Things are sure lookin' good for a business where making an impression really
counts - image consulting. Singaporeans seeking a spruce-up are spoilt for
choice, whether they are a teenager facing a job interview or a company wanting
to suit up its employees in smarter style.
The changing face of image consulting has seen the industry grow from a handful
of practitioners 10 years ago to around 40 now.
Back then, consultants were more geared towards giving coltish teens help in
deportment.Or else they wielded colour charts based on seasons to see if a desperately
bored housewife was a "summer".
Now, as Singapore takes off as a regional finance and arts hub, they have a
huge range of clients - from corporate rats to big-bucks banker wannabes to
Average Joes who know it is important to look good.
And they want to not just look good, but talk the talk as well - with some
consultants providing etiquette advice and networking skills.
As a result, the makeover magicians come with a bristling array of
qualifications, ranging from local programmes to internationally recognised
certificates.
Joanne Lim, 33
Image Success
Two years of experience
Teo Ser Lee, 41
Protocol Academy
Four years of experience
Christina Ong, 40s
Imageworks Asia
13 years of experience
Audrey Quek, 32
Audrey Quek Image Consultancy
Three years of experience
Image doyenne Christina Ong, for example, just last month received an award
from the prestigious Association of Image Consultants International (AICI). The
United States-based organisation gave her the Jane Segerstrom award, honouring
her international contribution to the industry.
She is the first Singaporean and second Asian to get the award.
"Our services are no longer considered inaccessible and irrelevant to the
average person on the street," says Ong, who recently set up a local chapter of
the AICI to educate and promote image consultants in Singapore.
The 13-year industry veteran, whose business is called Imageworks Asia, adds:
"It's not impossible to imagine the day when almost everyone will have a
personal image consultant assist in their style and the way they project
themselves."
Indeed, while TV shows such as Diva On A Dime, Cover Shot and What Not To Wear
would have it that makeovers are a pushover, plenty of consultants here have
sought the paper qualifications to back up their skills.
The number of Singaporeans who have undergone image consultancy certification
courses has doubled in the last two years, says Image Success image consultant
Joanne Lim.
But she estimates that only about 20 are practising as professional
consultants.
Suzenne Zheng of First Impressions, who has been in the industry for 15 years,
pegs the total number of consultants - including those who are not certified - at about 40.
IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGINE THE DAY WHEN ALMOST EVERYONE WILL HAVE A PERSONAL IMAGE CONSULTANT ASSIST IN THEIR STYLE AND THE WAY THEY PROJECT THEMSELVES
"Although you do not need a degree or certificate to become an image
consultant, you pick up the skills more effectively by taking a training
programme from an accredited organisation," says image consultant Audrey Quek,
who trained with British consultancy First Impressions.
The AICI, for one, offers certification courses here (www.imageworksasia.com)
for individuals who want to go into the profession.
It even provides three certification standards ranging from first-level
certification - which entails an exam on image-related knowledge - to certified
image master status, in which a consultant's portfolio is assessed by the
association to determine if he or she is highly competent in the profession.
Ong, for example, has attained the mid-level certification title of certified
image professional, which is based on a minimum of two years in the profession,
the ability to promote image-related subjects in workshops or through the media
and personal appearance.
Consultants like former beauty queen Teo Ser Lee also go beyond physical
appearance to specialise in certain fields such as etiquette.
"When I was representing Singapore in international beauty pageants, I attended
fine-dining events and didn't know much about dining etiquette," says Teo,
founder and director of Protocol Academy and winner of titles like Miss
Singapore International and Miss Singapore-World.
"Although you can learn by watching what others are doing at the dinner table,
people can always tell that you're simply following suit."
While Teo trains business executives on topics ranging from how to make a
formal toast to the correct posture at the table, others may focus on business
protocol, networking and even revamping the staff's attire and conduct to suit
the image of the company.
Lim, who has 10 years of experience in public relations under her belt, also
specialises in colour analysis and coaches clients on the use of hues to
project a particular image.
IMAGE CONSULTANTS NOT ONLY NEED TO BE ABLE TO BRING VALUE TO THE CLIENTS' NEEDS
BUT ALSO HAVE THE RIGHT QUALIFICATIONS AND BUSINESS ACUMEN TO SURVIVE
"I think a lot of women like fashion, shopping and colours, so it is not
surprising that they go into the industry," says Lim, who studied the
profession from veteran American image maven Carla Mathis.
"But you have to remember it is a business, and image consultants not only need
to be able to bring value to the clients' needs but also have the right
qualifications and business acumen to survive."
