CONTRACTORS: Look the part! 11 things to think about.

Let’s get something straight.

If you’re going to up your contractor business game and start earning more money- You must LOOK THE PART!

I’m not giving out groundbreaking, original knowledge here.

First impressions MATTER. What you look like, MATTERS.

Especially for CONTRACTORS, the LEAST trusted category of professional, second only to used car salesmen.

I know, I know. In this no judgement world we live in, you’ve been taught your entire life that what matters is the CONTENT OF YOUR CHARACTER.

Yeah, OKAY. I got a rabbit out back that shits gold to show you.

Reality is the contractor with a face tattoo is going to have a lot harder time being trusted, IN MOST SITUATIONS, then the clean-cut, well-spoken guy with his shirt tucked in. Sloppy looking contractors are at a noted disadvantage.

I understand that there are extreme outliers in this world- but the exception is not the rule.

People trust other people that look like them.

Homeowners trust and like contractors that look how they EXPECT a contractor to look.

Al Borland from “Home Improvement”? There’s the look of your quintessential contractor. The guys from “This Old House”? There you go. There’s your bench mark.

It might sound stupid, but I’ve geared my look to make people feel as though I’m a great contractor.

Here’s how I look:

·         I keep my hair short.

·         I have a short, well-trimmed beard.

·         I wear a collared shirt, tucked in with my company logo.

·         I stay in decent shape.

·         I wear a dark colored pair of nice jeans.

·         I wear LEATHER BOOTS which I then promptly cover with shoe covers, inside.

·         In cold weather I wear a flannel

·         I generally wear a Timex style watch

I’ve thought out and PLANNED this look to make a great first impression.  To make people FEEL as though I am a professional contractor.

When I’m on the jobsite WORKING on the job. Similar set up.

·         Hat with logo.

·         T-shirt tucked in- with logo.

·         Jeans.

·         Leather boots.

·         Pencil in hat.

·         Professional knee pads.

·         Tape measure pouch.

·         Watch.

·         Leather cell phone holster.

·         Short hair cut

·         Trimmed beard

My partner and I have appearance continuity between us. We both wear essentially the same “uniform” when we’re at work. Branded gear to portray professionalism.

I know what you’re thinking, “This sounds ridiculous.” But, NO. How we look is indicative of PRIDE and CARE.

We take pride in how we look. We care about how we look.

We don’t look like bums, so the assumption is that we don’t ACT like bums.

I’ve had people tell me in the comment sections that they dress like slobs and their work is perfectly quality and they are perfectly great guys. YES. I’ve experienced this. I know there are plenty of people out there that are tatted and pierced up…ripped clothes…sloppy as hell and they still do fantastic work, and they are descent men.

BUT- why put yourself behind the eight ball? Why set yourself up for failure?

I know, I know. You want to BREAK THE MOULD. You have your own STYLE.

That’s your EGO talking.

You can have your style and still be clean and presentable to Joe and Jane Public.

Maybe you’re not as successful or well paid as you want to be. You’re running around a little sloppy. Maybe now might be the time to clean yourself up and try something new.

If you want to be taken more seriously, it’s not just about what you say or do…it can also be about how you look.

Here’s some additional things to ponder:

1. ·         Do you smell good? Try wearing some cologne thinking about what smells are satisfying and appealing to people. (Read reviews of cologne.)

2. ·         Do you look people in the eyes? Or are you shifty eyed?

3. ·         How’s your handshake?

4. ·         What do you look like when you walk?

5. ·         How’s your posture? Do you slouch? Could you pinch your shoulders back like you’re holding a ball between your shoulder blades?

6. ·         How do you stand when you’re speaking with people? Do you have open posture? Do you look at the husband AND the wife equally?

7. ·         How’s your dental hygiene? When’s the last time you’ve visited the dentist for a cleaning? How’s your breath?

8. ·         Are you manicuring your fingernails? Cleaning underneath?

9. ·         Are your tattoos offensive? How about your piercings? Would a 4 year old child think you’re “scary”?

10. ·         Are you grotesquely out of shape?

11. ·         Do you swear? Do you speak in a rough manner, or do you keep it clean and polite?

It can be offensive to hear that this kind of stuff matters to people who might hire you for high paying work. But think of how a salesman looks.

Salesmen aren’t generally going to look sloppy. They’re going to attempt to be a great representation of the company they work for. They’re attempting to make people feel COMFORTABLE and LAID BACK, so that they want to spend MONEY.

 When you are an owner operator YOU are playing the part of a salesman, so you want to LOOK that part.

I recommend a book called “The Appearance of Power” by Tanner Guzy. Reading it helped set a few of these points home, for me.

I’ll even say, in this line of work, as a business coach…I wear a white button up shirt. I wear a tie. I wear a suit jacket. I’m not inherently that type of person. I’ve never worn a tux. I’ve never owned a suit. But I’m serious about “looking the part” and our lizard brains respect men that dress nicely.

It might be new; you may feel uncomfortable with a lot of what I’ve said…

But you’re a BUSINESSMAN NOW.

You LOOK THE PART.