Should I Cut My Hair!?!

**Op3nTheJar** · 03-23-2008 12:13 PM

I'm a porter, at SouthWest Infiniti in Houston TX, Soon one of our service advisors, will be leaving, so the other day I sent my boss and e-mail, telling him how I thought i could fill the position, and i told him if it was necessary I would cut my hair, to submit to conservitive, corp hair ways. Well we talked and he said he was proud that i stepped up and asked (all the advisors are over 40 y/o, i'm 19) , and he said nhe wouldn't fill the position just yet, but that i could learn the ropes and fill in for one of the other guys on his day off, he also said that even though he actually likes my hair, he thinks it would be best that i cut it go with the more conservitive hair style. I've had my hair for 3 years and i'm kinda getting cold feet, i don't know what to do, and I'm not trying to make a career in the automotive industry, i just want to make more money to save for future plans. What to do?

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...1215_15342.jpg

**orangeteaco.com** · 03-23-2008 12:45 PM

Hi Op3n,

While I don't have a great deal of experience in the automotive industry, I do know a thing about hair - even if it's just that it'll grow back.

The way I see it, you can cut your hair now, make more money, and when you're ready to move on (read: have saved enough for your future plans), pick an industry that is less conservative and grow it back out again.

Who knows, over that period of time (with your hair short) you may end up getting used to it!

Either way, good luck and it sounds like you have a pretty cool boss.

Best,

Jon

**Ahern & Brucker** · 03-23-2008 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by orangeteaco.com

Hi Op3n,

While I don't have a great deal of experience in the automotive industry, I do know a thing about hair - even if it's just that it'll grow back.

The way I see it, you can cut your hair now, make more money, and when you're ready to move on (read: have saved enough for your future plans), pick an industry that is less conservative and grow it back out again.

Who knows, over that period of time (with your hair short) you may end up getting used to it!

Either way, good luck and it sounds like you have a pretty cool boss.

Best,

Jon

Cut your hair off to succomb to some peception of what "looks" good or is "respectable" ?? you profit a few extra bucks per hour....

sell your self respect for a couple of extra lousy bucks??? you will pay for that one the rest of your life.

SImiliar experiennce only mine was over the entire company, the owners beautiful daughter and a fat bonus vs. my beard...

I Still have the beard...

DOn't put or let people put "strings" on your values...

If you want to, it's fine but if it's part of the job ??? haha you can get a job pretty quick but it takes a long time to grow self respect.

**BMX** · 03-23-2008 02:47 PM

Yeah and sell yourself

**Hooman** · 03-23-2008 04:30 PM

Hi Op3nTheJar,

Interestingly, as I was reading some Dan Kennedy last night, he had a chapter dedicated to appearance and presentation - he called it packaging. Let me retype it here, I think you'll find it interesting. It's from No BS Sales Success.

Strategy 5 - The Process of Personal Packaging

I have a lot of experience in the advertising business, so I often think in terms of advertising. One big factor in the advertising and marketing of most products is packaging. Different packaging is appropriate for different products. Sometimes different packaging for the same product works better in different geographic areas. There are many variables to consider. I think these same considerations apply to packaging yourself.

Like everybody else, I have strong personal preferences about clothing and fashion. I like certain things; I dislike things. I'm sure you do too. However, the successful sales pro learns to set aside his preferences in favor of the most effective and appropriate personal packaging for a given situation. You might think of this as image management.

A prime consideration when packaging yourself is the first impression you give others. Psychologists tell us that most people form impressions of others in the first four minutes of meeting them and that 80% of the impression is based on nonverbal input. What you say has very little to do with it. We also know that people are very reluctant to change their first impressions.

Another consideration is the overall, continuing impression you communicate. You need to always be thinking about what your appearance says about you.

- No BS Sales Success, Dan Kennedy

I'm not going to type the whole chapter, but he goes onto tell a story about one time when he went into a bank, and the banker couldn't believe that he was a CEO because he wasn't wearing a tie. Then Kennedy says that "for every one person who says it, there are somewhere between 10 to 10,000 who think it." Because he says that all marketing research is based on these types of statistics. So, in your scenario, your boss has the balls to say it to you, imagine all the people who don't have the balls to say it but still think it.

And then Kennedy goes onto say that "in selling, we succeed based on what is, not on what ought to be." He say that he wished appearance wasn't such a big factor, because at one time he cut his hair too, to fit the mold of a certain selling situation.

