Ensuring Your Staff Are Your Best Brand Ambassadors
"When it comes to your business and your brand, are you doing everything to ensure the most positive, proactive and polished image possible? The best businesses leave nothing to chance when it comes to brand management and no detail is too small to ignore or to leave to chance. From defining a mission statement that clearly and succinctly projects your company values to managing all matters of marketing for total image management, your brand defines who and what you are."
But when it comes to brand management, are your people helping or hurting your company? Do the men and women who execute your company’s vision actually project the polished and professional image you need to earn respect and stand above the competition?
Most high-level executives certainly have the polished social skills and business etiquette required to have made it in their career, but you may have other frontline workers that represent you on a daily basis who need a brush up on matters of protocol and best business practices.
Here we offer a checklist of some things to consider ensuring your people are polished and that your brand shines brightly in every possible scenario.
International Protocol: As the global marketplace has grown by leaps and bounds in the past few years, expert knowledge of business protocol is necessary for anyone engaged in international business and exchange. With workers serving as the envoy for the firms they represent, they must be equipped with the respect and thorough understanding of a foreign country in which your company may be doing business. This includes such seemingly trivial things as gesturing. A gesture that is perfectly acceptable in one country may be offensive in another country. For example, the "O.K.” gesture— when a circle is formed with the thumb and forefinger, with the other three fingers spread outward— means that something is acceptable or highly appropriate—but only in the U.S. In other countries the same gesture has widely varying definitions. In Japan and India, it means money—as in the shape of a coin. In France, Belgium, and Tunisia, the gesture means worthless or zero. In Brazil, Russia, Germany, Turkey, Greece, and the Middle East, the American “O.K.” sends an orifice message. And throughout the rest of Europe, it represents a vague, unspecified obscenity. This is but one example of how crucial protocol training can be for your employees and how cross-cultural respect and understanding can reflect on your company.
E-etiquette: When networking extends to electronic communications, you should also be sure your staff knows the protocol of contacting a client, associate or prospect online. Too often, formalities are forgotten and communication becomes much too casual, leaving a tarnished impression on those you most want to impress. Some good things to remember include the use of honorifics (ex. use “Dear Mrs. Jones” instead of “Hey Anne”). Proper grammar and spelling are also crucial to be sure your employees are sending polished and professional correspondence that best represents your company. Also, because so many of us are connected on social media platforms, your employees should maintain professionalism at every click. A text is not a good way to approach a new client or business prospect. Instant messages on Facebook and LinkedIn should also be avoided, unless your employees and clients share a relationship outside of the work environment. Even then, it’s a good form to keep good boundaries in these instances to ensure nothing offensive reflects back on your company.
Business Attire: According to a poll by the Center for Professional Excellence at York College of Pennsylvania, "appearance" ranked second only to "communication skills" (see below) when respondents named qualities most often associated with professionalism. In today’s climate of more casual office wear, employees may not realize what the rules of conduct—or fashion—may actually be. As a company leader, it’s crucial to set the tone and style for your organization to ensure there are no fashion faux pas. For both men and women, this means skipping items that may be too trendy, ill fitting or revealing. Flip flops or sneakers? Too informal even for “Casual Fridays.” That Christmas sweater with the blinking Rudolph nose that your head of accounting loves? Tell her to save it for the family holiday party. If your employees have doubts about proper business attire, they should refer to an employee handbook or consult your human resources personnel. But remember, it’s up to you to set the rules and the standards so there are no questions. One final note on fashion, beware the business retreat or when traveling with your team. Some may think of these events as vacations, but class and decorum in personal attire should be followed even if your people are far away from the corporate office.
Dining Skills: Whether you realize it or not, dining etiquette is an important barometer in interacting with existing and potential business associates. Think that your potential new client failed to notice your salesman’s elbows on the table at a white tablecloth restaurant? Think again. Because so many business relationships involve social occasions, it’s crucial your team knows the basics of fine dining and decorum. From passing items clockwise around the table to knowing which fork to use at a formal dinner, your team needs to present a polished sense of style and grace to represent your firm. Most important, your employees should always keep their hands and eyes off their smart phone. If there is an emergency call or text that may need to be made, dining partners should be informed of the possibility before a meal begins. Then if someone needs to make a call or text, they should excuse themselves away from the table to do so.
Pamela Eyring