Are You Polished and Prepared for Success?

Are You Polished and Prepared for Success?

Last weekend I went house hunting with a friend who is looking to purchase a home. When I met him on Saturday afternoon he was prepared with a list of open houses to visit. He had done his homework on location, price and loan options. He also had his list of must-haves which would help streamline the decision making process. He was prepared and ready for the task at hand. On the flip side, the realtor we encountered at one of the showings was not as prepared. As we drove up to the house we saw no “for sale” or “open house” sign out in front. We walked up to the front door and knocked but there was no answer.

We looked around for a realtor and noticed that she was sitting in her car texting away. I knocked on her car window to get her attention and inadvertently frightened her. She had no idea we were there waiting. We had to enter the house through the side entrance because she did not have a key to the front door. I asked her if she had a fact sheet on the house and she replied that her assistant didn’t get them done in time. I asked for her card and she didn’t have that with her either. I can’t remember what excuse she gave for not having it. She couldn’t answer many questions about the house and did a terrible job actually “showing” the property. On top of it she looked like she just rolled out of bed. She was unprofessional from head to toe.

As we continued talking with her she told us she had been a realtor for twelve years and began pitching her services to my friend. As she continued talking, my friend and I looked at each other in disbelief. It takes about ten years to become an expert in most professions. She has been doing this for twelve years and this is the experience she provides her customers. We really couldn't believe it. For her sake I am hoping she was having an “off’ day. We all have “off” days but this “off” day definitely cost her a potential client. Your complete professional image goes beyond the clothes you wear. It's a combination of your appearance, non-verbal and verbal communication skills, your talents, values and value of promise you provide to your customers. It is the total experience your customers have with you or experience with you on job and it needs to be positive!

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Follow my tips below and you will always be polished, poised and prepared for success.

1. Your appearance should reflect a polished, credible and pulled together, professional image. Take time to think about what your clothes, their quality, your hairstyle, body language and business tools say about you. Are you prepared for success or are you on the brink of disaster like the realtor described above?

2. Always be prepared with your business cards and marketing materials. Make sure they are printed on quality stock and up to date with contact information and current services.

3. A little planning goes a long way. Be prepared for your appointments. Not only with your business materials but with your content. Know your material inside and out whether you are selling a house or delivering a proposal. Your experience should be reflected in both your customer service and presentation skills.

4. Focus on the details. People do business with those they trust. Trust comes from focusing on every possible detail. Showing current and prospective clients you have everything under control makes them feel confident that you will do an excellent job.

Overlooking the important role a positive customer experience plays in business success is a mistake many people make. Just because you know you can get the job done doesn’t mean your prospective client knows you can do it. It might be time to take a look at how you really show up.

Margaret Batting is the Corporate Style expert for GoLocalProv.com. Margaret is the owner and president of Elevé Image Consulting and the only certified image consultant and personal brand strategist and a Worcester, MA native. She travels the country as the national corporate image consultant for CareerBuilder. For more information, visit www.eleve-style.com.