Entertaining your clients can be both fun and productive.  It can be used as a tool to strengthen relationships, and at the very least increase your familiarity with the customer’s key people.  Used incorrectly, it can reveal things, right or wrong, about you and or your company in regard to your class, morals, and standing that will be indelibly etched in your customer’s and co-employee’s memory.

Be Smart and Practical

In the universe of entertainment options your choices should be safe and time proven.  Fine dining, spectator-sporting events, golf and other sporting events are time proven.  Relaxing activities such as spas, manicure/pedicures, makeovers, and other activities are making a strong showing as well.

There is, of course, some areas best left out.  Engaging the customer at gentlemen’s clubs, also known as ‘strip clubs’, is totally off limits!  It lacks class, and is far from harmless.  There is no activity, which is in poorer taste than this, whether you are supporting (paying for) the activity or you have the gall to have your company pay for it.  For the most part it is in violation of most expense policies (see Black Sales Journal 4/4/11 Business Entertainment – Some Do’s and Don’ts).

Stand for Something!

Black sales professionals beware: Company expense policies should be observed, and the letter of the law in an expense policy is important, but more important is understanding the intent.  The intent should be followed without fail.  In establishing and retaining credibility sales professionals don’t need to run afoul of what is, or what should be, socially acceptable.

Gone are the days when sales professionals and executives can entertain at gentlemen’s clubs without scrutiny.  Everyone should be held accountable for relationship building that is socially acceptable and open to both genders, all ethnic groups, and all sexual orientations.

Even if your customer asks to participate in one of these activities, you should show an unwavering stance and say that it is not something that you want to do.  I think that you should have the confidence to say, “No, but I have something else that we can do that will be great.”  That effort to redirect will probably be accepted, but even if rejected, I think you will have shown your character.

Stand up for yourself in this.  A mentor of mine told me once, “If you don’t stand for something, you don’t stand for s—!”  Think about it.  What do you stand for?

The Real Costs!

When men get together and consider the gentlemen’s club option, just think how offensive and exclusionary that is, or can be, to female customers, or co-employees.  It is discriminatory, and totally unfair!  You lose your integrity, your credibility, and respect.  Hmmm!  I am not sure you have much left that is considered universally of value.

The same is true for female sales professionals.  Taking clients to an ‘all men’ review is equally poor in taste.  Protect your image as well.

I am not sure which would be worse, to leave your female counterparts or customers behind, or to be as ridiculous as to ask them to attend.  Show your character and avoid mindless activities.  Keep everyone engaged an involved.  Treasure everyone’s feelings in the process.

A Personal Example

I was once a regional sales manager in the Michigan/Ohio market.  This market is dominated by the auto industry, but also focused in southeastern Michigan, basically Detroit.  I enjoyed the 6 year stint there, but was continually asked to go either to 8 Mile, an area replete with gentleman’s clubs, or to Windsor, Canada, another area brimming with strip clubs and other attractions.

An executive vice-president of my organization visited our office with one of his direct reports, a senior vice president, in tow.  After the requisite meeting they ask me to take them to Windsor.  I will be honest, I felt some pressure as this was two steps up from my manager, an important company officer, and very influential.

I said to them, “I will not be going there, but you can use my vehicle to go if you are sure that is what you want to do.” It was met with the quick reply, “Come on, we are going to talk business with you!  You need to be there for us to talk about this stuff.”  The Senior VP then said, “Don’t give me this s— that you don’t go to strip clubs….”  I retorted, “You don’t want to hear it, but I don’t go to strip clubs.”

They smirked, but found someone else to take them.  I always wondered whether it would affect my career, but it did not do any long-term damage, although it was known in the short term that I was not one of the ‘boys”.  Remember, you have to stand for something!

Stand Tall

Find comfort in standing tall in situations like this. Don’t do anything because the ‘crowd’ thinks you should.  Whether you are male or female, Black or white, gay or straight, be you and eventually you will be appreciated for your stance.  If you partake of these activities currently, you should consider your image and take this opportunity to change.  See the light!

Your comments are welcome.

I recognize that you know how to dress professionally.  I also recognize that there is often temptation to ‘relax’ your routine  in the face  of our changing times.  I want to go ‘on record’ against becoming a ‘pedestrian’ in the fast moving world of business.  Your image is at stake!

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I would like to share a couple of views that can only help you increase your effectiveness.

As a Black sales professional, your image and the persona that you are working to build are very much subject to your last encounter with your client, especially a new one.  With that in mind, remember to always look your best.

To Be or Not To Be … Casual?

As a sales professional, when the rest of the world dresses down for casual day, you have your opportunity to stand out as a sales professional.

Whether it is casual Fridays, or “casual dress” office environments, many operations began doing it In the 90s and it is widespread now.

As comfortable as it is, I would like to convince Black sales professionals not to do it.  Here is my reasoning:

• As a sales professional, when the rest of the world dresses down for casual day, you set yourself apart as a sales professional.  Sales professionals look the part.
• In the eyes of your clients you want to stand out as an individual who treasures their business relationship and has something to special to deliver.  Dressing down indicates that you need comfort more than you need to display professionalism.  Don’t be suckered into it; be the consummate professional.
• When you are in casual mode on casual Friday, or in an office casual setting, it makes the rest of your day, casual.  Meeting with a client to solve an unforeseen problem, or responding to that potential “call-in” is not possible, unless you plan to take “casual” with you everywhere.
• To your clients, if you are casual, what makes you different from the next sales professional?  This is when you show your best.  Strengthen your persona!

Be the best-looking sales professional out there.  Whether male or female if your business garb is your “uniform”, then do it in the way that makes you stand out.   This is especially the case when your own office is casual.  Don’t let yourself fall into that mode.  Everyone in your office is not in the same position as you, so they will dress position appropriate for their job, and you need to dress for customer contact.

I believe that any sales professional, who is responsible for being on client visits or potentially greeting clients when they come to your company’s, office should be dressed in attractive business clothing. For the type of work you do, you want the customer to recognize you as a professional who represents yourself and your company as a professions well emblazoned intheir mind.

Always Look Your Best

During my tenure as a regional sales manager many years ago I was interviewing a sales candidate that was being considered for employment by one of my field sales managers.   The objective of having the Regional Sales Manager interview the Field Sales Manager’s prospective hires was to put another set of eyes and ears to it.  On this morning I met a candidate who had received high marks from the interviewing manager.

When I walked in the interview room, I met a candidate who we would pay a salary and bonus as well as a possibility of inheriting some significant customers.  Immediately upon introduction I noticed obvious grease stains on the candidates pants as well as frayed collar on his shirt.  It frankly looked bad.

The interview was better than average, and there were many solid points that the prospective sales representative offered up that made me think that I might be able to endorse the sales manager’s selection.  That is, if issues regarding appearance were not so lightly regarded by this candidate.

If the candidate was that neglectful when putting his best foot forward in an effort to get the job, how was he going to look when visiting one of our customers?  Although I probably don’t need to say it, he did not get the job.

Think About It

A testament to this will be when you exit an important customer’s office into the waiting room to say your farewells and see your competitors in some bad “Christmas” sweaters and deck shoes waiting to see your customer.  Even the janitor will be able to tell you who looks more professional.

Always look your best!  Be impeccable, it’s your image.

I would love your comments.