First, David Bowie, then Eagles guitarist Glenn Fry.   Bad things come in threes (says my Mum).   Listening to the radio one morning I heard Creedence songs on three different stations, so I feared the worst.   "Not John Fogarty too?".

But don't be alarmed.   The good news for you, and probably John Fogarty as well, is that he is alive and well and still ranting about how their manager got all their money (no one bothered to read the contract before they signed?).

That set me thinking on how little information it takes for reasonable people (I've included me here) to make assumptions and jump to conclusions.   That's probably Lesson 1 of Survival 101; don't wait for a ferocious predator to pounce before you react.

You know who else makes assumptions and jumps to conclusions (apart from my wife)?   Your prospective customers/clients!

They use little bits of information, which could be unrelated or even biased, to make decisions about who to pay attention to, who to refer a contact to, who to hire.   Is it fair, even logical?   No.

It is, in a word, marketing, which helps people to see you and your work in a particular way.   And, like it or not, they are unlikely to try very hard or dig deeper in order to uncover whatever truth lies beneath these superficial clues.

So, to avoid being counted out from the start, try these simple suggestions:

1. Review and Redo your web site

It should feel right, it doesn't have to be fancy, but it shouldn't look like it was put together by a high school student rushing to finish homework and get back to his Xbox.

2. Update your LinkedIn

Your opinion of social media is not the point.   A buyer will check you out, it doesn't have to be spectacular, you just don't want to be dismissed out of hand.   Make sure you explain why people should deal with you.   And, what about Twitter, Facebook, etc.?   I personally think it's not necessary.   Perhaps a lack of involvement may represent a missed opportunity, but it seems to me (based on current content) that there is little sign of intelligent life out there, based on content and the quality of spelling and grammar.

3. Invest in professional Design

The package must look right, if it looks amateurish, many people won't bother going further (see social media above).   Do this for the website, business card, letterhead, brochures, etc.

Here's the bottom line.   It's frustrating that people aren't selected based on capability.   The look of the package as a means of selection is superficial, but not dealing with it is sure to get you overlooked.

Discussion Thoughts

1. Can you say 'superficiality' three times, really fast?

2. Me neither.

3. What else do you consider essential for you to grow this year?