While I am not self-employed, my mind-set isn’t any different than if I were self-employed. That I give my all to the job so that hopefully by the time it reaches the client, their expectations have been exceeded and this encourages returning clientele. Now that is my mind-set, but throughout the years I have observed at work that most fellow workers work grudgingly, always critical, nagging that this isn’t right, that isn’t right and how can they possibly do their job when the customer hasn’t done this or that. Like the customer is a real obstacle/problem to them!

Why is it that when we purchase something, we “expect” value for our money, but when the roles are reversed, and now here we are the ones offering a service, the mentality becomes the opposite? This is the one draw back to being employed by others I think anyways. We tend to turn off something in our brains when it is our turn to return the favour we expect others to do for us when we part with our money in return for a service or product.

Go figure.

Yes a little bit of touching up is ok, I admit I have done it with mine. But digital cosmetic surgery is just a bit to far and would completely break any trust built up if it happened to me.

If you are meeting someone from Twitter on a professional basis, it is common practice to ask “what do you look like?” or “what will you be wearing?” Or even “Can I find you based on your Twitter avatar?”

Forming a business opinion about a Twitterfriend based solely on their avatar “looks,” airbrushed or not, is superficial and I feel quite inappropriate.

I totally am for trust and there are many slippery slopes building trusted online business relationships. But “trusting” someone or not because of the avatar they are using is simply not smart business.

Personally, I think a 50-something guy touching up his avatar to look 25-something is akin to the 50-something who pulls up to the Starbucks in a flashy Corvette. I’ll recognize the mid-life crisis moment but certainly won’t hold it against him in business.

I agree with what many others have said that small alterations (blemishes, flyaways, etc) are acceptable. However, I would think twice about someone who had no problem using massive changes to portray themselves. It strikes me as deceptive. If the individual has no problem being deceptive with their avatar, where else will they have no problem using deception?

I guess this is just another example of where we need to be cautious online. How you choose to portray yourself may have consequences you didn’t anticipate.

Personally, I think cleaning up blemishes, brightening, and such are perfectly fine. However, I have not done that personally. I can understand why some would.

Of course, I think that it is out of the question for one to heavily doctor into another person entirely or take off 25 years. It certainly hurts your credibility if discovered like in this case.

Unfortunately, this goes on very frequently online. Many are never discovered because they don’t ever put themselves in a place to meet any of their “customers” offline.

Personally, I think that it is great to get an opportunity to meet any of your customers or followers in an offline setting. It really takes the connection to the next level creating more trust and loyalty.

To Success,

Joseph Parton