|
Do you have any
idea what the
image of your
business is? What
are your customers
saying about you?
Every company
has an image -
even a one-man/woman
business. It is
created al day
every day. Every
time your company
has an interaction
with the public
they go away with
an image of your
business - positive
or negative. If
it is good, they
come back. When
it is not so good
they tell, on
average, 13 other
people. Management
gurus say that
a bad image can
cost you nine
tenths of your
income.
How can you take
control of this
vital asset? Let's
look at what is
creating your
image.
How you look -
this is the visual
appearance of
your premises,
your staff, your
stationery and
any promotional
material that
goes out from
the company, including
your website.
Get a good graphic
artist to do all
the design needed.
It is worth every
cent. Take a good
hard look at what
your offices and
your staff look
like. Every business
needs to decide
what their standards
of visual appearance
will be and stick
to them. The industry
you are in will
probably affect
your standards.
A creative agency
will look very
different from
a conservative
financial institution.
Make sure that
you are projecting
the image you
want.
What you say -
this is all the
communication
coming from your
company. It's
what we say, in
person or on the
phone, the facial
expression of
your receptionist,
her tone of voice
or the written
words in letters,
ads and the website..
Standardization
helps to create
a recognizable
image. A lot of
the communication
is written. Good
quality written
communication
is vital, particularly
on the Internet
where there is
no personal interaction.
What they see
is the only measure
they have of who
you are. Make
all your written
material well
crafted. It needs
to be written
with the person
who will be reading
it in mind. You
should address
the exact needs
of the target
public you are
going after. If
you are not a
good writer, find
someone in the
organization that
is, or hire a
writer.
What you do - in
the final analysis,
this is what image
is all about.
You can look great,
say all the right
things in the
right way, but
if you do not
do business with
integrity and
honesty then the
image falls down
right there. Poor
customer service
and un-kept promises
is the start of
a bad image.
This is why image
building has to
be something that
grows from inside
a company. Every
action by every
member of the
company affects
the image.
Sally Falkow
|
