What is “self-presentation” and why is it needed?

Concept: why do you need to present yourself?

When presenting his abilities, a person sets a goal: to make a certain impression on his interlocutor. People with self-presentation skills are able to create a positive opinion of themselves in the eyes of others. The concept includes the following statements:

The ability to present yourself competently, talking about your experience and successes.
Correct prioritization: talk about what will interest the target audience.
By correctly telling about yourself, a person encourages action and gains the trust of others.

Adequate self-presentation is necessary to get an interesting job and establish good relationships with others. Some people actively use this skill to always be in the center of public attention.

Technological positions of self-presentation

Home Favorites Random article Educational New additions Feedback FAQ

⇐ PreviousPage 10 of 18Next ⇒

Familiarization with technological positions of self-presentation has several practical purposes.

Firstly, to help the manager understand how the technological chain of self-presentation develops, and therefore competently build his personal image, without the advice of specialists.

Secondly, to protect the manager from poor-quality performance of the functions of invited image-creating specialists, who, using standard options, sometimes unjustifiably inflate the price of their services.

Thirdly, by studying the reactions of people around him to his image, a manager can exercise self-control over his behavior and take measures to improve it.

The problem of the quality of the result of self-presentation is problem number one. It is not important to quickly create a manager’s image; the main thing is to highlight his best personal and business qualities in the most visual way. That is why it is necessary to remember always and everywhere the words spoken by Leonardo da Vinci: “Knowing the facts is not so important as knowing the connections between them.”

Such knowledge makes it possible to become familiar with the logic of constructing the “General Technology of Self-Presentation,” which operationally consists of four main technological positions:

1. Visualization of the appearance.

2. Communication mechanics.

3. Verbal effect.

4. Fluid radiation.

Let's take a closer look at each of the four technological positions.

Appearance visualization

The components of the first technological position - visualization of appearance, are three mini-procedures:

• face-building: facial hygiene, physiognomy, cosmetological correction, makeup or visage, hair care and selection of the appropriate hairstyle (or wig);

• kinesics: body plasticity, elegance of poses and manners, art of gesture, healthy lifestyle;

• clothing style: current trends in the world of men's and women's fashion, the ability to wear clothes, the effect of accessories.

The external image of a person is his most visual manifestation, therefore it effectively affects such an analyzer of our sensations as vision. It is much easier to enter the psychic space of the individual through vision; provide information about yourself, evoke certain emotions, give the intellect “food” for thought.

The implementation of the comparison of value and technological functions of the image is based primarily on providing visualization of the appearance, for example, on such achievements as a well-groomed face and the successful application of makeup on it. Unfortunately, many men underestimate the importance of daily care for their face and the selection of special makeup in some cases. There is an expression in image-making circles: “At 20, you have the face that God gave you, at 30, the face you made, at 40, the face you want to be seen, and at 50, the face you deserve.”

Of course, in self-presentation, plasticity of body movements and elegance of manners are of great importance. The ability to sit or move correctly, to look decent during business negotiations, skillfully using facial expressions and gestures, matching your clothing to the requirements of the latest fashion trends and a specific situation, correct use of accessories - all this gives the manager external confidence and respectability.

Communication mechanics

The components of the second technological position - communicative mechanics - are the following mini-procedures:

• consolidating one’s appearance in the mental space of the individual, that is, the use of communicative, perceptual and interactive communication;

• creation of so-called “memory traces” in the person affected, in the form of vivid impressions produced by the appearance;

• the ability to “not burn communication bridges,” that is, to make every effort, in the form of tact, a compliment, a hint of interest in further and long-term contacts, in order to form a positive attitude towards oneself.

The purpose of this component in a manager’s self-presentation can be most clearly expressed by the following judgment: “From a person’s words, one can only conclude how he intends to appear, but what he really is like, one has to guess from his facial expressions, antics, that is, those movements that he makes involuntarily "

Communicativeness is the integration of all visual means, thanks to which it is actively involved in human interaction, allows you to keep someone at the communication distance in which you are interested, using the “Face-building effect”.

In the first stage of the technological position under consideration, all the manager’s efforts are aimed at updating attention to himself. This can be accomplished most effectively through various issues of interaction with people.

If we mean interactive communication, then here we are talking directly about business cooperation. At the communicative level, we are talking about the ability to organize information exchange between the manager and the client. In this regard, it is useful to use various types of business meetings, meetings, and negotiation processes.

Perceptual communication is an in-depth perception of a person by a person through the use of non-verbal means of influence. It is no coincidence that in imageology there is a formula “80–20”, in which the first number is the effect of visual characteristics in people’s communication, the second number is the effect of speech influence. This confirms that the visual expressiveness of a person is a very powerful factor in entering our mental space. If we take into account the existence of twenty thousand facial expressions, a huge number of varieties of laughter, a variety of postures and manners, types and colors of clothing, then there is no need to make arguments about the importance of the manager’s skillful use of perceptual communication techniques.

The more effective and better the communication with people is, the more chances a manager has to surround himself with a halo of recognition. And the most important thing is to create and make a favorable impression in the form of open sympathy and desires to prolong business contacts with him. You should always demonstrate your willingness to cooperate and have a trusting relationship.

