The black suit is the traditional power colour. This colour combined with a strong stripe establishes dominance and authority.

Admit it! We’ve all made both personal and business decisions based on little more than a “gut feeling” about the other professionals with whom we associate. There’s an array of possible influences that could have helped determine these decisions, everything from how tall a person is to how much he smiles. One thing is for sure: considering the fact that a professional’s suit covers about 90 percent of his body, it has to be one of the major influences. For this review, we’re going to talk specifically about suit colours and their persuasion.

Starting at the Top
For the professional who has worked his way up the career ladder, picking the right suit colour is paramount. For the most part, CEOs, legal partners, and other high-ranking executives should stick with navy or black. These professionals often deal with others who are on equal footing in terms of status, so every edge counts. As such, these traditional power colours are great for establishing an air of dominance and authority. Obviously, this can be particularly helpful in dog- eat-dog boardroom settings. And for the legal professional, these colours can be just the thing to give you the upper hand in negotiation sessions.

For Managers
For those who manage people, presenting an image of dominance may be a little heavy-handed. Everyone knows you’re the boss — it’s in your title. More important than status is how you interact with your subordinates. For instance, on occasions where you are expected to have quite a bit of one-on-one time with your staff, a suit cut from an earth tone may be a good idea. That’s because this colour family lends itself to feelings of openness and trustworthiness. This is excellent for giving and receiving honest feedback with employees. It can also be good for consensus building when you need your employees to get on board with your initiatives.

For Sales Representatives
For many companies, everything starts with the sales staff. In short, the sales department is the engine that drives the company. Meeting goals and projections are of the utmost importance, so every little detail counts. As such, sales professionals need every advantage they can get.
When it comes to suiting, sales professionals may need a full arsenal of colours. For instance, those selling commodity-type items may want to go with an earth tone to establish rapport with customers. This will set the sales person apart from the slew of companies that are selling similar products at similar prices. However, those selling a service or product that requires the customer to feel secure may consider grey, which tends to portray a sense of stability and safety. Those selling financial services may consider this colour. Grey is also great when pitching a service where the competitive advantage is competency. This is because grey emits a perception of intellect, making the customer feel that you are extremely knowledgeable about your chosen field.

Of course, these are just guidelines, not hard and fast rules. Every professional needs to consider the occasion as well as his or her position. For instance, a CEO may decide to wear brown when he is surveying the warehouse floor to open up the lines of communication. Likewise, a mid-level manager may wear navy at a trade show to up his image in comparison to other professionals present. Like so many things, the key is timing. The right person, in the right suit, at the right time can definitely help make a favourable impression on a client, which may in turn lead to a better bottom line.

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