What's the rate of return for investment in your personal business image? 

Hardly Surprising: Appearances are Important 

A more flexible approach. Another financial planner, who serves physicians exclusively, said first impressions are key, "It's the first 30 seconds that count most." He greets his client at the door,  and offers an unfeigned smile with a firm handshake.  He stresses you have to meet your clients' expectations. To this end, his image varies. At head office-in a big city-it is shirt, tie, and no back slapping. But when he goes to a small town, where his physician clients lead a different life style, he loosens his tie, removes his jacket, and adopts a more laid back approach. He knows his clients and acts accordingly. 

"In sales, people buy people," a VP of an IT company told us when reminiscing about our dress style analysis a few years ago. "You have to act the part and dress well," he confirmed.  After his dress consultations, and confidence building, he was rapidly promoted. Now he hires people  constantly. "In five minutes I know if I'm interested-it's all about  how they present themselves." He spoke of one of his sales people: "He was tentative, uncertain, selling almost nothing. Then we  simplified his product, helped improve his dress and demeanor, and  now he's doing five figures a month." He did the classic information transfer: from my image consultation, when he was my client, to one of his employees. 

When a business image is too formal. A VP of an HR consulting firm seemed to be stiff and ill at ease when we  first saw her, and we gently mentioned this to her. She said that was exactly what people had been telling her. She is now more relaxed, and less formal-a consequence of confidence building which comes from the right dress and business manners. "I now hire many people and now, for me, image is key; these people have to represent us in sales or training. The client's only knowledge of our company is what my reps are able to present to them. She always asks herself, "Do I want this person walking out of here and representing my company?"

Intercultural sensitivity. Clients may also have strong cultural expectations. In fact, two financial planners with whom we spoke--not our clients--are located in a west coast branch of their large company which deals with a large Asian clientele. It is clear, that language preferences, greeting customs, food preferences and dining manners are key to this specific demographic. In short, cultural awareness is a must. 

More than just language. "I knew at the outset, if I was going to succeed in dealing with a certain caliber of clients, I would have to fit in," said one advisor, who is herself oriental, and  always carefully dressed. But "fitting in" with Asian-born clients may or may not mean using the same business image as with non-Asians. Her male colleague, also Asian, might be cautiously informal in dress. We asked them both if Asian clients need or prefer Asian consultants: are there really cross-cultural image issues? "What would your response be," we asked, "if  your top client needed critical guidance, when you were unavailable, but an equally competent, impeccably  polished North American  Caucasian colleague took the meeting for you?" "I'd feel very uncomfortable," she  replied, so strongly did she view the issue of cultural sensitivity. 

Table talk 

Don't shred your polished image at dinner. Alas, even with an impeccable first impression-good eye contact, a  solid handshake, and appropriate dress--all can be lost at the dinner table. A financial planner, who is also a personal friend, is well groomed and savvy at the dining table. Every year we do a seminar for his group. We asked if he ever personally lost a deal because of a dining lapse. "No, but I would have lost many if I was out dining and had no confidence." He believes taking a client to an upscale restaurant, without knowing proper dining etiquette could be a deal breaker. He notes, "I just can't talk and think clearly if I'm worried about whose glass I'm drinking from." 

And he is not alone. Many people are terrified to find 3 forks or 4 glasses in front of them during a meal when a major sale is about to be closed. "You just can't do it if you feel out of place," one client said of important business dining events. "Awkwardness in dress and dining kills." "Kills what?" we asked. "My confidence," he shrugged. 

A senior researcher for a large consulting firm, serving major corporations and foreign governments, seemed to have it all when we first saw him. He was brilliant, had a winning smile and was clearly a people person. But, rather than work a room-part of his job--he wanted to hide in the corner. "The soft sell is the thing-over two nights of formal dining-they were comfortable, but I was terrified." But now he has it sorted out. After a few sessions with Image International, he became more comfortable in business dress, at the table, and how to greet his key clients. 

What have our clients taught us? 

Consider the recurrent features in the above examples, features we have seen repeatedly during more than twenty years of image and etiquette consultations. 

1. If you don't feel well dressed, (invariably because you aren't) you will feel ill at ease, especially with those clients who expect a conservative polished look. 
2. It is also very clear that clients differ. Small town doctors, big town butchers, and university professors have quite different habits of their own, and may be very liberal in their expectations  of you.
3. Client differences lead some financial institutions to open so-called Asian branches in North America. 

Summary

Now let's go back to our first question.  Is there, after all, evidence that bottom lines correlate with a polished business image?  In fact, to be blunt, our group believes that solid research, directly correlating profit with image, has yet to be done. (Reader: if you know of published evidence we would love to hear from you. Image International eschews loose talk and the hard sell.) There is however, recent reputably published research, which objectively establishes that a firm handshake does lead to a good impression, while a limp grip does not. 

We believe, until proven otherwise, that my clients' experiences provide a road map. We must respect centuries of social custom-albeit an evolving process, which just can't be ignored. It is this social process which forms our clients' expectations. Accordingly, dear reader, in business and other social settings, you can only change this historical thrust at your peril. So please, know your client as best you can, and then respond appropriately in your dress, business manners, and dining skills. 

Send feedback to Diane. 

© Image International. All rights reserved. Any copying or redistribution is striclty prohibited.