Appearances Matter
OK, you’re getting ready for a party. It’s been a long day with the kids, and you have to pry them off of your leg to get out the door. Or, a crazy day at work, and you just can’t wait to shed the heels you’ve had on all day.
Sure, you’re looking forward to an evening with women who you’d love to be your girlfriends. You want to set a casual atmosphere where your guests are comfortable and having fun. You want the guests to look at you and think “I could do that” and feel that you are just one of the girls.
So, it’s very tempting to throw on your capris and t-shirt and run out the door. And hope that the grease stains from those little hands won’t show. After all, this is your “fun” job and just a great chance to get out for a night.
But personal appearance is an important part of the first impressions we make on people. We need to give some thought to what we want that impression to be!
Do you want to tell people that we dashed out the door to barely get here on time? That this party is just another thing to tick off the list in the life of a busy mom?
Personally, I want to give the impression that I am fully here, fully attentive to every woman in the room. I want women to know that this is my job – the most fun one I could have, but still my job – and that I take it very seriously. I want the guests to know that I am professional, that they can trust me, and that I am careful, attentive to detail, and will take great care of them.
Hard to believe that we can convey all of that through personal appearance, isn’t it? While appearance alone will not create the impressions you desire, it can knock you right off track if you don’t take care of it.
I was always taught that to dress for an interview you dress one step up from the person who will be interviewing you. I think the same applies. After all, you’re trying to sell yourself and create the impression of a reliable, trustworthy, go-getting type of woman. In a short period of time, you want the guests at your show to trust you, engage with you, and come to like you. And at the end of the day, you’d like every woman there to call you back for the next appointment. Sounds like an interview to me! For that reason, I’m a firm believer in dressing to my audience. I try to have a feel for my hostess, her profession, the types of friends she’ll be inviting, and I take that all into account when dressing for a show.
If I expect a house full of professional women coming from work, I pull out my “classic” dress pants, maybe a sweater set or cute jacket. I will admit that the pantyhose rarely come out. =)
If I expect a house full of stay-at-home moms, I know they’ll probably be dressed casually. So I’ll dress “nice casual” – items that are still in the realm of an at-home mom, but again give the impression that I “have it together.”
A group of older ladies will see me in much more conservative clothes than a bunch of young, trendy women.
You might not think it matters, but I do think that dressing like your audience, but just a tick above, gives the impression that you’re on top of it, you care about your job, and you’re trustworthy.
When it comes to makeup and accessories – I don’t think those are optional, either. Yes, I’m biased because I never leave the house without a full wardrobe of jewelry. But, even a simple necklace gives you a finished look that tells people you care and you felt this was an important event. Neatly groomed hair and a touch of make up do the same thing.
You do NOT have to go overboard, put your Saturday night out makeup on, sport your best dress, or get out your mother’s pearls. But it is important that you put your best foot forward so that all of your guests know that this night is important to you and you take it seriously. After all, if you don’t take it seriously, who will?
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