To consolidate productive communication, you can use the exchange of business cards, personally, sometimes by entering your mobile or home phone number into the business card. As a rule, this gesture is always perceived as a sincere interest in maintaining further business relationships. Be especially vigilant when conflict situations arise in communication. The manager needs to show intelligent ingenuity to prevent any damage to his image. It is best not to get irritated and give in to a quarrel, since in a calm state it will settle by itself, so that later you do not have to regret that the quarrel was not resolved at the beginning. Walter also said: “Of two quarrels, the one who is smarter is more to blame.”

Verbal effect

Verbal effect is the third technological position. Its components are the following mini-procedures:

• psychological and didactic support of speech influence;

• minimization of dispersion losses;

• use of speech communication styles;

• inclusion of “rhetorical tricks” in speech.

Despite the fact that speech influence (verbal) in imageology is allocated only 20%, in management it is the most universal way of formal and informal communication, personal and professional influence on people.

The manager should take into account that the people to whom he is speaking like it when the speaker captures their mood and well-being; talks about what excites or interests them; promptly responds to their expectations and complaints; offers various options for solving current problems; follows the logic of presenting the question; sensibly substantiates his point of view; knows how to find the necessary consensus when resolving a problem; can subtly use humor and jokes in speech.

It is desirable that the manager, through constant exercise, can skillfully use all the recommendations to ensure the effect of his speech act. It is important to pay attention to voice training; this includes a set of special exercises: from establishing posture and freeing oneself from irrational use of the voice, to special breathing exercises. It is also necessary to monitor the correct construction of words in speech, getting rid of its clogging, cliched expressions, filler words and accentological errors. Take the line from M.Yu. Lermontov: “On thoughts breathing with power, words descend like pearls.”

Fluid radiation

The components of this technological position are the following mini-technologies:

• emotional biofield;

• charismatic influence.

Every person has bioenergetic potential to one degree or another. The sources of its formation are very diverse. These can be physical and physiological energy producers of our bios, mental and spiritual state, as well as artificial ionizers that help improve performance. A person can have both positive and negative bioenergy.

The latter, by the way, is a very undesirable asset. Without attaching importance to your negative bioenergy, its formation can have various sources: a bad character or a painful reaction to magnetic vibrations, failures in your personal or business life, malaise or increased suspiciousness, you can carry around you the seeds of ill will and even rejection. Therefore, we offer two pieces of advice. firstly, knowing about this peculiarity of yours, use relaxation and meditative measures to remove negative energy from your body.

Secondly, make maximum volitional efforts and strictly control your communication, since many people do not accept aggressive communication with them.

Any business communication requires significant energy expenditure. The greater the manager’s energy potential, the wider the emotional biofield, which means the stronger impact he has on the interlocutor during communication.

Particularly successful in verbal communication are those individuals who are endowed with charisma, which translated from Greek means a gift in the form of wisdom, heroism or holiness. Such a person is gifted with a special sigmatic ability to attract people to himself.

Charismatic managers are the most professionally successful. They are readily trusted by clients and partners. The effect of fluid radiation can be increased with the help of a correctly placed smile, effective intonation, the ability to act expressively, and give people a friendly look.

There is no need to be upset by those who think they are not naturally charismatic. Playwright A. Vampilov always emphasized that every person is a creator, only he needs to be helped to open up.

Five common mistakes that managers make when they fail to meet the requirements for their self-presentation

The first mistake is not taking into account the shape of your face. Depending on your height and figure, you need to choose a haircut, makeup, clothing style, etc. that could bring the head shape closer to an oval shape or not make your face the most prominent component of your image.

The second mistake is the inability to smile, maintain correct or friendly facial expressions. In addition, you can recognize a person's soul when he laughs. When laughing, up to 80 facial muscles work, which helps deliver oxygen to the brain, lower blood pressure and neutralize distress.

The third mistake is underestimating physical training of the body, correct postures and gestures. They say that as the body straightens, the soul also straightens.

The fourth mistake is failure to comply with fashion requirements for clothing.

The fifth mistake is incorrect voice and speech. A bad or unpleasant voice irritates people, and therefore takes away up to 60% of your image. The voice very often reveals a person’s true feelings, because his speech, taking shape as an information product in the head, initially comes from the heart. By the way it sounds, what words it is filled with, how emotionally colored it is, you can learn a lot about a person.

A manager’s worthy image is a clear indicator of his attitude towards himself and the people with whom he works. Self-presentation is a confirmation of the manager’s high level of professionalism, mental maturity, moral responsibility and respectful attitude towards people.

Practical recommendations for creating an image for men and women

Image professionals believe that people judge us by the external impression we make within the first fifteen seconds of communication. It is personality traits such as appearance, voice and ability to conduct dialogue that can play a decisive role in your career and throughout your life. If your appearance does not inspire respect or your demeanor leaves much to be desired, then partners or clients simply will not want to maintain business relationships with you in the future. And not at all because your communication was unproductive, but because something in your manner of speaking or in your appearance put a barrier between you and your business partners. The practical recommendations given in this chapter will help you understand what clothes you should wear and what your makeup should be. You will learn how to improve your voice, how to take care of it, how to do breathing exercises and how to use a tape recorder. This chapter touches on many other aspects of the problem of creating your own unique image.

