Dress For Success &

First Impressions

Preparation

• Punctuality

• Organization

• Individually & within the team

• Practice, Practice, Practice!

• Use note cards if necessary!

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

Handshake

• Degree of firmness

• Dryness of hands

• Duration of grip

• Depth of interlock

• Eye contact

• Say their name

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!

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!!!

Examples

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!!!!

Examples

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

Examples – Business Casual

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

What Not To Wear….

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

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