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Your Image Needs Constant Attention
A survey by mailing services
company Pitney Bowes revealed that less than a quarter of small firms
were actively working with staff to enhance their company image.
For example, only 25 percent of
the participants said they were focused on improving their employees
phone manner or written communication skills.
Small firms are aware of the importance of presentation, but once they
have made initial decisions tend to focus on other things. Business
experts agree that a firm's image needs constant attention.
If the company website is not up-to-date, for example, it may make the
company product look stale. Apart from fresh content, websites need to
be constantly assessed to make sure they remain easy to navigate as
documents are added and new content areas are introduced.
Links may be a useful website feature, but they need to be checked
periodically to make sure they still work. And too many links just make
a site look cluttered.
New material needs to be carefully proof-read. Simple typographical
errors can make the whole company look sloppy.
Psychologists have long pointed out to us that first impressions can be
lasting, and are very difficult to alter if they are negative ones. This
applies to businesses as well. 'Making a positive first impression in
business is no different from making a positive impression at a job
interview or a sales meeting,' says Patrick Keddy, President of Pitney
Bowes, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
A firm's image needs ongoing attention as part of its formal or informal
quality management. And the key to quality management is to set clear
goals that can be measured.
For example, sales staff can be set clear standards by which to measure
their performance. Do they greet each customer that enters the store? Do
they make eye contact? Do they ask each customer if they need
assistance?
Ongoing staff training can help keep staff focused on what is expected
of them. Customer feedback needs to be actively sought to make sure that
customer service standards are being met and that changing customer
needs are being taken into consideration.
'Our survey shows that small businesses….want to be seen as "reliable",
"efficient" and "caring",' said Mr. Keddy, 'but a poorly answered phone,
a late appointment or an out of date web site can easily affect your
credibility as a business.'
While there are costs to training the team, keeping them focused on
their goals, and monitoring customer satisfaction, these costs are lower
than the cost of lost business. It's cheaper to keep customers with good
service than to win back customers who have been lost through poor
service. Areas to consider:
Consistency of business brand wherever it appears.
Presentation of any written materials. This means advertisements,
marketing materials such as catalogs, customer communications, signage,
and any documentation going out from the business.
Website.
Phone standards, including use of answer services.
Customer service standards and communications.
Team dress standards.
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