People who are good looking generally experience more success in life. I know that this may seem like just another example of the superficial world that we live in, but in order to have a better understanding of this concept, I will play the Devil's advocate while I write the lyrics for my new hit single "You're so Vain that you Probably Succeed!"
Imagine for a minute that you go to buy a car and shop at two different lots offering the same vehicles. At the first lot, you are approached by a clean cut, white-toothed, sharply dressed salesman who offers you 
acceptable service. At the second lot, you are approached by an overweight scruffy man who has several meals worth of stains collected on his un-tucked shirt and the masticated remains of his lunch stuck between his teeth. Despite his appearance, he offers an exceptional level of helpfulness.
Who would you choose? Remember, "the politically correct" thing to do would be to not "judge a book by it's cover". Honestly? I'm going with clean cut guy. Even if he seemed slightly less helpful, the fact that he takes pride in his appearance sends out subconscious cues that he is more put together, more organized, more qualified.
Now, before all the liberals out there start screaming about "the way things ought to be", take a moment and seriously think about it.
Who would you be more likely to trust with a huge investment like YOUR HOUSE??
Would you as a consumer honestly choose sloppy beer belly guy with thighs in separate zip codes to be the face of your house? What would a potential buyer think when he or she finds out that the selling Realtor looks like Homer Simpson?
Now, am I saying that you need to have the voice of Ricky Martin, the face of Matt Damon, the eyes of John Evarts, and the body of Fabio, to succeed in this bizz? Of course not! Am I saying that it helps to keep your weight in check, teeth brushed, clothes neat, and hair groomed? Absolutely.
As callous as that may sound, it is true. Even the most politically correct person on the earth would more than likely choose an agent who seemed to maintain a professional well groomed appearance. Obviously I am no "Adonis" but I do try to make the best of what I have. One of the Greatest men in our country's history once remarked:
"Most people dislike vanity, [but] I give it fair quarter, wherever I meet with it, being persuaded that it is often productive of good to the possessor...therefore, in many cases, it would not be all together absurd if a man were to thank God for his vanity." - Benjamin Franklin
As it turns out, old Ben was right on the money. There have been several studies into the behavior of humans to back up exactly what he said! In other words, by expecting everyone to do the right thing and accept you as you are (no matter what you look like) you may be seriously crippling your business! I only know of one guy who can pull off outdated clothes and horrible grooming with any degree of success. Austin Powers. Unfortunately the rest of us are not so "groovy" and need to give in to better hygiene. This is not to say that we all need to become constantly preening ego maniacs, but please folks...a little grooming can go a long way.
If anyone is interested, I can delve into this a bit more with several other examples of ways to cripple your business through your appearance. Until then, this should suffice.
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