Thursday, October 21, 2010

Professionalism in the 'at-home' Business

I’m a stickler for professionalism. I like to receive good service, and go out my way to ensure I always give good, professional service to clients.



I know some people like to have a ‘homely’ atmosphere in their businesses (especially when working from home).


I think that’s fine, in fact I thing it’s always a great idea to make the client or customer feel special, and make them feel ‘at home’ when they are conducting business in your office. But there is a line which needs to be drawn between having a homely atmosphere, and being inappropriate or unprofessional.

In my mind, an example of crossing the line is bringing up personal problems while discussing business. I experienced this recently when I met with a client to discuss some work. I had never met this person before and in the first hour of our meeting, she was getting emotional and talking about her problems at home. 


Obviously this made me very uncomfortable and, although my natural instinct would’ve been to sympathise and console her, I had to abort the conversational path she was wanting to meander down, and revert our attention back to the business at hand.


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3 comments:

  1. I 100% agree with you, whether its a home business or not professionalism is vital. Business is business and in my eyes if you want to succeed then being formal, serious, professional and goal driven is key in my opinion

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  2. Definitely, Daniel. I think some people mistake professionalism for arrogance, and then they act like jerks and treat people like dirt, and think they are being professional, or making sure everyone knows that they are in charge.

    I believe you should still have that personal touch, but always keep in mind that first and foremost you are conducting business.

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  3. That is so true Wilson. As an author and business man, I can relate to how you said "Obviously this made me very uncomfortable and, although my natural instinct would’ve been to sympathise and console her, I had to abort the conversational path she was wanting to meander down, and revert our attention back to the business at hand". I hope more people discover your blog because you really know what you're talking about. Can't wait to read more from you!

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