How to build a modern professional image

There is an article on LinkedIn written eight years ago by a marketing executive about building a professional image in business. Attitude, appearance and communication skills are said to be just as important as work performance, which sounds like good advice.

But then readers are advised to keep their personal life and personal opinions to themselves. We are also told that someone’s social media personality should not tarnish their professional image, meaning personal information should be kept personal via privacy settings.

This all promotes a professional image as something distinct from our normal authentic self. It is almost like in putting on your work clothes, whether that be a suit or overalls, you become a one-dimensional version of yourself.

Time spent during lockdown doing Teams calls from home has meant we are used to seeing the more personal side of business contacts and clients

Eight years on, in the post-pandemic world where many people have adopted hybrid working patterns, things seem to have moved on with more leeway to be ourselves.

Time spent during lockdown doing Teams calls from home has meant we are used to seeing the more personal side of business contacts and clients. We have all had video meetings where dogs bark, children barge in or other aspects of the personal have been brought into the work arena.

But at the same time, we still want to show we are professional and have made an effort for the people we do business with, because they are worth making an effort for. So where do we draw the line? Can you dress to appear professional without being corporate and stuffy, or informal without coming across as sloppy and unprofessional?

Authenticity

For advisers and marketing specialists, the key thing is being authentic. This is important for financial advisers because the job is all about trust – how can an adviser expect clients to trust them if they are trying to be something they are not?

The first thing that the Yardstick Agency founder Phil Bray has to say on the subject is ‘be authentic to yourself’. If that means wearing a pinstriped suit and red braces or a sober-looking grey or navy skirt, so be it. There is no point in attending a client meeting in more casual clothing if it makes you feel like a fish out of water.

I got a referral from a client who said, ‘I like you because you seem like a human’

“If someone isn’t going to choose you as their adviser because of what you are wearing that’s a bit of a red flag,” says Bray. “But it’s horses for courses. You can’t try second guessing what every individual thinks as you won’t get anywhere.”

Some advisers, like Work to Live Financial Planning director Ian Richards, have found a more informal approach works best for them and their clients. Richards often meets his clients in a branded top and jeans and believes advisers need to be true to themselves in conveying their professional image.

“If you feel comfy in a suit and no tie, that’s fine. And if you want to come across as really professional and maybe a bit more corporate in a suit and tie, that’s fine,” he says. “But it’s also about who you are working with – even people you think may want you to wear a suit and tie may not.”

Richards also prefers a less formal image on his company website. “I have pictures of me in a t-shirt and of my family on the website. I wanted that kind of feel, with family and young kids,” he says. This informal and more personal approach has gone down well with his clients. “I got a referral from a client who said: I like you because you seem like a human,” he says.

Generational differences

Some commentators have found generational differences among clients in relation to dress codes. “From personal history, wearing a casual dress code will make a more notable difference if the person if older. If I were to not wear a suit and they were above 50 years old, the reception I would get would more than likely be negative,” says MBW Solutions financial analyst Jeremy Helm. “Having said that, if they’re under 35, I often find you don’t have to be overly smart, but I still believe it helps to demonstrate professionalism.”

Many men are filled with dread when invited to an event where the dress code is ‘smart casual’ because it can be a difficult look to achieve. However, for advisers who want to look smart without looking ‘snooty’, Helm suggests being a bit creative with smart clothing.

“For example, a three-piece suit all buttoned up is seen as something now of a time gone by, but many in the financial industry still wear them with all buttons done up. But you can opt for a more interesting colour than the usual brown, black or grey, such as burgundy or green, or you could use a different material or fitting to traditional methods.”

Helm’s colleague, marketing consultant Tom Bourlet, often wears playful socks when attending meetings, such as ones with dogs on them, as a way of softening a smart suit.

“It’s important to portray a corporate image, as with anything involving money or health, you need to build absolute trust with the potential customer and unwavering professionalism,” says Bourlet. “Having said that, appearing too corporate can make you look overly expensive, so there is a balance between appearing professional without overdoing it.”

Consistency

Bray points out that advisers need to find the individual brand identity that ticks all the boxes in being appropriate for the client base – or rather the target demographic – and is authentic. An area where this can be a dilemma for advisers is the photographs of themselves and their teams that they put on their websites.

For Bray, the key thing is that advisers need to meet client expectations. Imagine the confusion for clients if all the photos they had seen of their adviser were very corporate ‘suited and booted’ shots, but then the adviser turned up for a meeting in joggers and a fleece.

“In your professional photo I would dress the same way I would do for the first client meeting, so there is consistency,” says Bray. He is also in favour of advisers getting their personal brand across. “The websites we develop for advisers do have personal photos, and shots of advisers and their teams in office. You don’t have to use profile shots, they can be more personal,” he says.