Editor’s note: Dermatologists advise limiting sun exposure and using sun protection because of the risk of skin cancer; the tanning advice in point 1 is the author’s opinion. This article is not medical advice.
Not all of us are lucky enough to be born good-looking, but becoming more attractive is in our own hands. Even a genuinely ugly person can make plenty of improvements to become an attractive one.
We’re not about to turn this into a style or beauty site for executives, but the fact is that in business and sales, and even in a job interview, being attractive in general will open doors for you, while not being so will put you at a disadvantage. Becoming more attractive means earning more money.
So here are some tips, from the most general to the most specific. Some are backed by science, while others are backed by common sense about style and fashion.
Physical details that make you more attractive in a few simple steps
Some people admit they’re ugly and ask why they should bother looking after themselves. Well, if you’d get top marks in an ugliness exam, let’s at least try to bring that down to a B, or a high B.
1. Skin tone makes you more attractive automatically
A tan always earns you points for attractiveness, because pale skin is associated with someone who’s ill. And the truth is that in many cases we’re talking about skin that lacks vitamins.
It’s advisable to get some sun, even if only 20 or 30 minutes a day, especially in winter. Of course, these days there are self-tanners sold as wipes that will give you a few shades of colour in a couple of hours.
We should also make sure our skin doesn’t look dry but well moisturised.
2. Get rid of nose and ear hair and tidy up your brows
The fact is that nowadays everyone notices hair sticking out of the nose, as well as hair on the ears. With a hair trimmer you can solve the problem in a few minutes. Likewise, we have two eyebrows, and they really shouldn’t look like one.
3. Well-kept teeth
You don’t need whitening that makes you glow in the dark, but a dental cleaning and proper oral hygiene will make your smile look completely different. The smile is one of the most important parts of a person’s attractiveness, while stained, yellow teeth can make you look careless and dirty.
4. Shape your body
Some people say they feel more at ease putting their money with a CEO who exercises. Exercise doesn’t just give you a more attractive body; it also makes you less stressed and more focused. And according to some scientists, when we exercise we become more desirable to the opposite sex, because we really do have animal instincts, and the substances you secrete are picked up by the opposite sex.
5. Hair
Avoid too much hair gel. Find a hairstyle that suits your personality. Avoid those fashionable mohawk-style cuts that can close doors for you at a conservative company or with a conservative client.
Likewise, when hair loss makes its appearance, don’t fight it. When the time comes, any attempt to hide baldness will make you look ridiculous and insecure.
Clothes can make you more attractive
You can’t be the best-looking person in the room, but let’s try to make you the best dressed.
6. You can cheat with your shoes
The most persuasive people tend to be tall. It’s one of the physical qualities of great leaders. I’m 1.70 m and very happy that way, but if someone feels self-conscious about their height or wants a few extra centimetres, these days there are specialist shoe shops where you can buy shoes that will discreetly add 5 centimetres or more to your height.
7. If you don’t know what to choose, choose a suit
No other outfit can make you more attractive than a suit. In fact, a suit can be worn casually, formally or at full-on elegant level.
Some people think suits aren’t comfortable, but the truth is that once you get used to wearing one, it’s the most comfortable thing you’ll find. Of course, there’s a big difference between buying off-the-peg suits and having them made to measure.
8. Suit colours
In my opinion, colours should be plain. I know pinstripe suits are fashionable right now. If you’re after elegance, a plain black or dark navy suit will make you stand out, always contrasting with the shirt, tie or pocket square. Obviously, colours depend on the time of year and the occasion.
Accessories as a way to become more attractive
9. Cufflinks and pocket squares
You don’t see shirt cufflinks very often, and the truth is they look very elegant on executives. They used to be a luxury item, but nowadays there’s a huge range of cufflinks in every taste and theme, some for less than €5.
In the same way, a pocket square neatly placed in the upper outside pocket of your suit jacket will give you a distinctive touch.
10. Glasses
Choosing the right glasses can correct some flaws. On the other hand, glasses with the wrong shape can give other people the wrong impression.
Body language and personality
There’s little we can say that we haven’t already said about body language, though it never hurts to go over a few points. Body language will say what we’re like, or rather, how we’re perceived.
There’s nothing more attractive than a person who’s confident in themselves.
11. Your posture makes you attractive
When you’re sitting down, your posture can say a lot about you. And when you’re standing, a wide stance with relaxed hands will make you look much more confident than someone in the hands-on-hips “jug handle” pose.
12. Your voice
A low, deep voice can make you more attractive regardless of your looks. In fact, I always use radio presenters as an example. I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed a beautiful voice on a woman who works in radio and pictured what she looked like, only to find out later that she looked nothing like you’d imagined. A voice that conveys peace and calm shows confidence, and therefore credibility. And so it’s sexier and more attractive.
13. Backed up by gestures
Slow, calm gestures accompanied by a high-pitched voice can hypnotise the listener and guide them wherever you want.
14. Sense of humour
You have to tell a sense of humour apart from the resident class clown. Attractive people are so sure of themselves that they don’t mind joking even about their biggest weaknesses. A very serious person can come across as professional, but sometimes that kind of charisma closes doors when competing with someone who has social skills.
15. Entertain, but don’t bore
Some people charm us for the first five minutes, but after 30 minutes they tire us out and lose the appeal we saw at first. Sometimes there’s no better way to lose your appeal than to start telling a story that only you find funny and interesting, talking on and on without stopping.
Remember that when it comes to the people around you, it isn’t always about you. People like those who are also able to listen and pay attention.
(Read: How to get people you’ve just met to like you: 8 keys from an FBI expert)
16. Authenticity
There’s nothing more attractive than an authentic person. And there’s nothing more pathetic than someone working out strategies to try to seem interesting.
People often say, “Be yourself.” Of course, if you’re a jerk, this advice isn’t for you and you should change a few things.
Sometimes we can change many of our habits and take on new ones until we become the person we want to be, although, as the saying goes, “to become who we want to be, we have to start by acting like who we want to be, until it comes naturally.”
Further reading
- 25 habits of successful people
- 12 reasons you didn’t get the job that nobody will tell you
- 32 rules for being a successful entrepreneur
Featured image: Irvnik, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
