The Business Case for Leadership Workshops

First impressions are 67 percent accurate. Research shows the most common reason cited by potential clients and customers for not working with a particular company is the first impression of that company. An executive in a large corporation stated, "I allow three to four minutes for a salesperson to establish credibility. The three-part criterion is simple: appearance, communication skills, and the value of the service. If the appearance and the communication skills are poor, the sale is already lost because I stop listening."

In business, people are judged on their professional image, before their level of performance or competence is determined. An individual's image comprises 55 percent of what is believed about them in business, according to research studies done by Dr. Albert Mehrabian of UCLA. This means that others believe the visual information we make available to them before they believe the actual content of the words spoken.

In order to succeed, a business must communicate to its prospects and customers that employees possess the capability to perform their job. Professionalism significantly affects how customers react and interact with employees. It also affects that employee's self-confidence and performance. People have a heightened sense of self-confidence when they are comfortable communicating with others, know the required protocol, and are appropriately dressed. Others perceive this professionalism in a positive manner and, consequently, believe the job will be performed to high standards.

Companies run the risk of losing on two fronts when employees are less than professional. First, a poor perception by customers and potential customers results in a loss of opportunity for new accounts and a failure to maximize existing accounts. Second, they run a high risk of employee turnover when managers' communication and leadership style are less than professional. Turnover costs for a company are an estimated 150% to 200% of annual compensation when recruitment, new hire costs, training, lost productivity, and lost sales are factored in. Verbal and nonverbal communication are the means of making a powerful impression and establishing and maintaining positive professional relationships. The businessperson who effectively and appropriately uses professional presence in all communication will see positive results, personally and professionally.

85 percent of financial success is due to skill in communication and in relationship building. This means in order to be successful a company must recognize the importance of professionalism as it affects the perception of its brand in the marketplace and ultimately the bottom line of the company.