Video shops reveal dress code is too revealing!
After watching several video shops this week, I MUST mention the lack of professional dress I am seeing. In addition to dress issues, many sales agents have messy cars, are taking numerous cell phone calls and their office is stacked high with clutter.
If you want to make an impression, now, more than ever, your professional image needs to be top rate.
As a sales manager, here’s what you need to do.
Set an Example – Dress one level up. Ask yourself before you leave the house every day, ‘do I set the best example I can for my team?’ Bottom line, your team will follow suit.
Write down the Dress Code – The message needs to be, Casual Friday is over! No spiky stilettos or flip-flops; no hiked up skirts; no spaghetti straps – no wrinkled shirts, unpolished shoes and sloppy pants.
Five pieces of jewelry is the general rule. Clean and manicured nails are a must. Piercing’s and tattoos on show are a big no, no. Don’t forget clean, neat hair, and polish those shoes. If you are going to put it out there, make it look good!
Don’t let your sales person’s dress distract from the sales message. You want your customers to hear what your sales people are saying. They have to be able to listen to your sales person’s message and not be distracted.
Enforce the Rules – In order to be enforceable, you need to have a written policy on what is considered appropriate. And then, you need to inspect what you expect. It is your job as a sales manager to ensure that your team complies with the dress code rules.
Remember this – People remember the first three seconds of meeting you for the rest of your life! Is your team creating the right impression?
A professional appearance for you and your team is just the beginning. Here are some tips to make sure your team is giving the right impression – not one the impression of unprofessional professionals.
Food – Everyone has to eat and that’s OK. Just make sure your sales people have the office covered and that they don’t leave their boxes of food on the desk. It just looks tacky! After eating, they should use a breath mint. Burrito lunch breath is not appealing to the first prospect to walk in the door after they have eaten. Gum chewing is gross and unattractive, so don’t allow it. Think about giving out Altoids at the sales meetings. That way they can avoid the gum and have a week’s supply of mints to keep them sweet!
Phones – Have you noticed we have a national phone obsession of epidemic proportions? So, let me ask you, are you a sales manager who always has your phone to your ear? If you do, guess what? Your sales people are doing the same thing! You need to train your sales team NOT to take calls when they have customers there. It is bad manners. We are not Doctors in an emergency room situation. You can call anyone back. That’s why we have voice mail!
Smoking – According to Brian Tracey, 52% of consumers will not buy from you if your sales people smell of smoke, or they see them smoking. 52% – that’s huge! Simple solution-DON’T HIRE SMOKERS!
Car – The sales person’s office on wheels! Have you every seen inside some of these cars? If not, you are in for a shock! Maybe when you hire someone you need to take a ride in their car with them. As well as taking a peek in the back seat, it will tell you a lot about someone’s personality. Cars should be cleaned once a week and detailed once a month. Consider giving car wash gift certificates at your next sales meetings. If you take a customer out in a car that is not clean, especially women, they think that other things are not being taken care of. A small detail makes a big difference.
Do you think I am exaggerating? In August last year, a mystery shopper was told by a sales person ‘please excuse the crap in my car’. This is not acceptable. Don’t hire agents with messy cars. Make sure to check up on everyone in your team from time to time too.
Office – First and foremost you need to be neat and organized. Set an example. Don’t have piles everywhere. Then you need to make sure you pop in the office every so often to make sure they are keeping things neat and tidy. You need to be the clutter police.
A sloppy office, a sloppy car and a sloppy model equals sloppy construction. It makes an impression – and it’s negative!
A professional appearance, good manners and an impeccable office and car equals customer confidence. You want your customers to feel good about doing business with you. They need to feel good buying a home from your team. They are professionals.
Remember this – People remember the first three seconds of meeting you for the rest of your life.
