I’m sure you have heard the expression a thousand times if you heard it once, “dress your best” or “dress like you’re already famous”. But what do your clothes have to do with your work ethic and your personality? In simple terms, it’s not an exact correlation. However, studies have shown it’s linked to a confidence boost and an increase in productivity.
Let’s compare—you roll out of bed in your ketchup-stained band t-shirt and a baggy pair of sweatpants with dog hair all over it. You head to your nine to five office job, and you can’t get focused. You’re so comfortable, relaxed, and “vegged out”. You have a copious number of tasks to complete but your mind can’t get focused. You’re only able to focus on the next episode on Netflix you’re going to binge watch the second you get home. Maybe, just maybe you didn’t even get that far. You called out. You decided to take a personal day and lounge in your pajamas all day. Dishes are piling up, laundry needs to be done, and dog who shared that greasy burger with you last night needs to go for a walk. You can’t find the motivation. Your get up and go, got up and left. There has been zero productivity in your work life and your personal life.
On the flip side, you decided to wake up at 5:00am and you had your lunch packed the night prior, you make your bed and headed straight to the gym. Your endorphins are stimulated, and your serotonin levels are in a solid place. You’re starting to look and feel good. You leave the gym at 6:30am and get dressed to the nines. The suit is pressed, the tie is knotted, and the shoes are shining like fresh red paint on a ’67 Cadillac DeVille. People will notice you, respect you, and truly listen to what you have to say during your business meeting. You have the looks, the credibility, and the confidence.
As you’re making your introduction of your goods and services, you may want to keep these scenarios in mind. Do you want your vendors to remember you as the business owner who has beautiful hand soaps made from organic ingredients but is falling asleep in sweatpants during her sales pitch? Or do you want to be the small business owner who spent the extra fifteen minutes to do her hair, wash her face and has an array of handcrafted nautical earrings made from sea glass discovered on some of Rhode Island’s best beaches? Dress for success and the return on investment will surely follow.
