Image is Everything
Would you attend a business meeting in jeans and a t-shirt? How about an outfit from the 80’s? Maybe a white sports coat with a light blue tee, and white parachute pants . . . NICE! What about your corporate image? Are you portrayed the way you should be? Does your corporate image represent who you are?
It may be time for a corporate make over. We are not saying you should go out and buy a thousand dollar Armani suit. We are saying you should dress for success. Dress the part. Look at Target they went from blue jeans to khakis and their clientele grew exponentially. Let’s talk about some industry style:
Manufacturing companies, your style should reflect innovation, agility, and expertise, a nice traditional business casual look, khakis pants, a dress shirt, safety glasses and a hard hat.
Technology companies should reflect innovation, intelligence, and simplicity, maybe a trendy business suit, no tie, sharp colors and clean lines.
Law Firms, your style should reflect trust, honor, knowledge, and tradition, a nice 3 piece suit, custom fit with straight lines and strong colors . . . okay, maybe you need the 1000.00 Armani suit.
The point is, every industry and every company has a look, a feel, a style. Is your corporate style up to par? How’s your corporate image, your website, print brochures, business cards, tradeshow booths, etc? You should be proud of your image. Everything should be coordinated and clean. You want to stand out, be comfortable, and look successful no matter what industry you come from.
That’s a very interesting point….Noel is it? Where is the line drawn, however? If your company is such that it is a jeans and T-shirt in the office, what would one send they’re sales people out in?
Actually there are a few lines that seem to be needed drawn. There is the Company image, being one. One wants to stay true to the company, as a hip, fun and young company.
There other line is how their salespeople will be looked upon by the prospect or the existing client. If the salesperson goes out portraying the company’s image, would they be seen as immature? A company that has fun at heart, but do they have my interests at heart as well?
And the last line is do I want to stay true to my company, and risk not putting food on the table.
What you have suggested is one of the biggest choices and decisions companies face. Getting the foot in the door, and selling your product and retaining clients. It all starts with a Company’s image and how it is portrayed by its staff.