Appearance

As you know, people form their opinion about you within the first seconds, just by looking at you - even before you open your mouth and utter the first word. Whether you are organizing a business presentation, a meeting with a client or partner, giving a speech or communicating with work colleagues - in any case, it is very important what impression you make. If your appearance is attractive, then you can attract the attention of clients from the very beginning, and in the same way you can push a person away from you if your appearance is inappropriate.

But just having the appropriate appearance is not the most important thing. It is important that you feel comfortable yourself and that your confidence is passed on to your clients. If you know that you are well dressed, perfectly combed, and in good physical shape, then you will directly radiate self-confidence. If you feel that something is wrong with you, that something does not meet your own standards, then you will unconsciously begin to focus on this detail. Even if others say that you look great, you know that you are far from in the best shape and will unwittingly convey this negative feeling to others. Make an effort to improve your self-esteem; you yourself should enjoy your appearance.

It doesn’t matter whether you are an entrepreneur, a politician or a manager - in any case, you set the tone for the entire upcoming working day during the morning ritual and choosing clothes from your wardrobe. Positive emotions can be a “crane” for you that will help you act successfully. Negative ones will “suppress” you, starting a cycle of doubts that will most likely lead to failure. A manager, who by the nature of his work is forced to be visible, is obliged to move in any situation with grace and dignity, maintaining complete self-confidence. He should always feel superbly dressed and have no doubt that his preparation is at the proper, high level. Conservative or classic style always speaks of the good taste of its owner. Graceful, discreet clothing is your support. In addition, it will allow the client to see you, and not what you are wearing. In this way you can unobtrusively emphasize your individuality. The way you dress tells a lot about you - about your aspirations, about your education, about what you are like.

Women can also dress conservatively, but simply, and at the same time use small details that can subtly highlight her individuality. For example, a scarf or expensive accessories can add a bright touch to any strict, conservative wardrobe.

If you are confident that your clothes work for you and match your image, you can completely forget about them and focus only on your work.

Clothes and accessories

In private life, you can give priority to your fantasies and preferences, wear what you like best. However, a manager who works in the business world and must communicate with people should change his preferences: clothes should not attract too much attention; its role is to convey your thoughts and suggestions to the client and highlight your business abilities. In other words, clothes should help you, not overwhelm you. A flashy outfit designed for external effect is completely inappropriate. For example, for women: since you can sit as well as stand, you need to choose a skirt that looks good in both cases. A fairly narrow skirt rises high above the knees and wrinkles in the front, so at the hips you need to have a margin of at least two and a half centimeters wide. Also avoid skirts with a slit that opens wide when you sit down. After all, no amount of effort will help you connect the edges of the cut. Of course, the choice of clothing length is strictly individual and you should not change the length of the skirt every season, as fashion dictates. Determining the ideal length is necessary depending on height, weight and business style. Most women wear skirts that are ten centimeters below the knee, and this length never goes out of style.

For men, your suit should not only be of the best quality, but it should also be made from the right color fabric and fit you perfectly. If you want to have an impeccable suit, stand in front of a large mirror and carefully examine yourself from all sides. Don't lie to yourself about the strengths or weaknesses of your appearance. When you sit down, the edges of your trousers should not rise so much that a strip of leather shows between your socks and thighs.

Boots should always shine, at any time of the year; the shirt should fit well and in no case be too tight.

Overweight men should definitely remember that there is nothing more unsightly than the sight of a shirt that diverges on the stomach between the buttons. When you're looking through your wardrobe and thinking about what to wear, you need to be mindful of the visual impact of certain fabric colors and patterns, shiny metals in jewelry and eyeglass frames.

If you choose earrings or other jewelry, think about whether they will shine too brightly, dangle, or otherwise distract attention from your eyes. After all, it is the eyes that help convey the meaning of your words to the listener. Your face should be expressive and the eyes of your interlocutor should be focused, first of all, on it, and not on the appearance of the shine of your accessories. As for color, black, white and red are completely inappropriate. You've probably noticed how, in a company of several people, someone in a red suit or tie immediately catches your eye. We see a red spot long before we see the person himself, and it is the red color that distracts our attention from the person as such. A little tip: with your eyes half closed, take a good, quick look at yourself in the mirror; if any of your accessories overshadow you, take them off. The client should see you first.

And a little more about the color spectrum. Our eye is designed in such a way that it is difficult for it to combine the extreme colors of the spectrum, and these are black and white. Dark colors visually reduce, light colors, on the contrary, increase, red and orange are too harsh and dominant, and yellow and green, in turn, cast a gloomy reflection on the skin.

The closer the colors are to the middle of the spectrum, the better they will look on you and the better suited you will be. Gray, blue and pearl tones look the most advantageous.

Blue is undoubtedly one of the most pleasant and lasting colors, as it is in the middle of the spectrum. For women, a perfect combination would be a dark blue suit with either a smooth blouse or a blouse made of fabric with a vague pattern of grayish tones. Blue has many beautiful shades: royal blue, dark blue, aquamarine, blue-gray, but colors such as turquoise, pale blue, ultramarine should be avoided.

Gray is a calm color, and therefore it is one of the most preferred colors when choosing clothes. Every manager needs to have a well-tailored gray suit made of natural wool; gray does not attract attention at all, but it sets off the appearance quite favorably. It gives you a feeling of power without making you look inaccessible. The color gray symbolizes calm, confidence, trust, success and authority.

