A well- dressed suit every day.  Period.

Never know who might drop in.  It's happened to me (numerous times) before I learned this lesson.  Say what you what about appearance.....it matters.

TJ

I have had the experience of seeing different offices and bank programs and can give you some insight. It all depends on the market, the office manager and you.  Some brokers will never wear a tie and they some what feel proud to admit that.  Its like, I'm a big producer and I will wear what I please.  I've seen this at SB, RJ, AG and MS but never at the bank platform programs. You might see a more causal dress code at banks like Wachovia but only at their Securities locations and not the branch. Never at Merrill they are like "Men in Black" the movie.  White shirts and ties 100% of the time I don't think they have causal day. And I get the impression they sleep in suits.

One of the things I like about this business is that you can be who you want to be and dress that way you want to dress.  and I have not seen any correlation between dress and level of production. So be who you want to be and find the right firm to accomodate you.

I wear suits everyday but I work in a 100% corporate environment.  I do high net worth business and I never know who might stop by.  So I'm always dress in business suits. Expecting one of my million dollar clients to drop by.

If you like the corporate look, interview several office managers and find and appropriate fit for you.  I found an environment that fit me and my client and I'm pleased with my move. 

I work for a regional bank and wear a nice suit 95% of the time.  We have casual friday and if I don’t have an appointment on Friday I will some times go without a tie on, but I always have one ready if needed.

Chris

yes…was a stupid question. As far as I could tell, nobody answered your question. Just bunches of statements.

No, PeanutBroker- it was not a stupid question.  We gave our opininions; agree/bash as you will. 

Provide something constructive. Please. 

If someone is paying you a salary, the dresscode is suit and tie.  If you are straight commission and you produce enough, you can wear whatever you want.

[quote=anonymous]If someone is paying you a salary, the dresscode is suit and tie.  If you are straight commission and you produce enough, you can wear whatever you want.[/quote]

I think that may have been the best answer on this forum!!

[quote=joedabrkr] [quote=anonymous]If someone is paying you a salary, the dresscode is suit and tie.  If you are straight commission and you produce enough, you can wear whatever you want.

[/quote]

I think that may have been the best answer on this forum!!
[/quote]

If you're paying yourself it's even more important that you dress for success.

Wearing anything other than a dark business suit when you handle people's money is a mistake.

Period.

[quote=NASD Newbie]

[quote=joedabrkr] [quote=anonymous]If someone is paying you a salary, the dresscode is suit and tie.  If you are straight commission and you produce enough, you can wear whatever you want.

[/quote]

I think that may have been the best answer on this forum!!
[/quote]

If you're paying yourself it's even more important that you dress for success.

Wearing anything other than a dark business suit when you handle people's money is a mistake.

Period.

[quote=joedabrkr] [quote=NASD Newbie]

[quote=joedabrkr] [quote=anonymous]If someone is paying you a salary, the dresscode is suit and tie.  If you are straight commission and you produce enough, you can wear whatever you want.

[/quote]

I think that may have been the best answer on this forum!!
[/quote]

If you're paying yourself it's even more important that you dress for success.

Wearing anything other than a dark business suit when you handle people's money is a mistake.

Period.

[/quote]

Oh Newbie we sooooo missed your wit and wisdom the last few days!

So tell me, how exactly is it that YOU know so much about owning yoru own business?
[/quote]

Every broker, whether working for Merrill or through LPL, is running their own business.

If you lose a single prospect because the client is not impressed with your choice of attire you have lost one too many.

When you handle people's money it is impossible to come across as been incorrectly dressed in a dark business suit.

That you would even attempt to argue a different point of view paints you as a fool.

There is a difference between doing what you can do and doing the right thing--sure you can show up to talk about my 401(k) rollover looking like you just stepped off the golf course, but it's just as incorrect as showing up at a funeral dressed in a plaid sports coat and white pants.

When you're so desperate that you flee a premier firm such as UBS for the higher payout offered by LPL you need all the help you can get--and one of the most easily implemented steps to success is to dress for as if you're serious.

Even though you know you're actually just a clown pretending to be.

"When you handle people's money it is impossible to come across as been incorrectly dressed in a dark business suit."

This may usually be the case if you are in your office in the city, but there are many scenarios where this is incorrect.  This is not appropriate dress if you want to be trusted by ranchers, farmers, etc. on their property.

[quote=anonymous]

"When you handle people's money it is impossible to come across as been incorrectly dressed in a dark business suit."

This may usually be the case if you are in your office in the city, but there are many scenarios where this is incorrect.  This is not appropriate dress if you want to be trusted by ranchers, farmers, etc. on their property.

