Dress to Impress

How you dress says so much about who you are! In the past, when you had a BIG job interview, or were meeting with a potential client, do you just put on whatever clothes fell out of the closet? Of course not. You probably planned each part of your attire with extreme care. In fact, it is likely that you changed ties several times, or tried five different pairs of shoes to determine which pair would go best with your dress. You were dressing to impress.
Every day, you will be meeting new potential clients that could make a HUGE difference in your income potential (even if you don't know it). While first impressions may not always be correct, the certainly last a long, long time. If you make a poor first impression, you will likely not be given the opportunity to make a second or a third. Your appearance is important.
I'm not suggesting that everyone needs to wear a three-piece suit (though doing so will never hurt one's reputation) or a business dress. However, whatever your choice of clothes, your appearance should still be planned and chosen with care. A local automotive technician I know always keeps a clean, pressed shirt in his shop. Why? Accidents and spills happen. He believes, and I concur, that wearing a clean shirt leads to his clients taking his recommendations more seriously. Picture these two scenarios:
Scenario 1
 You take your new car to a mechanic. He greets you with a smile. He is dressed in a clean pressed shirt, neat trousers, and shined shoes. You hand him your keys. He puts a paper mat on your floorboard before getting in. Later, he calls you at work and provides several recommendations. He even emails you the recommendations for your review. 
Scenario 2
You take your new car t a mechanic. He comes out wiping motor oil from his hands using his already stained shirt as a towel. His shirt, along with the aforementioned stains, is crumpled and appears to have last been washed just prior to President Obama's first inaugural address. He jumps into your car (no paper floor mat this time). Later, not having heard from him, you return to the shop, to be presented with a wrinkled carbon copy which provides your recommendations.

In scenario 1, the mechanic's professionalism and appearance lead you to believe that he will adequately perform the services and, to be honest, that he appears to know what he is doing. In the second scenario, you likely wonder if your car would survive a second encounter with this mechanic. Even if you felt the recommendations were accurate, you would likely take your car to another mechanic (probably the one in scenario #1). Are all individuals who dress well competent? No. Do sloppy clothes mean sloppy service? Certainly not. However, if you only have a moment to make a decision, does the way someone dresses affect your judgment? Absolutely!

TIPS
Below are a few simple tips that can make a big difference (no matter what you wear):

• Shine Your Shoes- people notice without realizing they notice
• Iron Your Shirt- a wrinkled shirt gives the impression of sloppiness and slothfulness
• Match Your Accessories: if you wear brown shoes, wear a brown belt; if you wear silver earrings, wear a silver watch, etc.
• Overdress 1 level- business casual should include a sports coat or a tie; being underdressed looks amateur and gives the appearance of indifference

If you are not sure, or you have limited experience, ask for help. You likely have a friend who is very fashion conscious. Also, many clothiers (for men and women) value a long term relationship and will gladly provide expertise in hopes of developing a customer for life. If not, Cortez Concierge will gladly help. Email your questions or suggestions to cortezconcierge@gmail.com.