Are you one of those who confuse their own image with that of the shop?
It is quite normal to do this. At one time the shop and the sign outside were more important than the people who worked there. Now it is the opposite. No shop can survive on its name alone. The people working there make a huge difference to the buyer.
The failure of many in the optics world to learn this hard lesson has cost them dear and damaged their reputation. Many have disappeared or fallen from favour in their own city. So it is really important that the professionals in the shop allow their own light to shine.
Of course a minimum overlap between the shop and the professional is necessary. But it should be the professional who remains in the collective memory of the public.
It is necessary for the professional to present a well-balanced combination of his personal and professional qualities. His appearance is important, both in the shop and in photos, as is his standing as a valuable member of society. On the other hand, he has to demonstrate his professional abilities, how he keeps up-to -date, his procedures and the machines he uses.
He has to reassure clients before he even knows them, and enliven them during the sales process. One cannot exclude the other.
The sign outside the shop should stand for all these factors in this winning combination.