Last night I was IMing with my sis and I told her about the sudden business meeting I had scheduled with a new potential client. I love that her first reaction was "What are you going to wear?" because that was my first reaction, too.
It might be the result of all those years I spent in Japan and the conclusion I finally reached-- that at least 80% of every judgement of competence there was based on looking the part. I know I know what I'm doing when it comes to translating and understanding Japanese business practices. I don't always know what kind of look that is supposed to translate into. So I went with black wool pants, a fine ribbed and cabled blue-gray-ish wool sweater and black mid-heel boots. And I wore make-up, including lipstick. Have to put on the game face once in a while. I was aiming for looking professional, but not austere or imposing. Suppose if I wore $500 suits I could charge people $200 an hour like a lawyer does, but I don't have the wardrobe for that. And if I did I'd be spending what I make on the wardrobe anyway, so it's all the same really.
Does any of this have any bearing on the kind of impression I made or in anyway supersede or overshadow my qualifications? Probably not, but in my mind it does. Anyway, I'm back home in my sweat pants and ought to stop with this nonsense and get cracking on prepping an estimate for this client.
3 comments:
I can do the personable and pleasant thing, but I so much prefer dressing down.
You broke out the lipstick! hee! Somehow I just can't envision you as a chick that wears much makeup... don't know why
You're right. I don't wear a lot of makeup and when I do wear it I try to make it look like I'm not.
Must be my..uh.. down to earth personality that makes you think that. ;)
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