Dress For Success & First Impressions

1. Dress For Success &First Impressions

2. Preparation • Punctuality • Organization • Individually & within the team • Practice, Practice, Practice! • Use note cards if necessary!

3. Nonverbal Skills • Body Language • Appropriate gestures • Relaxed and self-confident • Facial Expressions • Smile, Practice in front of a mirror • Eye Contact • Face the audience and make eye contact with a variety of people • Poise • Empowers one to command respect • Rise above the crowd, Head up, avoid slouching

4. Handshake • Degree of firmness • Dryness of hands • Duration of grip • Depth of interlock • Eye contact • Say their name

5. Content • Intro • Be creative • Grab the audience’s attention • Give a statistic, ask a question, tell a short story • Tell the audience your objective/purpose for the presentation • Body • Give details, Use marketing terminology • Conclusion • Recap what you said • Ask for questions???? • Know the content so you are able to answer them!

6. Professional Dress for Men • Dress shoes – black, brown, burgundy; polished • Dress socks – high enough when sitting down • Dress slacks – black, gray, dark blue • Shirt – Ironed, buttoned, conservative colors, tucked in • Tie – clean knot, complements suit • Belt – simple, match attire, shoes • DECA blazer • INVEST IN A SUIT!!!

7. Examples

8. Professional Dress for Women • Hosiery – skin color, no textures; Knee-high dress socks (pants) • Always for an interview • Not necessary for day to day, but depends on the business • Shoes – simple pumps, short heel (2” max), may need a closed toe • Shirt – buttoned, collar; tucked in if possible, • Dress or skirt – appropriate length • No shorter than 1-2” above knees, avoid extreme splits • Skirt suits are best for interviews • Conservative colors – black, brown, gray, navy, beige • Belt – optional depending on attire • INVEST IN A SUIT!!!!

9. Examples

10. Business Casual for Men and Women • Chinos/Dockers • Collared shirt, ironed, tucked in, preferably button down • Dress shoes, loafers • Dress socks • Women could wear an appropriate (knee) length dress or skirt • No tie required • Possibly a sport jacket

11. Examples – Business Casual

12. The Details… • Shoes should be clean and polished • Shirts should be clean and well-pressed • Hair should be neat, clean and out of face • Fingernails should be cleaned and trimmed • Avoid strong cologne or perfume • Remove or conceal visible body piercings and tattoos • Conservative ear piercing for women, no piercings for men • Well-brushed teeth and fresh breath • No gum! A breath mint prior to the interview or presentation is helpful • Keep jewelry to a minimum

13. What Not To Wear….

14. Verbal Skills • Tone • Rate of which you speak (tempo) • Volume • Pronunciation (diction) • Critical in phone calls • Confidence, enthusiasm, optimism, and sincerity should be conveyed • The more you practice, the less “ums, uhs, and likes” you will have

15. Activity • Use the Internet to find images of clothing that will create an appropriate outfit for a Business Professional outfit and a Business Casual outfit • In Word, include the following • Images • a description & brand • price (each outfit cannot exceed $200) • where it was purchased • Include accessories such as jewelry and shoes. • Save as LastName_Professional Dress and print • Turn in the box