We do judge books by their covers. When we meet a professional for the first time, our brains search for what a CPA or an attorney, for instance, should look like and pass judgment before we consider her intelligence, skills and experience.

As competition for work becomes more heated, every little bit of our personal brand is a factor. That may bite, but perhaps now is a good time to review your personal brand strategy and check all branding, including personal packaging. Make sure that what you see in the mirror matches what you're saying on your resume or in your marketing messages.

The same is true for your business branding and marketing. When a prospect or customer sees anything you're putting out there (you know, out there, in the great world of business), he is making a judgment based on visuals before he ever considers what you're saying. How do you know what he's thinking? One way to start to answer that question is to do an audit.

Collect as many of your brand's touchpoints as you can from the last year or so. Remember business cards, brochures, screen captures of websites, social media avatars, pictures of your store or office, newsletters, emails, ads, packaging, company vehicles, signage, apparel, proposals, receipts, and so on. Go beyond your marketing materials. Get anything that the customer may come in to contact with. Now, stick them up on a wall, look over the results and assess what you see. Is it cohesive and consistent or do you look like you have more personalities than Sybil? Does the overall impression match your brand strategy (who you are, what you stand for, your values and your culture) or do you see a circus? Ask a few other people to do the same assessment. What do they see?

The results should give you a good sense of direction for ways to improve your brand's image. Shameless plug: I'll bet a decent professional would love to help you make an even finer assessment and outline a strategic plan for dressing your message the way it deserves to be.