Dress for Success

 

On a recent call with Robin, a dear client of ours with whom we’ve been working for a few months, we were so impressed by how well she was dressed. She had on a sleek black blouse with classic black and white polka dot statement sleeves, classic pearls, classy earrings, and was just so put together that everyone on the call noticed how sharp and polished she presented. It made an impression!

We commented on it to Robin and asked if she was on her way to church or a networking event or some other function, and she replied that she was just on her way to her business—a franchise shipping store she co-owns and co-operates with her husband. While most people in her position would dress for comfort, because owning and operating a shipping business is not something easily done in heels, Robin instead dresses for success.

Robin’s a boss and her demeanor, personality, outlook, outgoingness, and presentation fully align with her role. She’s no-nonsense, yet incredibly kind, professional, and ready to dig into any project that comes her way.

On our call, Robin shared that in her past career she taught professional dress. She shared the old adage, “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have,” to which we extrapolated “Dress for the clients you want, not the clients you have” and we all agreed that that philosophy was so important. Robin told us that studies show that individuals who work from home are much more productive when they dress as if they were going into an office, rather than staying in their pajamas all day. It makes a lot of sense!

At AYM High Consultants, we’re in the process of having new uniforms made. Our first iteration has served us very well, but we’ve also learned from them. While we’re sticking with nice clean, crisp, professional, goes-with-any-color-pants white polos for our next iteration, we’re upgrading the material to be more durable, stay whiter, and lay flatter at the collar. And we’re removing our first names from being printed on each uniform, realizing after a while how unnecessary they are and how it takes the look down a notch on the professionalism scale.

When we consult different businesses, the uniform style we recommend for each varies. It can all depend on market, culture, vibe, and target client base. Often, we do recommend polos with the company logo embroidered, however there are some businesses where button-downs, aprons, or even hoodies make more sense.

In any professional dress decision, you need to know your market. What will make you relatable and approachable, project trustworthiness and professionalism, and allow you to appeal to the clients you want to appeal to? Wear that. Dress for success.

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Marty Johnson is the Communication and Vision Coach at AYM High Consultants, a columnist, and an editor, producing the mail and business center industry's leading magazine, MBC Today. In 2023, he sold his popular and growing brand, Uncle Marty’s Shipping Office, and retired from shopkeeper life to focus on writing and coaching. Subscribe to his Ask Uncle Marty™ newsletter and read more at askunclemarty.com; follow him on socials @askunclemarty. #AskUncleMarty