Happy Truthy Tuesday!
So I was supposed to have been picking back up with my every other Tuesday posting LAST Tuesday, but clearly that didn’t go so well lol. So I’m back at it now and I have a great topic for you guys today.
A few weeks ago I posed a question on Facebook and Instagram to get feedback on my brand and aside from the other descriptive nouns and adjectives related to my work itself, surprisingly “professionalism” was a common response.
I say surprisingly because as a professional in any industry you SHOULD conduct business in a professional manner, your business should have a professional appearance, and you should deal with your clients in a professional manner… SHOULD. But all too often with small businesses (and even large companies) we see those thing aren’t the case. Why?
While there could be many reasons, it really boils down to two reasons/excuses: 1) You don’t know how or 2) You don’t want to. Here are the solutions: 1) Learn or 2) Don’t be in business. There is never a legitimate reason to justify a lack of professionalism. Even a rude client is no reason to do so. Why? Because a lack of professionalism reflects poorly on you and your brand, not the client.
For those struggling with this or who desire to improve their professionalism here are a few tips :) They’re going to sound so simple when you read them but you’d be surprised at how many are not being done.
Honor your commitments. If for some reason you can’t, inform the parties involved as soon as possible so appropriate arrangements can be made. No shows = burned bridges.
Be on time. I feel silly for even putting this here because if you know me, you know I struggle with this, but it is very important. Punctuality helps others gain confidence in you. This is true regarding physical meeting/appointments and also when promising to meet deadlines. Running behind with something? Again, inform the parties involved.
Be knowledgeable. As a professional, by definition you should know what you do, but can you answer client questions clearly and efficiently?
I could go on, but I don’t want this post to get any longer than it already is lol. In short, professionalism hinges heavily on communication. This includes contracts, follow-up emails, thank you notes, etc… Letting folks know what’s going and following through makes all the difference. Don’t think that’s necessary in your industry? It may not be, but there’s never any harm in being “too” professional :)
Professionalism helps you gain the trust of your potential clients and the confidence of those you already work with! All of this just helps you to see that if you’re running/operating a business/ dealing with the public in any way, professionalism should not be an option.
Sorry I got a little long-winded today :/ Let me know what you thought of today’s post!
See you next time :)
-Danni
All Photos in this post were shot by Elle Danielle Photography.