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Projecting Professionalism: 5 Ways to Make Your Business Seem Bigger Than it Is

Big is good. Despite the common assumption that small companies are the best when it comes to customer and client service, many businesses look the other way when selecting a service provider or contractor. Rather than selecting based on individual attention and customer care, they look for other signals of approval – the ability to work with large clients, a proven track record, and the structure to support large assignments and long-term contracts.

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For a small boutique provider, it can seem nearly impossible to get a foot in the door. The big guns are looking for companies like them – large, powerful, and very experienced – but in order to become one and gain access to their contracts, you need to become one yourself. For some small businesses, that means acquiring additional overheads and growing in size, even if its just perceived size for some of your clients and customers.

These five tips can help you transform your business’s image from small and micro-focused to large and powerful. With a few small additions, new strategies, and client interaction changes, these tips could land you ultra-valuable clients and customer contacts, long-term contracts, and the experience required to market yourself to the biggest companies in the world. Apply one, two, or all five, and watch your business’s value grow in front of you.

1. Use a virtual assistant for emails and task management.

When you run a business that operates entirely online, in-person employees for administrative tasks just result in higher overheads and greater workloads. A virtual assistant and remote employees can save your business money – virtual assistants are typically paid per-task or on contract – and at the same time dramatically increase productivity.

On the image side, employing a virtual assistant can be a major asset for your business. Clients are wowed by size, and having a personal assistant or extra employee can result in some real authority when searching for large clients. Want to make your business seem bigger and more powerful for client acquisition? Have your virtual assistant handle an individual email address (sales@company or support@company are good choices) and demonstrate your business’s size to prospective clients.

2. If you list a phone number, add an auto-directory.

Almost all phone companies offer navigation and directory systems for a small fee. For those that don’t know, that’s the “press one for…” system that pops up whenever you call a major company or well-known business. While some consumers hate dealing with automated calling directories on the phone, most businesses see them as a sign of authority and competence.

If you’re not a fan of your own voice, most phone providers will be able to provide a simple recording for your phone system. Even if you’re only routing callers to sales, technical support, or your independent phone line, a simple split-option phone system can make your business appear more professional and valuable than it otherwise would.

3. Tell your clients that you’re working with other employees.

The smartest thing any business can do is tell you that they don’t work to promote you, their team does. Large clients value the type of organization that’s present in their companies – teams, interlinked divisions, and groups of people working towards a relatively common goal. By telling your clients that you’re working with a team on their projects, you increase support and boost trust levels.

Better yet, build a team that gives your clients amazing service. Whether it’s a simple team of contractors for micro-orders and small overflow work, or a large team for corporate clients and top-ranked business in your area, building a valuable team can boost your per-project income and help you gain more big clients in the future.

4. Expand your web presence.

Say you’re a web design company that’s also offering basic SEO services and internet marketing strategies for clients. Seems smart to list them through the same website, right? While it might be best for your rankings and client acquisition goals to list them all through one website, it can actually be a poor strategy for hooking major clients and long-term corporate partners.

Why? Because with one website, you’re limited to marketing as a small business. However, with a small network of business websites, each one offering a slightly different service and promoting a different aspect of your service business, you’ll be able to market yourself to companies and prospective clients as a major provider, not just a small fish.

5. Become an expert in your niche.

Posting on blogs, business publications, and local newsletters gives you one of the most important things in business: authority. When looking for large clients and long-term partners, authority is one of the most important things available to your business. It fuels negotiation, allows you to command high prices, and makes it possible to get your foot – or in this case, your email – in the door with major companies.

So get out there and write, be interviewed, and provide content. There’s no way to become an expert but to put in the time and effort, promote yourself, and become one on your own. Contact bloggers in your niche, get in touch with major websites and offer your services, and make yourself known. Become an expert and your business becomes a brand, your clients become more valuable, and your total business income skyrockets.