What's your "Image"?

When I think of my image, I think of how I look to other people – How I am perceived by society. For the purposes of this discussion, I am going to use dictionary.com’s eighth definition of “image” –“the general or public perception of a company, public figure, etc., esp. as achieved by careful calculation aimed at creating widespread goodwill.” That’s a pretty good definition to start with.

I would define my image as a professional, reasonably attractive, intelligent, Midwestern sales executive. How can you tell these things about me? The clothes I wear, the car I drive, the way I present myself, how I communicate with peers, clients and prospects. I probably wouldn’t find too many people who know me professionally that would dispute any of these adjectives. But what is the implication BEHIND these definitions? What I WANT the implications to be are that I am trustworthy, capable, resourceful, and ready and able to help business owners make more money and become more successful themselves. So, in fact, my image is crucial to my success. If I came walking into your shop with uncombed hair, jeans and a cigarette dangling out of my mouth, would you invite me to sit down and tell you all about how I can help you? Probably not. But, if I am well dressed, have a smile on my face, ask intriguing questions, and offer an anecdotal story about how working with me resulted in increased profits and sales for another business owner in your situation, you might give me a few moments of my time. Agreed? Now for the tough part.

What does your image say about your business? What does your storefront look like? Are the windows clean? Do you use the wall and window space to communicate with potential customers on the products and services that you offer? What does your delivery vehicle look like? Is your lobby or receiving area clean and welcoming? Is there an appropriate place for your clients to view proofs, select paper stocks, or consult with you on a project?

The point is this. In an economy such as the one we are currently surviving, there are very few things we can control. We can control our activity levels when it comes to interaction with clients and prospects (which is a topic for another day) and we can control our environment. I am not advocating a major renovation to add a conference room or anything as drastic as that, but if your place needs sprucing, spruce away. Take a look at your WHOLE operation with a fresh pair of eyes and ask yourself, “If I was not currently doing business with this organization, would I, based on what I see?” if the answer is anything other than “Definitely”, I would get busy, organize, clean, straighten, and turn my place into an inviting professional looking environment that is EASY to do business with. Enlist the help of family and friends – you can probably knock it out in a weekend and not have a negative impact on your daily operations. And you just might invite some NEW business your way. So what are you waiting for?