Brand Your Market - Perceptions: How is Your Business Perceived

Perceptions: How is Your Business Identity Perceived?
By Jan Verhoeff

There was a point the perception of others online didn‘t matter much. Identity was surrounded by the whole person, and hiding from public view simply wasn‘t an issue. Public images were for political figure heads and the rest of common business leaders just didn‘t really make a difference..

Does it?

A business associate, partner, or colleague should reveal authenticity and touchable reality. An out of reach professional image won’t do them any good, and it won’t accomplish any of your goals.

An associate who promotes him or herself as ‘perfect’ won’t work for most businesses because we don’t live in a perfect world. The symbolism doesn’t appeal to anyone who works in today’s professional circles.

An associate who has some dirt on their hands, knows how to shovel some snow, change a tire, and manage the whole business, including the down in the dirt stuff isn’t pretty, polished, and perfect, but they can get a lot done during the day.

Work-at-home parents have children.

When you call a home based business, kids may answer the phone. They will answer the phone like kids do, even though they know it’s a business phone and not all my clients realize you work from home. They may even use their favorite phone voice and say, “Morris Mortuary you stab ‘em we slab ‘em. Who’s your carcass today?”

If they do, you’re welcome to embarrass the hair right off their heads. Just don’t forget what you called about. It is business, after all.

Dress for success.

No matter what the job, there’s a definite dress code. From early morning until night, today’s professionals often fill many shoes, therefore when you’re not sure what the day holds, dress for the weather and worst possible situation. You won’t feel comfortable or accomplish anything if you’re dressed for a summer board meeting, changing a tire you blew on an icy street driving to a meeting.

Changing tires, scooping snow, and mowing the lawn are all often part of a work-at-home business person’s day, so the ‘working uniform’ most likely includes jeans and a sweatshirt in the winter or a tee-shirt in the spring. The code includes comfort, mobility, and durability.

Be yourself.

No matter where you work, the most important part of your identity is to be yourself. Just like a counterfeit $20, a person who is trying to be someone they are not sends up red flags in every court. Authenticity may not be verifiable in the early stages of doing business with a person, but before long any polish, white wash, and flair will begin to wear off and your dirty old mug will be shining through.

When in doubt… Just be you.

Your business identity says who you are, all the time. If it isn’t real, you won’t be accepted, admired, or thought of as real either. Perception counts, be authentic or be nothing at all.

Jan Verhoeff is a writer, a copywriter, and a marketer. Her strengths empower others to fulfill life long goals and ambitions with encouragement and spirit. Sign up for a FREE subscription to “The Branding Iron” an online Ezine/Newsletter available monthly at http://brandyourmarket.com and learn important tips for building your own business online.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jan_Verhoeff
http://EzineArticles.com/?Perceptions:-How-is-Your-Business-Identity-Perceived?&id=454412

First Name:
Email:
	powered by EZezine