Every few years it is wise to do a self analysis. Who you are and where you are going with your career or your business?

Before the fall influx of activity starts, take a hard look at you. Are there areas that don't quite meet your expectations?

Let's start with a key part: your persona. Yes, we all could stand to lose a few pounds but what I am talking here is the perception you present to your customers and clients. Who are you and what image do you convey?

When you walk out the door, aside from obvious personal grooming, are you presenting a confident, poised, prepared professional? Or are you harried, disorganized and totally unprepared for your upcoming face to face? Your persona is much more that just your physical appearance. You need to be comfortable with who you are and how you present yourself to the world. One item out of whack can ruin your entire personal presentation.

Now before out run out and buy a new wardrobe consider what items can affect someone's opinion of you? Think about your own personal experiences. What turns you on or off about a particular person you have met? Were there certain red flags that just set you off before this person even opened their mouth? I know we all occasionally give someone the once over and make not so nice judgments about a person we have never met, but do what you can to ensure someone is not saying this about you.

Here are a couple of thoughts. Do you looked harassed, unprepared of just plain out of sorts when you walk out the door? Is your personal appearance up to par? Or do you look like you just rolled out of bed? Are you ready to face the day armed with the comfort that you are prepared for anything? Is your briefcase, laptop, file folder, presentation materials organized and ready to go? Have you organized your thoughts and your 30 second elevator pitch? Do you have some interesting small talk prepared to warm up a cold client or to get a dialogue going? Are you prepared with the right contact names and numbers should something happen to delay or prevent your presentation? Do you have a plan B should the person you are meeting be unavailable?

Knowing that you have mastered all of the above should instill an air of confidence. If you can't say yes to the above questions then a little advance planning is in order. Take some time at the end of the day to marshal your thoughts for the following day. If you are simply not a morning person, then schedule low key activities in the am and save the power activities for later in the day when you can perform at your best.

Above all -- don't beat yourself up if you don't meet all the above criteria. It takes planning and work to become an accomplished professional. Just because you haven't thought about you the person before doesn't mean that you can't start now. Remember you can repackage yourself at any time to suit your personal needs and objectives.