As a business person, you know that your reputation is everything. It determines who will want to work with you, how you recruit new clients and retain old ones and even whether or not you are permitted to sell and represent other companies and manufacturers. A bad “buzz,” deserved or not, can create a serious problem for you financially and professionally. Most business people are aware of this, but many do not realize that no buzz at all about you can also be harmful.

If potential clients are considering working with you but cannot find out anything about your past customers or get any type of reference for you, they may steer clear because your apparent lack of history could indicate a quiet, lurking problem. In reality, you may have believed that you were being modest or that your satisfied customers would speak for themselves. However, you can never rely on anyone but yourself to toot your horn, so the best way to succeed in business is to put your ethics out there on display.

•    Address potential problem areas directly.

If you work in an area of business that could be sensitive due to your access to passwords or financial information, for example, address that head on. Tell the potential client how you deal with this issue up front, and ask them how they would like to handle it. You will find that simply acknowledging that a client might be concerned will allow them to open up with you enough to determine how to alleviate that concern so that the two parties can move forward.

•    Provide a list of references or testimonials.

Happy people generally do not say much. As a result, if you want to make sure that your client finds out good things about you, give them a list of people to call. Otherwise, they may find only the malcontents, who are given to writing profuse and angry online epistles for the world to see, and fail to factor in all your satisfied customers. While it is important to do the best you can for everyone, the fact of the matter is that sometimes you and a client will part ways. However, that client should not be the only person that your new potential client can get a hold of when they are looking for information about you.

•    Offer to put anything and everything in writing.

Most people do not actually care that much about written agreements. However, once you have one with a client, you and the client are protected because you have established your goals, your rules for interaction and the types of services that will be delivered. Putting this sort of thing in writing not only shows that you take the services seriously, but it also indicates good faith on both your parts that satisfaction will be delivered.

And remember, market creativley, carefully and often!

Being generous is a good quality, and it can be a real booster for your business as well. However, during tough economic times, it can be tempting to cut your budget when it comes to giving. This can be a huge marketing mistake. People like working with other people who are generous, and it can dramatically impact their buying decisions. With that said, though, what can you do when you are cutting the budget and trying to keep your business afloat? Will you simply have to sacrifice part of your customer base? Of course not. Nothing is less necessary or more inadvisable. Instead, alter your generosity so that it is working for you while you maintain your image as a thoughtful businessperson and helpful friend.

The key to this generous image is not, as many people believe, giving extravagant gifts to potential clients. In no other industry or personal relationship arena is the adage “It’s the thought that counts” more true than in business and marketing. Interestingly enough, the simple gift of a working and visually appealing pen can make the same impact that thousands of dollars of advertising or even corporate promotional events. The constant presence of a useful reminder of you and your business will do a great deal of promotional “legwork” for you, and each time that your potential client or customer uses the item, they will remember your business and how helpful you have already been.

While it may have been tempting in the past to splurge on elaborate promotional events, tickets to major galas or exotic trips for top clients, a simple gift of a useful item such as a desk clock or a flash drive can go a long way toward making a person feel appreciated and invested in their relationship with you.

Furthermore, at this point in history, people do not necessarily look kindly on others who appear to be “wasting” money, even if in reality it is money well spent. You may actually alienate potential clients if you go overboard on your promotions with trips or tickets, so it is far more judicious and good for your business appearance to stick with modest and useful items that can be used over and over. Even better, a solid mug or a set of retractable ear buds with your logo and information on them provide a legitimate service to the potential customer, thereby demonstrating your commitment to value at the same time that they are reminding that potential customer what a thoughtful partner you can be.

Of course, it is important to remember that if you are giving away promotional merchandise, this is not just the appearance of generosity. It is being generous! Not only is nearly all promotional merchandise a write-off as a business expense, but it will and should make you feel good about yourself and your business. In a time when your mindset can be the difference between success during tough economic times and total failure, it is important to remember that you are taking a responsible step when you give away promotional merchandise because you are economically keeping your business in the public eye and you are cultivating an image of your business that will serve you well regardless of what the future holds.