We had the opportunity to speak to a fantastic group this past week - the Washington Restaurant Association Board of Directors - thanks Anthony for being a leading edge thinker. This group represented some of the best known names in the restaurant business, such as Restaurants Unlimited, Schwartz Brothers, the Washington Athletic Club, Boundary Bay Brewery and many others. What a great gathering of who's who in the restaurant and hospitality industry!So we did a speech, "What Executives should know about Social Media and its role in Business", and then followed with a hands-on workshop. These executives were "engaged" and really took the information to heart and jumped right in - very impressive.
So where does the "2 Suits, No TATs, all business" fit into this story? On our way out we had a fascinating conversation with Janet Lightner, GM and co-founder of Boundary Bay Brewing Company. If you ever get to Bellingham, this is a MUST stop on your trip. These people do it right - both as a brewery/restaurant and in social media. So during our conversation, Janet mentioned that when she heard there was going to be a talk on Social Media, she pictured a couple of marketing or tech guys in t-shirts with tattoos. What she found were two guys (over 35) in suits, no tattoos and focused on how this can help their businesses.
She told us she was shocked to see. This surprised everyone. Here were two "business guys" talking about things like "strategy" and "integration to avoid brand erosion" and "how to use the tools in a way that won't embarrass you or your business" and "how to make money using Social Media" - not what they were expecting. It was worth a good laugh for sure. Thanks to Janet, now we know what our "competition" looks like...
Blaine
Blaine Millet
Customer Experiences Inc.
twitter: @BlaineMillet
At Click Engineering we also sport the jacket and tie both to engender a more professional approach within our business and to differentiate ourselves from the ponytail and sandals crowd that we often compete with. Just last week two potential clients commented during our initial interviews on how nice it was to encounter techie types in professional attire. One said the vendor we may be replacing usually showed up in a hoodie and arrived on a Harley. Appearance isn't everything, but it sure boosts that first impression.
ReplyDeleteDave,
ReplyDeleteDave, thanks for the comment - couldn't agree more. We are all trained on "first impressions" and my view is why not start at least at neutral or maybe a few points ahead instead of a few points behind.
It never is a matter of credentials, (well sometimes it is) but is usually just a matter of impressions. Those impressions can certainly be changed, but why invest the time to do so when you don't need to. You and Click are one of the few technology oriented companies that has that "Professional" aura - way to go. Thanks.
Blaine
I agree!
ReplyDeleteSince we are dealing with the security and safety of people, their homes and businesses, we believe a professional appearance is a must. It sets people at ease from the start. A clean look goes a long way in building peace of mind with customers.
I don’t think it is a coincidence that I usually see the companies with a professional image doing work with successful businesses and corporate customers.
Rob
I agree with you and the above comments - first impressions matter and a bad first impression is nearly unrecoverable. Looking sharp, in tune and alert is a plus in any situation.
ReplyDelete