people that offend them.

Take great consideration in how you present yourself. Remember, people are always watching and scrutinizing your actions. I’ve gone to conferences where many of my fellow attendees earned job and internship offers. A few of those attendees went to a conference party some scantily dressed and others danced suggestively. Sure, it’s a “party,” but; people won’t stop evaluating your judgment. Especially, if you plan to represent their company. Many of those job and internship offers were rescinded

I’m not telling you to project an inauthentic caricature of yourself. Instead, project a confident, approachable and productive image. It’s important that your image communicates two things. First, that you add value. Second, that you can be trusted with their brand. Think about it. Nobody ever got fired for discreet and respectable.

Picture found at http://www.TigerWoods.com