Becoming Your Own Boss (BYOB, 3.5)

In the first and second articles of this series (BYOB, 1.0 and 1.1) you learned some of the facts related to the current employment picture and examined some of the choices that were available to you. In the third, fourth, and fifth articles of this series (BYOB, 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2) you answered some key question to find if starting as an independent contractor was a good idea for you.

This set of articles (BYOB, 3.x) covers a number of topics that will make it more likely that you will succeed as an independent contractor. The last article covered the important topic your insurance requirements as an independent contractor. This article goes into detail on the personal appearance and demeanor you should try to present to your clients. It then describes marketing and confrontation skills that you should master.

Personal Appearance And Demeanor

As an independent contractor, effectively marketing your services is at least as important as anything else that you do. You must be an effective sales person. Personal appearance and demeanor are probably the most important parts of effective selling. Even the little things are important. You can never be certain how a prospective client will react to the various aspects of your appearance or demeanor, so don't take chances. Consider the following:

Your Clothing - You must be neatly dressed in any contact with a client or prospective client, but you must never dress significantly above the client. You must look professional and have an air of competence and confidence, but you must not look much different from what is ordinary for the client's facility; that is, you must not appear intimidating to the client or to the client's staff. This often requires tailoring your appearance for a client. This is a fine line; it must be walked carefully.

Your Jewelry/Make-Up - Whether you are male or female, you should never wear an excessive amount of jewelry or make-up in any contact with a client or prospective client. If you do wear jewelry and/or make-up, it should make a conservative statement. A good quality watch is appropriate; a diamond-encrusted Rolex is not. A wedding or class ring is appropriate; a "pinky" ring is not. Addition of a subtle scent behind your ear is okay; if the client opens a window when you enter the room, it's too much. Above all, never try to make some sort of political or social statement with your jewelry or make-up. If you suspect that you have problems in this area, ask a knowledgeable and trusted friend to help you.

Your Grooming/Hygiene - You must be well groomed so as to present a good, freshly-scrubbed appearance in all aspects. This includes a conservative hair style and, if you are male and have such, neatly groomed mustache and/or beard. It also includes such factors as your teeth and personal hygiene. If your teeth should be cleaned, have it done before you start contacting prospective clients. If you have unpleasant breath, investigate the cause and do something about it. If you have unpleasant body odor, investigate the cause and do something about it.

Your Posture - Your posture, both sitting and walking, is a very important indicator of your attitude about yourself. If you slouch or assume a lounging position in your seat while you are in conversation with a prospective client, he or she might consider your conduct indicative of physical and mental sloppiness. If you shuffle or walk slowly and your posture is poor, he or she might consider it indicative of mental or physical laziness. You must sit, stand, and walk tall; you must appear purposeful; you must appear confident and alert; and you must show interest in what goes on around you.

Your Physical Limitations - Properly operating senses are important. If you suspect that you suffer from a hearing loss (common in these days of high-volume music), have your hearing tested and purchase hearing aids as appropriate. If you don't see small items clearly and suspect that your visual acuity has deteriorated, have your eyes tested and purchase glasses or contact lenses as appropriate.

If you have a physical impairment of any kind, do whatever you can, within practical limits, to mitigate the appearance of that impairment. Then, make certain that you are prepared psychologically to deal with any untoward occurrence that pertains to the impairment. A physical impairment, though certainly an additional challenge to a sales person, is not necessarily cause for failure. However, dealing poorly with an impairment makes failure virtually certain.

Your Voice - If people often ask you to repeat things, perhaps you do not speak loudly enough. If people often move back when you speak, perhaps you speak too loudly. In either case, treat it as a problem. Pay attention to how people react to your voice, then practice correcting the problem.

If you speak too softly and the cause of the problem is uncertainty or low self-esteem, evaluate your abilities carefully. If you are efficient and effective in your cognitive processes (that is, you are often both quick and correct in your assessments and assumptions), simple assertiveness training might solve your problem. If the problem is deeper seated, perhaps you should seek other help.

If you speak too loudly, it might be that the cause is that your sense of hearing is deficient. If so, have your hearing tested and purchase hearing aids as appropriate.

Your Eyes as Communication Devices - Pay attention to your ability and propensity for eye contact in conversation. Make certain that you often look directly into the eyes of the person with whom you are conversing. Above all, do not offer a furtive appearance. Darting eyes that avoid contact are very disconcerting and are almost certain death to a sales call.

