Professionalism belongs in any industry. Don’t fool yourself into thinking it belongs only in the office or at a power-tie board meeting.

True professionalism revolves around respect for your crew and your customers.  It includes a healthy dose of self-respect. Professionalism is the “little extra” –the key ingredient pushing you and your company to tremendous success.

Tenets of Professionalism

1. Be customer service-oriented: The customer is always right. At least, that’s the age-old adage goes, right? But people are more likely to share a bad experience than a good one. And you know how much damage those bad Google reviews can do. It’s unfortunate but true. So treat your customers like royalty and make their experience your top priority.

  • Deliver on your promises.
  • Follow your timelines.
  • Honor your quotes and estimates.
  • Do what works best for them — not just what works best for you.

2. Take responsibility for your mistakes: Mistakes happen. No one is perfect. But customers respect and appreciate it when their vendors and service providers own up to mistakes and make things right. They will remember how you handled it more than they remember the error.

3. Be ethical: Every industry has its standards, and you need to follow the standards of yours. Set the bar for yourself and your team. Cutting corners, cheating, lying, stealing, or using inferior products are all unethical across the board. It may be easy in today’s world to be dishonest, but true professionalism acts with integrity and holds the bar high where ethics are concerned.

4. Be the expert: You want your customer base to trust you and your knowledge of their needs. So educate them on how you can best help. Every situation is unique, so it’s a good idea to stay relevant and up to date with ongoing training and certifications. Encourage your team to do the same.

5. Be organized: Being neat and tidy isn’t a trait everyone possesses, but it is very unprofessional to have surplus forms, papers, and or tools lying around. Keep what you need handy and what you don’t, neatly tucked away. Don’t be afraid of planners and schedules. Learn to delegate and keep your desk clear for what only you can do.

6. Be a communicator: Communication plays a vital role in professionalism. Being a good communicator includes –

  • Listening well.
  • Asking appropriate questions.
  • Watching your voice tone and body language.
  • Sharing essential information with your team.
  • Being discreet with information passed to you.
  • Educating customer base thoroughly — you don’t want “missing gaps” of information causing problems later.
  • Speaking only the truth.

7. Self-awareness: A willingness to grow is a critical trait in a true professional. Being self-aware of your weaknesses helps you know where you need growth. It also sets the tone for a healthy dose of humility, which invokes your employees’ trust and customer base.

From one team of professionals to another, Gillmann Services want you to know that “We work for you!” That’s our pledge to all of our clients and candidates. We focus on commercial, industrial, mining, manufacturing, and marine construction industries.  We’re dedicated to supplying quality talent to our customers. Call today!