Women can successfully complement a gray suit or dress with jewelry, scarves or blouses in contrasting colors.

Gray color for everyone, without exception, helps to create a neutral tone, highlighting a person’s individuality in the first place.

Recommendations for men:

• a dark gray suit combined with a light blue shirt and a tie with a simple greenish and bluish pattern;

• a dark gray suit combined with a light gray shirt and a plain dark blue tie.

Recommendations for women:

• gray, the color of a dove's wing, a suit made of natural fabric - wool, silk, suede, with a blouse of muted bluish or gray-pink color with some unobtrusive pattern;

• the same gray suit combined with a plain blouse and the addition of accessories such as a bright fashionable scarf, a gold chain or a string of pearls. A combination of beads and earrings is also suitable.

Rest assured, your elegant, discreet outfit will be appreciated and will allow the client to completely forget what you look like and focus only on what you say.

Lastly, remember that white distracts from your face; Many people associate black with sadness and mourning, and also black things tend to “disappear”; yellow immediately catches the eye and gives the skin a yellowish, unhealthy tint; orange is heavy and unsuitable for all skin tones; red and pink greatly distract attention from the person’s personality. But some muted shades of the above colors will be appropriate as small additions to your main outfit.

Clothing for a business woman

Nowadays, women are becoming more and more successful in the business world of business. However, this does not mean that women should dress the same as men. With the help of accessories, even the strictest conservative suit can be made elegantly feminine.

By showing creative initiative, you can always soften your appearance and make it purely individual. First, you need to review your entire wardrobe and update it, within reasonable limits. You need to get rid of things that are hopelessly outdated, things that you have outgrown, as well as those that do not match your business image. Instead, it is enough to have several impeccable classic toilets that should fit you perfectly.

First of all, you need to have “going out clothes” that you will need for especially important business meetings involving significant business clients or partners. It is very important that such a thing fits perfectly - it is better to let it be a little loose than too tight. If the item is too small for you, then transverse folds will appear, which will make you appear fatter. You should be comfortable in your clothes. You should never wear a new suit for the first time during important business meetings. Try it first in everyday life, you will get used to it, like an old friend from whom you do not expect any surprises. You need to know how long your sleeves are, how open your neckline is, how your pants, skirt or dress fit. You should evaluate in advance how your outfit looks on you when you are standing, sitting or walking. This will help you not to focus and think about how you are dressed, but to focus all your attention on communicating with your client or partners. You should not depend on which clients you communicate with. For example, you are a manager in the sports industry, but this does not mean that you should dress in a tracksuit and sneakers. Hold yourself to your own standard of elegance and good taste. Remember that a classic suit or formal dress is suitable for a wide variety of occasions. During business communication, your appearance should always be conservative and discreet.

A color scheme

When choosing a wardrobe for all occasions, you must consider color combinations so that you can vary the different details of the clothing. You just need to carefully select the two basic colors that suit you best, and you will be able to create up to forty combinations with about a dozen items in your wardrobe.

For example, you can buy two expensive suits - dark blue and light gray or gray. A blue suit can have a blazer that can be paired well with a variety of skirts so it can easily be worn all year round. A gray jacket can be purchased without a collar - with a neckline that can be successfully decorated with various accessories.

Thus, taking two colors as a basis, you need to carefully select blouses, sweaters, scarves, coats, hats, stockings, shoes, belts, jewelry and handbags. You can buy several plain blouses that match the color of your main suits, or blouses in other tones with subtle patterns, but colors that match both suits. Just let your blouses have different neck trims.

A jacket from a light gray or gray suit looks good with a blue skirt and a blouse decorated with a gray-pink-blue scarf. In this option, you can use jewelry such as pearls, a gold chain, and beads made of semi-precious stones.

A dark blue suit jacket can be used in a variety of combinations. The handbag and shoes should be black or blue-black to match any outfit.

Fabrics

When shopping for your wardrobe, choose fabrics carefully. It is best to choose natural fabrics or fabrics with the addition of synthetics. The material should fit the body well, so rigid and shiny fabrics are very uncomfortable; due to their inflexibility, they can visually add extra weight to you.

Thin wool fabrics are great because they have the ability to drape without wrinkles or creases. Preference should be given to material that will look great under any circumstances, and of course withstand frequent cleaning.

Accessories

They are able to emphasize your good taste and provide an opportunity to express your personal “I”. With the help of accessories, the same suit can be presented from a completely different angle, adapting it for different occasions and seasons.

Expressing your individual look, you can vary it with scarves, belts, and jewelry. The selection of a handbag is an equally important detail; try to choose it so that it suits your appearance. Look at yourself in the mirror and make sure that your handbag really corresponds not only to its purpose, but also to your clothing style... Give preference to dark and smooth handbags, preferably made of genuine leather; such bags go with almost any suit. Let it be quite roomy, but at the same time graceful and elegant.

When it comes to jewelry, your taste should not depend on the latest fashion trends. Pretentiousness and excess should also be avoided. Your jewelry should complement your appearance without drawing too much attention to itself. Good taste only comes from the skillful use of a few great-looking decorations.

