| :The
Virginian-Pilot; |
:Jun
26, 2005; |
:Business;
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:50 |
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Business
Forum
THE WHOLE PACKAGE
Is your image,
your packaging making or breaking the deal?
BY
SANDY DUMONT
How is your packaging,
"your image?" Does it pass the 2-second
"first impression" test?
That is, when you
enter a room, do people take notice? In a
crowd of people, do you stand out? Do you
almost always get deferential treatment? Do
you get your foot in the door easily?
If you did not answer
yes to these questions, it suggests that your
image may be letting you down. You need a
stateof-the-art image at a single glance so
it is assumed that everything associated with
you outclasses the competition.
In my experience,
less than 10 percent of the mid- and upper-level
business executives in Hampton Roads have
an image that stands out and announces, "I
have exceptional products and services."
The problem may stem from the recent "interruption:
of the business dress code. Our role models
disappeared, and when they re-appeared, executives
seem to have taken their cues from fashion
magazines and TV quiz show hosts - neither
of which embraces effective business attire.
Today's professionals
also lack a knowledge of color psychology
and send out messages that are negative -
without knowing it.
When an outstanding
product is created, it merits an outstanding
marketing strategy to get it into the hands
of consumers. Countless firms throughout Hampton
Roads help businesses develop marketing strategies,
and packaging is a main component. It is unlikely
that amateurish "do-it-yourself packaging"
would ever be suggested. And yet, the "packaging"
of employees is often left up to the employees
themselves. A "do-it-yourself" disaster
if ever there was one.
A firm's most precious
commodity is the employee, not the product
being launched. Ultimately, people sell most
products. Marketing campaigns only bring them
to the consumer's attention. Without a good
sales staff even the most fabulous product
or service in the world may gather dust. If
firms neglect to teach image skills to their
employees, marketing strategies may be an
effort in futility. In today's competitive
world it is crucial for employees to announce,
by their appearance, that what's inside the
"package" - the company - is of
exceptional quality.
Long-lasting and comprehensive
first impressions are made in the first two
seconds, according to a recent study by Harvard
University. A do-it-yourself image is tantamount
to playing Russian Roulette with your future.
The writer
is a Norfolk-based image consultant and
can be reached at sandy@theimagearchitect.com
or at (757) 627-6669.
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