Steve Miller, director of Steve Miller Training

Have you ever wondered what kind of impact you really do make on other people? Over the years I have had a number of entertaining experiences, witnessing a range of truly bizarre so called professionals who have conducted themselves in what can only be described as grey, sad and cheesy.

Take Cheryl who decided to place furry toys all over the desk on day one in her new role as a sales manager. As I walked passed to my horror she also placed on the wall that awful sign that reads “you don’t have to be mad to work here but it helps”. I wanted to incinerate the lot.

There was also Martin who thought everyone would be interested in his model airplanes that hung from his office ceiling. Oh Diane who decided to bring in around three hundred photographs of her children and expect everyone to give up their valuable lunch hour and view the lot. Yawn!

Does the message that looking half decent is pretty important these days? I am often stunned by the amount of seventies rejects I meet on the shop floor. Then there is the smell of last night’s meal filtering into the olfactory system as a result of truly grubby people not cleaning their teeth. But even worse the sweaty odor of my ex colleagues feet as he sits with his feet on the table reading the latest set of accounts, shoes off of course.

In this the era of economic decline, decreasing business investment, and reduced consumer confidence it really is about time people realised the value of polishing their branding of self. It is time to be perceived as boutique rather than high street.
Here are my five key tips to help ensure you are perceived as a quality brand as opposed to one that is second rate:-

1. Manage the image – do some wardrobe weeding. Then get out there and buy yourself some quality outfits. Good boutiques will offer professional advice to ensure you select garments that suit your shape. Forget being mutton dressed as lamb. That will only make you look cheap and tacky. Style yourself well and look like a sophisticated quality brand.
   
2. Step up the self belief and confidence – Each day affirm belief in your brilliance. Mentally pay attention to the language you use about yourself. If you hear yourself playing a mantra of victim thoughts then simply give yourself a kick up the backside and remind yourself you are confident and a real winner.
   
3. Go out of your way to do something for others – business is built on relationships. Doing something for someone else isn’t about becoming the office creep. This is about you being renowned as a supportive individual that can always be relied on. Right now think through what you could do to help someone out at work and just do it.
   
4. Communicate well - ensure that you pronounce your words well. Avoid slang at all costs as it may not go down very well with some. Pay attention to your pace of speech, the emphasis you play on certain words and the pauses you use to show that you are in control. The melody of your voice is so important. Others will draw conclusions on your tone of voice so practice talking like a true lady or gentleman.
   
5. Be self aware – self awareness is critical if you want to make a positive impact on others. Be aware of your attitude. If it becomes negative then turn it around and remember only you can do this. If you notice your motivation levels are dropping then top them up, be aware of the way you walk, talk, gesticulate, and sound. And be very aware of your actions and their impact on those around you.

So there you have it. How does your impact measure up? And do you have any other horrendous examples of so called professionals truly believing their impact is positive and you know different? Or perhaps I am becoming an old cynic believing hundreds of thousands of British employees still don’t have a clue of how to make positive impact on those around them? The choice is yours.