It all boiled down to this:

"The logic is simple: if the packaging of products has an impact on how people regard those products, then the packaging of people must have an impact on how others regard those people."

-----

Hope that helps. Good luck.

**Ahern & Brucker** · 03-23-2008 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by Hooman

Hi Op3nTheJar,

It all boiled down to this:

"The logic is simple: if the packaging of products has an impact on how people regard those products, then the packaging of people must have an impact on how others regard those people."

-----

Hope that helps. Good luck.

Well...it's not that "simple" to me...

Pacakging is only a part of the whole... their is the product , the marketing, which may also include packaging, and the customer experience... Unlike a product on the shelf however, people can "with a wink of an eye" overcome ANY prejudice or bias or objection and, use that objection to a greater advantage...

Furthering the stereotype only prolongs the agony where as dealing with it head on and directly and turning it to an advantage seems more of a progressive approach...

I'm surprised such an old fashioned ideal has been passed down to someone so young... But in any event, while it may be true if we are out trying to market ourselves to look good and in your marketing, you think you need to follow suite and not be unique... (oatmeal get's sold in an oatmeal box regardless of who makes it) than your idea holds some weight (but not much)

Seems if he is marketing himself, he would use his hair to his advantage... if he looks like the next guy on the street, another slug in a tie, their is no benefit in that...

I'm sure this guy doesn't want to grow up to be just another cog in the system.? seems he must have started growing his hair to gain some individuality on some level and that individuality is going to get sold for a few bucks or some percieved chance of ...exactly what??

**tazman9r** · 03-23-2008 06:28 PM

I hate to say it, but most of this discussion is idealistic window dressing.

This is about a hair style, not your personality. If your boss was asking you to be something your not, or do something unethical, that would be completely different.

The plain and simple fact is that if your selling your time, your are selling yourself. This means you'll need to sell an image people are gonna want for a particular industry. I have had long hair twice in my life, including a Van Dyke (most people would say a mustache and goatee) and chose to cut it off and shave for my desired profession, that being aviation. If I chose to "fight the notion" that I couldn't be a professional pilot and have all this hair I would probably still be an out of work pilot.

Bottom line, if you want to keep the hair, and it really won't work with this job, then you have a decision to make. Cut the hair and get the job, keep the hair and get a different job. It's really not about compromising any principals or anything like that. It's just a choice. Every choice has consequences.

**ChadFraz** · 03-23-2008 11:08 PM

some people need to get over themselves. it's hair. your not selling your soul or anything. sometime you make sacrifices to get to where you want to be in the end. not everything is some huge drama...

**Ahern & Brucker** · 03-23-2008 11:54 PM

hey, it's ok with me however you feel about it...

CUt it don't cut it, doesn't matter to me. I have a little rebel in me so, what might seem like a small leak in the damn to some actually has a greater meaning to others.

**tazman9r** · 03-24-2008 07:18 AM

"Grow it long, shave it off"... Van Halen

**akula** · 03-24-2008 09:17 AM

haha get a hair cut u hippie!

**rachael24** · 03-24-2008 09:39 AM

LOL...I would hafta agree with the above post. I would cut it short!

**GuyBBY** · 03-24-2008 10:29 AM

Cut it, who knows what other opportunities will arise from that.

**rogercbryan** · 03-24-2008 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by Ahern & Brucker

Cut your hair off to succomb to some peception of what "looks" good or is "respectable" ?? you profit a few extra bucks per hour....

sell your self respect for a couple of extra lousy bucks??? you will pay for that one the rest of your life.

SImiliar experiennce only mine was over the entire company, the owners beautiful daughter and a fat bonus vs. my beard...

I Still have the beard...

DOn't put or let people put "strings" on your values...

If you want to, it's fine but if it's part of the job ??? haha you can get a job pretty quick but it takes a long time to grow self respect.

Sorry but you are so... ummm.. full of yourself its funny

**rogercbryan** · 03-24-2008 12:03 PM

Just cut your hair. I have a younger brother who is always having problems at work because people 'disrespect' him. I then have to ask if he is still wearing baggy pants and if he still has his ugly as fumanchu (spelling?). We are in the world of business so certain apperances are necessary. I can't pitch a $1,000,000 account wearing jeans and a t-shirt... so cut your hair.. by showing your boss you are willing to play ball you may even stumble on more opportunities...