Do You Look the Part?

I have heard stories of those who have “shopped around” for a financial advisor and came across someone who didn’t really look the part. Imagine setting an appointment with a financial advisor at a financial service institution, and the person who walks out to greet you has an unkempt look or attire that was either way too casual or just plain unattractive. Would you really trust your money with this person? Probably not. We expect to be greeted by someone who looks like they are doing well financially because we are looking to them to help us make money with our investments. It doesn’t matter what job you are in- you are expected to look the part of the position you hold.

Now, Nordstrom Rack offers tailoring services on-site. It was interesting to me that the gentlemen working the dressing room and holding the tape measure, had on an ill-fitted suit. His pants were too long with multiple breaks in the front- he reminded me of an eager high school student at an interview wearing his father’s pants. Nordstrom Rack’s tailoring services are not free, so I was just puzzled as to why someone who needed their own pants hemmed would be representing the tailor. Needless to say, there were not any pants left there to be hemmed.Today companies spend a lot of money on marketing, logos, and their overall brand. Many times they forget that their most important asset and branding tool are the people that work for the company. Employee branding is much more than a uniform- it is the way in which the employees represent the company through their nonverbal communication and behavior along with their “look”. Another favorite example of mine is going to a health & wellness spa decorated to inspire calmness, music to create an environment of peace, and oils to invigorate the senses for that 1 ½ hour massage. This sounds wonderful but the woman with the hands scented of freshly smoked cigarettes surely squashed the experience for me. She was a great masseuse but who would want to return to a place where they would smell cigarettes for this length of time and know that this odor would be rubbed on their body?

If you are trying to drum up business, clients, customers, patients, etc. make sure that you are “dressing the part” of the company and position you hold. There are ways to incorporate your identity in your overall look but if you absolutely dread what you have to wear to work or feel that you are putting on a “front”, then it may be time to look for another position.