CHAPTER XX
A SALESMAN’S CLOTHES
The apparel oft proclaims the man.—Shakespeare.
The consciousness of being well and fittingly dressed has a magic power in unlocking the tongue and increasing the power of expression.
In differentiating the essentials of success in selling, a specialty expert said: “I find that when I am in prime condition physically, and am well dressed, so that I do not have to think about myself or my clothing, I can put up a much better canvass, because I can concentrate my mind with greater force.”
In a letter to his home office, a rising young salesman wrote: “To me there is a great mystery in the influence of good clothes. Somehow I think more of myself when I am conscious that I am well groomed, well dressed, and I can approach people with much more confidence.
“When I first started canvassing I tried to economize too much on my clothing. Some stormy mornings I would start out wearing shabby old clothes and without fixing up as I should, and somehow I felt cheap all day. I could not approach a prospect with the same air of victory; I did not feel quite right; I could not put up as good a canvass, and of course did not make as many sales as when I was up to the mark in clothes and general appearance.
“I thought at the start I could not afford to dress well, but I soon found that this was a very great mistake, and that a good appearance is a big asset in canvassing. I was going through college then, and, as I had to pay all of my expenses, a dollar meant a good deal to me; but I actually borrowed money to buy a good suit of clothes, and I found it paid. I felt better when I had that suit on. I could take more orders, and in a short time returned the amount I had borrowed. This influence of good clothes is a curious thing, but it is certainly a power.”
Whatever one’s business, it is worth while to try to ascertain as nearly as possible the paying point of your clothes. You cannot afford to go much below or above this point. In some cases it pays to dress superbly, right up to the mark in every detail, because people judge our business standing by our appearance, and we cannot afford to give the impression of poverty, especially if we are representing a prosperous line of business. If a man’s appearance indicates lack of prosperity, people naturally get a poor impression not only of his own success, but also of the quality and success of the firm he represents.