Thursday last week, I had a scheduled meeting with a Website Developer (Web Expert so to speak) whom I was gonna partner with in Upgrading my organisation's website. Mind you, before now, I had never met him in person as all our communications where expressly conducted online.
Our meeting was scheduled for 11:00am at a Cafe. So i intentionally arrived at the venue at 10:15am and while I waited patiently for my meeting partner to arrive, I got engaged with other work related activity on my System.
At exactly 10:25am, a gentle man neatly and appropriately dressed walked into the cafe. So I stretched out my long neck to do a little amebo (as though I was employed by the cafe as a watch guard monitoring who comes and goes out).
I gave a quick three seconds stare and in my mind I presumed he was a Banker or just maybe a Member of the corporate community & as an Image Consultant, I paid detailed attention to his properly put together personal projections which I must admit, I greatly admired the impression I got from this "supposed member corporate individual".
I continued with my activity while he got himself a booth at the cafe. After this, I could sense from where I was seated, that he was prepping himself up for a presentation or maybe a sales pitch I assumed ( I simply wished him well but all these thoughts ran through my mind simultaneously).
So back to my Thursday meeting, at about 11:45, I placed a call across to my meeting partner telling him that I was already at the venue we agreed to meet up and all of a sudden he mentions that he was already at the venue and as a matter of that he was already seated inside the cafe. At this point, I stretched again my neck turning left & right to see him on sight.
As he spoke further over the phone, I could hear his voice and words way more louder within the room than through the phone. But I didn't want to believe he was the gentle man neatly & appropriately dressed seated adjacent to me (please no disrespect or stereotype for any specialist within that field) but his outlook went beyond my expectation for people within his industry. It wasn't typical.
Long story short he gave me a signal and we kicked off our meeting but sincerely I was amazed by his projection. The image he portrayed was very impressive and commanded respect, status, competence & authority without verbal communication.
Trust me, there are hundreds of web developers and web expert positioned out there but he stood out for simple & strategic reasons.
Was he actually the best in within his region?
This I certainly don't know yet but I'm confident that has competence!
Could I have other options even after that meeting?
For sure!
There are hundreds of web developers and experts out there but can those hundreds of Web Experts out there be as unique as he was?
Absolutely Not! I have met several others but regardless of how insightful and knowledgeable they were, their outlook was never compelling and almost lead me to doubt their credibility and delivery right there on the spot.
MY POINT EXACTLY
To you reading this post, you're a smart and thoughtful expert within your industry but that which hinders you from being considered serious is simply how well you carefully present, strategically package & excellently deliver your services and products.
It's literally, an important part of your business and it should be considered as a super fundamental aspect to address.
Whoever you are; you are committed to becoming; whatever it is that you and wherever you come from, please remember, When dressing for work or business outing you should aim to project a professional competent image regardless of your position or industry. At the same time you should display an authentic personal style.
At first glance, your clothing choices speak volumes about your professionalism. If looking to climb the corporate, business, social or any kind of ladder you desire, you should be concerned with looking professional rather than just being fashionable or appearing in a 'very basic' and less smart outfit (you'd unconsciously sell yourself low).
Here are some top tips to do just this
1. What dress code and clothing styles does the highest a level manager in your company or industry wear? It doesn't have to necessarily be the same but quite similar. Learn to Imitate and emulate them with common sense whilst adding your own personal style and budget.
2. You might love label clothing but walking around with a Daniel Hechter, Gucci or Jenny Button label stitched on your jacket sleeve says “tacky” and screams : “Look I can afford a designer label!”
Don't get me wrong we all love designers but create a conscious and deliberate effort to know where and when to wear such. Don't lose that customer before you even get talking with them. Be Smart!
3. Fit is Everything. Ensure your pants, sleeve, skirt and tie length is correct. Don’t look like you borrowed someone else’s clothes. If you are unsure, pop into an alterations shop and ask. Always ensure you wear less dramatic outfits. Business shouldn't always mean boring but if your appearance portrays serious, you'd be considered and treated in such manner. You get what you give!
4. Read your company dress code policy – know what is deemed as appropriate and not. And if you're a personal brand (Entrepreneur), what exactly is your brand's policy on brand image? If you have none, create a sustainable one.
5. Select your key pieces in Dark, Neutral Colours. A charcoal, Navy blue or Gray coloured suit (applicable to both sexes) looks more polished and professional than a white suit. We think you may be stylish but being decorated as a mobile rainbow, it's going to help your brand and business in attracting the right prospect.
6. Pay attention to detail: Manicured nails, ladder-free pantihose, scuff-free shoes, clean hair & smell nice (not harsh).
To look professional you don’t need expensive clothes (don't let anyone deceive you).
Simple additions like an appropriate fitted suit, a pocket handkerchief, crisp white shirt, great fragrance, a stylish watch or handbag can finish off a look in style and give you a professional look (I know ladies don't have much of a problem with this).
If you carefully consider these steps and strategically apply them, you wouldn't encounter much challenges in attracting clients and you would be taken more seriously.
Well, as for the website developer, I couldn't actually negotiate as strong as I usually would because had strategically packaged his brand, services and operational packages. I couldn't contend with the power of packing. And I even recommended him for agency.
All the best as you carefully Package your service, product and knowledge strategically and you'd keep smiling to the bank.
©Clinton Nnaji
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Share your thoughts on this post.