Act One, Scene One: Imagine Your Image

“I have gotten a lot more attention than … other women that I find incredibly beautiful. And this has happened to me ever since I was a girl, when I was flat, had no teeth, was skinny and small as I could be. I always got more attention than anyone else. If I hadn't, I would have made sure I did.” Actress Salma Hayek



The Screen Actors Guild represents over 120,000 working actors. How many can you name?

There are tens of thousands of Gold and Platinum records awarded to artists by the Recording Industry Association of America. How many come to mind?

There are thousands of television shows on network and cable stations. Do you know their names? For that matter how many of the cable networks can you list?

My point is that the entertainment field is very crowded. Just as competition in your field is very crowded. Yet some entertainers stand out from the crowd. Some performances are memorable. Some names are so recognizable they become iconic.

Most do not.

Salma Hayek made sure people noticed her. Even when she was a skinny girl with no breasts or teeth, she was determined to be recognized. She was determined to be perceived as being special, even when she wasn’t.

There are those who stand out from the crowd. Those whose names readily come to mind. How do they do it and what can we learn from them?

Whenever you think of any entertainer who is at the top of his or her field, a certain image comes to mind. For example, what do you see when you picture Justin Timberlake’s dance moves or Ozzy Osbourne biting the head off bats? You see an image that works for the product they are trying to sell.

What does your audience think of when they think of you? How do you stand out in the crowd? What do you do to be memorable? What is your image? Can someone define you in just a few words?

I’m sure that you are a very complex and multifaceted person. But that doesn’t matter to your audience. They want to be able to define you in a sentence or two.

•    David Letterman, for example, is a late-night comedian from Indiana with a gap between his front teeth, and he wears light-colored socks with his loafers and double-breasted suits.

•    Bruce Willis is an action movie star who’s still friends with his ex-wife and her new, younger husband.

•    Kenny Chesney is a country singer who was married for a few months to Renee Zellweger, the actress who gained weight to play a plump Bridget Jones.

Let’s do a little exercise. I’m going to name a few genres in the entertainment field. You think of the first two celebrities that come to mind in that field. Then ask what makes them memorable.

For instance, if I said female romantic leading lady. You might think Sandra Bullock because she has a smart, sexy, girl-next-door appeal. Or Jennifer Anniston for her down-to-earth beauty. If I mentioned male rock star, Elvis or Mick Jagger might come to mind. Two entertainers with incredibly powerful images.

Now you try it. Think of the first two names that pop into your head. Don’t dwell on one group too long. Here are the categories:

•    Male stand-up comic
•    Female country singer
•    Male TV star
•    Female talk show host
•    Politician

Did some names pop up automatically? What were the first images you thought of? Was it a favorable image?

Now think of two salespeople in your field besides yourself. Why did these names pop into your head? What made them stand out? Are they favorable reasons?

Now for the tough question:

What do people think of when they think of you?

Be honest. Is it favorable? Is it an image you want? Is it one that would pop out? Or would your audience have to think long and hard to come up with one?

In a moment we’ll come up with a few ways to enhance and capitalize on your image. But first let’s address the issue of the genres in which you couldn’t think of a person in that field or you had great difficulty thinking of a person in that field.

If you couldn’t think of someone, it may be because you have no interest in that field. If you don’t like country music, you might not be able to name a female star. Or if you don’t watch TV, you probably had to dig to think of a male TV star.

But in your lifetime you have listened to country and you have watched TV. Faith Hill and Jerry Seinfeld are doing just fine without you, even though you didn’t name them. Just somehow nothing stood out for you. There was nothing you found appealing. That’s all right. That’s life.

My point is this: No matter how good you are, you’re not going to be able to get everybody to listen and pay attention to you. You don’t need everybody to be a success. You just need as many of “your people” that you can get. Not everyone is going to be a fan. Don’t worry about them. Focus on your audience. Then, once you’ve found your audience, superserve them to be a superstar.

[A] Before you close you need the clothes

Now let’s build on that image. The first and the easiest way to build an image is with your clothing.

Would Willie Nelson have been able to cultivate his outlaw image if he wore a tuxedo? Would the Beatles have stood out if they didn’t have their long hair? Would Pamela Anderson have the same image if she had worn clothes at all?

Clothing definitely says something about you. Yet most salespeople dress alike. Whether you are selling medical supplies, real estate, or high definition TVs at one of the big-box stores, the clothing that you wear is interchangeable with the clothing that other salespeople in your field are wearing.

And that uniform might help define you as A salesperson but how does it help define you as THE salesperson?

Stand out from the crowd. If you wear the same clothes every day, people will remember you. If you wear the exact same clothes every day, people will remember you but not in a good way (the smell will give you away).

Dress in a similar style. Wear something that blends in with what others in your field wear, yet stands out as something unique.

When I was on the road as a stand-up comic, I started out looking like every other stand-up comic from the era. As my act progressed, so did my sense of style. Okay, sense of style might be a slight hyperbole. Let’s just say I learned to do some little things to stand out.

I not only wore the blue jeans with a sport coat like a lot of other stand-up comics, but I wore a slightly wrinkled shirt with the top button unbuttoned and a necktie slightly askew. To add to the image I added a nice fedora. Man, I was sharp.

