I still see on LinkedIn, and Now Twitter, this question on the need for a clean professional image being needed in today’s business casual approach to doing business.  Appears the Homeless Look is not giving the newly Publically Owned businesses the look their consumers…and stockholders…want to see.

The consumers are not only taking back the way they want to be marketed to, they now dictate how a person should look before they do business with them.  Goes back to the basic instinct we all have with if a person looks successful they more than likely are.  I am totally aware of the exceptions to that statement, but it is an instinct and not a statement. 

Kinda like the instinct people are getting that Facebook is about to implode.  Could, or could not, happen but from the way Facebook “Looks”, they are heading for failure.

TheBalanceCareeres site had a great article on the need to dress according to the profession.  This holds true as a Minimum Standard. 

However most of the businesses I talk to who use to wear jeans and golf shirts to work, now wear sharp looking fashionable suits, slacks or sports jackets. 

They have been monitoring the result of the change in dress code and saw an increase in the first 3 months of a 10% increase in sales.  A 40% decrease in long battles with customer service. 

Employees..and the in-house contractors… felt they received more respect from their bosses and could keep a customer’s attention longer when they dressed up.

45% of the employees felt since the change in dress code they had more energy when they finished their workday.

So, maybe there is something to there being a need for businesses to take a look at themselves and see if a change in their professional image is needed.  Wouldn’t hurt to look more like you are successful.

Let me know how I can help.