What is Your Business Image?

What is Your Business Image? BY BASOLA A. VICTOR

What is your Business Image?
"Confident handshake, proper introductions, powerful speeches, effective meetings, aced interviews, high impact communication skills, stellar presentations, dining with finesse and impeccable dress" "Perception can be your worst enemy or your most valuable asset."
The french word "etiquette" is defined as LABEL. It is interesting that your social behavior can be your "label" or how people see you. "Incompetence can impact bottom-line profits of businesses and can hurt your chances for a promotion or being hired", says the author of Business Etiquette Mastery: The Power Of Executive Leadership. "Etiquette is not a "fluffy" practice, but a business building concept of putting human values back into the workplace.
Dale Carnegie stated that "85% of our success comes from possessing people skills". We cannot begin to gain authority to sell ourselves, our products or services until we establish rapport. It is this fundamental compatibility which influences the subconscious decision process of others.
Rapport is gained by combining three strategic components: Professional Appearance, Communication Skills plus a Demeanor that exudes sensibility and confidence. Businesses are expressing a desire to have their men and women executives of diverse backgrounds and age differences possess skills that set a unifying standard of excellence with every personal interaction.
Business Etiquette also bridges cultural differences to foreign executives now working in the United States. This higher level of competence in a staff drives sales, increases employee morale and boosts customer relationships that ultimately influence their bottom line.
Dress: First impressions are made in the first 10 seconds. Being passed over for interviews, promotion or not taken seriously in your company? Do employees take liberties with the dress codes that your customers might find disturbing? Surveys have proven that various levels of dress command different levels of respect, even if you are working in a business casual atmosphere. Shirts are tucked in, clothes are clean and pressed. For sales, a suit on either a man or women commands more respect than a sport coat/pant outfit or pant outfit for women. Business casual is not to be interpreted as "leisure wear" and uniforms should be clean at the beginning of the day with extras for emergencies.
Communication Skills: Effective communication includes both Verbal and Non-Verbal cues. Emphasizing Good Posture, Eye Contact, Listening, Vocal Variety and Conversational Style during networking and sales presentations. Pleasant, helpful voice over the phone, a quick 2 ring pick-up with a short waiting period for assistance.
Business Etiquette Mastery: The Power Of Executive Leadership. There is no gender in Business Etiquette. Women stand when shaking hands, open doors for men clients and pick up the restaurant bills, just like their male counterparts.
Business Etiquette also includes: Electronic Etiquette, Networking, Effective Listening, Office Meetings, Traveling and Dining with clients. Simple courtesies as: being on time for appointments, start and stop meetings/speeches when promised, use agendas to keep meetings on track, effective listening and quick E- Mail communication respects your time and that of others. Showing respect for others builds good office morale and sends a powerful message to those that you serve.
Mastery comes when you learn the skills, teach them by example and demonstrate (daily) your social prowess of confidence and competence so essential to today’s executive". Whether an entrepreneur, small business owner or corporate executive, YOU are a reflection of the company and must see yourself in this important light! There are tremendous benefits for being a "Polished Professional" by the way we dress, communicate and handle ourselves.
Business Etiquette seems like "common sense" yet, is not in common practice. Knowing the "social skills" of business could be the vital factor in landing that important business contract or getting that promotion. What Is Your Business Image?