Image for a business is everything. It’s that certain something that sticks with a customer after their interaction with you is done. When it comes to marketing one needs to think about the overall image that your business is putting out to your customers, be they other businesses or the public sector. And it’s more than making sure that your logo is a reflection of your business and that all the correspondence going out on your business matches. If you have employees, they’re part of your image as well. Sometimes we forget that it’s the first person one encounters is the first image or impression of a business. Be sure your first contact with a customer portrays the image you want going out to potential and current customers.

Sometimes that isn’t a physical image; sometimes it’s a verbal image. Be sure that the person answering your phones is pleasant and outgoing. If the voice on the other end of the phone is less than desirable I would suggest you make some changes. For businesses where you are the only employee, it’s worth the investment to have voice mail of some sort. Make sure your message is positive and pleasant. In service businesses, such as my own, potential customers don’t necessarily expect you to be in your office all the time. They want to know you’re out meeting with people and taking care of your current customer base. They want to know that they can leave a message and someone will return their call. And be sure to return that call as promptly as you can. And don’t do it when you are not in the right frame of mind either, if you’re having a bad day it is better to return the call at a later time than to call back in a bad mood. That mood will reflect over the phone. If you have a cell phone I recommend waiting until you’ve contacted them or created a customer out of them to give it out.

When going out and about whether for business or not, remember YOU are your business. Something I remind myself each time I go to run out the door. What if I run into a client or a potential customer, do I look like someone they might want to do business with? Obviously, this also depends on the day, time and where you are going also. If you were going to a home improvement store on a Saturday to pick up the paint or whatever you need for the project you are working on no one would expect you to be in a 3-piece suit. However, I always have my business cards with me…just in case. You never know who you’ll run into and where. What is MOST important is when you are calling on a potential customer or client that you look the part. Look professional for YOUR business. If your service business is a dirty one again, the 3-piece suit would be out of place but a clean shirt; pants etc would be for that first meeting.

My best advice to EVERY business owner, be it a big or small business is to periodically take inventory of your business image and all aspects involved in it. As Spring approaches and our thoughts turn to cleaning up from a long winter, now would be an excellent time to do this evaluation and make plans on any changes that need to be done.