Elevating your brand through how you present yourself:
There’s something to be said about how one presents themselves. How we carry ourselves and interact can be very telling to how refined we are.
This goes beyond eating at a fancy restaurant and knowing what utensils to use. Our society as a whole has become increasingly more classless and yet, highly esteem and desired.
WHAT IS ETIQUETTE? AND WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH YOUR WEDDING BUSINESS?
Etiquette In short is about respect and consideration of those around you. It’s about putting others at ease. What proper etiquette looks like depends where you are in the world, what you are doing, and who you are with. Being refined in this is knowing what’s appropriate in each situation. This is a study of what cultures, and most people find pleasant. This is science-based.
We are in a service based industry, people are looking at us and examining what we do and how we do it.
If you are wanting to create a luxury brand, you will easily elevate this by not only upgrading your brand but yourself. Remember, you are the brand, and the experience you curate is an extension of this.
If you are sloppy with how you walk, talk, or simply not refined out of ignorance it might not resonate with certain clients.
If your mindset towards proper etiquette is:
“ I am who I am”
“ I’m not changing for nobody”
“ That’s just not me”
“ I just show up as me”
Then you aren’t understanding what etiquette is and dismissing a huge staple in the service industry.
Etiquette allows us to put people at ease, meaning we can connect with them better, and offer a safe space for them. It helps us to be more mindful of our body language, overall appearance, words, and communicate all of this in the way we intend. Here are some quick tips for elevating your photography business through how you present yourself.
Quick tidbits:
- Clothing: Make sure you are wrinkle free, and that your clothes fit appropriately. When you bend over, there shouldn’t be exposures of the sorts. Get rid of lint, unmatched colors etc.
- Diction/Volume/Cadence: The words you choose to communicate with tell the story of you. The volume in which you speak needs to be comfortable, no one wants to be yelled at. Neither does anyone want to lose their hearing trying to hear what you are saying because your volume is so low. You must speak with confidence, at a comfortable cadence that others can understand. Your voice will add or take away to the present energy.
- Posture/Body Awareness: make sure you aren’t slouching. It communicates sloppiness and low confidence. If you are trying to earn trust with your couples, slouching and looking unsure isn’t a way to gain it quick. Also, be mindful of how you carry your body. When you sit, don’t throw your body into the seat, be aware of the proximity of others and objects in your environment.
- Eye-Contact: be sure that you are looking people in the eye in convo. Also, don’t stare too long, break it up. That makes people uncomfortable. You would think this is obvious and many would agree, and yet there are so many who aren’t aware that they do this.
- Smell: don’t put on too much perfume that it overwhelms those around you. Not only can it give people headaches, but it can come across cheap. On the flip end of smells… make sure that your clothing and YOU don’t stink. Check your breath.
Some of these things should be obvious but there are many people in this world who say luxury, but the experience they are giving is subpar.
Take time to move mindfully and with intention. Pick clothing that communicates your brand and personality in a way that is professional. Take the time to learn about your body type and what colors are most flattering to your complexion.
Speak clearly, with confidence, and at a pace that doesn’t bring a stressful energy. Upgrade your vocabulary.
It doesn’t matter your background, culture, or education. These are things anyone can learn to do by simply understanding people, your environment and how you relate and present yourself to it.
Etiquette makes the difference in this world. And because you are in the service industry, this should be of you upmost importance.
Etiquette is a branch of business that many neglect. If you want to upgrade your presentation and don’t know where to start and would like pointers to this I can help guide you in the right direction with some knowledge I’ve attained over the years taking etiquette courses, reading books, and curating this knowledge into a way that fits me.
Learning this etiquette helps you leverage who you are, it doesn’t take away from it.
Your brand isn’t just your website and your work it’s also how you look and act with your prospects, vendors, and those around you.
p.s. Refinement isn’t rigid. Refinement, when done right allows space for your personality to shine and balance your humanity. Be graceful with yourself and remember it’s all a journey.
