When I was growing up, I held a belief that appearance (i.e. how you dress) doesn’t matter. I’d throw any type of clothing on and not really care if colors matched or if the styles worked together. But as I’ve grown up and gotten some experience in life, I’ve come to realize appearance really does matter, both in business and life, and its not as superficial as some people like to portray it. The fact is your appearance (how you choose to dress) is your brand and your marketing. Your appearance creates an impression for people. That impression may not occur on a conscious level, but on some level the person responds to you favorably or unfavorably and that helps to make a determination if the person will approach you or avoid you.
Appearance can be subtle. You can wear a business suit, but if the colors aren’t matching, it can still throw people off. The right colors, the combination is essential because it establishes something about your appearance and marketing, but also something about you…namely that you are consistent in your messaging and consistent as a business person. Your clients, prospects, and people you network with want to know this about you, and while appearance isn’t the sole determinant factor, it does play a contributing role.
Lately I’ve been examining my own appearance at business events. I evaluate what I’m wearing and I ask myself would people feel comfortable approaching me or if I would need to approach them. If I need to approach people consistently, chances are that I need to change something in my appearance, because on some level it is off putting to them. Likely its the color combination, but it could be something else as well. Regardless of what it is, if you make a point to be aware of your appearance and how people seem to respond to it, it can tell you a lot about what is or isn’t working. And in business, if something isn’t working, it can mean you aren’t getting the business you want to get.
Does appearance automatically insure that you get warm leads or clients? No, but it certainly doesn’t hurt you either to make the effort to cultivate an appearance that would make other people feel comfortable enough to walk up to you and talk with you. If you don’t believe me, try this little game at the next networking event you go to. Scan the room for people, when you first get there and ask yourself which people you’d approach and which people you wouldn’t approach. With the people you wouldn’t approach, what causes you to not want to approach them? Be brutally honest with yourself about why you wouldn’t approach them. If you find that appearance is a reason that you wouldn’t approach someone, then you’ll see my point about why appearance can be important. The right clothes, the right effort in appearance can and does make a difference in business, because it speaks to something on a a subconscious level that we may not fully acknowledge, but nonetheless is important, namely that how you dress actually counts for making an impression.
Book Review: Thinking in New Boxes by Luc De Brabandere and Alan Iny
In this book, the authors throw out the cliche of thinking outside the box and argue that we are always thinking in boxes but that we can choose what boxes we think in and can move from box to box to enhance our creative and problem solving skills. The authors also map out a process and use case studies to demonstrate how the process works.I particularly enjoyed their approach to using scenarios to help a business get out of its own way. I think this book is a must for business owners and business consultants who help business owners. It provides some useful tools and a way of approach business problems that will help everyone get out of the boxes they’ve been in and start exploring new boxes, new approaches to running the business.
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