The 4C’s of Personal Presence

The 4C’s of Personal Presence

May 3rd, 2010 @ admin

The 4C’s of Personal Presence

Your personal presence tells the world so much about you. Whether you are at work or play, your energy, physical appearance and body language, speak for you. Each element interacts with the others to create a “4C Image” of confidence, competence, credibility and congruence.

Developing and maintaining a 4C Image takes constant work. The learning and growing to cultivate and present to the world who you really are, is a life-long journey.   There are times you don’t get it right, and others where you feel so tuned-in and turned-on it feels like nothing can stop you. Your 4C Image is your reflection at every hour of every day.

When your 4C Image is polished and refined, your personal presence conveys a grounded and trustworthy person…someone with whom you want to interact with and do business. When your 4C image is out of balance, your personal presence is compromised and may send unintended signals to the very people you want to positively influence.

Creating a positive personal presence can be challenging as you work towards finding balance and harmony in each area of your life. It’s about realizing that as a work in progress doing it alone can be challenging; whereas  listening, talking, and asking questions of the right people will give you the information that’s right for you. This will give you a foundation that will move you forward quickly and easily as you become approachable and relationships are forged from a platform of trust.

What contributes towards a positive personal presence? There are so many things! Your words, clothes, hair, makeup, and accessories are part of that. The other side is internal. It’s about living your core values whatever they may be and being true to yourself. It’s about presenting yourself congruently from the inside-out and the outside-in that help you feel like you… a well put together person.

The most obvious physical signal is your clothes. Wearing outfits that are look worn, wrinkled,  too tight, or too big, each send their own message. Also, too much makeup, unkempt hair or unshined shoes all compromise your image. And wearing clothes inappropriate for the occasion signals not doing your homework or an “I don’t care” attitude.

Your body language easily conveys internal messages that you may not even be aware of. For example, have you ever received a limp handshake? What impression did that give you? Chances are that it was a real turnoff. Most people would say it left them with the opinion and feeling that the person was not very confident.

What impression does a firm handshake give you? Usually it’s one of confidence. If that handshake is too strong it can give the opposite effect – one of needing to be too much in control, and it may inadvertently put up an energetic wall.

Something as simple as learning how to give a strong handshake can make all the difference in your personal presentation. Another article will address this skill.

Occasionally, I’ll watch a “makeover” show and marvel at the how the client’s personal presence miraculously shifts in those 30 minutes. They start off defensive and soon you see the energy begin to shift.  By the end of the show everything about them transforms into a powerful positive image. They walk taller, are more confident, they feel better and exude an energy that was hidden by lack of self care and avoidance.

These shows work from two directions. They start with the outside by teaching the client what works physically for their physique. As the clients become more educated and aware you begin to see their internal growth as well. Whereas they were competent in other areas of their lives they were weak in understanding this side of themselves. With help, they became more congruent with their personal presence, which spilled over in other areas of their lives, thus making those areas even stronger. These transformational experiences, and the delight of those who share in the experience with the client, truly exemplify the following…

Remember….

Confidence – be confident with yourself so that others can have confidence in you.

Competence – believe that you are competent in all that you do. Follow through and pay attention to details so that others can believe in your competence.

Credibility – believe that you are credible and own it. Trust yourself so that others have reason to trust you.

Congruence – when you are congruent you are grounded and focused. You exude congruence when the others are in synch.

As your 4C Image evolves, your personal presence acquires levels of maturity and strength that carry you through the good times and the bad.

To your success!

Terry Wildemann

Category : Blog &Networking