Tips On How To Create A Professional Image

How many times did your mother tell you, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." This is especially true in business. Let’s look at eight ways to make sure your first impression is a positive one.

Does your business name convey what you do or sell? While names such as "The Scratchin’ Post" are cute, doesn’t "Rocky Mountain Doggie Day Care" give you a better idea about the nature of the business? And doesn’t "The Pet Lodge" or "Country Squire Pet Resort" convey an even more upscale image? Don’t make people guess what you do! "The John Callahan Company" tells me who is providing some sort of service, but "Accuracy Bookkeeping" removes all doubt. Unless you are a star, combine your name with more information such as what the company does or what the benefit will be to the customer. There is no question what you get when you call "1-Hour Photo Express" and "Gibson Heating & Air Conditioning."

Entrepreneur Magazine, March 2001, says, "A good name is worth a thousand marketing dollars. Itching to stand out, some dotcoms are opting for the odd over the obvious. Company: Yummy Interactive, with its www.yummy.com website. Sounds like a gourmet food retailer? Nope, it’s an ASP. Company: www.munchpot.com. Sounds like an Iditarod fan site? Nope, it’s a free internet hard drive. Company: Crunchy Technologies, with its www.crunchy.com website. Sounds like a peanut butter maker? Nope, it’s an e-business solutions provider. Company: Jamcracker, with its www.jamcracker.com website. Sounds like a midnight snack site? Nope, it’s an IT solutions provider."

Is there a logo or graphic image associated with your business?

It has to do with the quality of what you present to the public:
A new opinion poll ... indicates that consumers judge the quality of a business by the printed materials it produces. The study found that corporate stationary and business cards were second only to annual sales in a list of seven items that could convey the prestige of a company. These materials were rated ahead of such choices as the length of a company's existence, location. Your logo, brochure, ad or business card has a great deal to do with your success. Companies need to act just like people and "dress for success". The "I did it myself and look at all the money I saved" school of advertising just doesn't cut it for services vying for attention in today's competitive, image-conscious world.
--Graphic Design Magazine April 1999

What does this mean to you? Communicate pride and professionalism to prospective clients and customers from the beginning, from your business card to your personal brochure to your presentation books. It means make sure that whatever leaves your office looks sharp, that it looks professional, that it looks like you took a great deal of TIME in its preparation. If you're doing it yourself, make sure it comes off a laser printer, not a dot matrix. If someone is helping you ( your sis or a marketing consultant), realize you don't need to spend a fortune on typesetting or gold leaf. I talked to a rookie in Longmont last week who had spent $6,000 on a full color brochure and matching business cards. Very elegant materials, but she had no money left to advertise, so her cards and brochures sat in boxes beneath her desk and her phone didn't ring. What can YOU learn from HER mistake? Create an adaptable, long-term plan, and begin gradually at a level you can afford. Build as your income builds. There are inexpensive alternatives (such as Digital Imaging and Paper Direct) to full color printing and engraved business cards. You want to communicate professionalism and pride, not an extravagance.

Are you beginning to get the picture? You are in business for yourself. TO BUILD A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS you absolutely need to advertise.

Next time we'll share more ideas about creating a professional image through logos, business cards and stationary, AND MORE! In the meantime, give me a call--I love to talk about marketing!

Ann Clarke of GR8 Ideas At Work shares her innovative marketing techniques with small business owners and entrepreneurs through workshops and seminars.