Apple, Nordstrom, Warby Parker, and Kohl’s rarely disappoint in their service. Just yesterday, I needed a consultation on a replacement connector for my MacBook Air. I made a reservation with Apple, the service person was on time, and the item was replaced. Last week, due to an update on my iPhone 6S, my anna@personalimagesinc.com address was not receiving emails. I called Apple support and they were able to walk me through the steps to get Microsoft emails to work. Nordstrom provides consistently good delivery service and easy exchanges, as does Kohl’s with their curbside pickup or returns.

A signature brand can be a color that is recognized as belonging to an item or person. Take McDonalds, for example. McDonalds’ signature colors are red and yellow. Apple’s signature is the apple with a bite missing. For Anna Wintour of Vogue, it is her hair cut. Eyewear has now become an easy way to make a statement and be a brand. For Simon Sinek, it is his colorless eye frames. Consider choosing a color or jewelry pieces that can be worn constantly.

In virtual meetings and on FaceTime, grooming is more important than ever, as the camera enhances flaws. Using a bit of lipstick and blush goes a long way. To enhance engagement virtually, individuals must be able to see the best in you. Do a quick check up before the meeting begins to see that everything is in place. I remember seeing my hair on the back of my head sticking up and it caused me to be distracted throughout the meeting.

Here are some of the “don’ts” to avoid when promoting virtually and working to engage the audience. Some of the speakers running for office missed the mark at the Toastmasters International annual meeting. The issues included:

• A background that washed out the visual appearance of speaker.
• Having a lack of engaging facial expression.
• Using a very serious, dry tone of voice.
• Visual technical problems.
• Audio technical problems.
• Making clothing choices that did not enhance the speaker’s appearance. For, women, their appearances were too plain at times. For men, the jacket and tie combinations appeared stiff and intimidating at times.
• Using a negative pitch.
• Using generalized challenges.
• Keeping these “do’s” and “don’ts” in mind when presenting virtually can help you to capture your audience’s attention and help your pitch be successful.
• Telling personal story that rambled and was a bit too long.
• Using a negative pitch.
• Using generalized challenges.

  Keeping these “do’s” and “don’ts” in mind when presenting virtually can help you to capture your audience’s attention and help your pitch be successful.

Promoting a product or an idea virtually in a meeting can be tricky. Here are some of the “do’s” that work to help engage the audience. These aspects helped the members running for office and speaking at the Toastmasters International annual meeting:

• A visually appealing background that aligned with the personal appearance of the speaker.
• An engaging tone of voice and excellent audio sound.
• An engaging personal appearance. Making good color and clothing choices. For women, adding a nice, sophisticated touch of jewelry. For men, wearing a white shirt and a tie that is a good color choice.
• Smiling and use engaging facial expressions.
• Sharing a quick, related personal story (such as when someone asked them why they were a member of Toastmasters).
• Asking the audience to consider how this vote would affect them.
• Giving a pitch to the audience as to why the audience members should vote for them.

To help prepare a successful speech or presentation, use the 5 P’s as a guideline. Before beginning, consider the purpose for the speech or presentation. Find your passion for the subject. The “P” for preparation doesn’t just involve preparing for your speech, it includes doing homework about the audience. Without this preparation, the other 4 P’s will not have the intended results. Be sure to practice by running through the presentation until you are comfortable. Your performance and familiarity with the subject will be key as to how your speech is received. Keeping the 5 P’s in mind will help to ensure success.

Being on LinkedIn offers many benefits. Keeping your profile up to date gives you a presence without a website. A strong LinkedIn profile may help you receive a promotion to a potential project, obtain a new position, or make a career move. Be sure to include critical elements, such as a current picture and biography. Continually add new content in order to keep your profile fresh. Remember, LinkedIn is not a vehicle to sell products or services. It is a social media platform to let the audience know about you and what you offer.

Recently, Seth Godin presented a webinar about how an entrepreneur can manage life and business being at a standstill due to the current coronavirus pandemic. Seth talked about his many ventures, successes, and failures. The important take away for me was how to present and view my consulting and coaching business as adding value to one’s target market (in my case, the client). It is key to be able to describe, in simple language, the value that is being added. It is important to know what to say to a potential new client. Godin also stressed having “smart persistence”. This means not giving up when an idea doesn’t work but doing what is needed to make it work—whether that means adding or taking something away. Marketing is understanding what the target market needs and providing it. Being the provider who adds value is what makes us tick.

A cover letter for a resume is a hook that captures the reader’s interest. The letter should encourage the reader to want to review your resume, to go through the information about you, and to add your name to the top of the list for an interview. A cover letter should consolidate your background, highlight key strengths, offer career goals and value-added propositions, and illustrate your positive personal qualities. A cover letter helps orient the reader before looking at your resume. It is the reader’s first impression of you—and you want that impression to be a good one.

For individuals in transition between jobs, this is the time to practice your virtual interview skills. Here are some helpful tips for a successful virtual interview. First, prepare an introduction (approximately one minute long). Next, prepare yourself to answer the following questions:

• Why are you the right fit for the organization? What about your attributes and experiences makes you the best candidate for the role?
• What is a succinct example that illustrates you have the qualities needed to make a difference and contribute towards the organization’s success?

Record yourself three times. Then watch your recordings and pick the best one to send to colleagues for review. Pinterest and Instagram are wonderful resources to find information as to what to wear and what to say.

These guidelines will help prepare you for a virtual interview or a phone interview. Just like preparing for an in-person interview, you need to think ahead. In these times, you also need to consider your virtual presence