The ways in which you project your professional image may have changed in the last few years, but one thing’s for sure: it still matters.
As a business owner, it’s essential to put your best foot forward and be mindful of the professional image you and your brand project.
Here are five ways to wow your customers in 2023 by building a strong professional image.
5 Ways to Build a Professional Image
There are many ways to impress potential and current customers. It can be through an excellent product or service, creative marketing or packaging, and top-notch customer service.
While all those things are important, we’re focusing on something that may trump them all: professional image. Who you are and the image you project in your business matters for a few reasons:
- A clear and cohesive professional image establishes your values and goals which attracts the right customers to your business.
- A strong online presence increases your visibility to prospective customers.
- A good first impression can attract new customers or convert those who are on the fence.
- A professional image establishes your credibility and authority.
All small business owners need to be aware of this and take steps to ensure it’s the image they want to project. So, here are five ways to build and maintain a strong professional image that will impress your customers.
1. Focus on First Impressions
It’s hard to overcome a negative first impression. People make quick judgments all the time and it can be make-or-break for acquiring new customers or clients.
So, consider how you’re coming across when meeting potential new customers. Here are some areas to think about:
- Demeanor: Are you open, warm, and friendly—even over Zoom?
- Clothing: What do you wear when meeting new customers? A put-together outfit comes across better than sweatpants… yes, even in this work-from-home era. If you’re looking for guidance, check out our guide on the hybrid work wardrobe and the new business casual.
- Workspace: Where are you meeting them? Is it comfortable and professional? We’ll expand on this below.
- Online: What comes up when people search your name or business? Online is often the first point of contact for most prospective clients, so it’s important to focus on. Again, more on this below.
2. Optimize Meetings and Workspaces
As mentioned, the right workspace can project a professional image and provide the “wow factor” to your clients.
While Zoom is good in a pinch, let’s be real—it doesn’t project an amazing professional image… especially if you have your messy house in the background or family members interrupting.
But on the other hand, coffee shops don’t cut it for professional meetings either. They’re noisy, distracting, and not great for private conversations.
For these reasons, we recommend another option: utilizing your local coworking space. There are a few effective options here:
- Bookable meeting rooms: Whether you’re a full-time coworking member or just need a productive workspace, these are a great option. Bookable meeting rooms provide space, comfort, and privacy with all the tools and amenities (i.e., A/V equipment) you need.
- Private office: If you have a lot of client meetings or just want a dedicated workspace, a private office may be the right choice for you.
With both options, you have the support of on-site staff who can welcome and greet your clients prior to a meeting. This, plus the comfort and professionalism of the space can make a positive impact on your customers.
3. Perfect Your Online Presence
We’ve already talked about how first impressions matter, and this is highly relevant to your online presence. Most people will first interact with you online, so you want to ensure that they’re not only sticking around to explore your business but converting to customers.
There’s a lot you can do with your online presence, but here are some essentials:
- Audit yourself: Start by typing in your name and business to see what comes up. Don’t like what you see? Get rid of it. Not seeing much? Invest in some SEO services.
- Use a professional email address: It’s important that your business has a unique identity separate from yours. Start by creating a new email address and utilizing virtual office services if you want a business address for clients to reach you at.
- Create a brand: Make sure your online presence, especially across social media, has a cohesive brand image. This includes brand colors, imagery, language, and content—all of it should speak to your target customer and your business’ identity. Here are some simple tips for your social media presence.
- Stay up to date: Even if you don’t post regularly, check in frequently to ensure you don’t have outdated information such as old prices or service offerings. Keep things accurate and updated so you don’t confuse clients.
- Optimize LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a powerful tool for any professional—check out our guide with tips to polish up your LinkedIn presence.
4. Use Systems to Stay Organized
Have you ever reached out to a company only to wait days for any kind of response? Disorganization and poor communication is a surefire way to lose potential customers.
That’s why using systems is so important. They can help you become more efficient in your work and stay on top of important tasks and responsibilities. Your systems can even set you up to be proactive in ways that wow your customers, like remembering a birthday or significant event, for instance.
We’ve written a handful of resources that can help you here—check them out:
- Using a small business roadmap to achieve your goals
- Techniques and tools to help entrepreneurs master time management
- Business management tools we can live without
- Why you need to document your processes
5. Be Honest and Real
Our last tip for how to wow your customers in 2023 is to simply be real. In a world full of online misinformation, influencers working for their sponsors, and confusing information, you can stand out by being real, honest, and authentic.
This brings us back to the basics of interpersonal interaction: showing up on time, keeping your word, prioritizing face-to-face connection, and offering honest and authentic advice. People can see through a phony sales pitch right away.
Instead, be confinement in what you have to offer and trust that the right customers will be attracted to that.
Small business owners face a lot of competition in today’s marketplace. For that reason, it’s so important to think about ways to go above and beyond to wow your customers. The biggest way to do this in 2023 is by building and maintaining a strong professional image.
If you’re in search of a workspace that will make your project a professional image to your customers, you’ll find it at The Post. Book a tour of The Post today.