Jo Smallbones Image Consultant gives this great advice on how your image can make or break a sale. She writes:

Your image can make or break a sale.  True.

We’ve all been in a situation where we’ve met someone for the first time and instantly “clicked” and we’re not sure why.  Well rest assured it’s natural – just our human instinct, with the brain subconsciously responding to the visual messages it receives.

It takes only 15-30 seconds to form a first impression.  As soon as we meet someone, our minds are subconsciously working out:

 - Do I like this person?

 - Can I trust this person?

 - Can I do business with this person?

It’s powerful stuff - enough to make someone decide to talk to you or not… and of course, if they’re not talking to you, they are certainly not going to do business with you!

So, how can you make this judgement factor work FOR you?

Whatever we’re doing, it’s impossible NOT to communicate.  Even standing still and quiet, you’re “leaking” signals.  “I’m busy”, or “I’m not confident”… or “I’m friendly - come over here and talk to me.”

It’s obvious then that managing our body language and appearance are incredibly powerful tools for anyone who wants more contacts, more customers, more sales. 

Five top tips

Would you invite a client into your office without considering what they will think of the surroundings?  Well it’s the same with dress-sense.  Here’s how to ensure you and your staff portray the image you want to your potential customers.

1. You need to know yourself, what suits you and what's appropriate for each event.
2. Be confident! When you now you're looking good, you naturally radiate confidence which will transmit positive messages.
3. Think about your working environment, the culture and values of your organiisation. Dress appropriately e.g. in a young, innovative company, it may be appropriate to dress more casually than in a more traditional company.
4. Give clear messages to your employees about how you expect them to dress at work. Show them sample images, because 'casual' has many different meanings.
5. Do your homework before meeting a client. Ask key questions to understand them and their issues/expectations, then dress and behave appropriately to put them at their ease.

These are just a few top tips.  If you invest the same care into your personal image (and the image of your staff)  as you do with your company branding, then you can join the top echelon of successful individuals who realize that image matters – very much.

Manage that judgement, because with a little training and planning you can make it work FOR you and your business.

For more information click here.