Prepare yourself to act the part
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When I was a young businessman (we're talking in my teens) I had one major problem: lack of confidence! I couldn't look a customer in the eyes, I'd slouch and I didn't feel like I was able to always perform the job (even though I knew I could). Around the age of 17 everything changed: an older businessman who was one of my first customers told me that even if I didn't feel confident, I should at least act confident. He was right: every time I acted more confident than I felt, I ended up being confident. A year later and confidence was not a problem: I realized that the difference between acting and being was merely a matter of time. I'll write more about this key to closing deals in the future.
For now, even if you're not a business owner, you should start preparing to act like one. This post will be more important to the brick and mortar and the local business than an online business.
Sometimes I've been able to win contracts in situations where I had the same price, the same talent and the same goals as my competition. In the end, the person deciding who to award a contract in a tight bid will consider non-business issues in making the final decision. What separated me from the competition? Hygiene.
It sounds odd, especially if you know me in person. I have long hair and sometimes a fairly thick beard growth. My corporate customers will catch me in jeans and a T-shirt as often as a tie and a collar. Clothing does make the (business)man in many settings, but before all that is scene, there is something more important -- how do you smell and how do you look other than clothing? It sounds odd, but I've met competitors with foul breath, body odor, unkempt hair and nails and even dirty teeth.
If you're still uncertain about becoming your own boss, get in the groove of good hygiene. Many of us THINK we're ok, but you become insensitive to your own failures when it comes to how you look (and smell) to others. At around the age of 21 I found a few good solutions to getting a true rating of your hygiene rating when it comes to others: the bartender. Yes, the guy (or girl) who seems thousands of drunken idiots a week is the perfect person to rate your hygiene. After giving this advice to nearly 100 people in an e-mail a few years back, many were shocked that they failed the test.
Find a random bar or nightclub. Dress as you would if you were going to see a customer. Perform your usual daily hygiene ritual a few hours before going out. Buy a drink, and offer an extra $5 tip if the bartender would rate you. I prefer the opposite sex to give me their rating, but even the same sex will do. You'll be surprised how honest someone will be for a mere $5. Ask them point blank: what about me is bad -- my breath, hair, skin, nails? You'll get an honest answer in minutes. After you get the answer, have your drink and head out. It is time to make some changes!
My daily ritual is so basic, so simple and so ignored that it shocks me that other business people don't do it. They couldn't be -- I can see their issues!
1. Always always always floss after a meal. I carry those mini plastic floss pics -- you can buy 100 of them for $6 or so. Even if you floss every morning or night, you'd be surprised what a little onion from your burger at lunch can do at your 2pm meeting. Make this part of your after-a-meal habit.
2. Always wash your hands before and after a meal. I'm not a bug-freak by any means, I could probably go 10 years without washing my hands. Hand washing before a meal is VERY appealing to customers when you take them to lunch -- you care about your body, so you'll care about their product. Washing your hands after a meal is important because your hands can pick up some nasty food scents that you wouldn't be sensitive to. I eat a lot of Indian food, which can be a killer if you don't scrub down after the meal.
3. Get a hair cut every 2-3 weeks, even if you don't need it. Split ends and uneven hair lengths are very detrimental to your overall appearance. I wear my hair past my collar and past my eyes, but my hair is always trimmed so it looks fresh and stylish. Ask your barber if they see any problems (they'll point out dandruff and bald spots that you may not even notice). Ask for their advice if they do find problems.
4. Don't use mouthwash if you're uncertain about your breath. Mouthwash combined with halitosis is terrible -- it is like covering a dog's droppings with sugar. Yuck. Conquering chronic bad breath might require a few visits to the dentist, but if you don't do it now, you might lose some great opportunities over a foul stink. The bartender test will let you know immediately if you have this problem -- it seems to affect 1 out of 3 business owners I know.
5. Pick up a tongue brush even if your breath is fine. A tongue cleaner will keep your tongue from looking green when you're ill and it will also give you a fresher breath. Except to take 2-3 weeks to get used to it (gag reflex can be really scary the first week).
