Want to make more sales? Pay attention to your appearance. Our post on salesperson fitness notes that the way you present yourself influences how customers see the products and services you’re showcasing—so if you look polished, they’ll think your offerings are, too. You can partly ensure that by staying in peak physical condition. However, don’t ignore the power of good salesperson attire. The right clothes convey a sense of professionalism. A button-up, slacks, and leather shoes, for example, will help you appear more trustworthy than shirts, jeans, and sneakers.
That logic extends to your eyewear. CNN explains that glasses are associated with reading, which is why they help you appear more intelligent. That’s not to say that you aren’t! However, it can help with sales. In fact, studies find that professionals who don the appropriate eyewear increase their direct sales by up to 14%.
But what exactly is considered the right kind of eyewear? How do you pick them out for yourself? Is there any etiquette to follow when wearing them while working sales? Read on to see these questions answered.
The right kind of eyewear for sales professionals
Generally, eyeglasses are the best kind of eyewear that professionals can sport—especially if you need them for vision correction. Any type of prescription eyeglasses are free game. Beyond single-vision lenses for nearsightedness and multifocal ones that correct vision at two different distances, that includes readers glasses if you’re a bit older and have a presbyopia diagnosis. As exemplified by models like the angular, black Conan and metallic Carina frames available on Foster Grant, they come in various styles appropriate for professional sales settings. More importantly, however, their lenses are clear. That means you can still forge direct eye contact with customers, allowing you to more easily connect with them and encourage sales without compromising on the vision correction you need.
That leads us to the next point: sunglasses are definitely not the right kind of eyewear for your sales attire. Though they’re great for sun protection, wearing dark sunglasses, in particular, discourages direct eye contact and makes you appear like you’re hiding something. Customers may thus perceive you as being cold and standoffish, if not also a little bit sketchy—especially if you’re donning those sunnies indoors. However, you’ll also want to steer away from more “casual” sunglasses designs like Ray-Ban’s classic Aviators, even if they have lighter lenses in shades like turquoise, as they’ll dress down your professional attire.
What to look for when buying eyewear for your sales attire
It’s simple: choose glasses that match you and what you’re wearing. A good rule of thumb here is to wear frames in conservative colors and materials that suit your face shape and skin tone. You can start by staying away from eyeglasses that come in vibrant hues like bright red and purple. Instead, try versatile yet sophisticated colors and patterns like black and tortoiseshell, as they’ll mesh well with various kinds of formal business attire. Metallic frames may also come off as more professional-looking than plastic ones like acetate, as they quite literally appear more sleek and polished.
From here, this glasses guide from CNET outlines a few helpful tips for choosing eyewear that suits your unique appearance. Selecting frames for your face shape is pretty straightforward—just make sure they contrast. That means rounder faces best suit square eyeglasses, and sharper jawlines pair well with round specs. You can then match your skin tone to the color of your frames. Cool ones like silver go well on lighter skin, and darker ones like gold suit deeper tones. Following these tips will help your eyewear naturally mix with your overall appearance instead of standing out, so you’ll look more polished.
Eyewear rules to follow while working sales
If you want to come off as more professional and trustworthy while working with clients, you can’t just don eyewear any which way. There are a couple of etiquette pointers you’ll want to keep in mind. The first is to never wear your glasses on top of your head like a bow. Aside from loosening the frames and ruining its fit, doing this will make you appear more casual and less prepared to make a sale.
More importantly, be cautious of how you look at people through your glasses. If you’ve ever encountered a glasses wearer looking down their nose at you from above their frames, you probably felt intimidated and maybe even thought that the person was a little bit rude. Though a simple glance like this can be unintentional, etiquette expert Lami Leibovitz notes it’s something other people can easily misinterpret. This move can cancel out the intelligence and trustworthiness points glasses otherwise provide to the advantage of your direct sales. Avoid doing the same with customers while on the sales floor to prevent them from thinking you’re judgemental or arrogant.
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