It's all in the image

Image consultancy IN RECENT YEARS, businesses have begun to appreciate that professionalism is not only demonstrated by their employees' ability to do their job, but also by how they look and act in any given situation. A gaudy tie or unpolished manners can leave the wrong impression, no matter how clever or how skilled a negotiator the person might be. Companies now know that their employees are their representatives in the outside world, and they are beginning to make sure that their image is being represented appropriately. Businesses are increasingly turning to the city's image consultants to assess their employees and hold seminars on everything from appropriate business attire to makeup application, hair styling, etiquette and general self-esteem. Tina Liu of Tina Liu Image Consultancy is pleased that her line of business is being taken seriously in the corporate world. 'I am glad [firms] understand that no matter how good the service or the product is, it is the people who interact with the customers who largely influence their customer's impression of the company,' Ms Liu said. 'Suppose we have never met. When you come through the door, before you say anything, I pick up an impression. That is a form of communication. Corporations now understand that, and they want to make sure their staff reflect a positive and professional image.' Firms have also realised that an improvement in their employees' self-esteem and general happiness about how they look leads to reduced staff turnover and increased productivity. Ms Liu said the training process had to begin with an understanding of why image was important in business. 'I always tell people that how you dress is a kind of politeness and they have to respect the culture of the company they are working in. I focus on the mindset first. They have to know why they are doing it. The techniques come second.' Fine-tuning an already sophisticated society in Hong Kong was one thing, but the most rewarding and challenging work was to be found on the mainland, where the demand for her services was gathering pace, Ms Liu said. 'The country is developing so fast that a lot of the basic etiquette and wardrobe know-how is missing,' she said. 'Corporations are starting to want to present a better overall image. And individual clients, who have the financial resources and have been travelling more, know there is an inadequacy in their personal image. 'They are hungry for information because in the big cities everything is available and maybe affordable, but that does not mean the person has the judgment to groom himself or herself.' Ms Liu said that her clients on the mainland - corporate and private - asked a lot of questions and were keener to learn than people in Hong Kong. 'Men will ask 'Which button should I button up on my suit?' or 'Why isn't this shirt OK with that tie?', while women tend to focus more on camouflaging body shape,' she said. 'They could be high-level executives taking care of million-dollar businesses, but when it comes to image and how to dress, they are just like anyone - they want to look better.' New graduates are also prime candidates for image consultants. They are keen to look the part in a business suit; to make a seamless transition from the lecture hall to the office without making any sartorial blunders. Mary Cheung of Mary Cheung and Associates (International) is an image consultant with 11 years of experience. She runs workshops for Polytechnic University's Competitiveness Programme, helping students to increase their chances of getting employment after graduation. Ms Cheung gives her students a checklist of grooming tips to follow. For instance, she advises them not to wear a new outfit to an interview, among other things. 'Students try their best to get good grades. But they do not have experience in the business world. So we help them to be more competitive,' Ms Cheung said. Considering the increased demand in Hong Kong and the potential for work on the mainland, image consulting is likely to continue gaining popularity as a career choice. For those interested, there are a number of courses on offer in Hong Kong. The Professional Diploma in Image Consultancy, a 182-hour part-time evening course, is run by the Open University of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education offers a three-year full-time course in Fashion Image Design at the Kwai Chung campus. Aspiring image consultants can also become members of the Association of Image Consultants International (AICI) - the largest professional body for image consultants and educators worldwide - by taking certification programmes approved by AICI and the International Association of Continuing Education and Training. These are now being offered to Hong Kong students by Desmond Chan of the Image De Monde Group. The First Level Certification is a 100-hour, part-time course, which takes eight months to complete and gives a broad understanding of image, covering everything from marketing to colour analysis, makeup and inner self development. If students pass its difficult exam, they can put the letters AICI after their name. Mr Chan is the only image consultant in Hong Kong and the mainland to have attained the more senior AICI qualification of Certified Image Professional. 'We are in the infant stage in Hong Kong for real image consultants, but [the business] is growing,' said Mr Chan, who moved to Hong Kong from Melbourne when he saw the potential for his business here. Jargon AICI The Association of Image Consultants International is the largest professional body for image consultants and educators worldwide. CEUs These are Continuing Education Units, which come under the auspices of the International Association of Continuing Education and Training. Units are rewarded for additional training and are needed for First Level Certification (FLC) and Certified Image Professional certification (CIP). CIM A Certified Image Master is the most senior certification available. There are only seven CIMs in the world. Wardrobe management Particularly relevant to those in Hong Kong with tiny wardrobes, this teaches people how to categorise and make the best use of the space in their wardrobe. Colour analysis A way of categorising types of hair and complexion into the four different seasons. A good basic reference for people (mostly westerners) who are not particularly sensitive to the colours they should be wearing. Capsule wardrobe These are the essential, basic and everlasting items in a themed colour that every person should have in their wardrobe.