Mind The Storefront

Mind The Storefront

Most people you meet in everyday life don’t get to know you particularly well.  Most folks with whom you come into contact have your storefront to go on.  Their impression is also impacted by your title or your company, maybe a comment they’ve heard about you.  These things animate their impression, yet in many ways your storefront drives the impression.

I get the sense that some people put more time into what to wear to a Super Bowl party than they do about how they present themselves at work.  But the ones who do pay attention, and who do try to improve the storefront, those people often shine.

Storefront is clothing, fit, posture, listening, hand gestures, facial expressions, positioning.  I guess just about everything nonverbal.  And storefront is making them all work, understanding many act on a continuum. Not good or bad, just levels.

My mother-in-law research tell me women notice guys’ shoes.  Shoes is a great place to focus. What type of shoe does the next level up wear?  That is a great guide.

Really, that is a excellent guide for the entire wardrobe question.  If the boss is not wearing button down collars why would you?  Look one or even two levels up in the organization and then let that be your guide.

I know women don’t always run toward suit skirts, but wearing them often, with neutral hose and a strong shoe- you start to control better how others perceive you. A Scarf?  Pearls?  Does that all sound ostentations?  Maybe it is, based on your environment.  But lead, don’t follow.  Be a bit better than others, and sometimes quite a bit better.

Maybe you are a deep thinker who refuses to judge a book by its cover.  Even better, you have the strong will to refuse to subordinate your intellectual gravitas for the sake of perception.  You’ll wear what you damn well want.

Hey, plenty are successful with an unconditioned look.  Ask Zuckerberg.  Or the guy from Zappo’s.

Such examples can never reflect the other various outcomes possible.  My point is that if we understand the basics of sociology, we can embrace the concept that storefront matters.

Salespeople need to define and refine always.  The bigger the bill, the more important the look.  If you have a potential client ready to spend a million dollars, is the sales person someone the client would trust?  I’ve always tried to think of that when I make hires?  What would a big client think upon first meeting? What is the first impression? I also wonder about trade shows.  This person will be representing me.  Will be representing everyone in our office.  If people just met her, what conclusion would they draw about our company, about our department?

Details matter.  Would I know whether or not a woman was wearing Chanel mascara or a budget brand.  No.  Not a chance.  But some will.  Some people can tell.  I’m not advocating for cutting corners, but know the impact. (This from a guy who for years bought the $5 ties on Lexington Avenue)

Most organizations have some sort of collective hiring responsibility, whereby several staff members conduct interviews.  I really like to ask others that storefront question.  Does the candidate elevate us? I never want a hire to dilute us. I always wanted the team to be getting crisper.  Tighter.

Service positions, huge.  Storefront really matters. Does the candidate have that big training-video smile?  Does the candidate engage?

Storefront is not synonymous with attractive.  Attractive helps, but put too much eyeliner and big earrings and open toed shoes, maybe hair falling in the face on “attractive” and you have a storefront that needs work.  If “attractive” speaks in run-on sentences and does not express interest in others, the storefront is lacking.

Storefront has its place and gets overlooked; that is my point.  I don’t advocate judging colleagues or candidates or clients solely based on storefront.  Sometimes you get the individual who can break all the rules and soar.

No, what I am advocating is a look inn the mirror.  Socks and shoes, slacks, shirts, hair, teeth, vocabulary, pace of conversation, curiosity in asking questions…..are there opportunities to advance your goals but paying attention to your storefront?

Dress for the next job.  Pay attention to what successful people are doing.  Improve your shoes.

I’m out.