Should you be judged by what you wear? Probably not. But the reality, of course, is that you will be judged. Here’s one of the most overused clichés in business: “Dress for success.” But it’s also one that business management in our industry chooses to ignore most frequently. This is not to suggest that the sign and digital graphics industry is, as a whole, shabbily dressed; but, let’s face it, our working environment is not the most immaculate.

Still, even in our business, first impressions are critical. Remember, you are attempting to market many products—the goods and services you offer, your organization and yourself. What a prospective customer sees when making first face-to-face with your company—specifically, any company representative—is attire. Thus, you must make every effort to achieve the appropriate level of dress for the business situation at hand. Will having your employees dress “properly” get you the business all by itself? Of course not, but it will give you a competitive edge and make a positive business impression. So let’s consider what dressing a cut above can do for your business.

A short story shared

I took my first sales position with the Chicago-based Fortune 200 Company—Nalco Chemical. I was given the assignment of growing a newly established sales territory centered in Tucson and encompassing most of southern Arizona. I was a technical sales representative for the world’s largest industrial water-treatment company, and I was expected to dress in a corporate manner: suit, dress shirt and tie—every day.

Even if you’ve never lived in the Southwest, most people are well aware that it is a desert. And I don’t care what they say, dry heat is still bloody hot. The accepted and vastly most common style of dress “round them parts” is blue jeans, a cool, cotton, short-sleeved shirt and a bolo tie (added for Sunday-go-to-meetin’, fancy occasions). These aren’t the bums; these are the business people.

Anyway, I wore the prescribed corporate outfit for about the first 45 days of my employment or until the third time someone mistook me for their lawyer. (Whichever occurred first; I don’t exactly recall.) It was tough enough coming to grips with telling people I was a “salesman,” let alone having them think I was an ambulance chaser. (Insert your favorite lawyer joke here. But I digress. . .)

One sunny, hot, October afternoon, I received a message from my district office that Bill from a high-potential prospect—Magma Copper Company in San Manuel, Ariz.—wanted to see me ASAP. Of course, I was dressed in my best pair of dress slacks that day because I was planning to only make sales calls in office buildings. Nonetheless, I abandoned my original plan, drove straight up to Magma, and sought out my prospect, whose office was deep into the copper-rod plant at the mine.

On my way to Bill’s office, I heard someone say, in an obvious attempt to get my attention, “I guess, at Nalco, they don’t expect their sales reps to get their fingernails dirty or do much work.” I turned toward the comment to spot my chief competitor’s salesman standing among several other mine workers, drinking coffee and laughing. I could hardly make out that it was my competitor because he was unshaven and dressed in a blue, short-sleeved chambray shirt, blue jeans with holes, stained work boots and a hard hat with assorted stickers—just like the mine workers surrounding him. I shrugged my shoulders, uttering not a word, and went on my way to find Bill.

After my 20-minute meeting with Bill to discuss a specialized study I was proposing to conduct on the rod plant’s water treatment system, I got in my car and headed on to my next appointment. The next morning I received another message from my office to contact Bill immediately. I called him and was quite surprised to hear him say, “Vince, let me begin by apologizing to you. After our meeting yesterday, my lead operator came to my office told me about the comments one of our vendors directed at you. Belittling you in front of my people, on our property, was totally uncalled for. In fact, my lead operator said that, if that vendor would dress and conduct himself in a more professional manner, perhaps he would be taken more seriously and we would think his products and service were worth the money Magma pays him. That guy’s demeanor and conduct made my decision to give you and Nalco a shot at the rod plant. We need a consultant to Magma, not another mine worker. When can you conduct that study and get started helping us?”

When I got back to my car, I had to take a moment to process what just happened. It was because I chose to dress and conduct myself in a manner just a cut above my competition and clientele that I earned a chance to prove what I could do technically. And, not the other way around.

Dressing for success basics

Regardless of your position in the company—business owner, sales professional, production specialist or administrative assistant—you should choose a style of dress that blends distinction with functionality. Especially if you are likely to come face-to-face with customers and prospects during the course of the work day, be constantly aware of your appearance. Take a minute periodically throughout the day to conduct a mini-self-inspection. Here are some basic details for which you should check:

• A well-groomed and combed hair style

• Clean and trimmed fingernails

• A hint (just a hint) of cologne or perfume

• Well-brushed teeth and fresh breath

• A minimal amount of jewelry, make-up, visible piercings and tattoos

• Clean, well-maintained and/or polished shoes

• No gum, candy or other objects in your mouth when addressing customers

• No body odor or sweat-stained clothing

How should you dress? Dressing conservatively is always the safest route, but you should also try and do a little investigating of your prospect’s and customer’s style, particularly if you will be meeting them on “their turf.” If the client’s custom is to always dress business casual, find out what exactly that means.“

Business casual” is a modern-day oxymoron. Dress code policies have been changing dramatically for the last few decades. While dressing more casually is meant to make life easier, many employers have had to adopt some business-casual standards. In some companies, business casual has come to mean “crisp, cotton shirts with the company logo, over dress pants, khakis, or skirts; no jeans, denim pants or shorts; flat, well-made, closed-toed shoes—no sneakers, sandals or flip-flops; neckties, sport coats or jackets are encouraged, but not required.”

In order to distinguish yourself from other visitors to the customer’s facility, select apparel, fragrance, jewelry, hairstyles and so on that do not detract from your professional image. Try to remember, the customer’s attention should be focused on what you say and your qualifications, not on what you are wearing. So appreciate the fact that, if you look presentable (or better), your appearance will remain on their radar screen a far shorter time than if you do not. Apparel should be clean, neatly pressed, fit well and remain in place while sitting and/or walking. Choose professional apparel that you like and for which you receive positive feedback from people who are knowledgeable about what is appropriate for conducting business.

A few final thoughts

Whether in your own plant or in a customer’s facility, be prepared to adjust your dress to fit the work you are doing. For example, if you are in business or business-casual attire and you need to conduct some “dirty work,” have a change of clothes or excuse yourself to don a set of coveralls, smock, apron or lab coat. If, at your own facility, the job you do for the majority of the day involves production, have a work uniform or coveralls that is specifically designed to be comfortable, functional, and protective of the clothing you wore to work that day.

It is much easier to “dress down” to fit the occasion, than to try to “dress up” an ensemble in a pinch. Many times, in Arizona, I took off my sports jacket or suit coat, rolled up my sleeves, and either removed or tucked in my necktie—depending on the circumstances—to make the customer feel more at ease. Once back to the car and onto the next call, I was able to reassemble my outfit. Had I started the day in a cotton golf shirt and khakis, it would have been next to impossible to add a tie and jacket and look good when business attire was expected.

A good rule of thumb is less-is-more and more-is-less. Keep your look simple and successful until you become accustomed to the work environment and learn the client industry’s unwritten “dress code.” Good luck... and much success!