Presenting Yourself

The time has come. You've spent endless hours creating your business, making phone calls, sending out mailings, fine tuning your products and services. Now it's time to meet prospective clients or investors.

The good thing about being an entrepreneur is that you can set your own working hours, wear whatever you want when you work, and just be your own boss. But now you have to work with the real world of business where 9-5 are the hours and business attire is expected. Working at your home office on your business in sweatpants and a tank top is fine, but don't try that at a business lunch! Chances are very likely that the people you will be dealing with will be older than you, some times much older than you. Keep that in mind. They expect business people to look and act a certain way, and if you want to do business with them, it's time to conform -- at least enough not to freak your prospective investors.

Oh no, I said conform didn't I? Sorry my fellow generation x'ers. I know that our mantra includes specific information about not conforming, but if you show up to a prospective client's office wearing ripped jeans and combat boots, topped off with a nice eyebrow ring, your meeting will be over before it starts. To be taken seriously as a business person, you need to look and act like one. That isn't asking too much is it? You are on their turf now and you need to blend in.

Don't break out the 3 piece suit and suspenders, or the skirt and high heels yet. Depending on the circumstances, today you can get away with business casual attire. This generally consists of a pair of khaki pants and a nice polo shirt, or something comparable. Clean yourself up. Men, have a nice, clean shave. Ladies, put on a little make up. And for god's sake take out the nose ring!

You have all the other time in the day to look the way you want. When you have a meeting to go to just make sure you look professional.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind :

• blue suit = power, less approachable  brown suit = more casual, more easily approachable.
• go easy on the perfume and cologne!
• men, business men don't always like to see guys with ear rings, might want to put them in your pocket for a little while.
• women, don't wear too short of a skirt.
• be ready to exchange business cards
• have fresh breath, keep some mints handy
• Whatever happens, keep smiling and keep talking!

We didn't make the rules people, but we need to play by them to get ahead in the business world! (Kind of like how you wouldn't show up on the court expecting to play basketball dressed in a hockey uniform.)