Upgrade Your Image. Upgrade Your Sales.
by Noah Rickun
Ever go to a bank where your teller was wearing flip-flops and Bermuda shorts? Probably not. Would you trust someone like that with your money? You ask your customers to trust you with their money when you ask for the sale. If you want their money, dress like you deserve it.
Remember what you wore to your last job interview? You took that day very seriously. You wore your best clothes, spit-shined shoes, and a big smile. In other words, you put your best foot forward. Your clothing was saying, "I'm serious about getting this job. I look good, and I am going to perform well when you hire me."
Why not put that same suit back on tomorrow morning before you come to work? Your clothing would be saying "I'm serious about making this sale. I look good and I am going to perform well when you buy from me."
You don't have to look like a banker, but you should look like you're ready to do business.
If you don't have a meeting with a customer tomorrow, look at your co-workers (or your boss) as customers. Bosses like well-dressed employees. Bosses remember well-dressed employees when it's promotion time. I'm sure you've heard "Dress for the job you want...". Wearing clothes that "fit" your current role shows that you're content with where you are and what you're doing. Wear clothes that show you have the desire to advance.
And then there's how you feel. Deion Sanders said it best: "When you look good, you feel good. When you feel good, you play good." Nothing helps you play better than a little self-confidence boost. And nothing helps self-confidence more than a nice new shirt and a clean shave (or a new hairstyle for the ladies). When you look in the mirror tomorrow morning, what will you see? WYSIWYS (What You See is What You'll SELL).
Here is my Ground-up Guide for Red Carpet Sales:
Wear shoes. Shoes, dress boots, loafers, and dress sandals all work for women. Men should stick to closed toed shoes, avoiding sandals altogether. Can you imagine the CEO saying, "Let's give a big promotion to that guy with the hairy toes!?" For either gender, casual sandals are unacceptable. This includes flip-flops, thongs, Birkenstocks, shower shoes, or anything you would wear to the beach.
Don't be sneaky. Athletic shoes (sneakers) are comfortable. But unless you're trying out for your company's basketball squad, leave them at home.
Nice knees. If you've got ‘em, flaunt ‘em. You can show your legs, too, but keep your thighs to yourself. And save your shorts for running. Skirts or dresses only, please.
Wear slacks. If you're not going to wear a skirt or dress, slacks are your only option. Dockers, khakis, chinos, dressy capris, suit pants, pleats, and flat fronts all work well.
Friday is for lovers -- jean lovers. If you work somewhere that promotes casual Fridays, go ahead and sport your best denim. Dark, solid-colored, well-fitting jeans, as long as they aren't ripped, torn, frayed, acid-washed, or baggy enough to fit the whole sales team. Got it?
Wear a shirt. Guys, stick to shirts with collars. Golf shirts, polo shirts, button downs, you name it—so long as it has a collar. Ladies, ensure that shirts and tops are professional. Tube tops, tank tops, or spaghetti straps are not acceptable (and that goes for both sexes). Whatever you choose to wear, be sure it's clean and pressed.
Tuck it in. If your shirt was meant to be tucked in, tuck it in. Shirts revealing too much cleavage, too much back, your chest, or your stomach are a no-go.
Don't sweat it. If you'd like to wear a sweater, go right ahead. Notice I said SWEATER not SWEATSHIRT. You know the difference.
Hair. Great hair translates to great sales. The decision is yours to slick, spike, perm, straighten, dye (a naturally occurring hair color, of course), comb, brush, pick or tease your hair. Pick a style that compliments your personality -- just wash and maintain your hair regularly.
No hair. Shine your noggin and remind yourself that some of the most successful people look their best bald: Michael Jordan, Bruce Willis, Kevin Eubanks, Paul Shaffer, Vin Diesel, Jesse Ventura, and Jeffrey Gitomer.
Facial hair. The key here is "neat." Beards, goatees, moustaches, sideburns, etc. are all acceptable. Look fresh and well groomed. Note: forgetting (or not having enough time) to shave for a day or two does NOT count as a "beard." That's scruff. Beards are trimmed and grow in an organized fashion. Scruff means you don't care.
Hats. Certain religious practices require head coverings. If your favorite team's baseball cap does not fall under that category, save it for a ballgame.
A little goes a long way. Jewelry, cologne, perfume. Be tasteful. Don't wear loud or gaudy jewelry, or anything that can be described with the word "bling." Nothing is worse than when your watch speaks louder than your sales pitch! And you would hate to pitch a prospect who can't stop sneezing because your Aqua Velva is too thick.
Upgrade your image -- and you'll upgrade your sales!
Noah Rickun is the CEO of Jeffrey Gitomer's TrainOne and a Gitomer Certified/Audience Approved speaker. Noah delivers customized and personalized seminars on sales, customer loyalty, and personal development. To book Noah for your next event, www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the friendly folks at Buy Gitomer via email or
by calling 704-333-1112.
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