By Trish Lawrence

In an increasingly competitive market place, it is becoming ever more important to ensure we have the competitive edge, so how can we personally be contributing to achieving this for our business? More business is being done between Northern Ireland, mainland UK and Europe making it even more vital to create a positive impression.

With this in mind making sure we look the part is key. We’ve all done it, run out the door in a hurry, our shoes not as polished, top slightly creased and maybe the clothes we have chosen aren’t going to make the impact we want.

So, we all know a well put together outfit, good colour choices and perfect accessorising can give us the wow factor in our personal lives, but is it really going to make the difference in business?

Attention to detail has never been more important. When we look good, we feel good, and it is the added level of confidence a well tailored suit, carefully considered top, and well blended accessories can give us. Not only are people influenced by the professionalism an immaculately presented person can portray, but the added presence this can allow us to achieve can be astonishing. When we are well dressed we sit differently, stand taller and can exude a high calibre of skill. The impression we leave with people is if we care about ourselves, we can care about them as a customer or potential customer.

For example, take a look around you right now. As you look at people, what is the impression they leave you with? Are they dressed casually, or for business? Does anybody stand out as being well put together? We make judgements and assumptions about people all the time, purely based on the way they look, so why not take control of the assumptions people make about us, by being in complete control of them. Creating the impression we want others to have of us.

More specifically, when we are meeting key clients, or other business people we can contribute to leaving them the lasting impact just by what we wear. When speaking to key decision makers, they probably expect our outfit to be exemplary. Our location can be a key influence as well. Working in stronger, more mature economies, such as Italy or Germany, expectations are perhaps more traditional than emerging markets. Dressing to the appropriate culture is vital. Over the next few months, we will cover a series of topics designed to help broaden understanding of what works with different nationalities.

So tomorrow morning, when you are in a hurry to get out the door, just spend that extra few minutes putting your outfit together, and ask yourself the question, how good do I feel in this, and will I be creating the right impression today?