Presenting Yourself

The way you present yourself is the way you will be perceived. If you want to be perceived as a competent professional, you must dress and speak like one. Working at home can lend itself to becoming sloppy.

The way you communicate says a lot about you. Speak clearly and politely on the phone. A good tip I heard years ago is to smile when answering. Answer with your name or the business name. When using email, write in complete sentences with excellent spelling and grammar. Whenever a client or vendor does something out of the ordinary for you, a written thank you is in order.

When a client calls, be sure that he doesn't here barking dogs and crying babies in the background. When a client comes to your home office, make sure you have a clean, neat place to conduct the meeting. Keep clutter behind closed doors. Use an air freshener to remove cooking smells. Don't forget the upkeep of the exterior as well: mow the lawn, rake leaves, and shovel snow. (If you rent, some of this might not be in your control. Do your best with what you can.)

You might find yourself working in casual clothes, even pajamas, many days of the week. But every time you meet with a client you should dress like a professional. As a creative professional, you have a lot more latitude in defining what that means. Unusual color combinations and cutting edge fashion are acceptable, but sloppiness and dirtiness are not. (See what to wear.)

I am not saying you need to hide the fact that you work at home, just don't use it as an excuse to let yourself go.