On the face of it, dyeing one’s hair (especially as much hair as I have) is frivolous and vain, and an utter waste of money.

But dyeing my hair is a little like sprucing up my website — people who’d grown accustomed to one thing sit up and take notice again. Random strangers smiled at me on the street, and I realized I was smiling first. People I barely knew stopped me to compliment me on the new look.

Then I took it up a notch, and added nail polish. I love the way painted nails look, even though they chip pretty much instantaneously for me, I love to see them tapping away at keyboards and doing the most mundane of tasks.

In the end, all this vanity has given me something I needed a dose of — confidence.

Marketing materials can be the same way. If you love your business cards, if you’re thrilled with your website, then you’ll hand people your card with a big grin and say, “visit my site!” That confidence shows, and your prospect is excited to see whatever it is you’re so proud of. But if you don’t like what you’ve got, then you’ll be apologetic or reluctant, and that sends a message to the potential clients or customers that even you aren’t confident in your product or service.

So, next time you find yourself hesitating as you hand over your card, ask yourself — is it time for a marketing material makeover?