A few years ago, I wrote an article for ChannelPro Network called Busting The MSP Myth That Appearance Doesn’t Matter.
I wrote it before Covid and before the rise of the “I work from home” sweatpants revolution and “Mullet Dressing”— professional on top, casual on the bottom. Is this still you?
I was inspired to write this article after a very distracting meeting I had with a potential joint venture partner. My colleagues showed up to our initial meeting wearing clothing that was too tight, too revealing, and just too casual.
I am pretty sure that they did not consider how their appearance would be perceived by me.
Perception is powerful and I don’t think taken into consideration often enough, especially in our post-Covid workplace.
So, fast forward to today. I recently delivered a keynote about the importance of your appearance in building a memorable personal brand. The client asked me NOT to show do’s and don’ts wardrobe pics.
Have you ever had that moment when a client pushes you to pivot your thinking? This was one of those heart-skipping moments for me.
I dug into my coaching lessons and focused on the question: “How do you want to be perceived by others?”
Building trusting relationships and being perceived as a leader requires an alignment of your appearance, behavior, and communication. This question is the foundation to all business interactions.
Just like setting corporate goals, it’s important to set intentional wardrobe goals each day too. While the dress standards of today have relaxed, appearing professional, trustworthy, and confident to make a great impression is still important.
Ask yourself these four questions while preparing for your workday:
1. Who am I meeting with today?
Do you have client or prospective client meeting or a job candidate to interview? If you are meeting with a client or prospect, what is their dress code? It’s important to conduct some audience analysis to align with their brand values. If it’s a job prospect, what tone do you want to set?
2. What do I want my clothing to do for me?
Do you want your clothing to be more structured and tailored for a presentation? Showcase your personality from the stage or in a meeting? Do you want your clothing to be comfortable while you are writing a proposal? Do you want to appear taller?
3. What do I want my clothing to say about me?
This is a big consideration! How do you want to be perceived by your audience? Your audience makes personal, value-based assumptions of you starting with your appearance. You want to align your personal and corporate brand values with your appearance. Do you want to be perceived as professional, creative, knowledgeable, detail-oriented, confident, a leader? Yes, your clothing, coupled with grooming, posture, and eye-contact, will convey all of these.
4. How do I want my clothing to make me feel?
Studies have shown that clothing impacts your perception of yourself and your behavior. “Dressing up” for work engagements often makes you feel more powerful, professional, confident, and so much more!
After I presented these wardrobe goals, my workshop attendees burst into a very thoughtful discussion including:
- “What are my thoughts on jeans in the workplace?”
- “When should I wear a sport coat/jacket?”
- “How do I share these goals with my team?”
If I asked your colleague or client how they perceive your appearance, what would they say? What about how they perceive your team’s appearance? Would you cringe?
When you wake up tomorrow and get dressed for your day, ask yourself, how do I want to be perceived by others? Then decide, what do I need to wear to achieve that perception?
LISA SHORR is a certified advanced image consultant and owner of Shorr Success and Secure Future Tech Solutions. With more than two decades of experience in the sales and marketing arena, she conducts workshops and coaches MSPs on professional development and corporate branding.
