Keeping Up Professional Appearances
You can learn how to balance the books or find the next “big thing” that will sell like hotcakes but if you’re not professional in your business dealings or with customers your business will be doomed to fail. In this article we look at 3 small things you can do to come across as more professional to you customers, suppliers and colleagues.
Most small business owners might have spent some time at business school or working with others to learn their trade but there are somethings that can’t be taught in a classroom or picked up from a 12 hour work day. Of course, though, there are some areas which can’t be ignored, with professionalism being at the very top of the list.
If you want to succeed in business you’ll need to have a professional outlook, attitude and appearance. People make snap judgements the moment they see you so it’s important to give the right impression straight away.
Tackling something like this can be a big challenge when you don’t have the right resources so to help you out, this article will explore some of the ways you can come across as professional.
Clothing/Dress
The way you present yourself in appearance shouldn’t matter to business. Of course, though, if you turn up to an important meeting in a hoodie and sweatpants, it probably won’t go very well.
To avoid this, it’s worth collecting a small selection of formal clothing which can be used for a wide array of different meetings. For some, a simple shirt and trousers will be enough, but others could mean having to wear a full suit or dress to fit in with your clients. You’re not trying to show off with this. But, at the same time, it’s important to consider how your clients will see you.
The way you dress can also have a big impact on how you approach your work so if you have an important deadline to meet, ditch the shorts and t-shirt and put on some smart clothes.
Hygiene/Scent
Along with the way you look, hygiene is another important area to consider. Brushing your teeth, for example, will eliminate bad breath for most people, and will prepare you for a long session of talking. Something like breath can have a real impact on your confidence and how people perceive you.
To help you with this, it can be worth looking for some advice from companies like patient.info, as this will give you the chance to improve all of the aspects of your hygiene. In a lot of cases, this sort of work could even make life more comfortable, along with making it easier to be confident while talking to clients and businesses alike.
Honesty/Accuracy
Clients won’t like it if they feel like they’ve been lied to or misinformed. Failing to deliver on time, being late for meetings, and giving poor estimates will all reflect badly on your business.
While this area may not seem very important, it is the start of building a business personality for yourself, and this will have a big impact on your professionalism going into the future. While you should always be confident and accurate in meetings, it’s also very important to be likable. Balancing these aspects of your work can be very hard, and a lot of small companies will give up before the real work ever begins.
Hopefully, with all of this in mind, it will be a lot easier to start building the professional personality you’ve been looking for. Of course, along with this, you also need to think about your business and the customers it will be serving. In some cases, you will be able to be more relaxed with your company, as it will be young people using it. In others, though, you may have to be a little stricter with work.