It was a similar enough look for what people expected a comedian to look like, yet different enough from what the other comics were wearing.

With women it’s much easier to create a style. For one thing, generally speaking, women think about clothes more than men do. Just walk through any mall in America and you will see countless stores catering to women’s fashion. There are stores for formal wear, casual wear, professional women, and stay-at-home moms. There are stores for jewelry, handbags, and shoes.

The men get one store that sells dark suits and ties.

Regardless, it will be fairly easy to come up with something very unique. It won’t have to be much, since the odds are your competition isn’t doing anything at all. And when I say stand out, I don’t mean like a sore thumb.

If your profession calls for conservative business attire, it’s easy to be noticed if you show up in a bathing suit wearing nose plugs and flippers. That will make you unforgettable. It just won’t make you many sales. (Don’t ask how I know. Let’s just say I found that out the hard way.)

But little accessories worn consistently will get you noticed and make you memorable.

If you are a woman, you can wear a certain piece of jewelry, a certain color outfit, or, if you are so inclined, maybe even hats. A man can consistently wear certain designer suits, a lapel pin, the same color tie, the same color shirt. Or, if you are so inclined, maybe even a hat.

If you wear eyeglasses, there are countless styles to choose from. Spend a little extra on frames and make them a pair people will remember. Make sure any style clothing you choose is age and status appropriate. But make it consistent. And when I say consistent, I mean wear the style every day.

It wouldn’t be Larry King Live if Larry showed up one day and he wasn’t wearing suspenders. Repetition builds success and makes you memorable. Wear the same thing differently every day.

Every night when he walks out on stage, David Letterman wears beige socks. He used to wear tennis shoes with his suits, but as he matured, his style changed. Yet his style is consistent.

Robin Williams used to wear bright suspenders every time he performed. He has evolved from that.

Elton John used to wear gaudy glasses and duck suits. While his style is more subdued these days, he still wears memorable eyewear, and his clothes still make an impression when he walks into a room.

Another way to be noticed is your hair. Just ask Donald Trump. Spend some money on your hair. If you’re a woman, be contemporary, yet don’t change your style or hair color every other day. If you’re a man, go to the same stylist and be consistent with your cut.

There are a lot of real estate developers in New York City. But none of them has Donald Trump’s hair. In fact, how many other New York real estate billionaire developers can you think of? Probably not many. Yet Donald Trump has used show business techniques to create a brand—a perceived value in the Trump name. With that perceived value in the Trump name, he can charge a lot more for his real estate.

When he makes a cold call to someone he wants to do business with, the call is returned because his reputation has preceded him. It’s more than just Donald Trump’s hair, but his hair has become one of his calling cards. It’s been the butt of jokes, and “The Donald” has been laughing all the way to the bank.

Speaking of “The Donald,” here’s something else you might want to consider. Use a nickname. Bruce Springsteen is “The Boss.” Jerry Lee Lewis is “The Killer.” Rush Limbaugh is “El Rushbo.”

A nickname can help with the image you are trying to project. It can also help make you a little more human, a little more endearing, and maybe even a person others can relate to. But a nickname isn’t for everybody.

Don’t try to force it or talk about yourself in the third person. Make it what other people are calling you. You can reinforce your nickname with your business cards, printed material, billboards, or just in your conversations. For example, a killer real estate developer may bill herself as “the queen of condos.” A car salesman might be “your luxury expert” or perhaps “the big man in sub-compacts.”

Make your nickname strong, authoritative, successful, and one you can live with for a long time. Being known as the “whiz kid” might work when you are 22. But it might not have the same meaning when you are 55 with bladder problems.

There are other ways to project an image. Can you create a logo for your name on a business card that will stand out? The photo on the card is okay but it’s overdone. What can you add to that to be memorable?

Do you like cars? Is your car special? Jay Leno has built quite a reputation for being a car lover. You don’t need a warehouse filled with rare automobiles to have an image as a car buff.

I have a friend who is an avid hunter. He sells a product that is geared toward men. That’s important because a hunting image might not go over as well if he were selling cosmetics.

Although he doesn’t go on his calls in camouflage, the trim on his briefcase is camouflaged. It’s a subtle hint about what he likes to do on his off time. His best customers get homemade sausage and jerky.

Utilize what you have in your life and help make that your calling card. If you are a family person who enjoys going to your kids’ Little League games, let your customers know. If you are a woodworker, perhaps you could have a few pictures of your work. A music lover might benefit from a specialty business card that plays a tune. If you are a gourmet chef, share a favorite recipe. Let your customers know. It helps build an image. It helps you stand out. It helps make you a success.

These are just a few ideas to get your brain started. I’m sure you can come up with a number of other suggestions that apply to your personality and your business.

Don’t just blurt it out and spend more time talking about your hobbies than what you are there to sell. But by gently working it into the conversation, you will help create a favorable image.

Your customers can’t spend money with you if they don’t think of you. Stand out and you’ll be the first person they think of when it’s time to buy. Stand out and they’ll look forward to your visits rather than being bothered by another salesperson. Stand out and you are on your way to success.

 
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