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Do Your Clothes Affect Your Ability to Sell?

Do Your Clothes Affect Your Ability to Sell?

Whether you like it or not, the way something looks matters.

August 06, 2024

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In today’s Follow Up:

The dress code for sales 👔
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Steve Jobs email strategy ✍️
Sales jobs, job market & a meme 😂
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Does The Way You Dress Affect Your Sales?

You know that phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’?

Well, it’s good advice. But almost nobody takes it.

Our days are made up of a series of decisions, many of which are made by judging something from its appearance. The social media posts we look at, the shows we choose to watch, and the people we choose to listen to.

Whether you like it or not, the way something looks matters.

And the same goes for sales…

The way you dress can significantly impact how someone views you, and in turn, how much they trust you. Let’s break it down.

Building Trust Through Attire

Let’s imagine you’re getting ready to buy a $10 million penthouse (no bid deal), and when you show up to the property tour, your realtor is wearing board shorts, a tank top, and flip-flops. While you’d probably trust him to tell you which surfboard to buy, his outfit doesn’t exactly scream ‘I’m an expert in $10M penthouses’.

On the flip side, if you’re buying running shoes and the shoe salesman greats you in a $10,000 suit, you’d probably think you came to the wrong store.

To be the best at selling a product, you should look the part of someone who would be an expert in that product.

Your appearance is the first step to gaining the trust of your buyers.

Virtual Selling

There’s no denying it.

Selling (and business in general) has changed a whole lot in the past 5 years. Virtual meetings have replaced in-person sales meetings, and many of us don’t even go into an office anymore.

But even with your sales pitch taking place behind a computer screen, your appearance still matters.

A study by Quantified Communications asked remote workers a series of questions about their preferences for appearance on camera.

Expert: When someone dressed in business formal attire, 67% of respondents were likely to view them as an expert in their field. But when someone wore ‘business casual’ only 26% of respondents saw them as an expert.

Trustworthy: People dressing in business casual scored highest on trustworthiness at 49%, compared to just 33% of respondents dressed in business formal.

If you want to be seen as an expert, your best bet is to dress business formal.

But if you want to be seen as trustworthy, your best bet is business casual.

Background Matters

According to the study, it's not just about what you wear; it's also about what’s in your background.

The study found that showing the actual room behind you is the most popular choice for conveying authenticity, trustworthiness, and expertise, because it doesn’t look like your hiding anyhting. But, it's not just about showing any room - ideally, choose a contained room with an organized look.

44% of people prefer to see a wall with books or bookshelves behind the speaker, while 34% prefer framed décor such as art, diplomas, or photographs.

Lastly, avoid fake virtual scenic backgrounds, as they can come across as insincere and unprofessional.

How do you dress for work most days?

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