The world is a buzz talking about Britain’s Got Talent’s unexpected ‘diva,’ Susan Doyle. She has become such an internet hit that Hollywood star Demi Moore has been Twittering about her.

The incredible clip of her wowing a cynical audience and skeptical judging panel received astronomical hits on Youtube- a whopping 50 million views and counting by this morning. Doyle has not only been featured all over the UK press, but is causing international interest, particularly in the US- Oprah Winfrey has invited her to appear on her show. Yesterday, PR Week reported that Doyle hired DADA PR to handle the media frenzy.

Doyle gives new meaning to the phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover.’ So does image really matter?  In my opinion- yes- in varying degrees. One may claim that it’s superficial and shallow, but let’s face it: humans are very visual beings. That’s the reason why the audience was so unreceptive to Doyle when she walked on stage. But her raw talent and down to earth, lovable personality won her a huge fan base- she created her own image and made a great first impression. So it does go beyond looks…

In the business world, if you walk in the door and don’t look your best, your client may not get past that, no matter how great your presentation is. Making a good first impression definitely gets your foot in the door. In the public relations industry, where one acts as a representative of a company or individual, image can not be stressed enough. Numerous companies have cropped up that help executives shape their image.  However, a line should be drawn- when the pursuit of a ‘perfect’ image becomes a detrimental obsession, something needs to give. The key to a healthy outlook is – confidence. It’s surprising how many people take it for granted. Without sounding like a self help article, without confidence you won’t be able to be an effective communicator. Again, another line must be drawn- there is a thin line between confidence and arrogance, so watch it. Here are a few tips on confidence from the Flacker PR blog:

- You have to always be “on.” You must always be ready to sell a client or the company you work for to a  key public or journalist. Anyone with a few months of PR experience has had that call from a journalist when you least expect it. If you’re confident, you can often seal the deal on a key mention or story.

- We have to be able to bounce back. PR pros get rejected a lot. Even worse we get ignored. It’s like the worst nightmare of every adolescent boy at his first school dance. If we don’t believe in ourselves and the companies we represent, we are dead in the water before we even start.

- We take a lot of risks. If you think about it, a journalist who passes on a story will likely find another story and not think twice about ignoring your e-mail or rejecting your phone pitch. I can’t think of a time when a reporter called after rejecting an idea and said, “I wish I would have written about that.”

However, young PR pros are often perceived as arrogant, rather than confident because of their lack of experience.

While not completely avoidable, there are a few strategies to combat being perceived as arrogant:

- Ask Elders Questions. A good way to show humility is to ask questions. Even if you think you know the answer, asking elders will show them that you don’t think you know everything.

- Point out Tips. After you’ve gotten some advice from elders, remember to point out their advice when you use it and it works. For example, “Thanks John for those tips last week. When I was reaching out to that blogger I told you about, I framed that story idea like you suggested and it worked. Thanks for the help.” You did a good job for the client, the person that gave you the advice feels respected and you don’t look arrogant.

- Pay Attention. You should attend every professional development session, take notes when others are giving advice and ask for opportunities to observe others doing their work. Ask to sit-in when a senior account team member is pitching media or sit-in on a planning meeting, even if it is after normal work hours.