Comments on: Appearances Are Not Deceiving, They Are Reality!

By: Neil Patel

Neil Patel — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 01:21:01 +0000

I agree with you. Looks can easily be deceiving.

By: Inner Game

Inner Game — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 06:16:05 +0000

he was a brilliant miltar and a brilliant politician , and from both perspectives the aperiance is what would made the others react to him, in his case his enemies to fear him with out even him taking action or in case he “appeared” to have less power his oponents would understimate him(even worst mistake).
im a big believer of being authentic in life but lets not forget that others always will make a mental image or concept of your self and you can always use that in your advantage.
in the sence of buisness we dont have mortal enemies to terrorice lol, but by the aperiance of power(or the lack of it) one has a biger posivility of ending with an upper hand

By: Neil Patel

Neil Patel — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:56:17 +0000

hmmm, interesting, what does that mean to you?

By: Inner Game

Inner Game — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 06:33:28 +0000

thats a very interesting subject, it reminds me of a miniserie of napolion

one of my favorite quotes of napolion is “power lies in the appearance of power”

By: Neil Patel

Neil Patel — Wed, 05 May 2010 17:53:04 +0000

Lol…. good for you. I’m sure you enjoy not having the wear the monkey suites anymore. It’s a great feeling isn’t.

By: Net Age

Net Age — Mon, 03 May 2010 08:27:09 +0000

Another oldie but goodie from your archives, Neil! Thank goodness for working in the internet world now, so I can wear shorts every day, and only shave and put on shoes when I really have to. After years of commuting and working in smart clothes I have finally found my peace!

That apart, I still maintain that first impressions are lasting, and it really pays off to pay a little attention to detail when these events where you need to do dress and behave appropriately do arise.

By: Neil Patel

Neil Patel — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:36:25 +0000

How you present yourself to other is definitely key. However remember, the way you communicate is more important.

By: Damon Day

Damon Day — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:01:27 +0000

This is absolutely true. Perception is reality. People see what they want to see. Of course it goes far beyond clothes but lets say you have a nice home that you want to put on the market. You meet with two realtors. One pulls up in a Mercedes and is dressed nice and professional. The other pulls up in an older model Toyota and is dressed not bad but maybe in cheap clothes and shoes.

Now assuming that all else is equal between the two of them, people are more likely to sign with the Realtor driving the Mercedes because the perception is that he must be a successful Realtor if they can afford these nice things. The perception might not be correct, but it is what it is.

By: Neil Patel

Neil Patel — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 23:09:08 +0000

How your carry yourself makes a great difference, you’re right. It’s called having a swag

By: cash loans uk

cash loans uk — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:15:34 +0000

Yes and no. I feel one may be simple and still look more than decent. I have seen numerous successful people in normal appearances. I think its the way you carry yourself which is more important than what you wear. Of course, what you wear should be decent.

By: Neil Patel

Neil Patel — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 23:05:39 +0000

Everything is about making an effort. If you aren’t going to make an effort in the first place, there is no point in even trying.

By: Motorcycles for sale

Motorcycles for sale — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 06:31:04 +0000

Guess it depends on your goal, Neil… Fake it til you make it isn’t as disingenuous as it sounds. It’s about sending out making an effort to send out the vibes you’d like to get in return… for those who are not quite there yet.

By: Neil Patel

Neil Patel — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:23:34 +0000

Good point, appearances don’t have to be physical, they can also be virtual.

By: LotusJump

LotusJump — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:56:56 +0000

I absolutely believe this in business – it amazes me how many people will have an awesome piece of software and not invest a dime in design only to wonder why people won’t trust the company with their credit card.

This is business (and life) 101 – as much as people say they want to give the underdog a chance they don’t really want to take the risks associated with it when it comes to their money or status.

By: bipolar2

bipolar2 — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 16:55:44 +0000

Yeah, those are great values to live by. I’ve always wanted to be an old, white, CEO/CFO/COO soulless monster. Thanks for pointing the way — God! now I’ve learned how to fit in.

By: Neil Patel

Neil Patel — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:51:27 +0000

By all means I am not recommending to go out and buy a Rolex. I was just trying to make a point that when people do have fancy suits or watches, others think of them in a different fashion. In most cases if you dress clean as you mentioned, it would also work.

I also agree that this partly a self-esteem issue. Someone people just do not have the confidence when they walk into a room and hopefully changing their appearance will help fix that. Although this may not be the best approach, but it is one approach to help solve the problem.

By: Ades

Ades — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:09:03 +0000

Wearing clean and looking neat is one thing, and “faking it” and trying to look like someone (cool) is something else. What you are saying is the second one. I think you are giving wrong advice to people, of which the result can be disastrous.

You can still look professional without a designer suit or a Rolex watch.

I think this is a self-esteem issue. As you know different people have different needs according to Maslow’s need theory. (Example: Gandhi or Mother Teresa didn’t designer clothes, but they were extremely successful.)

