10 Tips for Dressing to Impress Wealthy Prospects

Slideshow March 10, 2022 at 08:55 AM
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Related: 11 Ways to Fit In With Wealthy People

"It's a lot easier to get to where you want to go if you dress like you have already arrived." I came across that advice years ago. The modern version might be "Fake it till you make it." I like the first expression better because you are positioning yourself in the way you want to be perceived. By dressing well and being mannerly, you are showing you belong. Projecting the right image often involves how you dress.

Why First Impressions are Important

It's been said people form their first impression of you within seven seconds. This is down from 27 seconds a few years earlier. Blame the internet and social media. You aren't going to say a lot in seven seconds. The decision will be made visually. Good advice has staying power. An old maxim is "people judge you by your top foot and bottom foot." This means they pay attention to your head and shoes. You haven't said a word yet!

10 Tips on Dressing Well

When mingling with HNW individuals at social events, you want to look the part. You've seen TV plot lines where the lead character assumes the first guy they met when they entered the party was a waiter and it turned out to be the host. I was once at a conference and mistook the CEO of a major firm for the driver of the car taking me to the airport! That was awkward! In the gallery above are some tips. A lot of dressing well is common sense, but we often cut corners. We assume no one will notice or it doesn't really matter anymore. It does.


Bryce Sanders is president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc. He provides HNW client acquisition training for the financial services industry. His book, "Captivating the Wealthy Investor" is available on Amazon.