Clients are spending less and competition is tougher, but as all good sales professionals know, price is not the only factor of every sale made. First impressions still count and a person’s appearance is always in some way representative of the quality that clients can hope to expect when they sign on the dotted line.
With a suit still being standard meeting attire for sales professionals, Ketan Jethwa, creative director of bespoke tailoring company Tailoring UK,
www.tailoringsuits.co.uk explains how to use a suit to best effect in an important new business meeting.
Most people would advise wearing a suit to a sales meeting. I would advise only wearing a good suit that fits correctly, as a poorly fitting suit in bad condition can actually be counterproductive.
Jethwa suggests “Irrespective of my industry, as a director who procures myself, I think that someone’s attention to detail in dress says a lot about their potential offer and work skills. To look professional in a sales meeting, you don’t need an overly expensive designer suit, you just need a suit that fits you properly and one that’s clean and in good condition”. He continues…”suits are peculiar garments – they look fantastic when worn well and terrible when worn badly”.
Sales people largely split their time between the office and the road, which is why when you’re going to an important meeting you need to check the suit you intend to wear in advance to ensure that it’s clean or can be repaired if required.
Frequent suit wearers should segment office suits and meetings suits. In the office you can (to some extent) get away with creases, shiny patches and grease stained pockets – in meetings you can’t. A suit that is used for desk work will become worn, usually in a way that’s invisible to you, the owner. “Often you won’t be lucky enough to have colleagues on hand to let you know of a tear, loose thread or mark on the suit that would make it less suitable for a meeting – it’s just not what people do?” says Jethwa.
Jethwa also suggests a simple process to ensure you are always presenting yourself well…, “ I keep three suits for meetings and usually wear them only for meeting days and have them dry cleaned after three outings – unless I spill something on myself! I suggest that you do the same and wear and look after them well and they will serve you well”.
The Meeting Suit Checklist
Ketan Jethwa has the following checklist to help all sales professionals present themselves in the best possible way as excellent presentation can be the first step to success;
· Think about the colour of the suit you’re going to wear. Try to stick to neutral dark blues, charcoal or black colours, which are considered appropriate for corporate environments. Also avoid white socks or those with a garish colour, as nothing ruins the look of a suit quite as much.
· Check the suit fits – and not just in terms of the leg length or the cuffs. The fit on the chest and shoulders and the length of the jacket make a lot of difference, as they affect how the suit sits on your frame.
· Wear the right colour shoes that complement the suit and if you are wearing a belt, ensure it matches with your shoes, e.g if you are wearing black shoes, wear a black belt.
· Make sure it’s been pressed and check the condition of the suit and get someone else to look over you when it’s on. There’s little worse than missing buttons or broken or loose threads and undone seams on display.
· Finally, be sure to wear a shirt and tie to complement the suit’s colour and express yourself but keep it elegant and tasteful. Tie wearing is a source of great debate, but in my opinion, always wear a tie – as you can always take it off at the last minute if your prospect and their team are in ripped jeans!