Your Image Must Be Consistent With Your Consultancy
Make sure you have a very clear picture of where you are going as a business
, think about how that business should look and act, then make sure you are looking and acting like it. This statement can be taken a number of ways one very important way is that for planning purposes you first need to have a very clear vision of where you are going and what you want to achieve, I am going to tackle this in a future article. The second part of the statement thinking about how the business should look and act, then looking and acting like it are great ways to ensure that the plan is linked to your business image.It is all very well to have a great plan for your consultancy but if the image is not consistent with it know one will believe it including yourself.
I want you to sit down and think about individual successful consultants or people that you know that you look up to. Now stop and write down five words that describe them.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
You may have come up with words like:
Respectful
Well spoken
Enthusiastic
Clean shaven
Crisp smart suit
Organised
Determined
Great Car
Organised
Intelligent
Etc
Now I want you to think about successful consultancies or businesses that you know and do the same. What words describe those consultancies or businesses that you admire?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
You may have come up with words like:
Great customer service
Value for money
Over deliver
Professional
Money
Personal Assistant
Executive transport
Large offices
Expensive waiting room
Etc
You now have ten words. The interesting thing is that these ten words you have just written down, so long as they are in sync with your values and goals have likely just described the image you should be portraying to your clients. Moreover, these words and mental images are likely to be similar to what your future prospects and clients are expecting from your consultancy. It is very important therefore to project the right image to your client consistent with what they think your image should look like.
Now if you are an animal training consultant you are quite able to get away with wearing boots and jeans, if you are an IT Web designing consultant you are quite likely be able to get away with creative floral shirts. If you are a Management Consultant working with a top 100 firm you better be wearing a smart dark blue suit and shiny black shoes.
Prospects and Clients dont like surprises. Hiring a consultant is often a risk for them and they will want continued small reassurances that they have done the right thing in hiring you. By fitting into the mental image of what is correct for your field you gain extra credibility and you pave the way for future engagements, why put up a roadblock to future business? There will be some of you that dont agree this is what I wanted to get away from you might say! If that is the case do some research call up some companies and say that you are writing an article about business dress see what you get as a result.
The one time is when you might want to stray from this is when you want to get noticed. The key here is again to be consistent so again there are no surprises that may undermine your credibility. This goes for business attire, personal grooming, your offices, emails, reports and very importantly your website.
First impressions count and these days articles and websites are where first impressions are often formed. Remember in the eyes of someone you have just met Perception is Reality. So take a mental picture of yourself and of your consultancy business right now and imagine what would your clients think? Write down what you should look like then its simple - make sure you look and act like it.
Killer Mistake! If you hire subcontractors and they for some reason end up in front of a client (something I would try and avoid if possible) then please, please, please ensure that they project the same image as your clients would expect. I have had subcontractors turn up to client meetings unshaven and looking like they are about to assault Mt Everest. Not a problem if you a on a farm yes, it is a problem if you are meeting with a VP of a Global Banking Institution!
Image Matters! What people (and clients) perceive quickly becomes their own reality.
by: Alistair Grieve Internet Marketers Fail To Make Money Online Because Their Sales Page Lack Of Certain Tiny Things? Psychological Article: Co-dependency Can Be Dangerous Co-dependency Is A Psychological Disorder Important Information About Cerebral Palsy... Baby Boomers Enjoy Active Sex Lives Elderly Problems For The Co-dependent Parents In December 2005: Yellow Buoys On West Coast Of Portugal.. Discount Codes Can Be Discovered For Hundreds Of Online Shops! Having Trouble Finding Real Estate Agents In Montreal? Placing A Business Listing Montreal Companies The Four Areas Of Architectural Interior Design Choosing The Best And Right Dating Site For You Branding To The Consumer