Welcome to the third and final installment in our How to Make a Professional Appearance series. We’ve been focusing primarily on the gentlemen in our first two segments. Professional business attire is also the order of the day for ladies.
Ladies should purchase conservative and traditional dresses, skirts, blouses, pant suits, closed toe shoes with medium to low heels. Keep it simple. Women have more leeway when it comes to color choices. Women can wear brown suits and dark shades of green and purple and still be taken seriously. Appropriate jewelry or other accessories can be a nice touch; however, don’t overdo it. Make sure you’re wearing light to medium make-up, don’t cake it on. When you are seated, please make sure your skirt length is never shorter than just above the knee. Women should wear sheer hosiery to convey competence and professionalism.
How much cleavage is appropriate at work? There is a time and place for showing cleavage, but working in the funeral profession is not the time or the place. Remember, your image and the messages that your image sends can have a powerful impact on your career path. Credibility in the workplace can be compromised when we choose to dress provocatively. For women, clothing covers 75% of the body, and the goal is to have co-workers, associates and clients paying attention to the face and what is being said, not what is being displayed. Women who choose to display their cleavage run the risk of alienating the women they work with and diminishing their power with the men, because the cleavage can be a distraction. How much is too much? Clinton Kelly of TLC’s “What Not to Wear” suggests that the cleavage is too low when soft tissue begins to show.
The appropriate length for skirts and dresses in corporate America is to the knee. This is typically a flattering length for all body types anyway. When sitting, the skirt should be no more than 2 inches above the knee. Skimpy, strappy tanks can be worn at work when worn under a blouse, sweater of jacket.
Our society has changed enough that bare legs can be appropriate at work. (Keeping in mind the funeral home dress code) However, legs should be freshly shaved and a self-tanner should be used to give your legs a “hose-like” quality.
Men and Ladies - Pick the right shoes! Every day we make a routine yet quite important fashion decision: what shoe to wear. Shoes are a reflection of our social status. There is no other piece of clothing that can make or break an ensemble like a shoe. Women have much more flexibility when it comes to shoes. Black and brown shoes will be a staple in any wardrobe. Today it is easier to add a punch of color to traditional business dress. For example, a beautiful burgundy patent shoe will add some personality to the look of a grey, black or blue suit. The well dressed woman will always have a fabulous pair of the highest quality animal-print heels in her wardrobe. Inexpensive animal-print heels look very tacky. You should only busy them if they are of the finest quality and brand. Always keep shoes clean, well-heeled and highly polished. Find a good shoe repair shop.
Please be mindful of the following when in a consumer’s presence.
It is important to avoid chewing gum or tobacco; sucking on hard candies or mints. If you are a smoker, please refrain while in the consumer’s presence. Additionally, don’t forget to make sure your breath and clothes are free of all signs of smoke. The smell of tobacco can cause some people to not desire to deal with you; not because of who you are, but because of how you “smell.”
Mind your vocabulary. A strong vocabulary can have a positive and lasting effect on our professional image. Words are powerful, and first impressions are lasting impressions. While our visual impression is our strongest, our vocabulary and how we speak affects our reputations as well.
Interjections and fillers such as “like,” “you know,” “check,” “cool,” “Um,” “Uh-huh,” and “got it” will always undermine your message and can cause people to lose interest in the conversation. How else can we use our vocabulary and grammar to our advantage and what should we avoid?
Accents and the use of colloquialisms should not sabotage your message, as long as proper grammar is used. Experts believe that slang should be limited or avoided altogether, especially if the slang words have vulgar undertones.
Beware of the use of corporate jargon and industry buzzwords. For instance, “soup to nuts” is a phrase that can be irritating and confusing for many. Other corporate speak such as: “On The Same Page,” “Touch Point,” “Think Outside The Box,” “Take It Off Line,” “Deliverables,” “Win-Win,” “Leverage,” “Value Added,” and “Low Hanging Fruit” are probably best left unsaid. They don’t really add strong value to the conversation. In order to cultivate successful relationships, we need to be able to clearly communicate with each other. Corporate jargons, industry jargons, slang and colloquialisms dilute the message. Usually the most direct, proper and simple language has the most powerful effect.
A casual look to the consumer means something totally different than to our fellow employees. Too casual a look could give the wrong impression. For instance, it could portrait that you are “new” on the job; that you don’t know everything you need to know to adequately assist them, or worse yet, that you simply don’t care. Funeral professionals are expected to “look,” “act,” and “speak” the part. You don’t want to “mess around” and/or “push the limits” with that consumer image or you’re likely to have a very unrewarding career.
First impressions do matter and will make you or break you. Act, speak and dress the part of a knowledgeable, caring, dedicated funeral service professional and you will win families trust and begin building that all-important relationship you desire.