Package Yourself

You better believe that a book is judged by its cover and like it or not so are people. Packaging yourself is all about how you dress, the length and style of your hair, body language, and how you speak and handle yourself in conversation. Marketing is not selling, it isin fact persuasion and perceptions. We perceive that a doctor must be dressed in a white lab coat, a banker in suitable business attire, a mechanic in gray oil-stained coveralls, and that a boxer with a black eye must not be very good at the sport (though her opponent might have two black eyes). Hence, you have to package yourself appropriately for the situation and for what you sell. Without question I am talking stereotypes, but like them or not, most stereotypes are so well ingrained into our minds and culture that no matter how hard you try to change them, you'll be fighting an uphill and ultimately a losing battle. Given this and the fact that much of sales is based on compromise, then isn't it better to fit into what people perceive and sell, rather then buck the trend and place an obstacle in the way of the sale before you even get a chance to sell? The answer is yes. I am not saying that perceived stereotypes are right, but from a practical standpoint if you want to sell then go with the flow. If people expect you to be wearing a suit then wear one; if they expect that you hair will be a certain style, then try to meet their expectations. Corporations spend billions of dollars annually on product packaging research simply because they know that the packaging has a great impact on consumers and how they regard those products. So why not take advantage of this fact and package yourself as what people perceive to be 'normal' for what you do and sell? You'll probably sell more because of it. Blue jeans might be more comfortable, but appropriate business attire will likely put a lot more money in the bank and make for a more comfortable living and retirement tomorrow.

Excerpted from 'The Ultimate Small Business Marketing Guide'