The world of work and the way we go about doing business is always changing and evolving and rightly so. If you stand still then you are going to get tired and dull.
The inevitable march of progress means that companies have to force themselves to change and evolve if they want to keep pace with their rivals. There of plenty of examples of companies which have fallen by the wayside and disappeared altogether because they have refused to accept the need to evolve.
I am not just talking about business practices and thinking but I am also talking about the etiquette of the boardroom and the way we all deal with one another in the workplace.
Just a few generations ago the clichéd businessman wore a pinstripe suit and a bowler hat and the approach would have been very stiff and formal.
There is no doubt that the pace of change has speeded up over the last four decades and people are now far more relaxed in the workplace than ever before.
The way we talk to one another has changed and the old hierarchies which meant that there very clear divisions in the office have also largely eroded or disappeared entirely.
Thanks in large part to the influence of the high tech and creative firms in America on the Western seaboard people also take a much more relaxed to dress codes. In fact, if anything it has become fashionable for businesses in certain sectors to encourage their staff to dress down.
I long ago learnt that you should never judge a book by its cover when it comes to business people and in particular in the case of entrepreneurs. I have met some very successful and driven people over the course of my career and not all of them were particularly smart or interested in fashion.
But having said all of the above I have always believed from a personal point of view of the importance of dressing to impress at all times.
As the managing director of a firm with a large portfolio of businesses I have always aimed to make the right impression when I go out and meet existing customers and potential clients.
I never know who I might be meeting during the course of the day so it makes sense to always be prepared.
A large part of doing business is about instilling confidence and convincing people that you can deliver on your promises.
That is why it has always been important for me to dress as smartly as possible and I also like to encourage my staff to take the same approach. It gives the impression of a business that really does mean business.
The other important aspect of taking care of your appearance is about the way you feel about yourself as an individual.
Confidence is all about how you feel about yourself. It stands to reason that if you take extra care and attention over your appearance it is going to make you feel more confident and in control particularly in difficult situations.
Of course everyone can make their own choice when it comes to the way they dress but in a competitive environment it is important to give yourself as much chance of success as possible.
In other words dressing to impress could make all the difference when it comes to success in business. After all it can be those small details that make all the difference between success and failure.
http://hbprivateequity.wordpress.com/2014/04/29/dressing-to-impress-really-can-make-a-difference/
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