Image courtesy of joebnfran
There’s something odd about a used car salesman isn’t it? Maybe it’s the fact that they have a lot of inventory that they have to get rid of by the end of the year at any means necessary? Maybe it’s their fast talking, aggressive sales tactics. Or could it be that they’re masters at selling dreams into a half ton box on wheels? Whatever the case, you can’t deny . . . they creep you out too! When you’re a solo-preneur or small business you don’t have to craft sneaky sales material, resort to switching and baiting, tricking prospects, or anything else to get a sale. In a world full of sneaky used car salesmen how do you get people to trust in you, your business, product, or service? First you have to understand that there’s a big difference between your image versus your character.
Image vs Character
Your image is what you portray 24/7 and your character is truly who you are 24/7. So if you portray the image of a professional multi-million dollar company but get sales like a sneaky used car salesman then you’re not going to be in business very long.
A Short Story
I did some graphic work for a hospice owned by two African American women here in Memphis once. They hired me to redesign their logo and website which was terribly outdated. They specifically wanted something that would appeal to Caucasian clientele because they felt that’s where the money was. In our initial meeting I asked them, “What are you going to do when customers meet you face to face and the image of your marketing material doesn’t line up with the truth?” They were really dumb-founded and didn’t really know how to answer.
The Truth Shall Set You Free
The truth is, people might throw you a bone because of your image, but your character is what earns you the meal. Remember, you are your business. You don’t have to put on a front like you’re some kind of fortune 500 company. When you’re honest about who you are and what you have to offer people respect you more, pay you what you want, and will become your most outspoken advocates.
A Success Short Story
My very first logo design check was for a whopping $400. I knew it was a bit high but I felt like the work was really worth the time and effort I put into it. My client paid for it because the work, my professionalism, and ultimately my character spoke for themselves.
As a small business owner you’re not going to have the luxury of starting out with a house-hold brand name. All you have is the quality of your product or service, but your character will set you out from the crowd. As a business owner have you ever set out to portray a specific image to get specific clientele? Do you agree or disagree with the this method of selling? Share your thoughts below. I’ll be exploring some other principles in a series of future posts so stay tuned!
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I love the comparison of image vs. character, Rod. I think your story about the hospice owners is really reflective of so many people in the business world. ESPECIALLY online. I've seen people preach to others about connecting, engaging, caring, really networking…yet when you look at their social network profiles there's NONE of that. They're barely updating or they're only broadcasting and not discussing. If they're not the networking kind, that's fine, I don't care one bit…but don't pretend like you are! Sometimes I want to run up to them, take them by the arm and calmly say, “Be true to yourself!”
Be true to who you are, don't feel pressure to build your business by being someone you're not. People will do business with you because you are uniquely and sincerely YOU. Do it!
Great comment Annie, there are a lot of “social media” experts that don't practice what they preach. I can understand someone like Oprah – with over 2 million followers on Twitter; but for everyone else, seriously, be true to yourself and to others. I hate it when people just broadcast too. Thanks for your insight!
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