Dressing for dollars

Your company has changed with the time and has relaxed the dress code. For many sales people, business owners, and C-Level executives the polo and khakis are the norm. For comfort levels this is fantastic, but there are many down sides to business casual. I’m going to touch base on why and how to dress professionally and how it can help increase your performance.

Why dress up

Sales professionals are change makers. To get new clients you need to have them change the way they are doing things. It’s hard to change things if you can’t get noticed. The benefit of everyone going business casual is that not many people wear suits anymore. You will be able to not only stand out from your competition but also generate instant credibility by wearing a suit. Like it or not, but a lot of people’s perception of you is based on appearances and attractive people are more successful in life.

Simply dressing up will make you more attractive. When you look good, you feel good and when you feel good you will be more confident with both your skills and the situation. Buying is an emotional act and buyers want to feel like they are making the right decision. Working with a confident, calm person can help ease any insecurities they have about making a change.

Not only does wearing a suit make you confident it also keeps you in line. There is no beating around the bush here but many sales professionals like to talk and can sometimes veer off on tangents that may or may not be appropriate. By dressing casually you are more likely to revert to your “at home” persona which may get you in trouble. Your attire will subliminally remind you that you are on “pay time” and to remain focused on your prospecting and sales activities.

The same effects on your customers will also translate internally in your company. If you are looking to climb the corporate ladder and gain respect among your peers your attire will help you in that process. The common saying is to always dress for the job that you want, not necessarily the one you are at.

With all that being said, I am not a hard-nosed you must wear a suit at all occasions in all professions kind of guy. There are roles and situations where wearing a suit may not work. Situations where you have to visit construction sites, crawl on roofs, be around machinery that can suck you in by your tie, and carry and transport large dirty items are probably not the best places to wear a suit. Deep down you know if your job is one of these places. I am a proponent of inside sales professionals wearing ties; however I can understand the reasoning behind them not. The same principles that apply outside in the field apply over the phone.

How to dress up

Now that I have convinced you why to wear a suit, I gotta make sure you pull it off correctly. It is easy to look good if you follow these basic steps.

• Get measured by a pro. If you currently own no suits be sure to go to a well reputable men’s clothing store to get your measurements. Once measured be prepared to always tailor your clothing. I am 6’5″ and 185lbs – tall and skinny and there are not clothes that fit me on any shelf. Unless you have the most common size body in the world it will be difficult to find an off the shelf clothing solution. For skinny people you will want to get an athletic shirt to prevent muffin topping of the shirt, and larger people will want to have a shirt where the buttons are not under extreme stress. There is no excuse having shoulder pads hanging off your shoulders or your collar big enough to fit a coffee cup down it. A tie should also come down to your belt line.
• Iron your clothes. A quick way to negate any professionalism you gain by having a suit is to wear a wrinkled suit. If you are not good at keeping a shirt smooth you can by a non-iron shirt. If you immediately take it out of the dryer and hang it up the shirt should dry with little to no wrinkles. Any remaining wrinkles can be pulled out by spraying a bit of water on it and pulling it flat. Other options are to have it cleaned with a dry cleaner. I recommend using no starch because when a shirt has starch it will tend to develop more noticeable wrinkles compared to a non-starched shirt. Whatever you do, don’t forget to put the stays in your collars to keep them straight and crisp.
• Match your accessories. Your belt is supposed to match your shoes, and your socks are to match your pants. Your tie is where you can have a little fun and go bold. Also, if you wear French cuff shirts you can have a bit of fun with your cuff links. I’m real fond of the pirate cuff links. To really stand out add a pocket square that complements the colors of your suit.
• Go from basic to exotic. A two button solid black or navy blue suit is appropriate for any occasion. If you are only planning to own a couple of suits it would be best to stick with these color options. As your inventory of suits grows feel free to try more trendy options like plaid patterns, unique colors, and unique cuts. Talk to your local men’s clothing store for help.

There are many message boards and websites out there that go into way deeper details about business fashion. I recommend if you catch the bug to search out those sites and determine your own style. You will find that having a suit with quality fabrics and measurements is comfortable.

A lot of successful people (like Mark Cuban) refuse to wear suits and they present a valid argument on why not. Based on my experience, until the perceived notion of people in suits change, I see wearing anything other than suits when meeting with prospects and clients as limiting factor in your growth for increased sales. As always I am keen on hearing opinions of other professionals out there. Leave comments on your thoughts.