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

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.

By: Mani Karthik

Mani Karthik — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 08:39:42 +0000

I have to disagree with you Neil.

If what you said is true, anybody who can fake it would make it to the top. Faking is easy isn’t it?

If you think about it in the long term, you go to be genuine. Your attitude and intentions will definitely beat you when you are faking.

But if you are looking for short term goals, yes you can fake it and it may be the coolest way to success.

Just my two cents.

Cheers!
Mani

By: Rohan Sripad

Rohan Sripad — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 07:15:53 +0000

I definitely see the point being made here. The point is not how you should dress or what you should wear…rather, it’s whats the best way to start building your confidence. You need to fake your confidence, when initially you don’t have enough. That way you will get noticed and that leaves you with greater knowledge, and exposure. Gradually, as you keep learning, your confidence builds, until one fine day…it doesn’t matter what you wear or how you dress up. You are now more confident than ever, and you don’t have to fake it any more.

By: Neil Patel

Neil Patel — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 06:43:46 +0000

What a great way to phrase it! Most of the .com people that are looked up to and don’t care about appearances have already succeed.

By: Dan Schawbel

Dan Schawbel — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 04:54:36 +0000

Perception is reality in the short term.

Authenticity is reality in the long-term.

By: Simonne

Simonne — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 22:54:27 +0000

Unfortunately you are right. No client would take you seriously if they see you coming to meetings in an old, rusty car, regardless how smart you are and how well you can do your job. You just don’t get there, if the first impression is not what they have in mind when they think of a future partner. They may say that many millionaires dress in an excentric way, but they will think you are poor, not excentric. After you succeed, yes, you can wear tennis shoes and a solar watch.
I simply hate this, but it doesn’t mean I don’t see it works.

By: Neil Patel

Neil Patel — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 20:56:12 +0000

I am definitely familiar with the millionaires next door. The thing to note though is doctors and lawyers would have been them if those professions didn’t consist of high divorce rates.