Recently, I was with a client and her staff. The question came up about professional dress: Is it a requirement to wear a tie or can a sport jacket or suit be acceptable without a tie? Sometimes, clients are dressed without a jacket but always in a shirt and tie. What should they wear to always be acceptable and not under or overdressed?

In a first time meeting, always wear a full suit with a tie. If it is a very casual environment, a gray suit or a navy blazer with gray dress slacks can be worn instead. When making a first time presentation, it is suggested to always wear a blazer in very casual settings without a tie. You can always remove your tie or take off your jacket if the environment is very casual.

Walking in the first time in full dress sets the stage that you are the expert. It is more difficult to appear to be the professional if you come in with just a shirt and dress slacks because jackets always project the leader and subject matter expert look.

There is always room for improving processes that go into making a great project. Not long ago, I worked on a project that a few years later would be upgraded. When being reworked, the new team began to tell me all the processes that did not work in in the first iteration. I never said anything even though I worked on the first effort which came out well. I thought, things change and nothing really needed to be said about the prior project. Change happens, handle it with grace.

Often, clients fight that perception is reality. They don’t understand what their brand is and most importantly how their brand is perceived and the fact that what is really important is what is perceived.

Perception has a life of its own. Recently, in speaking with a client about a potential hire for her team, all she could remember was that this person was wearing ridiculously high heels! She felt this individual was only interested in fashion and not truly a business person. Changing the perception of the potential hire from a not-so-serious business person to a professional who took herself seriously, necessitated quite a mind shift in the interview.

It is often said that our eyes are the window to the world. They are also are how folks read you. Eye contact is critical when first meeting someone because it shows engagement and that you are focused on what they are saying. It also will help you remember names and something about them.

Eyes, when looking down, up, to the right or to the left, do not send a good message. In some cases, it shows nervousness and even deception in a reply.

The most important asset of your body language is the facial expression. So many times I have been asked to work with clients who have a poker face. The reason the poker face is such a negative part of body language, is that it puts up a wall to communicating. People cannot read or connect with you when there is no expression on your face. When there is a lack of emotions, there is no communications. A true leader must be able to communicate.

Recently I have been interviewing folks on the phone for a special project for a client. Here are a few do’s for interviewees:

• Do give a mobile phone number that has good voice clarity

• Do give hours that you are available for an interview

• Do be able to answer questions like why we should engage you for the project

• Do apply for the role only if you have a current background in the field

• Do give a snapshot of your background in less than three minutes

• Do include impact statements (how your actions have positively affected a situation) in your background snapshot

Use these 6 do’s in your phone interview and you will have a very good chance of landing the role you want.

Recently, I was out with folks who like to have a cocktail and wine with their meals. Since for me, one glass of wine is more than enough for an evening, I usually order a club soda with a lime. I will order that glass of wine with my meal if everyone is having one.

It would be the same for a business event. For hosts, I recommend no more than two glasses of wine with one cocktail. Liquor can loosen one’s tongue which can lead to revealing things that would be better left unsaid.

It is important to tip the appropriate percentage of the full price of the service. With so many specials for massages, facials and food at discounted prices, the person providing the service still needs be paid a gratuity as if the item was full price. This also means that if you are treated by the owner of a restaurant, offer a proper token of your appreciation.

Simon O. Sinek is an author best known for popularizing the concept of “The Golden Circle” and to “Start With Why”, described by TED as “a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership” It offers these seven tips to ensure you will have a dynamic presentation:

1. Do not talk right away, wait until the audience gives you their attention

2. It is about what you can give the audience

3. Have a compelling personal story

4. Focus on a friendly face

5. Don’t listen or look at naysayers

6. Talk much slower than you normally do

7. Always thank the audience

In a business casual setting, men may not have to necessarily wear a suit jacket all the time, though they might be wearing a shirt and tie most of the time.

Many men in a workshop setting will ask if they can wear a mixed or patterned shirt with a patterned tie. Yes, of course. However, there are a few guidelines to ensure the right mix to look really sharp:

– The shirt stripe must be smaller than the tie pattern

– The tie pattern must be smaller if the shirt stripe is wide

– Make sure there is a similar color in both the tie and shirt

– A tie can be a totally different color than the shirt if the shirt is a non-patterned one

Of course, all of these rules can be broken if you have a dynamic eye for style or a work with a personal stylist!