Party Girl or Serious Businesswoman? Establish Your Credibility

Have you ever gotten the feeling co-workers or clients don't take you seriously? I heard Christine Comaford, author of Rules for Renegades, speak about her early career running her own technology consulting firm. After 35 rejections in a row, she discovered that her competitors had a certain look that she lacked. Christine concluded that prospects didn’t trust her because her image didn’t match her message. What did she do?

She bought a navy blue suit, a pair of fake glasses and a fake wedding ring, then tamed her wildly-curly hair by pinning it back. The instant she changed her image, she started closing sales left and right.

Navy blue conveys trust and power; that’s why it's the corporate uniform. Fake glasses gave Christine, then 29, a more serious look. The fake wedding ring helped lend the appearance of stability.

A serious professional is serious not only in her work but with her appearance.

Since many young single women are out partying late with their wild hair, some clients view them more as party girls than serious businesswomen.

Many women make image mistakes when it comes to style at work. Younger women typically wear skin-tight, low-rise flared pants and a shrunken jacket over a frilly lingerie-type top to work. This shouts “young and inexperienced." Try a sophisticated skirted suit with plain pumps instead.

Generation Y and Baby Boomers are more likely to sabotage their image with a dated hairstyle. For women under 30, long “teenage” hair makes you look inexperienced. For women over 30, frumpy, dated, or “wash and wear” styles that look like you just let it dry suggest either carelessness or that your products or services are also dated.