Do you find that the style or fashion of your clothes is important in insurance sales (obviously when face to face)?
I know we want to wear business professional attire, which I have, however... I don't exactly have designer stuff. I have cheap dress shirts, slacks, and ties.
SHOULD I invest in more expensive, higher quality business attire? And how often do you generally wear a full suit? I don't even have one, so I will get myself a few if it will be paramount.
Do you find that the style or fashion of your clothes is important in insurance sales (obviously when face to face)?
I know we want to wear business professional attire, which I have, however... I don't exactly have designer stuff. I have cheap dress shirts, slacks, and ties.
SHOULD I invest in more expensive, higher quality business attire? And how often do you generally wear a full suit? I don't even have one, so I will get myself a few if it will be paramount.
THANKS
I wear a suit most every time I see a client. That's just me. I do it for me, makes me feel good. On the other side of that I have an agent that sells in cheap slacks and sometimes tucks his shirt in but most times not. He writes very good business. I've sold in shorts, jeans, etc. I was always taught "dress for success". I've seen every combination of dress there is when it comes to agents. There is another rule of thumb that I've always tried to go by is always dress at least one step above your client. Well, I've been around long enough to realize that it just really doesn't matter. What matters is you as the agent and are you comfortable and do you make the client comfortable.
Now, all that said...I still wear my suit because I know they won't be dressed above me ever. I like looking and feeling like a professional and wearing a suit does that for me.
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Todd R. King
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What matters is you as the agent and are you comfortable and do you make the client comfortable.
I totally agree. Everyone if more confident when they are comfortable in the way they dress. As a genreal statement though, I do not believe that one has to be dressed "one step above them".
I use to wear a suit, then sport coat and slacks, now I wear tailored Levis, starched and pressed, Cole Hanns and starched Polo shirts. I sell in rural Missouri.
That is not unlike the way most of my prospects dress. Most of the "country folk" wear Big Smith bibs. I am not "over dressed" nor, in their eyes, dressed much differently than they are. They have on bibs, I have jeans on.
I feel very comfortable and confident dressed that way and they do not perceive me as a "suit" or a "high flautten city guy". I go in just like I was the guy down the road stopping by for a cup of coffee.
A couple of weeks ago I went on an appointment in the late afternoon. The guy was getting ready to go out and feed his cattle so I went with him. We talked about insurance while I got out and opened the gates and helped him feed. I sold both he and his wife a policy.
I was dressed for "success". Had I been dressed in anything else both he and I would have been uncomfortable.
Now, for "underwear" agents that is a different story. The well dressed "underwear" agent dresses in the latest and greatest high fashion attire available, Under Armor.
It is not only extremely good looking and supportive but hands down the most comfortable. It will make the agent not only feel good all over, he will feel "good down under" also.
All well dressed "underwear" agents wouldn't be caught dead in anything else.
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Medicare Supplement Sales Training and Coaching.
"The Perfect Contact Management Program (CMP) for the Insurance Professional" www.YourInsuranceOffice.com
877.633.0808
There again, I did fail to mention that I don't actually 'go' and see clients quite as much as I used to. I do alot of selling over the phone. On those days you'll never catch me in a suit unless you call sleep pants and a t-shirt a suit!!
Consumers buy from people they feel comfortable with.
Dressing a step above them or in a full on suit (implying superiority and success) is not likely to make them feel comfy and cozy. Why wear a suit unless you're going to an office full of suits?
I've never worn a suit while meeting with a client in their home.
What's the first thing someone (a client) who wears a suit at work does when they get home?
They change to get more comfortable!
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Speaking of suits, that's much better~
All of this is great feedback.
The impression that I'm getting is to dress in a way that will make clients feel comfortable. If I'm going into a big office, a professional suit might be great. If into a client's home, maybe a nice button up with khakis or dress slacks, or even a nice pair of jeans?
This might seem lame of me to ask, but I feel like this could absolutely be crucial.
I think the days of the suit (wearing) salesmen are over. Just keep it real.
Originally Posted by timmybright
All of this is great feedback.
The impression that I'm getting is to dress in a way that will make clients feel comfortable. If I'm going into a big office, a professional suit might be great. If into a client's home, maybe a nice button up with khakis or dress slacks, or even a nice pair of jeans?
This might seem lame of me to ask, but I feel like this could absolutely be crucial.
I'm sure you are also one who "sells himself" rather than just selling a product.
If one is selling himself/herself it is imperative that the first priority is to make the prospect feel comfortable. That can be difficult to do if the agent is "over dressed".
If the prospect is sold on the agent the agent can even sell them the used microwave in the trunk of their car.
Totally Frank, (can I call you Frank?) if they like you, the product and the benefits, the sale is a lock. I guess we're whores, selling ourselves the way we do, LOL
Originally Posted by Frank Stastny
Amen!
I'm sure you are also one who "sells himself" rather than just selling a product.
If one is selling himself/herself it is imperative that the first priority is to make the prospect feel comfortable. That can be difficult to do if the agent is "over dressed".
If the prospect is sold on the agent the agent can even sell them the used microwave in the trunk of their car.
Totally Frank, (can I call you Frank?) if they like you, the product and the benefits, the sale is a lock. I guess we're whores, selling ourselves the way we do, LOL
Yep, or you can call me what Jacqueline calls me but I don't think I can type it here.
Hey, there ain't nothing wrong with being a "whore". Actually it has always been one of my fantasies. Been trying to sell myself for a long time, just no buyers.
Hey, there ain't nothing wrong with being a "whore". Actually it has always been one of my fantasies. Been trying to sell myself for a long time, just no buyers.
The highest producing agent I have personally known always wore loud hawaiian shirt, had a diamond earing in his left ear, wore loafers with no socks, a gold chain, and sported a rick flair hairstyle. At 55 years old.
Do you find that the style or fashion of your clothes is important in insurance sales (obviously when face to face)?
I know we want to wear business professional attire, which I have, however... I don't exactly have designer stuff. I have cheap dress shirts, slacks, and ties.
SHOULD I invest in more expensive, higher quality business attire? And how often do you generally wear a full suit? I don't even have one, so I will get myself a few if it will be paramount.
THANKS
I am one of the adoptees of casual dress but it does depend upon the region of the country your are in, the market you are in, and also your own personal persona. However, here is some food for thought that I encountered recently: According to Dr. Jeffrey Magee, a consulting research psychologist who, in 1997 and 1998, surveyed 500 firms ranging from small businesses (100+ employees) to Fortune 500 companies, businesses that adopted business casual dress codes reported:
Relaxed attitudes lead to relaxed performance
An increase in tardiness, absenteeism, and early departures
An increase in foul language and inappropriate conversation
An increase in provocative actions, which lead to more complaints to HR, and consequently, to more litigation
A decrease in polite, mannerly behavior
A decrease in productivity and overall quality of work
A decrease in commitment and company loyalty
Countless studies have shown that there's a direct correlation between how one dresses and how one thinks, feels, and acts or behaves, and how others react or respond. These results certainly attest to that fact, and are the biggest reason why many companies are returning to a more formal dress code.......
Even if you're not wearing the suit, you should still avoid cheap clothes. Don't buy you button downs from walmart. Invest in your wardrobe. Shop at Brooks Brothers - quality clothing that last. A shirt might cost $70, but it'll last ten years if you're only wearing it once per week or two.
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