Presenting Yourself As A Proper Professional Business When You’ve Just Started Out

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It is a cacophony of challenges, when you are running any type of business. Whether you are starting a new business, or you are fully established, the one overriding concern is how you present yourself. Professionalism is the zenith of any fundamental workings of a business. And when you are just starting out, you have so many things to get right, that you may very well let a few things slip by the wayside, but professionalism isn’t one of them. It’s very difficult to present yourself as a business, because when you have limited resources, a lack of experience can be detected from a mile off, which can cause you problems as far as netting certain clients, or you struggling to find your feet, is concerned. But, there are a few things that can be put into place, not just to ensure you look professional, but these things can act as solid reminders for you to work harder at your image. And what are these?

Giving Equal Weight To Your Image, Online And Offline

Now, a lot of businesses trade exclusively online, and as such, you can easily forget about how you present yourself in a personal manner. Common courtesies, such as telephone manner, or even how you present yourself physically, may be something that can slip your mind. If you are used to hiding behind emails, and exclusively dealing with issues over the internet, you may easily let your professional image slip. But, making the most of a personal approach to engaging with people isn’t just beneficial as a reminder to keep up this image, a lot of clients will prefer the human touch. And even if this is something like virtual office services or even a Skype call now and again, this could mean a lot to the right client. You can be forgiven at thinking when running a business from home, you don’t have that professional image, but this can be easily tweaked. You can meet clients in person at a rented office space, or you can get a virtual mailbox, so your address isn’t emblazoned all over your documents, because something as simple as a residential address doesn’t lend itself well to professionalism. It reeks of someone running a business akin to making jam!

The Little Things

You know when you are speaking to a professional, because they treat things with a certain air of respect. You might think that embodying the human touch is about being more personable, and relaxed, but be careful with this, especially when you are dealing with high-caliber clients. Not only is it about how you present yourself and how you sound on the telephone, but it’s about the little details on documents, and correspondence you send to everyone else. Remember, a lot of businesses use big business type terms, and this doesn’t give you express permission to litter these words all over your correspondence, but having a finite knowledge of some of the basic terms, so you can keep up with the conversation, is an ongoing practice. We can all feel intimidated, especially when we are just starting out, because it’s a whole new world, but consider this to be an education. Things that you don’t necessarily understand right off the bat; you can return back to base and research it. It’s an ongoing process, but don’t beat yourself up about it if you feel out of your depth. This is all part and parcel of the learning experience.

Using Business Benchmarks

Naturally, as you become accustomed to your role, you will start to think more about embodying certain characteristics of your business heroes and heroines. Now, this isn’t a bad thing, but try not to emulate these people note for note. Using business benchmarks, such as entrepreneurs you admire, is definitely a great way to open you up to new possibilities, and to explore different territories, but be sure to trust your instincts. Always be learning, and consistently find people that you can learn from, not just from literature, but mentors too. Finding a mentor is invaluable in so many ways, because it gives you personal access to someone who has been there and done that before. And this is the best way to learn about the biggest mistakes, but that’s not to say you won’t make any yourself. But having a mentor, and using your heroes and heroines will open you up for inspiration in so many ways.

The first couple of years in a new business is exciting, because it’s all uncharted territory, but this territory can easily be cut short if you don’t know how best to present yourself. Having a professional image is essential, and by following these basic approaches, it will begin to see you on your way.