Sensitive Subjects - Do not discuss either religion or politics with the client or client staff members. Do not use profanity or tell off-color or ethnic jokes to the client or client staff members. This is not to say that you should cultivate a goody-two-shoes attitude. That can be as much of a turn-off as profanity and dirty jokes. Rather, you should effect a gentlemanly or ladylike demeanor and attitude so as to promote the most professional impression.

Your Automobile - Although it is not, strictly speaking, an item of personal appearance or demeanor, the automobile in today's superficial society "makes a statement about its owner". As with your clothing, your car must be presentable, but must not be significantly more expensive than that of the client or the client's staff. If, for example, you are fortunate enough to own a Ferrari or some other vehicle of similar value, leave it at home on visits during which it might be seen by the client or staff.

REMEMBER - Your opinion about the relative importance of substance and appearance is irrelevant. Your opinions do not count in marketing, but the opinions and perceptions of the prospective client are all-important.

As a sales person, you need every advantage that you can get. Don't give anything away by ignoring items of appearance or demeanor, no matter how small.

Evaluating Your Marketing Skills

Evaluating your skills at marketing yourself and your services is very difficult, but it must be done well if you are to succeed. If you have done marketing before, and been successful at it, you've made a good start. If you have marketed your own services in some way, that's even better. If you haven't done either, test yourself with several friends or other people who can be objective and whose views you respect. Use the following steps to test and develop your marketing skills:

1. Develop a test script. It need not be long, but it must be convincing, and it must adequately exhibit your marketing skills.

2. Practice and polish the script while in front of a mirror.

3. Refine the script so that it reflects both your strengths and your can-do attitude.

4. While executing the test script, you must identify your strengths and weaknesses so as to properly use the strengths while working to correct the weaknesses.

5. Then, without fail, do whatever is possible to correct the weaknesses. You must be able to close a sale.

If you considered the questions in the BYOB 2.x set carefully, your answers should indicate some competence at marketing. If your marketing aptitude is poor, perhaps you should reconsider your decision to become an independent contractor.

Marketing is critically important to the success of an independent contractor. If you cannot market yourself well, you will not succeed.

If your marketing abilities should be enhanced, look into university or college courses in marketing and salesmanship. Appropriate courses should accentuate the soft-sell approach, not the hard-sell of a used car salesman. If no courses are appropriate, try to find a marketing or salesmanship seminar as a refresher. Again, the soft-sell approach is the one to cultivate.

In the remaining article sets in this series, particularly in BYOB 5.x, guidelines are presented, and much advice on the "nuts and bolts" of preparing for business and marketing your services is given. In the end, however, it is primarily your marketing skill that will determine your success or failure.

If you have taken steps to improve your marketing skills, retest yourself using the questions in BYOB 2.x. Don't view such testing as a one-time thing, as merely preparation for going into business. Testing is a continuing requirement, as long as you are in business. You must test yourself often, constantly evaluating your skills, as objectively as possible.

Marketing is critical. REMEMBER ! MARKETING IS CRITICAL.

Evaluating Your Confrontational Skills

Confrontations with either a client or client staff members are not always avoidable. In some instances, confrontations can be necessary or even desirable. However, even one poorly handled confrontation can have disastrous effects. We once watched the destruction of a flourishing business by a person who was not skilled in confrontation. In fairness, his marketing skills were also marginal, but it was his near terror of confrontation that did him in. Tact and skill are required to prevent any confrontation from damaging a client relationship.

Evaluate your confrontational skills objectively. Test yourself with several friends who can be objective and whose views you respect. If you do not handle confrontations well, search for university or college courses or seminars on constructive confrontation. If you find none, practice with friends or family. This is a skill that is absolutely necessary to success as an independent contractor.

It is vital that you not be afraid of confrontations, and that you handle confrontations in a constructive manner.

Establishing The Proper Attitude

For the independent contractor, there is a strong requirement for self-confidence and a can-do, professional attitude. However, the line between self-confidence and arrogance is very fine, and the distinction is very important.

As an independent contractor, arrogance is dangerous to your livelihood, and also to your checkbook balance.

An attitude of friendly self-confidence is ideal. If you temper this with an occasional subtle reminder that you are a team player, you will reinforce the idea.

The next article in this series (BYOB, 3.6) is the final one on "Preparing for Business". It addresses a number of important topics including keeping records, part-time contracting, making things official, working through a temp agency, and working on-site at the client facility.

To read the rest of the series click here