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"Think Zink" Newsletter

March 2011


Looks Matter                              
Impression Management - NOT a Beauty Pageant

 

Sarah Zink 2011

Greetings! 

This month's topic, "Looks Matter", has consistently been a touchy subject for the past few years. 

 

I make no apologies for my points of view; sadly, much of my opinion comes from mistakes I can see I have made in hindsight, rather than finger-pointing at others. 
 
I'm not talking about your God-given looks, I'm talking about how you look. Take, for example, my photo above, courtesy of Marty Seybold Photography. It's fabulous (the photo), and was offered to me because the headshots I had were very sub-par. It was a painful reminder to me that LOOKS MATTER. My headshots were less than professional, and it is important that we all remember that old cliche': "You only get one chance to make a good first impression." 

 

This month's newsletter will deal with much more than first impressions, I'm also going to talk about on-going impressions, and how your attention to the details of your image send as loud (or louder) of a message as your words do.

 

P.S.  Are you writing a newsletter and need some "snippets" of information? You are welcome to quote anything in this e-zine, provided you give appropriate credit. 

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THINK ZINK FAMILY AND FRIENDS CRUISE
OCTOBER 2011

 

Think Zink Family and Friends Cruise

 

Are you ready to take an amazing 5 night Cruise along with me, my family & friends?

 

Join us in October of 2011 as we board the Carnival Triumph out of Galveston and venture to beautiful ports in Cozumel and Progresso! 

Reserve your stateroom NOW as we have limited space in our block of staterooms and fabulous prices to go along with them.  

 

Only $50.00 Per Person deposit is required to guarantee your spot. You can pay your balance out between now and July 2011.

 

Click HERE for a registration form.

 

Only 5 cabins left
at this price!

 

For more information, call Caryn Angus

Cruise Planners / CA Travel at 

817-889-2745 

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In This Issue
THINK ZINK Radio Show
THINK ZINK 2011 Cruise
Why do Looks Matter?
Three Stages of Business Clothing
Most Common Impression Errors
Errors for Men
Errors for Women
Why Do Looks Matter?
 
I'm sure you can think back on a time when you met someone and made a value judgement based on your impressions of how they looked.
  
I can remember having this discussion with one of my children, who argued, "People who know me know that I'm a: fill in the blank______________  (good person, professional, competent, etc.) Not one minute later, we  saw a man walking down the street and my son commented, "Mom, look at the homeless guy!". When I asked him how he knew the guy was homeless, he said, "Just LOOK at him!".
  
NO, it's not comfortable knowing that people make value judgements about you based on how you look, but it is what it is. You can argue to infinity that it's not right, and rage against the machine and dress sloppily to make your point, but in my opinion,that's a juvenile response to an adult situation.
  
What value judgements do people make based on how you dress? Statistics show that these are the top 6:
  • Social Position
  • Education Level
  • Economic Level
  • Trustworthiness/Moral Character
  • Sophistication
  • Successfulness

HOMEWORK: Go to a mall or a busy business building.  Watch people for 30 minutes; make notes about your impressions of who they are, citing what it is about their appearance caused you to form that opinion.

 

If you would like Sarah to come and speak
to your group, organization or company,
please click HERE
.
Three Stages of Business Clothing

Yes, there are probably more, but you wouldn't remember them would you? ::smiling:: Here's a manageable division of the three important stages of business clothing:

 

Business Dress - business dress is the most formal type of business apparel. It should be worn to interviews and other business occasions when formal wear is specified. This form of attire is also known as Business Professional.

 

Business Informal -  business informal attire is a step-down from corporate attire, in that someelements such as jacket and shirt styles may be changed, and more colors and patterns may be added for a less formal look. Most companies allow this type of attire for everyday business conduct. In firms that maintain a corporate look throughout the week, informal business attire may be appropriate for casual Fridays.

 

Business Casual - business casual is crisp, neat, and should look appropriate even for a chance meeting with a CEO. It should not look like cocktail attire nor should it look like picnic attire. Business casual is classic rather than trendy. The trouble with business casual is that it's so hard to define. Many companies are becoming frustrated with the whole idea.  

 

 


Understanding your employee and co-worker's behavior is critical to success. Stop wondering and learn how and why people act the way they do and how to manage and work with them for success.

Click HERE to schedule Sarah to speak to your company. 

Most Common Impression Errors

 

These errors apply to both men and women, and statistically occur more than half the time.

  • Hair: bad hairstyle, color or cut
  • Grooming: dirty, broken or chipped nails
  • Fragrance: too much
  • Clothing: too tight or ill fitting; messy or wrinkled; clashing colors or styles; stains on clothing or ties
  • Accessories: too much jewelry, too many accessories

 

Sarah Zink Business Training specializes in custom training packages
that fit into your budget. Contact her for a quote and availability today!
Most Common Errors for Men
  • Ties and belts:
    • Stains on the ties; ties that are tied to hang lower than the belt; mis-matched belt (belt should match color of shoes)
  • Shoes:
    • Laces with suits
    • Loafter with business casual
    • Sneakers or boots for site inspections (except in Texas, where it is acceptable to wear dress boots with suits or business casual)
  • Short sleeve button downs:
    • Think: Dilbert. Short sleeves with a tie is considered lower management. If you're looking to be cooler in the summer, wear a long-sleeve shirt and roll the sleeves up to just below the elbow OR a golf(polo) shirt if your dress policy allows it.

 

blogtalkradio.com is the new home for my Internet Radio Show

"THINK ZINK - Brainfood for the Common Man".
Click HERE for show times and topics
Most Common Errors for Women:

 

  • Makeup: This one always hits a nerve, but I'm only the messenger on this one (even if I *do* agree). Women who wear makeup in the workplace are 40% more successful than women who don't. Period. And I'm not talking about flashy makeup. I'm talking about the "finishing touches", whatever that may be for you. For me, it's nothing more than blush, lipstick and mascara. It's a tool - one that makes me look polished. Why wouldn't I use it?
  • Shoes: The more seriously you want to be taken, the lower the heel and the less foot is showing. "Flip-flops" are never appropriate for the work environment. 

 

blogtalkradio.com is the new home for my Internet Radio Show

"THINK ZINK - Brainfood for the Common Man".
Click HERE for show times and topics
If You've Come This Far...  
Then feel free to ask me for a handout, "What Colors Communicate".
 
 

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