A re you struggling to earn a promotion or wondering why your boss constantly sends you information on your company’s dress code? You may need to sharpen your business image. In the workplace, you want to appear professional and competent. You can be the best worker in the world, but if your business image is sloppy, no one will take you seriously. Use these five tips to improve the way you come across in the workplace.

The quickest way to sharpen up is paying attention to grooming details. Make sure your nails are always clean and trimmed, and if you wear nail polish, choose professional colors like pink or beige. Have your hair trimmed every six to eight weeks. Keep a spare shirt at work in case you need to change out of a wrinkled or accidentally stained outfit. These tips sound basic, but you’d be surprised how easy it is to overlook small details.

Next, you need to consider your overall wardrobe. What kind of clothes do you wear to the office? Even if your workplace allows casual clothing, you shouldn’t wear anything with stains or holes. Artfully distressed jeans look sloppy, not chic. T-shirts are too casual; you can find comfortable button-up shirts or blouses that will give you a much more professional look. Talk to an older coworker or your boss if you’re not sure of the best way to dress up your wardrobe. You’ll find that other people in your workplace will be thrilled to be seen as a source of wisdom, and you’ll get invaluable tips just by asking. 

Your business image is more than just your appearance. How do you conduct yourself over company email? Do you have a signature line with a funny quote or a cute picture? Consider changing it to something more professional, especially for emails going to external clients. Your charming signature may be coming across as juvenile to other people; it’s better to save the jokes for in-person conversations when you can tailor them to your audience.

Speaking of in-person conversations, how do you communicate with coworkers? Creating a personal bond with your officemates makes work more enjoyable, but be careful of stepping over the line. Think about how your conversations affect your image; try to avoid complaining about the company or other coworkers or how much you drank over the weekend.

Finally, make sure you’re punctual at every opportunity. Constantly strolling into work five minutes or arriving late for every meeting makes you look immature. How can your boss trust you with a deadline if you can’t even make it to the office on time? Make a resolution to be on-time to everything this week, and see how much more professional you feel by Friday. 

Portraying a sharp business image doesn’t come naturally to most people. Your coworkers are putting in the effort to be professional, even if they make it seem effortless. Your boss strives to portray a more professional business image by keeping a clean and organized office environment. You can portray a more professional business image by following these five tips.

Author Bio

Mike is a freelance blogger. Click on the link to read more about how your business can portray a more professional image.