Building Great Customer Experiences - Or Beware Consultants With No Clothes!
It must be one my personal business nightmares, if you can imagine having just flown to New York to meet a new client and the airline has lost all your clothes! So what can one learn from such events about delivering great customer service experiences?The best laid plans of mice and men often go awryTo give you the background, I’d just been to California and had arranged to meet the COO of a potential great new client in New York on my way back home to England. I’d visited them a few weeks before and I’d felt as though I’d wandered onto the set of “The Devil Wears Prada” (or should that be “Ugly Betty”?). So not wanting to be left too far behind the “New York Chic look” of my hosts, I’d gone out and purchased the very best of shirts & ties that London has to offer (OK anyone from Milan is allowed

Are You An Effective Communicator
The movement of information in any organization is from top-down, bottom-up, or department to department. You would be surprised at how much redundancy takes place in many organizations because the primary method of communication is:1. You have to be in the right place at the right time. 2. You have to be high enough on the food chain. 3. You have to be in the "in group" or 4. You have to fight for every scrap of information that you need to do your job right or better.Again I ask you: How well can an employee do their job if they do not have the information they need to be effective?I don't care what else you accomplish this year. If you can effectively address these three issues, you will be amazed at how much more profitable and competitive you can be in the market place.As late as the 1870s surgeons could be seen performing open operations on their patients while dressed in Brooks Brothers suits with full Bemberg lining, corozo buttons, and double besom flap pockets. They would wear a white pinpoint cotton dress shirtwith French cuffs, forward point collar, and the tie would be optional.

Today’s doctors don a pair of Wal-Mart scrubs in the color of the season and a pair of Nike Air tennis shoes to perform a three-hour operation. Professional dress has changed over the last 136 years, but have we (salespersons) gone too far? Sometimes I cannot tell business attire from casual attire. The term business casual does not apply to us, salespersons, or maybe we need a clearer definition of the term.

Business casual is crisp, neat, and should look appropriate even for a chance meeting with a CEO. It should not look like cocktail or picnic attire. Avoid tight or baggy clothing; business casual is classic rather than trendy. When do you dress business, casual, or business casual? The answer to this question is will depend on your industry, business, and event. We seem to comprehend the words business attire dress and the words casual dress but the wording business casual dress seems to confuse most of us. Let’s set the record clear. Let’s define business for both men and women.

SPECIFICS FOR MEN'S BUSINESS CASUAL

Ties: Ties are generally not necessary for business casual, but if you are in doubt, you can wear a tie. It never hurts to slightly overdress; by dressing nicely, you pay a compliment to your host. You can always wear the tie and casually walk by the room where the function is held; if no one else is wearing a tie, you can discreetly remove yours.

Shirts: Long-sleeved shirts are considered dressier than short-sleeved and are appropriate even in summer. Choosing white or light blue solid, or a conservative stripe is your safest bet. Polo shirts (tucked in, of course) are acceptable with a sport jacket in more casual situations. Socks: Wear dark socks, mid-calf length so no skin is visible when you sit down.

Shoes: Leather shoes should be worn. No sandals, athletic shoes or hiking boots.

Facial hair: Facial hair, if worn, should be well groomed.

ree-hour operation. Professional dress has changed over the last 136 years, but have we (salespersons) gone too far? Sometimes I cannot tell business attire from casual attire. The term business casual does not apply to us, salespersons, or maybe we need a clearer definition of the term.

Business casual is crisp, neat, and should look appropriate even for a chance meeting with a CEO. It should not look like cocktail or picnic attire. Avoid tight or baggy clothing; business casual is classic rather than trendy. When do you dress business, casual, or business casual? The answer to this question is will depend on your industry, business, and event. We seem to comprehend the words business attire dress and the words casual dress but the wording business casual dress seems to confuse most of us. Let’s set the record clear. Let’s define business for both men and women.

SPECIFICS FOR MEN'S BUSINESS CASUAL

Ties: Ties are generally not necessary for business casual, but if you are in doubt, you can wear a tie. It never hurts to slightly overdress; by dressing nicely, you pay a compliment to your host. You can always wear the tie and casually walk by the room where the function is held; if no one else is wearing a tie, you can discreetly remove yours.

