Recently Susan Boyle, contestant on Britain’s Got Talent, stunned the nation with her outstanding performance auditioning for the show. Aside from her very clear talent the judges and people watching were shocked as when she walked on the stage and introduced herself initially they all thought she was a bit of a joke and likely to fail.

If you haven’t had seen it yet, you can watch it now on here.

Susan is a classic example of how important image is. She is 47 but looks about 77, like a grandma with her fuzzy hair and old fashioned clothes, her body language and slightly odd actions (hip gyrating to Simon) all put together lead people to come to conclusions about her before even hearing her sing. Everyone judged her before she sang that she wouldn’t be able to do it
What if she hadn’t been on that show and got that chance? Do you think such a large number of people would have got to witness her talent?


Research has shown that your image and body language is 55% of what matters in first impressions, 38% your voice/tone, 7% what you actually say!

In that first minute of Susan walking on stage before hearing her sing, what did you presume about her? What impression does she give across?

Making the most of yourself and really showing the qualities you want the world you know about you through what you wear is vital in meeting people for the first time, just in case you don’t get that chance to actually prove yourself further down the line. You might not even get the chance to talk to someone, if you are networking or looking for a relationship how you dress might make the difference in someone coming to introduce themselves to you or not!

Personal Branding is becoming more and more important these days. Your image is just your starting point to creating your own personal brand; it not just what you wear but what is inside too, what are your core values to live by and that you want the world to know about you. Your personal brand is everything you do; your interests, your behaviour, your interaction with others, the life you have set up around you, your friends, your career, your fitness levels etc. Personal branding in alignment to the real you and what you want to achieve in your life is especially vital if you are running your own business, as you are your brand people buy into people not companies.

How to get started with working out your Personal Brand
Divide paper into sections:

Family/Friends
Spiritual
Career
Money/finances
Relationships/Partner
Health
Personal development

Consider your highest values in relation to these areas and what you would like people to know about you in regards to them?

Susan Boyle wanted to sing on stage and be like Elaine Page but was this really reflected in how she behaved, carried herself and through her image? What do you really want, what qualities and values will support you achieving that and how can you demonstrate these through your behaviour and image? It will be interesting to see what the stylist does with Susan to help her to look more aligned to what she wants to achieve and her incredible talent!