6. Go to a good nail salon that follows proper tool cleansing procedures. Get a very basic manicure (no polishing, no painting, nothing outrageous). Note what they do with your cuticles and your nail bed and try to follow this once a week. Bad nails are not noticed directly, but it can make you look dirty. I'm not saying go for the complete metrosexual queer-eye finish, just get them trimmed nice and stay on top of it weekly.
7. Don't over shampoo or overcondition when you shower. I actually shampoo my hair only once a week -- the natural hair oils really add a stylish look. Too much conditioner will make your hair greasy and stinky quick (I'll never use conditioner myself).
8. When it comes to deodorant, get a doctor's advice. The stuff that smells great can be similar to the mouthwash issue: combining a bad stink with a good one leaves you with a bad stink. On top of deodorant, don't overdo the body spray or the cologne. The bartender test can tell you if you're overdoing the cologne. I tend not to wear any, but there are guys who overdo it so often that I've just made it habit to stay away.
9. Wash your clothes after you use them. I'm a dry cleaning type of guy, because I hate ruining nice threads. Like I said earlier, I sometimes wear t-shirts and jeans to customers (my business allows it), but they're always clean. If you're a guy and don't have a lady in your life, ask someone about clothing you're uncertain about. Don't keep faded pants or shirts, and forget the elbow pads on jackets. There are so many discount clothing stores everywhere, there is no excuse to wear old clothing. When I was completely single, I actually wrote the date I purchased an item in the collar and dumped the item before a year was up.
10. Moisturize. Dry hands are terrible to shake hands with. I'm a big fan of the cheapest cream out there -- nothing stinky or glittery or with big claims to taking years off your skin. Just a simple hand cream that softens your hands. Apply this after hand washing, at least a half hour before you expect to shake hands. Less is more. I also recommend a face cream for those of us feeling our ages, but it is very easy to fall into the metrosexual queer-eye mentality if you overdo it.
These tips sound crazy, but if you do follow them I guarantee they'll make the difference in those rare occasions when you're competing with someone for the same customer. Most business owners are so involved with doing the job they forget to take care of the most important aspect of getting new work: how people judge you the first time they see you and every time after that. If you're not a business owner yet, get in the habit of doing all these things on your regular schedule.
For now, even if you're not a business owner, you should start preparing to act like one. This post will be more important to the brick and mortar and the local business than an online business.
Sometimes I've been able to win contracts in situations where I had the same price, the same talent and the same goals as my competition. In the end, the person deciding who to award a contract in a tight bid will consider non-business issues in making the final decision. What separated me from the competition? Hygiene.
It sounds odd, especially if you know me in person. I have long hair and sometimes a fairly thick beard growth. My corporate customers will catch me in jeans and a T-shirt as often as a tie and a collar. Clothing does make the (business)man in many settings, but before all that is scene, there is something more important -- how do you smell and how do you look other than clothing? It sounds odd, but I've met competitors with foul breath, body odor, unkempt hair and nails and even dirty teeth.
If you're still uncertain about becoming your own boss, get in the groove of good hygiene. Many of us THINK we're ok, but you become insensitive to your own failures when it comes to how you look (and smell) to others. At around the age of 21 I found a few good solutions to getting a true rating of your hygiene rating when it comes to others: the bartender. Yes, the guy (or girl) who seems thousands of drunken idiots a week is the perfect person to rate your hygiene. After giving this advice to nearly 100 people in an e-mail a few years back, many were shocked that they failed the test.
Find a random bar or nightclub. Dress as you would if you were going to see a customer. Perform your usual daily hygiene ritual a few hours before going out. Buy a drink, and offer an extra $5 tip if the bartender would rate you. I prefer the opposite sex to give me their rating, but even the same sex will do. You'll be surprised how honest someone will be for a mere $5. Ask them point blank: what about me is bad -- my breath, hair, skin, nails? You'll get an honest answer in minutes. After you get the answer, have your drink and head out. It is time to make some changes!
