Nibletz Staff
In business, perception is everything. The right perception can help you win over a client even when you’re not offering the best deal. It can give you the chance to wow investors and get the money you need for a business expansion. It can help you sell a product that is inferior to the one that your competition is offering. Without the right perception, you’re not going to attract customers or clients to your business. You certainly won’t be making big profits. Here are some of the best ways to keep the perception of your company positive.
Your Employees
Don’t forget that your customers probably won’t be interacting with you that much. The biggest companies will have entire customer service teams to deal with interactions with consumers. Small businesses may still not allow customers to speak with the business owner. At that point, a large portion of the perception of your business is based on your employees. This is one of the reasons you should ensure that your business’s employees look professional. You should ensure that they are well dressed and properly groomed. Even the slightest thing such as an employee wearing an unpressed suit could have negative consequences for your company. You should also be aware that some people match certain appearances with negative stereotypes. For instance, there are still people who believe tattoos are a sign of someone who is dangerous or untrustworthy. For that reason, you may want to ensure any employee tattoos are covered with a plaster.
Little Things
As already mentioned, little things can have a negative or positive affect on the perception of your company. For instance, your business employees should have name tags that look professional. That way it allows customers to reference employees who have performed well. Or, to offer constructive criticism to your company where an employee has not offered the best service. It also allows customers to speak to employees using their name and this allows for a more friendly interaction. While this may seem like common sense, it’s amazing how many companies forget how this basic element of customer/employee interactions can improve their overall experience. Companies like Imagine Badges offers a wide range of labels for your employees to wear that are cost effective and professional. You may also want to consider designing business cards for your employees. Not only does it help them feel involved and part of the business, employees will be able to hand them out and offer their services when and if the situation arises.
Your Office
If you are looking to impress clients or attract investors you should think about your business premises. Ideally, you want your business premises to look both stylish and modern. If you think your office looks outdated, you might want to arrange for a complete renovation. Believe it or not, clients do make snap judgements when they arrive at a business location. If your business looks outdated they might assume your services are behind the times. Perception is also one of the reasons why if you are working from home you should still have an office for clients. This can be rented when it is needed so it does not need to be a full-time cost. But it presents a much more powerful image than an individual working from a home study.
The importance of perception in business should now be clear. With a positive perception of your company, there is no limit on what you could accomplish.