You should avoid using anything too shiny, swinging, ringing (for example, a large number of bracelets), or anything that distracts attention from your face and what you say. Large gold brooches, sparkling diamonds, large earrings, as well as disc earrings and ivory bracelets are inappropriate. Tasteless large decorations only betray a lack of sense of proportion and bad taste. For decorations we recommend:

• pearls (gray, blue, pink, beige), cameos;

• beads made of semi-precious stones (garnet, onyx, jasper, lapis lazuli, amber, amethyst);

• beads made of ornamental stones (coral, rose quartz, agate);

• pins and earrings with colored, dark semi-precious stones (amethyst, topaz, garnet).

You should always remember that incorrectly chosen jewelry can destroy your image and distract attention during business communications or concluding especially profitable deals.

Shoes

An important detail on which a woman’s posture and gait largely depends is shoes. High heels were not created for everyday or long walks. No one is forcing you to give up your favorite sneakers, but these days it's not uncommon to see a businesswoman walking around in comfortable low-heeled shoes. In the daily work of a manager, related to business communication with a client, straight posture plays an important role, but high heels do not help maintain balance and interfere with deep breathing. Therefore, it is very important to wear comfortable, well-fitting shoes with as low a heel as is comfortable for you. Modern fashion provides us with the widest selection of elegant and graceful low-heeled shoes. If your work involves covering a long distance or you have to stand for a long time, then you will need just such shoes. It will be enough for you to have one pair each of black, dark blue, brown or dark brown and dark gray shoes to create a completely sufficient set of shoes. Only shoes of bright or variegated colors and avant-garde heels are unacceptable.

If you want to visually reduce the size of your feet, then choose stockings and shoes in dark colors. If you are short, wearing stockings and shoes in the same color will make your legs look a little longer. On the contrary, light stockings with dark shoes seem to “cut” you, visually reducing your height.

Clothes for business men

Costume

What would you like your clothes to say about you or convey some message to your customers? Since people form an opinion about you from the first impression, your suit should be chosen so that you look confident, prosperous and authoritative. You need to feel so comfortable in a suit that during business communication you don’t think about how you look, but concentrate only on communication.

Your suit should be well tailored, impeccably fitted, made from high quality fabric and according to the latest fashion trends. Your wardrobe might include a gray formal suit, a navy suit, a navy blazer and two pairs of gray shirts, one light and one dark. The listed items of clothing go well with each other and will be appropriate in any situation. It is necessary to avoid cells in the fabric design, stripes or flashy tones, that is, anything that distracts attention from your face. A three-piece suit is always a great choice.

Shirts

For men who strive for a sophisticated, elegant style, plain, varied gray shirts are ideal. Gray color is neutral, always fashionable, discreet and modest. Without attracting much attention, it is compatible with any skin tone. A gray shirt looks better with a dark suit than a white one, since in this case there is no sharp contrast. An equally important detail in a shirt is the shape of the collar, as it outlines the lower part of the face and neck.

A tight collar is not only uncomfortable, but it also makes it look like your neck is thicker than it actually is. Collars fastened with buttons at the bottom tend to bulge and look less attractive. The ideal option would be a smooth collar that fits perfectly on the neck; it looks the most attractive.

Shoes and socks

Always wear long dark socks, as bare shins are very unattractive, especially when you cross your legs. Your boots should be black, simple in style and fit well on your feet. If you have to stand or walk a lot, it is best to have comfortable, well-broken-in shoes. It’s probably not worth repeating that men’s shoes should be polished to a shine, regardless of weather conditions. After all, a pair of unpresentable-looking shoes can greatly spoil a man’s generally decent appearance.

Ties

A man’s tie is that detail of his outfit that emphasizes his independence, his ability to express himself. In your private life, you can wear ties of any extravagant color, but when working with clients, choose calm, neutral ties whose colors will not distract attention from your face. Any man who meets with clients, employees, or solves business problems at any level should think more than once before choosing a tie - after all, a tie can tell a lot about him.

It is necessary to avoid ties that are flashy, brightly colored, checkered, striped or polka dotted; Red, white and black ties are also unacceptable. Choose a tie made from a calm, unobtrusive fabric, preferably in colors in the middle part of the spectrum. Remember that a tie helps highlight the expression and color of your eyes. For example, dark-colored eyes will be emphasized by a dark-colored tie: dark blue, burgundy, wine.

For a person with blue or gray eyes, a simple tie in graphite-gray-blue colors is suitable. Paired with a gray shirt and a dark gray suit, this elegant combination will allow the interlocutor to focus on your eyes.

Makeup

The main purpose of makeup is to highlight your natural beauty and hide some imperfections in your appearance. Your makeup should be a kind of miracle of understatement. It should not attract attention and at the same time should match the color of your skin, hair and eyes. In the process of communication, people should not see bright, provocative makeup first and only secondly – you.

Every year the fashion for cosmetics changes, companies recommend a wide variety of colors and shades every season. But, you see, your face doesn’t change much depending on the time of year. Therefore, you should not pay attention to the fact that in one season light shades of eye shadow and lipstick were fashionable, and in the next season they were completely different - dark ones.

It is always better to avoid excessive, provocative makeup, otherwise during communication the client will not think about making a deal, but about who is hiding under the mask of makeup and what you really look like without it.

