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Ask the Image Expert Sherry Maysonave is the founder and president of Empowerment Enterprises, one of America's leading communication-image firms. Sherry conducts corporate seminars and coaches executives, professionals, and politicians in achieving excellence in communication and image. She is also the author of Casual Power: How to Power Up your Nonverbal Communication and Dress Down for Success
Shorts in Casual Showroom?Question: I have not been able to find any information dealing with "shorts." We have a very sophisticated ceramic tile showroom with sales dressing as if we were still a tile warehouse. I want the pressure to wear shorts on the sales floor to disappear, short of an edict. The company is polarized. Can you direct me to any arguments that would be useful in settling this dilemma.Ken Answer: Wearing shorts conveys leisure time -- a fun, relaxed atmosphere or a vacation-like attitude. Shorts are kickback wear; they are not appropriate for a business environment unless you are a sports trainer, work in the sports, leisure, or the outdoor entertainment industries (such as Disney World). Smart companies require their salespeople to be a cut above. Why? It is imperative to inspire trust and to appear that you are an authority on your products. Authority leans toward a more formal look even when casual -- a dressier casual look. At the minimum, a crisp professional look is essential. When salespeople are dressed too casually, customers may question if they are serious and thorough with their work. It can even lead to questioning the product, the service provided, etc. Many people are totally unaware of the nonverbal communication involved in clothing, or they choose to ignore its impact. One’s choice of apparel sends strong messages. And others do notice. It is not that we are judgmental. As human beings, we are information gatherers. We are always seeking to know who is this? How am I going to respond to them? How are they responding to me? Do I trust them to tell me the truth? The visual component is the strongest indicator that we have of who someone is, or a company is, upon first impression. Skin is distracting in a work environment. Shorts show skin. You can bet the bank that instead of listening to the spiel or the information about your tile, some customers are looking at the salesperson’s legs when they are wearing shorts. If it’s a woman, how shapely are they? Are they tan, lean, firm, etc. If it’s a man, the same questions apply, but also does he have hair on his legs or not? When polled, it is amazing what people reveal that goes through their minds just based upon someone’s image, especially when there is a distraction. You want the focus to be upon the tile and for your salespeople to have credibility. What’s more, you want them to gain the opportunity to make big sales and to build relationships. Gimmicky looks or extremely relaxed apparel rarely help achieve these goals. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that your salespeople need to look like the customer. Shoppers are often dressed very casually. This does not mean that the salespeople should mirror this in their attire. This is a myth. While your salespeople do not need to wear business formal attire in a tile showroom, it’s still very important for them to inspire trust as many people already feel distrustful of salespeople anyway. Another myth is to be congruent with the product. Should a man selling Speedo bathing suits, wear one on the job? No! In general, people respond in a positive manner when salespeople are neatly groomed and they look professional enough to look like they are knowledgeable on the merchandise. People are easily turned off by the impression that salespeople are there just to sell, sell, sell, whether or not it’s the merchandise that best serves their needs. In addition to the décor of the showroom, the salespeople’s image set the tone. It can be a friendly, inviting atmosphere without the salespeople wearing shorts. Take a look at the newly released book, "SalesDogs" by Blair Singer. It has a lot of information on the impact of image upon individual and collective sales records. Lastly, do not be afraid of issuing guidelines as they can literally help an employee be more successful. It is perfectly legal for an employer to require a certain level of attire. Most employers have some such guidelines in place. You can legally define any standard you deem important to the success of your workplace. You cannot require an employee to purchase costly clothing or a particular designer label. That is illegal. Also, it is legal to enforce your dress policy by sending people home to change and docking them vacation time to do so. This is true even in California which is one of the most pro-employee states in the U.S. I encourage you to set a new guideline (disallowing shorts) and explain that it is to support your salespeople in being more successful and to create a more credible, congruent image with your beautiful new environment. It’s time they let the warehouse image go. If not, you risk appearing that you are a discount house with the poor quality and service that often goes along with such an establishment. Best of luck, Sherry Maysonave
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