My daily ritual is so basic, so simple and so ignored that it shocks me that other business people don't do it. They couldn't be -- I can see their issues!
1. Always always always floss after a meal. I carry those mini plastic floss pics -- you can buy 100 of them for $6 or so. Even if you floss every morning or night, you'd be surprised what a little onion from your burger at lunch can do at your 2pm meeting. Make this part of your after-a-meal habit.
2. Always wash your hands before and after a meal. I'm not a bug-freak by any means, I could probably go 10 years without washing my hands. Hand washing before a meal is VERY appealing to customers when you take them to lunch -- you care about your body, so you'll care about their product. Washing your hands after a meal is important because your hands can pick up some nasty food scents that you wouldn't be sensitive to. I eat a lot of Indian food, which can be a killer if you don't scrub down after the meal.
3. Get a hair cut every 2-3 weeks, even if you don't need it. Split ends and uneven hair lengths are very detrimental to your overall appearance. I wear my hair past my collar and past my eyes, but my hair is always trimmed so it looks fresh and stylish. Ask your barber if they see any problems (they'll point out dandruff and bald spots that you may not even notice). Ask for their advice if they do find problems.
4. Don't use mouthwash if you're uncertain about your breath. Mouthwash combined with halitosis is terrible -- it is like covering a dog's droppings with sugar. Yuck. Conquering chronic bad breath might require a few visits to the dentist, but if you don't do it now, you might lose some great opportunities over a foul stink. The bartender test will let you know immediately if you have this problem -- it seems to affect 1 out of 3 business owners I know.
5. Pick up a tongue brush even if your breath is fine. A tongue cleaner will keep your tongue from looking green when you're ill and it will also give you a fresher breath. Except to take 2-3 weeks to get used to it (gag reflex can be really scary the first week).
6. Go to a good nail salon that follows proper tool cleansing procedures. Get a very basic manicure (no polishing, no painting, nothing outrageous). Note what they do with your cuticles and your nail bed and try to follow this once a week. Bad nails are not noticed directly, but it can make you look dirty. I'm not saying go for the complete metrosexual queer-eye finish, just get them trimmed nice and stay on top of it weekly.
7. Don't over shampoo or overcondition when you shower. I actually shampoo my hair only once a week -- the natural hair oils really add a stylish look. Too much conditioner will make your hair greasy and stinky quick (I'll never use conditioner myself).
8. When it comes to deodorant, get a doctor's advice. The stuff that smells great can be similar to the mouthwash issue: combining a bad stink with a good one leaves you with a bad stink. On top of deodorant, don't overdo the body spray or the cologne. The bartender test can tell you if you're overdoing the cologne. I tend not to wear any, but there are guys who overdo it so often that I've just made it habit to stay away.
9. Wash your clothes after you use them. I'm a dry cleaning type of guy, because I hate ruining nice threads. Like I said earlier, I sometimes wear t-shirts and jeans to customers (my business allows it), but they're always clean. If you're a guy and don't have a lady in your life, ask someone about clothing you're uncertain about. Don't keep faded pants or shirts, and forget the elbow pads on jackets. There are so many discount clothing stores everywhere, there is no excuse to wear old clothing. When I was completely single, I actually wrote the date I purchased an item in the collar and dumped the item before a year was up.
10. Moisturize. Dry hands are terrible to shake hands with. I'm a big fan of the cheapest cream out there -- nothing stinky or glittery or with big claims to taking years off your skin. Just a simple hand cream that softens your hands. Apply this after hand washing, at least a half hour before you expect to shake hands. Less is more. I also recommend a face cream for those of us feeling our ages, but it is very easy to fall into the metrosexual queer-eye mentality if you overdo it.
These tips sound crazy, but if you do follow them I guarantee they'll make the difference in those rare occasions when you're competing with someone for the same customer. Most business owners are so involved with doing the job they forget to take care of the most important aspect of getting new work: how people judge you the first time they see you and every time after that. If you're not a business owner yet, get in the habit of doing all these things on your regular schedule.
posted by A. B. Dada at 11:28 AM
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