Boardroom Beauty Pays the Bills
Monday, August 24, 2009
By Dr. Stacia Pierce from “Good Life Guide to Beauty”
Most people don't understand the value of beauty. Therefore, they miss out on certain relationships because they don't look the part. They think it does not matter, but there are times that beauty is all that matters. For example, your boss will hire a person who looks the part over someone with the skill set who doesn't look part, because their deciding factor of any employment decision is whether the person will fit into the corporate structure and able to represent the company with excellence.
Beauty bias is the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about, but everyone sees. Beauty can and does convey itself in currency. The currency is often cash and favor with people who dispense the cash. Studies show that attractive people are two to five times more likely to be hired and they earn 12 percent to 15 percent more than counterparts. Unattractive people are two to six time likely to be laid off.
Most hiring managers say the high earning potential is the result of a noticeably healthy self-esteem. That can be the result of natural beauty or attainted attractiveness. Not everyone is physically beautiful to the masses, but being attractive is attained by anyone willing to put in the effort to care for all projects of their appearance.
I read a book once that said people of a certain economic status tend to marry people in the same income bracket. It is not that they aren't enhanced with people with lesser income, but people in the same income bracket understand one another. They don't want to spend time explaining why they summer in the Hamptons, or why it cost so much to have a boat docked in Montauk.
They have a comfort level with someone who has the same ideology and cultural touchstones. It makes life easier for them. It doesn't rock the boat. They fit in. Attractive people are the same. They do not cause current in the corporate culture, but can immediately fit in and make others comfortable.
Your appearance is sending a message. People perceive you in the first encounter and make immediate judgments about you. Decisions are made about your economic level, education, trustworthiness, honestly and credibility all within that everyone will wait to form an opinion until they have an opportunity to get to know you better. But unless you offer is positive, many people will never take the time to get to know you even better.
There is a saying in business: "sell images, not information.” Obtaining information with oral communication is complex. Spoken words generally heard only once. Before you get the chance to dissect the information, the speaker is on to the next thought. Studies tell us that although our oral retention is low, we maintain an impression of a person and what they are saying like an image on a computer. Everything that we know about the subject is retrieved when we view the picture. Once information is stored in the convenient form of an image, the brain will always retrieve it by pulling up the image it stored.
Projecting a capable image is important to your career. An employer wants to feel that you can be trusted and trust has a look. Notice the attire of a banker. It is formal, usually with a suit. The color is conservative, with very little pattern or extraneous decor. This tells people that they are serious grounded enough to handle finances. Their accessories are usually very modest, but of the highest quality and perfectly maintained. This is a sign of attention to detail, that every penny is important. Compare that image to one of a performer. The performer is usually more creative in dress, with bright colors, big patterns maybe even not quite matching. Their look says they are free and loose, interested in flowing their vein of creativity. Which person would you trust more?
If you would be honest with yourself, you know that you draw a conclusion about someone when you see them. Do you not allow yourself to be judged inaccurately by losing the inspiration to maintain a proper and professional image.
