- The telephone. If you answer the phone in a casual, unprofessional way, people will think your business is exactly that. Answer the phone in a clear tone. Never use slang terms or words you would use casually, like "sort of," "I dunno," or "kinda." Answer questions with straightforward responses.
- Your voice mail. Make sure your voice mail message is professional. Do not make it sound like a message on a personal phone. In the message, make sure to say the business's name. You can also include your work hours.
- Your identity. This includes your logo, printed materials, and web site. Hiring a graphic designer can be costly. But having a logo made in Microsoft Paint can be even more costly. In this day and time, people judge heavily on the material you give them. If the logo is unprofessional, printed materials are sloppy, and web site unorganized, that will definitely say something to your customers. Hire a graphic design student to do your work. They will usually offer cheaper rates or even work for free so they can build their portfolio.
- Your forms. Again, a lot can be said about the company when they hand out their forms, invoices, and receipts. Make sure your forms are organized, simple, and straightforward.
Thinking through and implementing these small details will really help your business's professional image.
Brad Harmon is the President at a leading financing company, First Star Capital (www.firststarcapital.com). Brad is a frequent contributor to online publications and newsletters, and is the author of this blog on commercial financing topics.
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