Alice

There is nothing more off-putting than going to a networking group, finding an interesting prospect, asking for their card and receiving something that is obviously from Alta Vista, when your initial concept was that they were a thoroughly professional outfit successfully doing business left, right and centre.

How you present yourself shouldn’t only be limited to the promotional pitch you give, the clothes you wear, your manner and the wonderful ideas you can provide. I remember at one particular networking group, a flashy dentist wearing a wonderful Italian suit gave me a thoroughly beautiful business card, and I was suitably impressed. I asked if she had any other literature, and she dug out a leaflet that was obviously hand-made, freshy gathered from her office printer, and badly laid out on sub-standard paper. Hmmm.

Using a professional graphic design company can make or break a business’s portrayal to the outside world. Only yesterday I noticed a good friend of mine had changed her business’s logo. Although the original was fun and easily comprehensible, it didn’t have that ‘edge’ that would set it apart as a successful and knowledgeable business, of which it was. It had been transformed into a much more modern, lively, stimulating and informative version. I also noticed that the graphic designers had taken the trouble to add in important elements for the client, resulting in a truly personal and appropriate promotional aid.

This is important if you want to progress with your business, as first impressions can make a big difference. Our electricity company wrote to us to say our electric meter needed to be updated, and they included the logo of the subcontractor doing the job on their letter. This logo was so obviously hand-made, we doubted the validity of the proposal, and rang up the electricity company to see if it wasn’t a hoax. I wonder if the bad quality of this logo also put off other customers, who might prevent the company in question from entering their premises, all because they didn’t put forward a professional appearance in their communcations.

So take a good look at how your company portrays itself via its logo and printed material. Taking the trouble to spend a bit extra to get a professional job done might make all the difference towards winning a proposal, influencing a client to do business, and creating a good impression at a networking event.