What to Wear for a Sales Presentation
Kimberly L. McCall, Copyright 2004

So, you've finally scheduled a sit-down with the big-kahuna client. Your presentation's top-rate, and you're ready to knock them out with your product. Now you’re down to one last consideration: What will you wear to the presentation?

Color plays a big role in fashioning the right ensemble, according to Maura Schreier-Fleming, president of Best@Selling. Based in Dallas, the company works on real-world skills and strategies to help people sell. Schreier-Fleming, author of Real-World Selling for Out-of-This-World Results (1st Books Library, 2002), says, "How you look is a function of the color and clothing you choose. Anything perceived as different or strange not only breaks rapport – it's distracting." Here are her tips for selecting the best outfit and color for a presentation.

Pick the right color for your audience. In the United States and internationally, blue is the number-one preferred color by men and women; red is second, though the color choice might be tweaked for a specific type of business. Explains Schreier-Fleming, "If I were presenting to a business I would wear a blue suit. If the company were a bank, I would wear a green suit." Schreier-Fleming points out that because a green suit might be an odd choice for a man, when presenting to a bank men should opt for a green tie. She adds that sales reps should take the time to pick colors "that are meaningful to and positively perceived by the customer." Another tip: Check out the client's logo to see if you can match your duds to the company's colors.

Avoid bold patterns. "Bold patterns are distracting and take away the listener's attention," according to Schreier-Fleming. You want to avoid distractions, she says, because “most people are poor listeners to start with.”

Look taller when you present. If you’re on the short-stature side, try a solid color for both pieces of your outfit so you appear taller.

Dress one notch above your customer. Color is just one variable to consider. Another is formality. If representatives from the customer’s organization wear suits, you should too. If your audience is dressed in business casual, you can do the same, but a notch above them. For men this means wearing a sports coat and shirt, but no tie. When you're giving a presentation all eyes are on you. You have to be appropriately dressed.

Kimberly L. McCall ("Marketing Angel") is president of McCall Media & Marketing, Inc., a business communications and writing company in Maine. She's the author of Sell it, Baby! Marketing Angel's 37 Down-to-Earth & Practical How-To's on Marketing, Branding & Sales. Sign up for the free Marketing Angel newsletter at www.MarketingAngel.com.