How to Sell Yourself

So, you want to sell yourself, right? You want the job, the promotion, the big meeting, the date. You want to make a good impression, be viewed as genuine and be taken seriously as well. Well, some of you may be familiar with the term, “Dress for Success”, others perhaps not. What does it mean?

In the eighties and nineties, it meant specifics such as, how much cuff of a shirt showed from the sleeve of a man’s suit, to where the trouser leg fell on the front of his shoe or that a tie had to meet at the bottom of your belt buckle. Executives believed that the book Dress for Success was the Holy Grail, in relation to corporate perception and making a solid professional impression.

Today what is meant by this same term, like most other things has evolved. In order to dress for success you have to “dress” the part. What do I mean? Easy, you don’t want to show up in a skirt and heels to perform a construction job walk. You also don’t want to show up in tennis shoes and jeans to an executive meeting. Dressing today, although more relaxed in some environments, has caused more complexity in making your dressing decisions day to day.

There are several keys to success in dressing and self presentation; let’s take a look!

Never under dress for a meeting that you will be having, making or attending. It will not make a good impression if you arrive for a meeting in a pair of jeans and your client or potential employer has on slacks or worse a suit! They will inevitably question your ability to make sound decisions or utilize good judgment and this initial impression will prevent them from taking you seriously.

The same goes for overdressing, you do not want to over dress for a particular meeting. You have the potential to overwhelm the person you are meeting, if you arrive in a suit and tie and they are wearing jeans and loafers. This has the potential to intimidate them and subsequently cause your client or potential employer to view you as over qualified or as a possible threat.

Both of these scenarios under dressing and overdressing are potential pitfalls and can be easily avoided. How? By simply asking, who will be attending the meeting and where the meeting will be held. Note: in some instances you may even ask, what the appropriate dress code is. This would be in cases of an unfamiliar corporate dynamic or culture.

Be conscious of hygiene such as bad breath and dirty fingernails. If you smoke or drink coffee, ensure that you gargle or use breath mints prior to your engagement. Make sure your fingernails are clean and presentable. Also, that your hair is washed and tidy. Good hygiene can display your professionalism and your attention to detail.

Additionally, there are other general rules of self presentation factors as well. You should always make sure that your clothing is not wrinkled and is also stain free. Also make sure your shoes are clean and polished. Don’t forget success is found in the attention to detail.

Remember the key to successful dressing is assimilating to the people and environment around you. Allow others to envision themselves working or doing business with you. Dressing successfully not only will prepare you physically but also will prepare you mentally and you only have one opportunity to make a first impression, make it a successful one!

Watch this recommended video on ideas of how to assess your environment and dress appropriately!