Polishing Your Image

by Mark S. Fulton

You may have been visited by some pint-size monsters recently. Like many American homes, your house was probably a target for youngsters (and some oldsters) dressed up in costumes and pretending to be Dracula, Freddy Kruger, Jerry Springer or some other ghoul.

I loved Halloween as a child. Rather than buying a costume from the store, I preferred to create my own original outfits, which often exhibited mixed motifs. For example, there was the year I went as The Werewolf from Outer Space. When people asked me who I was supposed to be, I’d say, “Who do you think I am?” Considering the hairy face and antennae protruding from my head, a good guess would have been: My Favorite Marsupial.

One of the saddest moments in a young boy’s life is the day he realizes he’s too old to go trick-or-treating. Aside from missing out on the free goodies, I especially missed having an excuse to dress up and behave strangely. In my youthful ignorance, I didn’t realize that I would spend a good deal of my adult life doing exactly that.

Let’s be honest. We all indulge in a little bit of Halloween every day. We put on our work costume and our professional deportment in an effort to create an image that will impress others. The personal and professional image we craft for ourselves is an attempt to control perceptions, enhance our standing in a group, gain an advantage—and occasionally get free goodies.

Sure, who you are on the inside plays an important part in the image you present to the world. I’m not discounting the significance of character, reputation, authority, status and so forth. But your appearance and behavior must match up with the other messages you send if you want to gain credibility, especially in business.

Unfortunately, we don’t always know everything we should about creating a dynamic and sophisticated image. While my propensity to mix visual themes earned my Halloween costumes rave reviews, my occasional potpourri approach to business attire can be “hard on the eyes,” as one kind soul has put it. Likewise, I am often perplexed about proper protocol where business women are concerned.

Fulton Dictum: When in doubt, ask an expert. Sandy Dumont is a Virginia Beach image coach. Paul Siddle is a Richmond business etiquette consultant. Each has supplied me with a handy list of dos and don’ts to at least get me started on the road to propriety.

Dumont’s Dressing Dos:

• Develop good posture. Stand up straight, take a deep breath and get a “proud chest.” Maintain that posture, but let the shoulders relax a little when you exhale. A poor posture can neutralize a great ensemble.

• Wear dark suits. Dark navy blue suits, in particular, look businesslike and authoritative on nearly everyone. Women: your dark suits include vivacious colors such as magenta, royal blue and deep purples.

• Wear ties in bold colors such as red or yellow to look dynamic but friendly. Women: get a true red jacket and wear it with skirts and pants and even jeans. You will be memorable.

• Wear classic shoes that can nearly go unnoticed. For women, plain pumps make the feet look smaller and they look the most businesslike.

• Always insist on white shirts that are superbly cut and made from the finest cotton. Try a French blue shirt to give more color to the face.

Dumont’s Dressing Don’ts:

• Avoid brown suits. They suggest a weekend in the country and are difficult to dress up.

• Avoid pastels, including beige. With the exception of yellow, they undermine authority and create a passive look. This includes ties and shirts.

• Never wear a tie with horizontal stripes. The line is jarring to the eye and causes the eye to drop from the face to the tie.

• Avoid ties with non-business patterns such as cartoon-character motifs or floral prints, including paisley patterns.

• Unless you have an expert eye, use caution with black suits, since they can cause some people to look reserved, forbidding or threatening.

Siddle’s Deportment Dos:

• Women should always stand when introduced, as men do, in a one-on-one encounter or meeting environment.

• Shake hands with everyone––men and women––the same way…and always shake hands!

• Introduce people in business based on rank, not gender.

• The host of a business meal—the one who did the inviting—pays for lunch, regardless of gender.

• Hand write a “thank-you note” to your client after an introductory or infrequent meeting.

Siddle’s Deportment Don’ts:

• Prevent your cell phone from ringing during a meeting or a business meal. If it does ring, never take the call.

• Never place handbags or briefcases on the meeting or restaurant table or in empty seats. These items belong on the floor.

• Avoid wearing strong cologne or perfume with business attire.

• Smoking during a business meal is never appropriate.

• Don’t neglect appropriate table manners. Proper etiquette will open doors and provide opportunities.

Even if your apparel is not appalling and your manners are not maladroit, you should consider paying attention to the finer points of image. Otherwise, you could find yourself unintentionally masquerading as The Creature from Planet Tacky.

Sandy Dumont can be reached at (757) 428-3003
Paul Siddle can be reached at (804) 353-5141

Copyright 2001 © Mark S. Fulton