Talking Point - Don't forget to polish your trainers
There is a piece of advice that many client-facing people in business offer, and that is you should always wear a tie to a first meeting with a prospective client. The logic being that you can always take it off if the client isn’t wearing one, but it’s too late to put one on if they are.
The problem with this adage is that the tie isn’t what’s important. It’s merely a symbol (and an old fashioned one at that) that its wearer is a smart, professional operator - someone who belongs in the corporate business community and follows its conventions. A safe pair of hands!
Although I’m a tailor, this is not a convention that I follow. Ties have their place and they really complement a suit if worn well. But they’re not the important factor, they’re merely part of a corporate uniform. The important factor in my view is that business people - and anyone going into a meeting - look smart.
And this doesn’t mean wearing a suit.
Dressing smart is crucial for setting the tone for a long-term business relationship, as you’re likely to be seen as someone who commands respect and confidence from fellow colleagues, business clients and associates. The first impression is one that lasts for a very long time (an adage that I do subscribe to).
Smart means taking care of your appearance, making sure the garments that you have chosen to wear are clean, in good condition, are appropriate for your audience and co-ordinate well. They don’t need to be expensive - considered will do nicely.
This sounds a lot but it isn’t hard, it’s just thinking like a customer. For me, looking smart is about caring – it says, I am bothered enough to make the effort to present myself in an appropriate manner to come and speak to you, with a view to working on your business. This could be a suit, jeans, or if the meeting requires, something a little extravagant and off the wall. It’s not dressing for a date, but the rules of attraction still apply – you will in some way be an extension of the organisation that you are working with and so must dress accordingly to fit and belong to its brand.
Smartness is not antiquated, it’s about maintaining a standard. If your own appearance is somewhat unkempt and shambolic, what is that telling people about your service? For £1,000 a day, I wouldn’t pay for an adviser with grease stained trouser pockets and a suit jacket that hadn’t been dry cleaned since it left the shop hanger. Neither would I do so for someone who is wearing the same casual clothes they had on in the pub the night before – and I doubt other people would either? Sadly, quality is fabric deep where first impressions are concerned.
Boardroom corporate styles certainly aren’t everything, but there is a distinct advantage that a suit, shirt and tie offer when going into an office meeting or even a bank or shop to solve a problem. Like it or not, suits and smart attire suggest authority and if you’re selling your advice or services, it’s good to look and feel confident and look like a thought leader with value add!
So you can wear your trainers to the meeting if you think they will help enhance the value you will bring to your client’s business. But, make sure that a) they’re smart enough to carry you off and b) you don’t spend the whole meeting worrying about whether wearing them was the right choice after all? We have ALL worn the metaphoric trainer at some point and I’ll wager it was a faux pas of a performance for us all that day!
Ketan Jethwa is the creative director of Leicester bespoke tailoring firm, Tailoring UK
