After the very successful partnership with StanChart since last year for some of their corporate lunchtime talks, Citibank has now asked me to partner with them. Today marks the first of such partnerships in the series of ‘Citi at Work – Corporate Grooming Talk’.

With a new working partner and exploring a new building that is the Mapletree Business City, I’m off to Norvatis to share with approximately 60 employees who signed up for this teatime talk.

To me, the numbers are immaterial – whether it is 1 participant or 100 participants, the show will still go on. The only difference is that with more people, you can feel the energy and buzz in the room when the participants discuss and share ideas. It is really infectious as it gets me high always.





After the brief introduction by the recreation club chairman, it was all systems go! In the seminar room where there was a good mix of both males and females, I spoke on how to create a corporate look effortlessly.

More and more companies are realizing the need to organize such talks for their staff on a regular basis. Whether it is for the sales staff who need to run around sharing their latest products with potential clients, or staff doing the backend and frontend, putting up a positive first impression is one of paramount importance as you represent the company. That was precisely also why I was requested to include a special segment on how I could help improve the image of the receptionist.

It is perhaps the worst kept secret that the receptionist is the first person one sees when one walks into any company. Similarly, the sales personnel from the company is the first contact point for many of us. We do not encounter the director nor CEO. But it is often the point of contact that makes or breaks the deal.

Can you imagine a receptionist or sales rep who looks disheveled, tired and uncoordinated? I certainly can. Does this augur well for the transaction that is about to happen next? Very often or not, it does not.

In an increasingly complex world when a premium is paid on what one wears and what one says, the art of presentation, needless to say, is an art in itself. When you dress well and present well, your self-confidence automatically moves up a notch higher.