Can You Dress for Success?

This is a two part question that actually got me thinking after I read two separate blog posts (although to be specific it was one blog post that referenced another). The post was by the author of Simple Justice, a blog I think is fantastic (to translate fully, I'm suggesting you go take a look). It's a criminal defense blog, but it's more than that. Scott Greenfield, the author, discusses topics ranging from criminal defense to marketing to practicing law generally to a select group of individuals he describes as the "slackoise," which I might actually be a part of.

But I digress. The post I saw today was entitled "The Easy Answer: Change Clothes." Here's a quick recap before I give my two cents. Scott read a blog post by Susan Cartier Liebel, who runs Solo Marketing University (that, by the way, is not an endorsement - I don't anything about the business, how it's run, or if it's good). The gist of her post was that people are always judging you so it's better to be well dressed and presentable at all times - "Better they make a snap positive assessment" than a negative one.

That's all well and good, and the first point I'll talk about below. But Scott, as he is wont to do, takes the post a step further and discusses the story from a lawyering standpoint. His lesson from this story, which is the second point I'll talk about, only I'll bring it back to a starting a law firm perspective, is that we are communicators and persuaders. If you want to persuade you've got to know your audience and frame your presentation in a way that makes them understand what you are saying. His point is that it doesn't matter what you are wearing if you are just going to talk at someone or talk over them. If you aren't effectively communicating you have no chance of success.

Now that you have the background, here are my two cents to answer the question, "Can You Dress for Success?"

You Don't Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression

This saying used to be a commercial for some type of beauty care product - soap, deodorant, or something like that. The idea behind the commercial was if you stink, people aren't going to like you. And that makes sense.

The same goes with being a lawyer. People have in their heads an idea of what an attorney is supposed to look like, what one is supposed to sound like, and how one is supposed to act. Going against those assumptions for the simple sake of being different, isn't going to help you get more clients. It's going to make people that meet you and are considering hiring you uncomfortable. You want to exceed client expectations not fail them.

Whether we want to believe it or not, we are being evaluated at all times on many different levels. Our looks are definitely one of those evaluation criteria. So why not control something you have complete control over and look your best? If I can instill an added sense of trust and competency with opposing counsel and the judge because I look nice, why wouldn't I do that? That's advocacy, whether you want to believe it or not.

My only point of disagreement with Susan's ideas relate to dressing well all the time. And I think Scott agrees with me a least a little because he tells a story about a guy that used to mow his lawn with a tie on. It's true that everyone out there may be a potential client for you - but it's also true that you are more than just a lawyer. You may be a rock climber or a golfer, a swimmer or a Harry Potter fanatic. Whatever it is, you may not always be able to wear a suit. And that's okay.

When people are meeting you as an attorney, they need to "see" you as an attorney. If I met someone at the grocery store on a Saturday and they were wearing a suit, unless they were coming from a funeral or worked at a hotel I'd think it was kind of weird. No one thinks you should be wearing a suit all the time. So don't.

The Art of Persuasion

If Susan's post was the frosting, Scott's is the cake. He delves a little bit deeper into the art of persuasion (which is our business and the business of running a law firm). Scott's post, however, feels like his viewpoint is not that of a marketer, but of a legal professional. And he's right and wrong.

His point is that being a lawyer is about sending and receiving (communication, in other words). If you are sending, but it's not being received correctly, then that's a you problem, not a them problem. You haven't tailored your message to sway the person you are talking to to adopt your point of view (or hire you).

While this is a critical skill as a lawyer when you are practicing law, it's also a critical skill when you are running a law firm. If you have an idea for the kind of message you want to present to the world about what your law firm stands for, then you need to make sure the signals you are sending are being received in a convincing manner.

What does that mean? In short, it means taking a step back, thinking about who your client really is, and then putting yourself in their shoes and finding out what it is they are looking from from a service provider like yourself. When you think you know what that is, assuming it's something you can provide, figure out how to demonstrate that your law firm has that ability and then go do that.

Sorry if this Post Sucks

I'm not proofreading this post and I'm not changing it, even though I feel like it's really disjointed. I'm just too lazy. Hopefully you can cut through my bad writing to see that there are two really good points in there: (1) that you need to dress nicely (not extravagantly, but your suit should fit you); and (2) that ultimately you are trying to be persuasive in many different ways - a nice suit won't make you persuasive, it takes really getting to know your audience and then crafting your message so they can allow themselves to believe you are right - and this is a marketing and practical lesson.

Have a great weekend! And, as always, if you have comments or questions, please let me know.