January is always a good time to grab bargains so when I noticed that two well-known blind companies were advertising 35% off their blinds, I decided to give them a call? and it was an interesting experience.

Company A

This person turned up on time which in itself is a big bonus. She was dressed in a professional way and was very efficient in her manner. I knew what I wanted and all Mary had to do was measure up and provide the quote. She was extremely helpful and pleasant to deal with. I said to Mary to call me in a couple of days as I had also arranged for another company to quote. 'No problem', she said. "I'll ring you then"?and she did.

Company B

This sales rep. was totally different. He turns up 15 minutes early which is very unusual. I don't mind people arriving a few minutes earlier than the agreed time, but 15 minutes is a bit too early. He should have rung first to see if it was okay. John was obviously a smoker because the smell wafted through my front door before he walked in. That really put me off. Not only that he was unshaven and dressed in a sloppy manner. John looked like he just got out of bed, got dressed, had a cigarette and turned up at my house.

Maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to judge him, however his image gave me the perception that the company must be very unprofessional to have people like this representing them.

John had no sooner walked through the door, when his mobile phone rang. Instead of switching it off, he answered it and had a conversation for a couple of minutes with someone from his company. I thought this was rude. Wasn't it more important to focus his attention on this potential sale? He could have checked his phone when he left.

John did measure up for the blinds and provided a quote which compared to Mary's one was $600 cheaper. It appeared he hadn't included one of the measurements therefore justifying why his quote was so much cheaper.

However, I didn't bother ringing him to find out if this was why his price was much better than Mary's. I had already decided that if he's a slob then the company he works for probably supplies shoddy blinds.

Whether that's true or not, doesn't matter because that's the perception I got about the company.

What Image Do You and Your People Portray?

Image is very important. We judge people on the way they look and behave. Do you dress appropriately for your role? Do your people?

Is the image you portray professional? Does it instill confidence, trust, reliability?

Image is not just about the physical aspect of a person. The environment you work and live in also says a lot about you. So does the vehicle you drive.

For instance a cluttered environment gives the impression of chaos, disorganisation and sloppiness. Whereby a clean and tidy area portrays harmony and control.

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Points to Ponder

Do you and your people dress appropriately?

How is the telephone answered? Whoever answers the telephone can create a positive or negative impression to the caller.

Is your environment clean and uncluttered or does it look like an earthquake zone? Take stock of the outside areas. Are they clean and inviting?

Your signage. Sandwich boards, banners, car and shop signs are part of your image.

Your car - is it clean on the outside and inside?

Your home - is it clean and tidy on the inside and the outside?

The Final Word

So take stock today. Look at yourself first. If you're a manager, business owner or team leader assess your own people and the environment and see what can be improved, then take action.

You only get one chance to make a great first impression. And it's that encounter which can make the difference between you gaining the business or losing it.

Lorraine Pirihi, principal of The Office Organiser (http://www.office-organiser.com.au) is Australia's Personal Productivity Coach

Lorraine specialises in working with businesspeople showing them how to dramatically boost their productivity, reduce the stress and the mess in their lives and have more time for enjoying their life.

We Offer a Broad Range of Services and Products including:

• Coaching for small business owners and professionals

• Keynote presentations and workshops

• Books, CD's, DVD's and on-line learning programs

Take action today! Contact Lorraine to discuss your specific needs at lorraine@office-organiser.com.au