Personal/Professional Appearance

[4.23.2008 | Seattle, Bellevue, Everett, Renton, Lynnwood]
Jeff Collins, Professional Haberdasher

It’s been said that every professional should have three phone numbers in their speed dial.

Their:

1.) CPA

2.) Attorney

3.) Tailor

It’s clear why the first two make the list but for some reason the third is not as obvious. People think their appearance is not nearly as important as who they are on the inside or what they feel they can do for their customers. Well that is true in the end, but let’s face facts; first impressions are made in an instant and once an impression is established it is very hard to change. As the old saying goes, “You never get a second chance at making a first impression.”

We know who we are and what we are capable of but how can your prospective clients know when only meeting you for the first time? The catch is they can’t really know your qualifications until the task is accomplished or at least well underway. However they can get an idea of who you are by what you say, how you say it and how you look. Your professional attire tells the customer they are important to you. Have you ever heard the saying, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care?” By your dressing professionally, the customer can know you care and feel more comfortable that you are taking their needs seriously.

The way you dress not only has a major impact on the way people view you, it affects the way you view yourself. If you are confident in what you wear you will project confidence in what you do. If you feel great about yourself, others will feel it as well.

What it boils down to is you have to dress the part to get the lead roll. You do so for your prospect who is the casting director and for yourself to feel like the expert that you are in your field. A good rule of thumb is to treat an initial sales call like a job interview. It’s well known in a job interview the safest thing to do is dress one or two notches above the position for which you are applying. When in doubt: Dress up. You can always take your coat or tie off if the situation calls for dressing down but good luck finding a coat or tie when you walk into a room of decked out professionals and you’re wearing your favorite golf or Hawaiian shirt.

Consider it a sign of the times, customers today expect the professionals who handle their business needs to look and act professionally. In their minds, anything less could be harmful to their bottom lines. In turn, this need for professionalism has resulted in companies looking to their personnel to make their customers feel comfortable and confident. In today’s economic climate, professionals have begun dressing up again to stay competitive in the work place or have stayed the same and risked losing business to those who have taken their appearance more seriously. Just a few years ago, companies were looking for consultants to help define and implement the concept of casual Friday. Fast forward to now and businesses are moving away from the casual office with the screen printed t-shirts, wrinkled cotton pants and boat shoes. At the very least, industry leaders are supplying employees with nice polo shirts displaying their company name and logo.

The fact is the business world is constantly changing and we must be more proactive in making our appearance a priority. Your investment in your personal image is an investment in yourself and your business.

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2 responses to: "Personal/Professional Appearance"

Monday, May 5, 2008 Jeff Collins, Professional Haberdasher says: Business and weekend casual is definitely where clothes get confusing. I used to meet with clients and talk about which suit we were going to add next but now things have changed. It is no longer about having suits for the office and sweat pants for home. Nowadays the professional needs to be prepared with a variety of styles. Just as in an interview when dressing for two places higher than the position you are trying to acquire, it is important to mirror your clients' & prospective clients' style but a notch or two above. Have you ever heard the phrase, "likes like likes?" It means that people like other people who are like them. So if your client is really casual then you may want to be casually dressed as well, but professionally so. If your client is rather formal then a suit is the way to go. What this really means is you have to be prepared for a variety of situations. My recommendation would be to make your more formal presentations earlier in the day and your more relaxed meetings at the end. On a day set up in this way you could wear a transitional suit with a shirt and tie in the morning, take your tie off for a business casual meeting & then take the jacket off for a casual setting. Your outfit can flow with you through your day and your meetings. Jeff Collins Professional Haberdasher www.myhaberdasher.com

Sunday, April 27, 2008 Barry Hurd says: I agree with you here Jeff- too many people fail the "professional" test when they are moving through-out the day into and out of obvious social interactions without realizing the impact of visual demeanor. I used to be something of a Jekyll and Hyde business professional, casual wear one moment and business suit the next- but about six years ago eliminated most of my truly "casual" outfits and replaced them with some well-thought pieces. These days I rarely go through a day where I do not accidentally bump into someone from my professional life, which means every moment I may be asked to sell myself with little notice.

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