Dress for Success

Hello Closing Machines!

Recently one of my Clients Tony H wrote me the following:

Hey Dave,

I went to your seminar last weekend. I took the course book away and sat down on Monday evening to read some of it.
I read the whole thing in one sitting & all I can say is that I needed that!!!!
I have a history of being a closer in the double glazing business but I got out of that business and thought I would make a fortune selling supplemental insurance .... Wrong!!
It was a totally different sell, with a totally different motivation to close.
Needless to say, I got back into the business I know, the business I know I can make money at. What I did not count on, was while I was away from this business, I lost my "closing edge".
I got soft, I yack too much & I started listening to their excuses.
That is why I came along ... I needed a good kick in the pants.
And did you ever do that for me. Thanks for putting out this material.
I have several buddies that I have forwarded your emails onto, in hopes they will go to the next seminar and use your advice.
Here's my question;
What is your opinion or advice on how salesman should dress for an appointment? It seems that our society is "dressing down" these days at church, at the theatre, the Friday dress down day at work where everyone wears jeans, etc. - what are your thoughts on first impressions, how one should dress, mannerisms, etc.
Thanks,
Tony H



Dear Tony,

Thanks for your kind words. I remember you from the event; you were the first over the firewalk!!

Now, to your question...
I recommend that you dress better than anyone around you! People still respect a person in a shirt, tie and suit. Here is a hint "Bankers still wear Suits!"

Who are people still giving their money to......You're right Bankers!

To this day I wear the best suit I can afford, I wear a shirt with fold back cuffs (a double cuff but no need for cufflinks) from New and Lingwood in Jermyn Street or a normal cufflink shirt which is crisply starched, classic shoes, a tie that blends with the suit and makes a classy statement.

In the seminar business in which I am currently helping to build a company, their competition wears Polo Shirts, t-shirts and jeans and I am out "Closing" them all. You want to dress casual, fine, just be prepared for casual results.

I was taught to be a class act by my mentor, the late great Harvey Rigby, and I still am.

People buy from me because I am classy, I care about them, I am committed and I give them a compelling reason to buy based on what they want, not based on what they have. I don't dress for my client, I dress for me. I figure nobody is ever going to walk up to me and say, “Hey, you’re handsome” but they do come up to me and say, “Hey, nice jacket!”

I like to look good; however I don't dress to look good, I dress for my commitment to compel people to change their lives.

They want what I have or they wouldn't come to my seminars, set an appointment to buy my services or come to me for advice. They give their money to bankers, I dress like a banker

When people stop giving their money to people in suits, [it isn't going to happen] I will still be honoring their presence in my life by wearing a suit.

I am in "The Million Dollar Business!" who would you give 1 Million Dollars or more to;

Donald Trump or Donald Frump...

You get one chance to have an opening where you are taken seriously. After this one moment they have already decided whether or not you have the goods or whether you ‘are’ the goods.

A while ago I did a very large seminar and was accompanied by my team. We had driven to the event some 100 miles away; I was dressed in jeans and boots as is my usual when driving.

We arrived about 2 hours prior to the seminar and had a bit to eat in the lobby of the hotel. About 5 or 6 guys in suits were having drinks and glancing at us and looking at what I was wearing and sizing me up, not realizing I was the trainer.

I had to leave for about 15 minutes to get dressed, do a quick sound check after which I joined them again. By now they had all had a couple of drinks and were a bit closer to their table.

I walked into the lobby looking and feeling like "a million" in my Armani suit, my Crisp Blue and white striped shirt with White Collar and White Cuffs, my Classy tie, cufflinks, and highly polished shoes.

It was like a parting of the Red Sea! They all stepped back into a proper distance. They couldn't handle the "HEAT" of the smell of money and power!

The jeans and boots were gone and all that was left was "The CES!" The Chief Executive Salesman!

"Their shoes weren't polished, their heels were run down and their suits were rumpled. They were not even out of the starting gate, let alone first, in the attention stakes. Why, because there was nothing about them one could take notice of.

Now I am sure all were accomplished in their various businesses. However, each of their presentations was lacking in some way. I never leave anything to chance. This is also why I don't write constant letters to all of you.

I am not a yacker, if I don't have something to say I don't write.

When I am taking down a deal, I dress for it.

Onward and Upward

David Moore CES

Don't Give Your Customers the Opportunity to Try the Competition

Many years ago, right after his miraculous turnaround of Chrysler, Lee Iacocca stated to the world, "Our cars are now just as good as the Japanese." The only thing I could think of was, "Hey Lee, too late!"

The time to be "just as good," is BEFORE you lose the customers. Once your customers have left to go to the competition, the only way you're going to get them back is to be better than the competition.Why would a customer switch just for the promise of "just as good," when that's what they already have?

Every time you lose a customer, you not only take the chance that they will go to the competition, but that they will have a great experience with the competition. Once that happens, it's extremely difficult to get them back.

For almost my entire business career I used Thistle Hotels. In fact, they received over 90% of my business; anywhere from 150 to 200 nights a year. However, I started to see a definite slip in service and then slip became an avalanche.Finally, I got so fed up with their callousness, uncaring attitude, the total inability to understand that I don’t like having a credit card swiped for services I haven’t bought yet and not being able to deal with a check in without hassle or aggravation, I decided to cut back drastically with them and use Marriot.

Now, the problem for Thistle is this: I have had nothing but good to great experiences on Marriot and will only use Thistle when there is no other choice. Can Thistle ever get me back as a customer? Possibly, but they're going to have to prove to me they're better than Marriot, because just as good is just not good enough!

Oi! Put that camera down!

The last thing you need is someone taking photographs
when you are holding a webconference!