We’ve all heard it – you never have a second chance to make a good first impression. How true this is both in our personal and professional lives.
I recently attended a seminar on Branding Your Business, taught by an amazing company called Ephyra Group and sponsored by the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania. In summary I learned what’s important is what is said about you when you’re not in the room. You need to sell WHY you do what you are doing, not WHAT you do. Impressions Matter!
We take first impressions very seriously at SGC. We train our candidates for upcoming interviews so when they walk in that door they are representing SGC as much as they are representing themselves. We absolutely believe we don’t have a second chance at making a first impression.
We like that our brand is different, and we must be doing something right. Our business has increased over 150% in the past 2 years – an accomplishment my team has diligently worked to achieve. Everyone works from home. When we meet, it’s as much a business meeting as a personal gab fest, and way too much fun! Recent conversations have run like this: “I have a strong .NET Developer for that client in Harrisburg….let’s definitely submit him…. Does anyone have a good recipe for a Halloween treat I can make for the 1st grade party? I just got a resume of an awesome Project Manager who would be perfect for a few of our clients. Want to go to that branding seminar with me?” Stream of consciousness – yes. Farfetched – not so much!
While the above dialog may sound ridiculous, let me assure you my team is laser focused at what we do. Internal competition is non-existent at SGC. Our Brand is simple: We Make The Process Fun. And we get it done. Over 50 of our candidates have new jobs in 2014 because they made great first impressions. We make it our priority to understand our customer and what drives them to do business with SGC. We also have some great cupcake recipes!