By: Neil Patel

Neil Patel — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:12:56 +0000

With appearances, if you dress a certain way, you are not lying. Fake it maybe a bad term, but the goal is to increase your chances of interacting with people and then “be yourself” when talking to them.

By: Phil

Phil — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 10:59:18 +0000

While I believe appearance does play an important role in success, how does ‘faking it’ correlate with the fact that people are increasingly demanding authenticity from those they interact with?

Very interesting post though!

Phil

By: Gabriel

Gabriel — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:09:31 +0000

This is a very interesting discussion. While I do think that the general principle behind the initial posting is largely correct and there are many specific examples that counter the principle, I can honestly say that perception is everything. By being human, our natural instinct is to judge everything immediately. Although we no longer need to fear the potential of being eaten by a massive beast, figure out what to kill for dinner, or look for the first sign of weakness in the pack leader; our instinct is to judge immediately. The modern outgrowth of this is how people’s perception of you is formed in less than a second. The simple fact is, much like dinner in a fancy restaurant, presentation is everything. If you present yourself in a way that does not resonate with whom you are presenting your self or your product to, you instantly loose an opportunity. If you resonate, then it is more likely that you will have a desired opportunity and succeed.

By: Albert | UrbanMonk.Net

Albert | UrbanMonk.Net — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 03:44:20 +0000

Yeap I agree with this completely. I was at the mall just now, and I saw a rather old looking guy, but he was dressed in camo pants, boots, and a very hip rugged sorta shirt. Really made him stand out, and look quite cool. It struck me how if he was dressed like all the other chumps he'd just be another chump, like Kyle said above. Cheers, Albert | UrbanMonk.Net Modern personal development, entwined with ancient spirituality.

By: Pete Kistler

Pete Kistler — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 23:48:39 +0000

Neil says, "If you don't have the right attitude, your appearance will not do much for you." I agree to a large extent, but look at the opposite of that same sentence: "If you don't have the right appearance, your attitude won't do much for you." If your appearance is holding you back, then change it. To the extent that a new suit will boost your confidence, that's money well spent. If new shoes will put a new bounce in your step and a new watch put a broader smile on your face, then those are effective investments. Stephen says, "Self confidence is going to be a better tool then a new haircut." That's true, but if a haircut is the path to more self-confidence, then head to the barber! Mindy says, "Being successful starts with your state of mind, not whether you are wearing a Rolex or not." Yes! If you don't need material things to gain self-esteem, save your money. In the end, it comes down to putting effort into those things that give back the most value to you. If that means spending money on a wardrobe overhaul so you can look and feel good, then do it! Otherwise, spend (or better, invest) the money elsewhere. - Pete Kistler Director, Brand-Yourself.com Brand-Yourself.com Blog

By: Kyle Healey

Kyle Healey — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 06:42:35 +0000

I actually agree very much with this post. As my good friend Gerry once told me “Not every chump is walking around in $300 jeans”

By: Yi Lu

Yi Lu — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 02:01:49 +0000

Anytime Neil…. Considering the demographic of your readers, such criticism is expected.

BTW, keep up the excellent work. I’ll probably see you around on the next big seminar.

By: Neil Patel

Neil Patel — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:53:11 +0000

Thanks for helping me clarify.

By: Yi Lu

Yi Lu — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 05:10:52 +0000

I think everyone sensed a misconception of what Neil was trying to deliver. From my prospective, people whom tend to dress clean cut (trendy, suits, smart casual etc..) do have a tendency to possess a higher education and are well mannered. This is not to exploit the casual dresser as being less educated or rude but just a observation from daily NYC atmosphere.

Anyway, Neil’s article was written in a general term on how the general public views our superficial look from how successful we are but unrelated entrepreneurs.

By: Lucas Ng

Lucas Ng — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 06:16:19 +0000

Appearance helps.

For example, a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology showed that highly attractive male interviewees were consistently rated by interviewers as more suitable for hire than females and marginally attractive (PC for ugly) male applicants.

The ability to look past physical appearance bias is not common and good looking people can exploit this advantage.

It’s the same as taking advantage of any gap in an inefficient market!

By: Neil Patel

Neil Patel — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:41:52 +0000

You need more to hang out with CEOs of fortune 1000 companies, but blending in (wearing nice clothes, glasses, watches…) helps.

Standing out also helps, but for some reason many of these “old school” execs do not like outsiders (people who do not blend in).

By: Deelip

Deelip — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 02:42:52 +0000

Well, I disagree.
Only wearing nice clothes will not let you hang out with CEOs From fortune 1000 companies. They won’t hang with anyone, just because he is wearing nice watch and clothes.

By: Neil Patel

Neil Patel — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 23:58:20 +0000

Faking it will only get you so far. My overall point was that by adjusting your appearance you can affect how people fist view you. If you dress rich then people will think you are rich and will hopefully lookup to you. Granted you still have to be talented to succeed, but appearances can help you with a lot of things such as networking.