Image Matters

In life we are encouraged to appreciate what lies beneath the surface, but in business image is EVERYTHING! How you are perceived by your customers can make or break your business. When you hear the names BMW, Nike or Dell you immediately have a thought or feeling about the company or product. This does not occur by accident but is the result of years of hard work, corporate strategy and major investment in public relations, branding and managing the corporate image. The reward for controlling public perception is that you are able to send the right message across at the right time. Professionalism, quality, creativity and performance are just some of the ways businesses want to be perceived by their clients.

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As a small business owner or a budding entrepreneur you certainly wont have the resources to embark on a major campaign to brand your company or launch your products, but you still have control of how you are perceived. In the world of business the pièce de résistance is always customer service. Providing quality customer service is the cheapest and most effective way of building your company image. By just a little extra effort and innovation to meet your customers needs, you set yourself apart from your competitors gain a competitive advantage. It continuously adds value to your product or service and you strengthen your image and customer loyalty. Besides, it is your duty and obligation to serve your clients well. A customer focused strategy will never be outdated, unless  of course you decide you no longer have need for customers.

Professionalism is the minimum standard for doing business. According to the Encarta dictionary being a professional means conforming to the standards of skill, competence, or character normally expected of a properly qualified and experienced person in a work environment. That means taking  yourself, your work and your customers seriously. Creating an environment conducive to work and of a standard worthy of a professional. If you are a hairdresser, work with a schedule, set and keep appointments, have a procedure for handling walk-ins, that fits in with your scheduled clients. Keep your environment clean, tidy and extremely sanitary. Your clients will respect your time, feel as though you respect theirs, and appreciate the way you do business.  Realise that every time you

communicate with your clients, you have an opportunity to send a message of your professionalism, creativity and service. Your business name, stationery and correspondence are ways to communicate your message, do not overlook them. By uniforming  and repeating your message in a logo, letterhead, slogan, business name, brochure or product package you can introduce, reiterate, solidify and manage the message you send to your clients.

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Performance and quality are promises that should be made and kept by any good businessman. Elaborate marketing campaigns and branding strategies can only send the message, your strength is in your ability to make good on that promise. Remember that the value of your name and all that you stand for are invested in how well your product and your people perform. It is as simple as saying that you can do it, then doing it and doing it well. Without performance the rest is just hot air. Remember two things; firstly, it can take years to build your corporate image and just one bad experience do lasting damage to that image. Secondly, customers talk. If you serve them well, they will tell everybody they know, but the moment you give poor service, they will tell everybody they know and then blog about it.