Dress the part!

Do the clothes make the man? No, but they sure speak loudly.

Walk into a coffee shop and look around. See the guy with Birkenstocks, cut off shorts, hemp necklace and a huge smile? I wouldn’t have him do my taxes, but I bet he could score some great pot.

What about the guy in work boots, blue jeans, a flannel shirt with a tool belt on? I doubt he’s an authority on social networks, but I bet he can build one hell of deck.

The kid in the Birkenstocks could very well be the head of Students Against Marijuana and the guy in boots could be a webmaster...but I doubt it. You can’t always judge a book by it's cover...but it will usually give you an idea of what it’s about.

Romance novels have a picture of a shirtless guy with really long hair fighting a dragon. Mystery novels will have yellow crime scene tape and empty bullet casings on the pavement. Fantasy novels will have a picture of Barack Obama. Sorry...couldn’t resist (please don’t shut down my blog Big Brother).

The point is that your appearance says a lot about you. It's your first, first impression. When you walk into someones office, before you even open your mouth, you have been sized up by the potential client. It takes about 5 seconds.

Take advantage! Don’t spend the meeting trying to change their mind about you because you wore ratty shoes or because your shirt has a coffee stains on it from last week. This is when you should be selling your product or service.(This is one of the primary reasons I would avoid having tattoo's on your neck if you deal with decision makers on a daily basis.)

You don’t have to buy a $1,500 suit. Sometimes a 'big boy' suit can be a bad thing. It can be intimidating. Especially if you are calling on a local blue collar client. For eaxmple, I would never wear a tie during a first meeting with a local tire dealer. Half the staff might run out because they think you’re a cop, or even worse, the IRS.


Do you know that feeling you get when you drive a new car? You sit a little higher in the seat. When you look sharp and feel good about yourself, you just seem to walk a little bit taller. Strangely enough self confidence builds upon itself.


Give yourself an unfair advantage. Buy a three button black suit. Pick up a nice pair of shoes. I would suggest staying away from alligator skin and multi colors. Put on a freshly pressed white shirt with a sharp tie and hit the streets. I bet you sell something...

*** If you are a woman in sales, I have no advice whatsoever. I am no more qualified to give tips on ladies fashion that I am on giving sales advice…