Do You Look Like You Mean Business?

A young woman from a promotional products company recently came to see a wheeling, dealing entrepreneur and good friend of mine.  She’d just flown in from Sydney especially for the meeting, so he knew she placed a priority on doing business with him and why not? If she pulled off the deal they were discussing, it would mean a large commission for her and a steady income for her company.  She was a very pretty woman and my friend has a healthy appreciation of pretty women, but that’s not what he first noticed about her. All he could think about was how tacky she looked.

It was apparent to him that this woman didn’t care about her appearance. Her hair was greasy and uncombed, her make-up was smeared and lipstick worn out, as were her down-at-heel shoes.  When she offered her hand to shake, he noticed her nails were chipped and  unmanicured.  Her wrinkled clothing could be put down to the flight from Sydney, but the loose thread hanging from her shirt button couldn’t.   When she placed her laptop on the desk, he saw that it was dirty and didn’t want it on his desk.  When she later turned it on, he wasn’t focused on the powerpoint she was showing him, he was wondering if the papers it was sitting on would get dirty marks on them.

He'd had several telephone discussions with the young woman prior to their meeting and had already made up his mind to accept the deal if the numbers stacked up.  He was so distracted by her appearance that during her presentation, he missed half of what she had to say.  She left empty-handed.

It doesn’t cost anything to make sure your clothes are ironed, shoes are clean and hair is combed. It sure can cost you if they’re not. This young woman left my friend's office wondering what had gone wrong. She didn’t realise that something as basic as personal presentation could kill the sale. My friend looks at it like this; if she didn’t care enough to look after herself, then she wouldn’t care enough to look after his business.

You only get one shot at a first impression, so make it count. Speaking of counting, here are the numbers. First impressions comprise 7% verbal communication (what we say), 38% non-verbal cues (the mood we are in, the look on your face, feelings). The other 55% is based solely on your appearance.  To ensure your appearance is the best it can be, run through The Appearance Check-List every day.  Here it is:

1)     Make sure you keep healthy, with plenty of sleep, healthy food and exercise.
2)  Dress in the best quality, most appropriate clothing you can afford. Smart, conservative clothing is generally preferable.
3)     Make sure your look is up-to-date but not trendy.
4)    Ensure your clothes are in good repair, no missing buttons, stains or holes.  No worn out or dirty cuffs or collars.
5)    Wear clean unscuffed shoes, the best quality you can afford.
6)    Get your hair cut in a neat and tidy contemporary style that you can easily maintain.
7)    Wash your hair when it needs it and comb it regularly.
8)    Clean teeth and fresh breath are absolute musts. Keep a supply of breath mints handy and use them regularly. Do not suck them while you’re with a client.  Don’t chew gum either.
9)    Keep hands clean and manicured. If you can’t afford a professional manicure, learn to do it yourself.
10)    Shower daily and use an antiperspirant deodorant. Some people may need to re-apply this throughout the day. NEVER let them see you sweat!
11)    Take care of facial hair as appropriate.    
12)    Ensure perfume is subtle, not cheap or over-powering.
13)    If wearing make-up, don’t overdo it. No garish colours, no heavy handed blushers or eyeshadows. Refresh it halfway through your workday. Re-apply lipstick when needed.
14)    Avoid overdoing accessories. Don’t let them become the focal point when your client looks at you. If they’re focusing on your 25 jangling silver bracelets or the thick gold chains around your neck, they’re not giving your message 100% of their attention.
15)    Any equipment you use in your presentation must be clean and in good repair, including laptop and briefcase.
16)    Ensure anything you plan to give to clients is in the best condition. No dog-eared proposals, ripped brochures or crumpled business cards.

Simple, isn’t it? Yet many salespeople pay time, money and attention to acquiring selling skills, only to let themselves down by failing to address the most basic tenets of personal presentation. They make it just that little bit harder for themselves by always having to start on the back foot.  Don’t be one of them.