[/quote]

Nonsense.  Ranchers and farmers may not wear suits but they are not turned off by a guy who does.  Especially if that guy is handling their money.

Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do it.

How do you know?  Are you a farmer or rancher?  Are these the types of people who make up your clientele.  You probably feel the most comfortable around people in business suits.  That's how you were brought up and how you ran your business.

Do you think that the farmer is most comfortable with the guy in the polished shoes and the $1,500 suit?  Show up on a farm like that and you'll have instant distrust. 

anonymous is totally correct.  There may be farmers and ranchers who do prefer that their rep wear a suit, as newbie states, but I think they are the minority.  I've worked with blue collar types who threaten to take a pair of scissors and cut of my tie if I don't remove it. 

I think its a good idea to dress professionally for the first (couple?) of meetings, but as the rapport is developed you will get a better sense of what is appropriate dress and what is not.  If your client tells you not to worry about the suit, then don't worry.  You need to continuously earn their trust and if that means 'dressing down' then so be it.

[quote=anonymous]

How do you know?  Are you a farmer or rancher?  Are these the types of people who make up your clientele.  You probably feel the most comfortable around people in business suits.  That's how you were brought up and how you ran your business.

Do you think that the farmer is most comfortable with the guy in the polished shoes and the $1,500 suit?  Show up on a farm like that and you'll have instant distrust. 

[/quote]

As a matter of fact I do know a lot about selling to farmers and ranchers and can tell you that they do not distrust a banker in a business suit, nor do they distrust a broker in a business suit.

It's nonsense to think anything else.

Just because they will not kick you off their property if you show up wearing jeans and boots does not mean that they would not be more impressed if you didn't.

What you're saying is that farmers and ranchers are ignorant and can be manipulated by what somebody is wearing.  I think more of them than to conclude that.

"If you lose a single prospect because the client is not impressed with your choice of attire you have lost one too many."

Sorry, NASD, but a farmer or rancher won't be impressed by someone standing in their mud wearing a new suit.   Wear a suit in your office and look professional.  Wear a suit in the mud and look like a fool.

[quote=anonymous]

"If you lose a single prospect because the client is not impressed with your choice of attire you have lost one too many."

Sorry, NASD, but a farmer or rancher won't be impressed by someone standing in their mud wearing a new suit.   Wear a suit in your office and look professional.  Wear a suit in the mud and look like a fool.

[/quote]

As I've said I have experience with farmers and ranchers and I have never met with them in their fields or elsewhere where there would be muddy conditions.

It was normally in their home, but a lot of them had very nice offices somewhere on the property.

If they happen to put you in a situation where you get your business shoes muddy they will apologize rather than think you a fool.

They are not as stupid as you seem to think they are.

[quote=NASD Newbie][quote=joedabrkr] [quote=NASD Newbie]

[quote=joedabrkr] [quote=anonymous]If someone is paying you a salary, the dresscode is suit and tie.  If you are straight commission and you produce enough, you can wear whatever you want.

[/quote]

I think that may have been the best answer on this forum!!
[/quote]

If you're paying yourself it's even more important that you dress for success.

Wearing anything other than a dark business suit when you handle people's money is a mistake.

Period.

[/quote]

Oh Newbie we sooooo missed your wit and wisdom the last few days!

So tell me, how exactly is it that YOU know so much about owning yoru own business?
[/quote]

Every broker, whether working for Merrill or through LPL, is running their own business.

If you lose a single prospect because the client is not impressed with your choice of attire you have lost one too many.

When you handle people's money it is impossible to come across as been incorrectly dressed in a dark business suit.

That you would even attempt to argue a different point of view paints you as a fool.

There is a difference between doing what you can do and doing the right thing--sure you can show up to talk about my 401(k) rollover looking like you just stepped off the golf course, but it's just as incorrect as showing up at a funeral dressed in a plaid sports coat and white pants.

When you're so desperate that you flee a premier firm such as UBS for the higher payout offered by LPL you need all the help you can get--and one of the most easily implemented steps to success is to dress for as if you're serious.

Even though you know you're actually just a clown pretending to be.

[quote=NASD Newbie][quote=anonymous]

"If you lose a single prospect because the client is not impressed with your choice of attire you have lost one too many."

Sorry, NASD, but a farmer or rancher won't be impressed by someone standing in their mud wearing a new suit.   Wear a suit in your office and look professional.  Wear a suit in the mud and look like a fool.

[/quote]

As I've said I have experience with farmers and ranchers and I have never met with them in their fields or elsewhere where there would be muddy conditions.

It was normally in their home, but a lot of them had very nice offices somewhere on the property.

If they happen to put you in a situation where you get your business shoes muddy they will apologize rather than think you a fool.

They are not as stupid as you seem to think they are.