Design Your Image of Success

The way you dress and carry yourself is the customer’s first clue to how professional you are. Colors, fabrics, accessories, posture, speech, and bearing are all signs that tell the customer how you feel about your profession.

The salesperson who dresses without dignity is at a distinct disadvantage in today’s business world.

Unfair you say? Perhaps. But that’s just the way it is, according to Brenda York, an image consultant from McLean, Va. “The way you look gives off a very definite message. That’s why it’s so important for sales people to be concerned with the image they project. If you have a polished, professional appearance, you’re one giant step ahead of the guy who wears flashy bell bottoms and loud shirts.

Though it may sound like common sense, few people actually realize how influential one’s appearance can be in a sales situation, says Ms. York.

“The first 30 seconds of an encounter — whether it is business or social — are the most crucial. You formulate an impression of someone almost immediately and it sticks with you.

“Someone who is dressed conservatively and well, who speaks confidently and has good posture gives off trusting, positive signs. A sloppy or flashy dresser, or someone who slouches and mumbles, emits negative images.”

Projecting a professional image hasn’t always been so important, says Ms. York, but, as competition for jobs, promotions and sales has skyrocketed, the importance of assets which may give one person an edge over another has also increased. A polished business appearance is a definite asset.

“When all other things are equal,” she says, “it pays to have image on your side.”

While good posture, eye contact, and direct, well-modulated speaking voice have long been deemed important in sales, only in recent years has dress come into its own as an influential factor. And even more recent, says Ms. York, is the realization that colors can also play a basic role in the business of motivating people to buy.

“Colors have a lot to say, and just as sales people should pay attention to the types of clothes they wear, they should also know what colors can say.”

“Salespeople should never wear black, for example,” she says, “because it’s too powerful and overwhelming. However subconsciously, people associate it with death, or the Mafia.”

On the other hand, navy blue is considered the power color, because it is authoritative, like black, but it also evokes trust. Another trustworthy combination is a gray suit with a blue shirt, “just like bankers wear. It commands respect, but it also evokes trust.”

In the six years she has operated her consulting business, York and Associates, Ms. York has utilized her fashion and merchandising skills to help clients improve their professional and social images. Most of her clients have been women, but she says men have begun to take greater interest in their appearances, and now, a healthy chunk of her time (at an hourly rate of $45) is spent working with men.

She also conducts image training seminars for businesses whose managers feel the need to improve the appearances of employees but are hesitant to make personal suggestions.

“An outsider like me can come in and tell someone he needs to cut his sideburns or clean his ties or wear a coat and tie. It’s awkward for an insider to do that.”

Though Ms. York’s clients include professionals in many fields besides sales, she says most of the same guidelines for projecting a positive image apply.

“Above all, you must recognize the accepted dress of your industry and your geographic location,” she says. “Salespeople in California may be able to dress a little less conservatively than in the staid Northeast.

“Know what the ‘uniform’ for your profession is – where you live, it may be different for car salesmen and life insurance salesmen. If you’re out of uniform you’ll stand out and you don’t want that.”

Also, she says you should dress as if you have higher aspirations. “Dress for the job you want, not the one you have. If you dress like a file clerk, you’ll be treated like a file clerk.”

The primary aim should be to dress in such a way that you reflect respectability and honesty. For this reason, the tailored look, featuring simple, classic styles, is best because it oozes conservatism and trust.

Ms. York agrees with John Molloy (Dress for Success) that solid suits make a man seem more likable than pinstripe suits, and pinstripe suits make a man seem more authoritative. The following are several suggestions for suit and shirt combinations “for the man who want to be well liked”: gray suits with pale blue shirts and maroon ties, beige suits with blue shirts, and dark blue suits with pale yellow shirts.

However, Ms. York doesn’t agree with Molloy that women must wear severe solid color, three-piece suits. “I think some soft touches are perfectly OK.”

But she doesn’t mean having cascades of ruffles. Try “a bit of lace, a softer style blouse, a little gathering in the skirt. I think even a two-piece dress is perfectly acceptable, but I wouldn’t step into a boardroom without a jacket.”

Ms. York herself has a white, tailored blazer that sees a lot of use with different outfits. “Somehow a jacket makes you look more professional.”

It’s popular to “have your colors done” these days, and Ms. York believes it’s important both for your appearance and your pocketbook.

“Knowing what colors to look for in clothes makes it easier to look your best and you don’t waste money buying things that turn out to be the wrong shades. The wrong intensity or hue of a color can add years to your age and make you look sallow and washed out.”

Color consultants have popped up across the country in the past several years and most use either paint chips or drapes to determine one’s most flattering colors. Color analysis is usually based on hair and eye color, and whether the complexion has blue or yellow undertones.

Making the best use of your colors can be tricky, though, Ms. York adds. Colors that are becoming to your skin color may not suit your figure type, for example.

Gaudy colors should be avoided for business wear, she says, and, in general, use aggressive colors, such as orange or turquoise, in small doses. “Jewelry and other small accessories are a good way to use colors that flatter you but would be overwhelming in larger doses.”

Navy and gray are good suit colors for salespeople because they inspire trust, she says, but lavender and mustard should be avoided because they have the opposite effect. Also, gold and green should be avoided by most people because few shades of either color are flattering to many people.

Ms. York says men should avoid pink shirts because “pink gives off weak, non-masculine connotations.” Also, to avoid “the gangster look”, men should take care that their shirts are lighter than their suits, a concern Ms. York says doesn’t apply to women.

Ms. York advises her clients to organize their wardrobe so they’ll know what they’re going to wear each day of the week. She also suggests shopping once only for each season, rather than suddenly realizing you need something and either not being able to find what you need or buying something that isn’t quite right.

“You’ll spend a lot of money at once, but it will be easier in the long run to coordinate all the pieces of your wardrobe if you do it all at the same time.”

She also believes in buying fewer clothes rather than sacrificing quality. She believes natural fibers are more desirable than synthetics, and, while they may wrinkle more and require more care, they’ll look better and last longer.

If you must skimp somewhere in purchasing clothes and accessories, Ms. York has a definite list of “Do’s and Don’ts”:

*Skimp on a less expensive (but a classic style) suit or outfit, but never skimp on a good tailoring job. “Good alterations are an absolute must, especially if it’s a less expensive piece of clothing. With a good fit and simple lines, you’ll look fine.”

*Skimp on a shirt but never a tie. “A yellow oxford cloth shirt is a yellow oxford cloth shirt – the real focal point of a man’s suit is the tie. Buy absolutely the best you can afford, preferably silk, and make sure it provides color contrast.”

*Skimp on the basics in your wardrobe but not the accessories. “Avoid anything that looks ‘fake,’ such as a plastic attaché case — it’s better not to have one at all if you can’t have a good looking leather one.”

*A good gold or silver Cross pen is a status symbol in certain circles.

*Wear a tan raincoat rather than a navy blue — “A blue raincoat has definite blue-collar associations.”