You Are What You Eat

Friday, October 27, 2006 at 10:27am by Angela Gilltrap in Marketing

For entrepreneurs, marketing your business or services is very much dependent on you. You drive the business; you create the ideas and you put your plans into action. Most likely you will be wearing several hats simultaneously to make this happen.

If you were to nominate a celebrity/personality to be the face of your business who would it be? Unknowingly I’ll think you’ll find you are already it. Without officially employing yourself as ambassador, you will, to all who come into contact with you, already be the face of your product/service/business. It is therefore, imperative that you look the part.

The world in which we live in is very much based on aesthetics. When you walk into a meeting, answer the phone or set up a website, people will be looking at you. And remember you only have one chance to make a first impression.

Your appearance dictates your businesses philosophy, work ethic and service quality.

If you are a high end niche business you must turn up to a meeting with potential clients in immaculately cut clothing that reflects an understated quality. Your business cards and stationary must also reflect this ‘quality philosophy’.

Your appearance will automatically instill trust or on the flip side, mistrust in a potential client.

Put yourself in their shoes. If you are going to pay top dollar for a high-end service and the head of that company arrived to a meeting, bidding for your patronage, in board shorts and flip flops you are going to start to wonder if in fact this person has any idea what quality and style are about. Or if they have any respect for you as a potential client.

You might argue that many millionaires dress down. And it’s true. I know one millionaire who only wears board shorts, flip flops and a bum bag. You know why? Because he can. These self made millionaires have already made it. People are well aware of their seamless track record and would gladly jump on their success band wagon. Saying that, there will be times when even he will suit-up for an investors meeting.

Your personal style has nothing to do with your business style. Hopefully as an entrepreneur you have created a business on your strengths so the style of your work should already reflect your life philosophy but think of your clothing and accessories as a uniform.

If you could dictate what your staff would wear what would it be? And are you following your own guidelines?

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