Be Professional - Dress the Part!
By Ginger Derrickson

What does professional dress mean? For some it means three-piece suits, silk ties or scarves, and shiny shoes.

Perhaps you've been lured by ads like this?

"Work from home in your PJs and slippers (or boxer shorts, birthday suit, etc.)." To some this might say, "Dressed for 'success' 'cause I'm working from home!" Many of you who work in a home office may never see your clients (or prospective clients) - so you say "Why does it matter how I dress as long as I make money?" You've heard it said, "Clothes make the man (or woman)." But, have you stopped to consider that the clothes you choose to wear (or not wear) can affect your work attitude and your bottom line? Now, I'm not saying you must dress in a three-piece suit or a dress and heels, however, consider this: there you are, sitting at your desk at 3:00 p.m. and you are still in your PJs. But how much did you really get accomplished?

When your clients call to ask how their project is going, do you hem-haw around because you aren't getting it done? Wouldn't you agree that you aren't as motivated when you look as though you are ready to go back to bed?

I know from working in the corporate world that clothes definitely affect the attitude!

I worked in a sales/call center for a health insurance company. One summer they enacted a "casual dress" environment. Now, don't get me wrong, I like casual dress just as much as the next person does; I enjoy being comfortable.

But as the summer progressed some employees began to 'REALLY DRESS DOWN' and some began to wear halter-tops, and jeans with holes!

The attitude became "party time" and it was obvious that the thought of work was far from everybody's mind. The company had to set guidelines for appropriate "casual dress."

This company still has Business Casual dress through the week and Dress Down on Fridays; often you see an attitude of "party time" on Friday that indicates they have lost their motivation to work productively.

I know from experience if I get up and dress as if I am "going into that office environment," I have a mind set of getting down to business and working as if my bottom line depends on it! I feel more business like.

That comes across not only in what I accomplish in a day, but as I talk with clients (prospective or current) they sense my businesslike attitude.

As we talk about professional dressing, what do your business cards and letterhead/envelopes, and marketing materials say about you? They can also be too casual and project an "I'm not professional" attitude.

Most materials are too sparse - not enough information. Your business materials should say more than just your contact information. They should say what you do. If your business name is just a variation of your personal name (i.e., Your Name, LLC or Your Name & Associates) this does not say what you do. For instance, I am a virtual assistant, therefore my business name, "Assisting You Virtually", says what I do.

Do you have a catchy slogan that spells out what you do? My slogan is "Administrative solutions for small and home based businesses." I include that slogan on all my materials. Can you think of a picture, which at a glance lets people know exactly what you do? This would work in place of a slogan.

Are your materials formatted in a pleasing, eye-catching manner? Choice of color, layout, and quality of print reflects your attitude as well. If you are not experienced or talented with desktop publishing, then it is worth the extra expense to have good quality business materials created for you.

It is human nature to want to project the best possible image of ourselves when we know we will be seen. So why not project that image when the only thing the client sees is the attitude displayed in your voice and on your business materials?