Small Business Ideas Your Image Can Lose You Business
Small Business Ideas Your Image Can Lose You Business
January is always a good time to grab bargains so when I noticed that two well-known blind companies were advertising 35% off their blinds, I decided to give them a call… and it was an interesting experience.
Company A
This person turned up on time which in itself is a big bonus. She was dressed in a professional way and was very efficient in her manner. I knew what I wanted and all Mary had to do was measure up and provide the quote. She was extremely helpful and pleasant to deal with. I said to Mary to call me in a couple of days as I had also arranged for another company to quote. 'No problem', she said. "I'll ring you then".
Company B
This sales rep. was totally different. He turns up 15 minutes early which is very unusual. I don't mind people arriving a few minutes earlier than the agreed time, but 15 minutes is a bit too early. He should have rung first to see if it was okay. John was obviously a smoker because the smell wafted through my front door before he walked in. That really puts me off. Not only that he was unshaven and dressed in a sloppy manner. John looked like he just got out of bed, got dressed, had a smoke and turned up at my house.
Maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to judge him, however his image gave me the perception that the company must be very unprofessional to have people like this representing them.
John had no sooner walked through the door, when his mobile phone rang. Instead of switching it off, he answered it and had a conversation for a couple of minutes with someone from his company. I thought this was rude. Wasn't it more important to focus his attention on this potential sale? He could have checked his phone when he left.
John did measure up for the blinds and provided a quote which compared to Mary's one was $600 cheaper. It appeared he hadn't included one of the measurements therefore justifying why his quote was so much cheaper.
However, I didn't bother ringing him to find out if this was why his price was much better than Mary's. I had already decided that if he's a slob then the company he works for probably supplies shoddy blinds.
Whether that's true or not, doesn't matter because that's the perception I got about the company.
What Image Do You and Your People Portray?
Image is very important. We judge people on the way they look and behave. Do you dress appropriately for your role? Do your people?
Is the image you portray professional? Does it instill confidence, trust, reliability?
Image is not just about the physical aspect of a person. The environment you work and live in also says a lot about you. So does the vehicle you drive.
For instance a cluttered environment gives the impression of chaos, disorganisation and sloppiness. Whereby a clean and tidy area portrays harmony and control.
Small Business Ideas - Points to Ponder
1. Do you and your people dress appropriately?
2. How is the telephone answered?
3. Is your environment uncluttered or does it look like an earthquake zone?
4. Your signage
5. Your car - is it clean on the outside and inside?
6. Your home - is it clean and tidy?
The Final Word
So take stock today. Look at yourself first. If you're a manager, business owner or team leader assess your own people and the environment and see what can be improved, then take action.
You only get one chance to make a great first impression. And it's that encounter which can make the difference between you gaining the business or losing it.
For more small business ideas see our website:www.office-organiser.com.au
Small Business Ideas Your Image Can Lose You Business - To learn more about this author, visit Lorraine Pirihi's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
What image do you and your people portray to your prospects and clients? Here's a situation that happened to me recently and hopefully you'll glean useful small business ideas that will make you money instead of costing you money.
January is always a good time to grab bargains so when I noticed that two well-known blind companies were advertising 35% off their blinds, I decided to give them a call… and it was an interesting experience.
Company A
This person turned up on time which in itself is a big bonus. She was dressed in a professional way and was very efficient in her manner. I knew what I wanted and all Mary had to do was measure up and provide the quote. She was extremely helpful and pleasant to deal with. I said to Mary to call me in a couple of days as I had also arranged for another company to quote. 'No problem', she said. "I'll ring you then".
Company B
This sales rep. was totally different. He turns up 15 minutes early which is very unusual. I don't mind people arriving a few minutes earlier than the agreed time, but 15 minutes is a bit too early. He should have rung first to see if it was okay. John was obviously a smoker because the smell wafted through my front door before he walked in. That really puts me off. Not only that he was unshaven and dressed in a sloppy manner. John looked like he just got out of bed, got dressed, had a smoke and turned up at my house.
Maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to judge him, however his image gave me the perception that the company must be very unprofessional to have people like this representing them.
John had no sooner walked through the door, when his mobile phone rang. Instead of switching it off, he answered it and had a conversation for a couple of minutes with someone from his company. I thought this was rude. Wasn't it more important to focus his attention on this potential sale? He could have checked his phone when he left.
John did measure up for the blinds and provided a quote which compared to Mary's one was $600 cheaper. It appeared he hadn't included one of the measurements therefore justifying why his quote was so much cheaper.
However, I didn't bother ringing him to find out if this was why his price was much better than Mary's. I had already decided that if he's a slob then the company he works for probably supplies shoddy blinds.
Whether that's true or not, doesn't matter because that's the perception I got about the company.
What Image Do You and Your People Portray?
Image is very important. We judge people on the way they look and behave. Do you dress appropriately for your role? Do your people?
Is the image you portray professional? Does it instill confidence, trust, reliability?
Image is not just about the physical aspect of a person. The environment you work and live in also says a lot about you. So does the vehicle you drive.
For instance a cluttered environment gives the impression of chaos, disorganisation and sloppiness. Whereby a clean and tidy area portrays harmony and control.
Small Business Ideas - Points to Ponder
1. Do you and your people dress appropriately?
2. How is the telephone answered?
3. Is your environment uncluttered or does it look like an earthquake zone?
4. Your signage
5. Your car - is it clean on the outside and inside?
6. Your home - is it clean and tidy?
The Final Word
So take stock today. Look at yourself first. If you're a manager, business owner or team leader assess your own people and the environment and see what can be improved, then take action.
You only get one chance to make a great first impression. And it's that encounter which can make the difference between you gaining the business or losing it.
For more small business ideas see our website:www.office-organiser.com.au
Small Business Ideas Your Image Can Lose You Business - To learn more about this author, visit Lorraine Pirihi's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
|||
Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
|||
David BarrDavid Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr's Website |
|||
John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
|||
Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
|||
Casey GollanCasey Gollan, Business Coaching & Mentoring Programs. Add $1 Million to $10 Million in the next 1 to 3 years. Since 1996 Casey has to added hundreds of millions of dollars to businesses. Watch a free video see client results Business Coaching website. - Visit Casey Gollan's Website |
|||
Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
|||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Lorraine's articles
 |
|
The Office Organiser - The Organised Times by Lorraine Pirihi, Aust's No. 1 Productivity Coach. Lorraine is a dynamic presenter and a leading business and life coach.
|
|
 |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 Working From Home Vertical Market Ad Network Measure Customer Loyalty Customer Retention / Attraction Ezine Choices |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 Productivity Blogs
Top Blogs To Watch In 2009 | |
 |
Top 50 Marketing Blogs
Top Blogs To Watch In 2008 | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