⇐ Previous10Next ⇒

How to make an interesting self-presentation: preparation

Every person finds himself in many situations where it is necessary to be able to show himself in a favorable light. And further communication will depend on how the first meeting goes. You definitely need to prepare for this. Think about how you should meet the right person and how you will build your presentation. Try to find all the information about the subject of the upcoming conversation, work out every little detail. Try to draw up a clear action plan on paper. In those few minutes while you talk about your experience, abilities and achievements, a bright picture should appear in the interlocutor’s mind, showing the prospect of working together. At the same time, remember to be brief and provide only relevant information.

Features of personality self-presentation

Self-presentation is of great importance for understanding one's own self. There are several reasons for this:

Too lazy to read?

Ask a question to the experts and get an answer within 15 minutes!

Ask a Question

people strive to be seen in the best light: interesting, educated, friendly and responsible, or, on the contrary, to convey a completely different image;
self-presentation helps to describe and understand the numerous and varied presentations of oneself that one wanted to convey to others;
self-presentation influences knowledge of one’s own “I”: through behavior and actions a person receives knowledge that corresponds to one’s own “I”.

Definition 1

Self-presentation is part of the complex process of forming the image of a specialist. A person who is professionally engaged in any activity finds himself involved in many social and business relationships.

A feature of the formation of a specialist within the profession is the professional environment’s appeal to authoritative people, whose works serve as an image standard. The second feature is the information and communication connection of specialists with each other through direct communication and through certain means (Internet, professional literature, conferences, training). This allows you to know not only the personal qualities of your colleagues, but also their business competencies.

A special feature of a specialist’s activities for the external environment (clients) is that his positive image is a guarantee of being in demand. A discussion of a specialist takes place in a certain circle of people, an opinion about a person is passed on to other people and it begins to exist on its own.

Rules of self-presentation

When going to a meeting, set yourself up for success and feel confident in your abilities. The main thing is a positive emotional attitude. Don't forget to follow the rules:

Do not be late for the presentation under any circumstances;
put the phone away and put it in “Silent” mode;
show restraint - do not show your emotions, do not raise your tone;
remember to be polite and friendly;
keep the conversation going. Build your speech wisely;
speak only to the point.

There are rules of self-presentation that will help set a person up for the right impressions. No. 1. In the first 7 seconds, a general opinion is formed. When you appear in the field of view of the interlocutor (audience), the assessment immediately begins. Control your posture: straighten your shoulders, raise your head. Give confidence to your voice and gaze, shake hands firmly with your interlocutor. According to etiquette, one does not shake hands with women. No. 2. When meeting someone, what immediately catches your eye is the way you are dressed. Follow the dress code:

The best option for everyone is a light shirt (or a formal dress), dark trousers, cleaned shoes and a jacket. Tie is optional;
no jewelry needed: just wear a watch, earrings/wedding ring;
all clothes are clean and ironed;
Avoid cheap perfume.

Tune in for the presentation: your voice should be clear and pleasant. Grunting, squeaking or wheezing are not the best conversation starters. No. 3. A person’s professionalism is manifested in the ability to competently talk about himself. Make up a short, good story in advance and present it to your interlocutor. Perfect verbs inspire confidence in the audience: “did”, “achieved”, “formulated”, “improved”, etc. An impression will be formed of you as a businesslike and reliable person who achieves her goals. No. 4. Don't forget about the nonverbal component: don't cross your arms and legs, don't fidget, don't bite your lips or pen. These are signs of lack of self-confidence. You should stay straight and calm, nodding when necessary. The smile should be appropriate. This way the interlocutor will understand that you control yourself and quickly adapt in any situation.

Choosing the type of self-presentation

Self-presentation is a special method of presenting yourself as a person from the positive sides, as well as attracting to your advantages. It is very important to control feelings and emotions when preparing it. In fact, every person encounters this. We adapt to a given situation, control our speech, manners, and behavior.

So, the first type of self-presentation is adjusting to the people around you. This is a rather complicated technique, but quite feasible. For example, if you want to get to know a company, you first need to know its behavior, manners, topics of conversation, and speech from the outside. This helps to feel people more strongly and quickly find a common language. After this, there is only one thing left to do - join the company and become part of it.
The second way of self-presentation is leadership, dominance and authority. This method is much more complicated than the first, because the speaker is required to fulfill a much larger number of rules and conditions.

RULES FOR THE SECOND METHOD

Firstly, the person who is presenting himself must look elegant. To do this, you don’t need to buy any expensive, special things; it’s enough to emphasize elegance with the help of the right clothes. For example, for a man, a fitted shirt, a slightly fluffy tie is suitable, and for a woman, a dress that emphasizes her waist, soft jewelry and a neat hairstyle.

Secondly, always think before you say something. Speech should not contain filler words and should be clear and precise. It is important to think about every question, as any stupidity can put respect in society at risk.

Thirdly, it is necessary to highlight and emphasize strengths. The mark of a leader is turning a disadvantage into an advantage. Different companies may have different strengths. For example, a girl understands cars, a man cooks deliciously, and a woman knows martial arts. You need to find your own “zest” to stand out from the crowd.

Fourthly, you need to present your personality and inner qualities. But self-presentation should be unobtrusive, as should focusing on common interests. The best action would be to immediately show your nature, and not a mask, so that in the future there will be no disappointment on the part of your interlocutor.

