You ARE Your Brand

Personal Branding Mistakes You Should Avoid

You ARE Your Brand!

As much as small business owners know the importance of branding their business and having the right image for the company, they sometimes forget about branding themselves and what their personal image is. Owners are a direct reflection of their business, and how customers and other consumers view you is probably the way they also view your company. It is important to consider your personal brand and image when you run a small business in order to make sure that both of them are positive.

Have the Right Attitude

“You attract more bees with honey than you do with vinegar.” This old saying is a direct hint to how a person’s attitude can affect them, those around them, and what they are trying to accomplish. Even if a business owner is the very best at what they do, constantly producing results and going above and beyond everyone’s expectations, if their attitude is poor, they will not get very far with their business. Consumers do not want to work with or do business with someone with a bad attitude.

In many cases, a consumer will walk into a business and be excited about the product or service they are about to receive. When they encounter someone who has a poor attitude – seems annoyed about helping them, speaks as though they are above others, overheard complaining – the experience becomes negative quickly. At the end of the interaction, even if they are happy with what they received, they will be very unlikely to recommend the business to others based on their poor experience.

Dress for Success

Although we would like to believe otherwise, how you present yourself on the outside is often how customers will perceive you and how they will form their opinions about not only you, but also your business. If you dress appropriately for your job and keep a tidy outward appearance, consumers are much more likely to feel comfortable doing business, feel as though you are well versed in your industry and generally have a higher level of trust.

When you dress in a sloppy or inappropriate manner, it often sends up red flags. Some of the common questions they ask themselves are, “how does a person who dresses like that know how to run a business?” “Hopefully the products /services they offer aren’t as terrible as their clothes/appearance.” Although this may seem exaggerated in some ways, consumers form their opinions based on what they see in front of them – a poor appearance portrays poor performance in the eyes of consumers.

Taking Constructive Criticism

In some cases, a business owner is lucky enough to have someone in their business or personal life that will let them know when their personal image is harming their businesses brand. Generally, employees, family and friends are hesitant to give constructive criticism on how someone acts or appears, but when they do, it is important to take it the right way. When someone makes a suggestion to improve your personal image, do not react negatively, and make sure to thank them for their feedback.