Smart Business Magazine, June 2016

54 Smart Business Akron Canton June 2016 Visit Michael Feuers new website www TipsFromTheTop info to learn more about his columns watch videos and purchase his books The Benevolent Dictator and Tips From The Top MICHAEL FEUER TIPS FROM THE TOP How to open doors and set the stage for success Showing customers added respect makes a difference MICHAEL FEUER Co founded OfficeMax and in 16 years as CEO grew the retailer to sales of 5 billion in 1000 stores worldwide Today as founder CEO of Max Ventures his firm invests in and consults for retail businesses Serving on a number of boards Michael is a frequent national speaker and author of the business books The Benevolent Dictator and his newest book Tips from the Top His long running nationally syndicated Smart Business magazine column has received more than 10 awards for excellence mfeuer@ max ventures com Business Casual as we know it today was preceded by Casual Friday which became popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s Initially this look varied by geography climate and industry With the dot com boom in the late 1990s and early 2000s Casual Friday turned into Sloppy Monday through Thursday with an Anything Goes Friday Starting on the West Coast Silicon Valley employees were showing up for work in flip flops short shorts and whatever else suited pun intended these high flying valley workers moods Executives of these meteoric growth companies figured Hey its working so if it aint broke dont fix it Then kaboom the now infamous 2001 Internet bubble burst sending the best and brightest dot comers scurrying to the nearest Brooks Brothers for an instant makeover praying that dressing more professionally would facilitate a career change and gainful employment that would put food on the table Fast forward to today where the best organizations have realized that while they are not the fashion police they do need wardrobe guidelines as to what is acceptable and whats a definite no no For the most part Wall Street is now back to more traditional business garb featuring mens clunky wingtips and womens heels with all the accoutrements In other parts of the country and in different industries jeans or khakis and button down shirts are also perfectly appropriate It all gets down to who are the companys customers and how do they expect to be treated I underscore the word treated because dressing appropriately is another sign of customer respect For example if a CFO is pitching a skeptical bank loan committee pleading for mercy because the company failed to meet a loan covenant only a naive bean counter would wear a golf shirt and insufferable flip flops to the meeting Conversely if a company is selling skateboards to a surf shack a Hawaiian shirt shorts and sunglasses set the right tone Good companies closely scrutinize the professional suitability of their collateral material down to every nuance of their business cards and letterhead Too many of these same companies however give little or no guidance on what constitutes the right look for their representatives or worse yet dont have a clue how their salespeople appear when presenting their story to customers Playing and looking the part does make a difference and every company should have a costume department creating wardrobe guidelines because calling on customers is the equivalent to show time and businesses need to ensure theyre dressed for success In business looks count I am personally agnostic about Business Casual versus traditional business attire a classic mans suit white shirt and tie with wingtips or a womans pants suit or skirt dress with heels Instead I am a firm believer in Business Appropriate This translates into making the right impression with the targeted audience and conveying a sense of credibility and authority whether one is selling a used car or negotiating a mega deal