Self-presentation at an interview

When applying for a job, the applicant fills out a form, providing information about himself. If the information in the application form is of interest to the employer, the applicant will be scheduled for an interview. For yourself, first write short answers about your achievements and capabilities. When presenting yourself, confirm your words with strong arguments: certificates, diploma, work record, marriage certificate, etc. Focus on strengths and positive qualities Don't be afraid to ask questions. Ask about the specifics of the job, the company, or prospects. This way, the employer will understand that the potential employee will invest time and effort into the development of the enterprise.

The essence, goals and objectives of self-presentation

Note 1
The concept of self-presentation is defined as a system for managing the impression of others. A person demonstrates his personal and professional qualities, appearance to attract attention to his person. Often this term is replaced by the words: self-presentation or self-presentation.

Mastering the art of self-presentation is important for representatives of show business, theater and cinema, politicians and entrepreneurs. In these areas, you need to have a positive image and an attractive image to attract the audience.

In a broad sense, the key goal of self-presentation is “selling yourself,” i.e. you need to please your interlocutor or the public. Attitudes are usually formed within the first 30 seconds of communication. Over the next 3 minutes, the opinion is strengthened. Changing attitudes after the first three minutes of communication is difficult and sometimes impossible. Therefore, you should remember the rule of effective self-presentation: “30 seconds and 3 minutes.”

The next goal of self-presentation is to build interaction between the speaker and the audience to achieve the desired result. Any relationship between people serves to satisfy needs; long-term connections can be established if needs are satisfied mutually. This can be called symbiosis or synergy. Therefore, it is important to remember that every dialogue has a goal, every interlocutor has a need.

Too lazy to read?

Ask a question to the experts and get an answer within 15 minutes!

Ask a Question

For most people, another purpose of self-presentation is to fill a lack of something. At the same time, the subject himself may not realize that a shortage exists. But with a clear and clear goal, one should not forget about hidden motives.

Using self-presentation when establishing various contacts with people allows you to solve a number of problems:

adaptation – ensuring optimal entry into the system of professional relations, adaptation to real conditions;
communication – the ability to interact with people, joining a team, becoming a leader;
informing – creating conditions for information exchange with colleagues, clients and other interested parties;
correction – correcting possible shortcomings and distortions in the image of a professional, preventing the appearance of rumors and negative information;
demonstration – presentation of evidence of one’s competence and professional qualifications (certificates, diplomas, certificates, etc.).

Example of self-presentation

As an example, we will tell you about specific actions that should be performed when applying for a job:

State your first and last name, then smile.
In two or three words, tell us about your marital status.
Briefly describe the companies where you worked, tell us about your successes, give examples.
Be clear about your goals and aspirations.
Tell us why you want to work here and what benefits the employer will receive from working with you.
Thank you for your attention.

If the atmosphere is more confidential, you can mention your hobbies.

What is self-presentation

Self-presentation is the ability to independently build a story about yourself based on the needs of the listener. You must understand what the person to whom you will tell about yourself wants to hear from you. That is, in essence, you must understand the need of your listener. But people you don’t know ask you to tell you about yourself, how can you understand their need? There is a preparation stage for this.

It's simple: we tell cat lovers about cats, and dog lovers about dogs. Only this way and not the other way around. Any person has a story to tell for both, you just need to learn to look at yourself from the outside and see what you are doing. Well, the hardest thing is not to be shy about talking about it.

Mistakes of self-presentation

Keep in mind that different situations require a specific approach. Therefore, when talking about yourself, it is very important to avoid any shortcomings. We have prepared a list of the most common errors:

The applicant does not understand the goals of the presentation, or does not set them at all. Therefore it becomes meaningless.
Does not know about the needs of the interlocutor, cannot formulate how he will be useful.
Gives false or embellished information.
Talks only about himself, ignoring the other person's reaction or what happens during the presentation.
The use of negative words in speech, negativity.
A “closed” posture or, conversely, excessive fussiness and gesticulation.
A person avoids eye contact - it can be assumed that he is deceiving or unsure of himself.

During the interview, follow business etiquette: do not talk on the phone, rush the audience, say that you don’t know something, or bring up negative aspects of your work or communication in the past.

Possible problems with self-presentation

Very often a person may have problems associated with psychological trauma, psychological barriers, and also with the fact that he does not know himself. All this can affect not only the conversation, but also communication with the interlocutor.

Therefore, an important rule when drawing up a self-presentation will be to take into account one’s own characteristics, that is, hiding them or, conversely, emphasizing them.

Self-presentation will give maximum results if it is exciting, informative, but not drawn out for a long time. At the same time, it is very important to listen and hear other people’s opinions, think about your words and actions, and completely maintain control over the situation.

Development of necessary skills and self-presentation training

A person must develop, learn new things, improve his skills. To ensure excellent self-presentation, do not forget to practice:

learn to speak correctly, clearly formulating your thoughts;
try to control your emotions and gestures;
be polite;
talk about yourself in front of the mirror, record your speech on video or a voice recorder: this will help identify the main shortcomings.

Practice exercises to learn how to unobtrusively convince your interlocutor of your indispensability, and then competent self-presentation of your personality will become an important component of your success. After all, the ability to present yourself correctly will be useful not only when applying for a job, but also in other areas of life.

Forms of self-presentation

A favorable impression on the audience in the process of self-presentation can occur within the framework of business and personal communication. In the first case, it is important to reveal your professional skills and abilities, to show yourself as a worthy specialist, capable of further development and growth. Personal presentation is the presentation of a person as an individual. This is a demonstration of personal qualities that contribute to professional development: responsibility, communication skills, creativity, diligence, etc.