Shirts: Long-sleeved shirts are considered dressier than short-sleeved and are appropriate even in summer. Choosing white or light blue solid, or a conservative stripe is your safest bet. Polo shirts (tucked in, of course) are acceptable with a sport jacket in more casual situations. Socks: Wear dark socks, mid-calf length so no skin is visible when you sit down.

Shoes: Leather shoes should be worn. No sandals, athletic shoes or hiking boots.

Facial hair: Facial hair, if worn, should be well groomed.

ht or baggy clothing; business casual is classic rather than trendy. When do you dress business, casual, or business casual? The answer to this question is will depend on your industry, business, and event. We seem to comprehend the words business attire dress and the words casual dress but the wording business casual dress seems to confuse most of us. Let’s set the record clear. Let’s define business for both men and women.

SPECIFICS FOR MEN'S BUSINESS CASUAL

Ties: Ties are generally not necessary for business casual, but if you are in doubt, you can wear a tie. It never hurts to slightly overdress; by dressing nicely, you pay a compliment to your host. You can always wear the tie and casually walk by the room where the function is held; if no one else is wearing a tie, you can discreetly remove yours.

Shirts: Long-sleeved shirts are considered dressier than short-sleeved and are appropriate even in summer. Choosing white or light blue solid, or a conservative stripe is your safest bet. Polo shirts (tucked in, of course) are acceptable with a sport jacket in more casual situations. Socks: Wear dark socks, mid-calf length so no skin is visible when you sit down.

Shoes: Leather shoes should be worn. No sandals, athletic shoes or hiking boots.

Facial hair: Facial hair, if worn, should be well groomed.

N'S BUSINESS CASUAL

Ties: Ties are generally not necessary for business casual, but if you are in doubt, you can wear a tie. It never hurts to slightly overdress; by dressing nicely, you pay a compliment to your host. You can always wear the tie and casually walk by the room where the function is held; if no one else is wearing a tie, you can discreetly remove yours.

Shirts: Long-sleeved shirts are considered dressier than short-sleeved and are appropriate even in summer. Choosing white or light blue solid, or a conservative stripe is your safest bet. Polo shirts (tucked in, of course) are acceptable with a sport jacket in more casual situations. Socks: Wear dark socks, mid-calf length so no skin is visible when you sit down.

Shoes: Leather shoes should be worn. No sandals, athletic shoes or hiking boots.

Facial hair: Facial hair, if worn, should be well groomed.

nd are appropriate even in summer. Choosing white or light blue solid, or a conservative stripe is your safest bet. Polo shirts (tucked in, of course) are acceptable with a sport jacket in more casual situations. Socks: Wear dark socks, mid-calf length so no skin is visible when you sit down.

Shoes: Leather shoes should be worn. No sandals, athletic shoes or hiking boots.

Facial hair: Facial hair, if worn, should be well groomed. Know your industry and how conservative it is; observe men in your industry if you are unsure what's appropriate or are considering changing your look.

Jewelry: Wear a conservative watch. If you choose to wear other jewelry, be conservative. Removing earrings is safest. For conservative industries, don't wear earrings. Observe other men in your industry to see what is acceptable.

SPECIFICS FOR WOMEN'S BUSINESS CASUAL

Pants / skirts: Women can wear casual pants or skirts. Neither should be tight. Fabrics should be crisp, colors should generally be solid – navy, black, gray, brown, and khaki are always safe bets. For the most businesslike appearance, pants should be creased and tailored; avoid extremes of tight or flowing. If you are pursuing a conservative industry and are in doubt, observe well-dressed women in your industry on the job, at career fairs, at information sessions, etc.

Skirt length and slits: Your skirt should come at least to your knees while you are standing. While you are seated, your thighs should be covered. If your skirt comes to just below the knee, a slit to just above the knee might be acceptable. A very long skirt should not be slit to above the knee. Generally slits in the center back of a skirt – to facilitate walking and stair climbing – are acceptable. Slits to facilitate a view of your legs are not appropriate for business purposes. Slips should not be visible.

Shirt / sweaters: In addition to tailored shirts or blouses, tailored knit sweaters and sweater sets are appropriate business casual choices for women. Cotton, silk, and blends are appropriate. Velvets and shimmery fabrics suitable for parties are not appropriate. Fit should not be tight. Cleavage is not appropriate for business and job search occas