> It sets me apart and shows my interlocutor that I value the meeting and respect his or her time.
That sentiment should come from your language and the content of your discussion, not from your appearance...
That sentiment should come from your language and the content of your discussion, not from your appearance...
The effort that an individual devotes to their appearance does communicate to certain audiences your attention to detail, discipline, etc... in ways that a silver tongue alone won't. We can argue over the accuracy/applicability of any conclusions drawn from that, but in certain domains/problem spaces appearance is a very relevant assessment tool in building trust.