Self-presentation has two forms:

direct – face to face with the interlocutor;
indirect - through certain means.

The first form of self-presentation is considered traditional. This is a speech during a business conversation, interview, at press conferences and other events.

In the second case, the speaker uses certain means: business cards, autobiography, portfolio, resume.

Both forms of self-presentation require careful preparation. This is the selection and arrangement of the premises (in the case of organizing a business meeting or holding a press conference) and mandatory speech rehearsal.

Research shows that the greatest influence on an audience is not information about the subject of a speech, but personal contact. There will be no second chance to make a positive impression on the audience.

Note 1

Public speaking is considered the best form of self-presentation. A successful performance significantly increases a person’s authority. Professional speakers are not born, it is the result of many years of training, successful and unsuccessful performances. At the same time, experts recommend creating eye contact with the public, i.e. do not use text written on paper. This should be a live dialogue.

Prepare a self-presentation plan

To build a competent self-presentation during negotiations, it is recommended to draw up a plan; it will help determine how to become more interesting and useful to your interlocutor. Creating such a plan involves describing and analyzing your qualities on all of the listed points and finding out your strengths and weaknesses and further working on them. Then a conversation strategy is drawn up and unfinished points are corrected. A self-presentation plan will allow you to approach the matter in more detail and express yourself in the best possible way.

Self-presentation before the interview

Resume A competent resume favorably presents a person for this particular vacancy. If a person has not decided on the field of activity or has not chosen the direction of work, then for each vacancy he can adjust one or another item of his resume. This applies to both education, work experience, and personal qualities of the applicant.

If an applicant wants to get into the IT field, then there is probably no need to report 10 certificates received in courses in esotericism and communication psychology.
If an applicant is applying for the position of a teacher in a kindergarten, then it is also advisable for him to remain silent about his insignificant experience in the field of sales of alcoholic products.
If an applicant wants to get into an active, tough marketing environment, then the personal qualities reported in the resume must be thought out perfectly: resistance to stress, ability to work in a team, responsibility, initiative, decency - these are the character traits that are simply necessary in this field of activity. A sense of humor, tolerance, love for the elderly, children and animals are more suitable for applicants in the fields of education or social care.

Emails Compliance with netiquette will favorably introduce a person before communication begins. Please note the following:

correct email address of a reputable mail server,
presence of last name, first name, patronymic in the address bar,
the subject of the letter, filled in at the request of the employer or simply convenient for searching among hundreds of other letters in the mailbox,
presence of appeals to the interlocutor, respectful tone, absence of grammatical errors, brevity of answers or questions, generally logical presentation of thoughts in the letter,
links to any information on the network must be checked before posting,
favorably characterizes the applicant and the presence of links to additional means of communication: ICQ, Skype, Whatsapp, telephones and others,
communication through other means of electronic communication implies the same requirements: correct nicknames, “decent” accounts, friendly tone, absence of gross errors, logic and conciseness of presentation.

Telephone conversations also require preparation and compliance with business etiquette. A calm tone of speech, good diction, clearly formulated questions, and the ability to listen to the answer to the end will create an adequate image of the interlocutor and increase the chances of being invited to a real interview.

Preparing for self-presentation

Remember that the best improvisation is a prepared improvisation. If you gather information in advance about who you will be presenting to. If you think about what your interlocutor wants to hear from you, the task will become much easier. In fact, almost all aspects of the story about yourself can be thought out in advance. And when the crucial moment comes, you will clearly know what you have to talk about.

You know about 90% of self-presentations in advance. For example, when going for an interview, be sure that you will be asked to talk about yourself. When you have your first day at work and you need to get to know your team and colleagues, you will also be asked about yourself. If you go to a conference with the goal of establishing business connections, you will be required to say something about yourself.

Despite the obvious need to prepare, many people do not do so. Why do I think this? Simply because I have been conducting interviews and meeting new people every week for the last 10 years. From 10 years ago to now, most people don’t even prepare answers to the most common interview questions.

And it’s not at all difficult to prepare. It is important to answer the questions:

Who will I communicate with?
What does a person expect from communicating with me?
What can I give?
Who are my competitors?

This is a kind of identification of needs. How well you understand the needs of your interlocutor depends on how interesting the story about yourself will be to him. If you have found the answers to these questions, all that remains for you is to think through the thoughts that you will convey when communicating and prepare specific phrases and formulations. For example, if a company is looking for a crisis manager. During the interview, you should talk about how you got out of difficult situations, what skills, knowledge and experience will help you solve problems. Well, you definitely shouldn’t say that you are looking for a quiet job, without overtime.

Confidence in yourself and your knowledge

The qualitative characteristics of self-presentation in business communication are manifested in the qualifications of a specialist and his awareness of the topic of discussion. Knowledge of professional vocabulary is preferred. But this point is in third place solely because professionalism without the first two factors makes no sense.

It is worth carefully preparing for the dialogue, providing answers to possible questions, and working through all options for developing the dialogue. Confidence in yourself and your knowledge allows you to easily maneuver in dialogue and create the impression of a first-class specialist.

Since even the most serious business partner is also a person, emotional and sensory criteria for self-presentation sometimes play a greater role than all of the above.