Dress and look your best at all times

When I was in the early stages of putting my life back together after having hit my personal bottom, one of the programs that had a huge impact on me, and the catalyst for what has become my life’s work, was an audio by Dr. Dennis Waitely titled, “The Psychology of Winning.”

On one of the cassettes, Dr. Waitely talked about positive self image and, in one segment, taught me that a key to having a better image of yourself was to “Dress and look your best at all times.”

It’s may seem obvious, simple even, however it can have a profound effect on your self image and the way in which you project yourself to the outside world.

While people have said, “the clothes do not make the woman” (or man) and “you don’t judge a book by its cover,” in practice the opposite is usually true. We typically judge people by their appearance. And, as anyone in the book industry will tell you, book covers are the most important consideration when publishing a book.

It may seem pretty superficial to judge someone by their appearance, however, it’s what we do, consciously or unconsciously. First impressions are important and the first thing someone will notice about you is how you look. It’s human nature. It has been said that we form an opinion about a person in the first thirty seconds after meeting them. This is why it is so important, especially at work, to look and dress your best at all times.

In the early days of the movie industry, when the big Hollywood studios were in control of the industry, actors and actresses were never seen in public without being fully groomed and styled. It’s was not a coincidence. Studios invested large sums of money making sure their actors were always seen in the best possible light.

If you want to be happier and more successful in your career, make sure you always look your best. Wear stylish clothes that fit properly and complement your natural appearance and, of course, are appropriate for your job. Pay attention to your personal appearance, making sure your hair is neat and clean. Women need to be ensure that your makeup is appropriate for a work environment.

Years ago we hired a local home improvement contractor to do some work in our home. While this is an industry with the most consumer complaints and overrun with unreliable people who arrive in broken down trucks, looking like homeless people, the person we hired was the exception. The contractor, Tom, arrived in a clean, detailed van and was dressed in a clean, smartly pressed uniform with is company’s logo embroidered on the shirt pocket.

Just his appearance made us feel comfortable and communicated the image of a confident, successful professional. Over the years, Tom helped us with several projects and became someone I would refer to others without hesitation.

If you work in an office or are in sales, invest in a good quality wardrobe. If you want to do this on a budget, shop the outlet stores or even high end consignment shops. In my book, “Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck,” I told the story of the insurance salesman who would buy designer suits in a consignment store, wear them a couple of times, and then resell them on eBay. Doing this enabled him to dress quite expensively without spending a fortune and had the added effect of impressing his clients. It is a fact that people like to do business with successful people.

Here’s a tip from my wife, Georgia. If you want to rise up in an organization, look at how you bosses boss dresses and model that.

Always remember what movie mogul, Darryl Zanuck said, “never make a deal with a man in a cheap suit.”