Today’s daily tip: Financial advisors should avoid any and all wardrobe mistakes that compromise purity.
Real talk: People will never ever say it, but they absolutely are judging you based on how you dress and present yourself.
- I used to pay very little attention to the conservativism of my wardrobe and it cost me alot of business. Once I started to dress with more purity and modesty, I noticed a big change.
- Once you make certain wardrobe mistakes, you can never erase the image from people’s minds.
- Social media platforms will penalize your posting for display of certain body areas.
- Revealing clothing distracts the people you are trying to influence.
Take these actions TODAY:
- No low cut tops. Women, do not display your cleavage line – in person, or in any print or digital media. I am appalled when I see cleavage on financial advisor websites as if we are all expected to ignore that it is purposefully on full display. We are worthy of dignity, of getting attention on our merits alone, and should hold ourselves to the highest standards, command the highest respect for our values, our skills, and what we can offer to our clients, not what we were physically endowed with. It’s up to us to set those standards.
- No short skirts. Test it by sitting down. The hemline should not go more than one inch above the knee even when you are sitting.
- Never be photographed when drinking alcohol. I’m astounded when I see conference group photos where financial advisors are holding a beer in their hands.
- Keep a sewing kit in your bag or laptop case in the event an article of clothing were to rip in a visible place.
- No tight suits. Be humble. It’s not a chance to show off your pecs, lats, quads, or other aspects of your physique. Get a tailor and custom fit a bigger suit down instead of squeezing into a smaller suit.
- No liking or sharing unsavory content on social media. Your employees should be held to these conduct guidelines on social media as well.
- Cover tattoos. It’s not about your artwork, it’s about the client’s needs. If your clients are of a certain level of conservatism they may make a value judgement, right or wrong.
- Employees should be briefed on how to dress for professional photos. Wardrobe guidelines should be articulated in writing, and employees should have to sign that they agree to those guidelines if they are to be photographed and featured in company media.
- If you don’t have clothing that will allow for conservative presentation, borrow from friends or consult the Buy Nothing group in your area on Facebook. You can get suitable clothing for free if you try hard enough.
Sara’s Upshot on financial advisor wardrobes
Impurity is distracting; stay pure and keep the emphasis on the client’s needs. The focus should never be on you, your looks, or how cool or attractive you are – it’s all about the client and solving their problems.
Financial professionals are expected to convey discretion, conservatism, self control, and security. Modesty, purity, humility, and boundaries – up those standards when you present yourself, and your brand will be stronger.
No judgements here, but I see alot of people falling into these financial advisor wardrobe traps all the time. I know I’m gonna get a ton of hate mail on this one; but you know something, this is about human dignity and to me that’s worth dying for.
Yeah?
Yaaaaah.
BOOM – there you go, today’s marketing tip for ya!
-Sara G
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Thanks for reading. See you in the next one!
-Sara G
