Small businesses work extra hard to make their presence felt. They often don’t have a huge sales team or marketing budget. As a small business owner, you may have to don multiple hats.
Whatever role you play, you need to keep the reason for your business — your customers — front and center. Try to ensure every customer interaction ends on a positive note.
In the business world, customer perception is key. Your brand should be associated with quality, credibility, and efficiency. Your customers should know you’re serious about what you do. Your work ethic should be reflected in your public persona and customer service. This professional demeanor not only attracts new customers, but also strengthens relationships with loyal clientele.
If you’re looking to establish yourself in a competitive business landscape, you need to project a professional business image. Here are five tips to help you put your best foot forward.
1. Build a Rapport With Your Customers
As your business grows, so does your customer base. That comes with the need to manage more customer interactions and analyze more data. Good customer relationship management is the first step in building a strong market reputation. You can make this much easier by using a CRM for your small business to store customer contact info, purchasing history, and past communications. With this intel at hand, you can reach out to customers in useful ways at relevant stages of their buyer’s journey.
Remember that professionalism encompasses your decisions and communication with others. Whether onsite or online, make sure your team is competent and speaks to the customer courteously. Adapting your messaging for specific audience segments — something your CRM can facilitate — will earn you brownie points. Your brand should aim to resonate with them on a personal level.
2. Invest in a Strong Brand Identity
Your logo is the face of your business. Have a professional graphic designer create something that catches your customer’s eye. You want your target audience to recognize your brand from a distance without the help of any text clues. Carefully choose colors and don’t use too many different fonts. Keep the design simple and remember to see how it looks in different formats, from small business cards to large signage.
The color palette and fonts on all your communication channels should be consistent to create a cohesive visual identity. Fonts have their own personalities. While serif fonts are more traditional, sans serif ones are more modern and minimalistic. Align the font with the image you want to portray, so that your brand personality is synchronized on all platforms. That consistency is a key aspect of projecting a professional image.
3. Create a Strong Online Persona
In today’s digital age, your website or social media account is often the first point of contact with potential customers. Ensure all your online channels are well-designed, easy to navigate, and user-friendly. While a free email service like Gmail or Yahoo may be convenient, it’s crucial to have a professional email address. An email address with your domain adds credibility to your business communication.
Your brand image is also reflected in the photographs you select for your online content. If you can’t hire a pro for your e-commerce business, say, learn techniques of professional product photography. High-quality images can significantly enhance your business’s image. Avoid using low-resolution or stock photos, as they can make your business appear less authentic.
4. Maintain a Consistent Presence
As noted earlier, consistency is key in projecting the professionalism of your business. Your social media accounts must be active, and your website — especially your blog — should be updated regularly. Share informative and enjoyable content, engage with your audience, and respond promptly to comments and messages. Remain relevant by staying on trend and posting seasonal offers.
Even if your business operates primarily online, it’s still beneficial to have a physical address. Consider renting a mailbox and a small office space. Having a physical address not only adds legitimacy, but also provides a place to meet clients or investors. It can also allow you and your team to brainstorm new ideas and collaborate in person. Make sure your address, phone number and other contact information is 100% correct on your Google Business Profile.
5. Demonstrate Your Expertise
Showcase your experience and success by sharing client testimonials on your website and social media profiles. Positive feedback from satisfied customers can help build trust with potential clients. Even negative feedback gives you the opportunity to project professionalism if you respond politely and act promptly to resolve customer concerns.
Another way to demonstrate your company’s expertise is to give your audience a behind-the-scenes peek at your operations. If you sell products, you can show how they’re made or packaged. Emphasize to customers how important quality control is to you at each step. If you provide a service, such as SEO optimization, offer insider tips or case studies on your blog.
Every Interaction Counts
Professional customer service is the best marketing tool to create a professional image. Keep the conversation going and stay connected through email and social media. Take every opportunity you can to help customers out. Treat each one as a person and not just another order number.
Projecting a professional image isn’t about pretending to be something you’re not. It’s about presenting your business in the best possible light and consistently delivering on your promises. The more your brand connects with your customers, the more they’ll start trusting you. Creating and maintaining a professional image sends the message that you mean business — and you’re here to stay.