Baby, If You Look Good, You Play Good
February 25th, 2008
In another life I had buddies who always said, “Baby, if you look good you play good.” These guys spent more time primping their battle gear and hair than my daughter, but, they were right … they looked good, they in turn felt more confident, and they in turn played good.
Some of you have asked me about buying a suit in China because you want to look good. Below is an email excerpt from a trip alumni. We can talk more about this at one of our Spring meetings, if you wish. But for now, what are your business take-aways from the below? E.g., a number of your are taking negotiations now, but that is far from the only class the below ties into. (Please, please, please don’t say something silly and ethnocentric based on a sample size of one such as, “This just shows the Chinese are ruthless, cunning, dishonest and you can’t trust ‘em.” — the below, or something like it, also happens in the West, Asia, South America, Africa, etc. about a gizillion times a day.)
And sorry, Ladies, I don’t know of a good tailor in China who does ladies clothes. You are on your own.
>Chris,
Sorry about getting back to you. It was a very long week at work.
When XXXX and I went to the Pearl Street Market (I believe that is what it was called, it was on the business cards you handed out), we were acosted by sales people trying to sell us suits (this was on the bottom level of that giant indoor market). We began by looking at fabrics, all the while making sure to point out that suits were way too expensive for poor students to afford, and especially on our last day in China. The saleswoman (who I assume works for the fabric maker, and not the tailor) started at over $1,000 US. We laughed and she pointed out that these were custom made suits composed of very expensive Cashmere. She also pointed out that she had sold 3 suits for the same low price already that day.
XXXX and I balked and began looking at her competing neighbor’s line up. She came over and got us and cut her price in half. XXXX began to get more interested, but I being very frugal still had my reservations. Eventually XXXX and she agreed upon a price of about 1000 RMB’s for a suit. He gave her half as a downpayment and then began walking around contemplating a second suit.
Meanwhile, she went to work on selling me. Finally, we settled on 800 RMB, conditioned on the fact that I lie to XXX and tell him that I paid the same as he had. It was about 4 in the afternoon, I gave her 200 HK Dollars as downpayment, they took our measurements, and then we went on our way.
Then at midnight, a man who spoke very good English showed up at our hotel room. He had our suits ready, and we tried them on for the final fitting before he finished the hemming. He was pretty young, about our age and very professional about his business. I paid him about $20 American Dollars, and the rest in $HK (I didnt even have to exchange the money). He left and told us our suits would be ready when we woke up in the morning.
I have no idea if they make shirts or not, but i would assume so.
He was in the hotel room for maybe only 15 or 20 minutes, since he had done all of the work at his shop. His turn around time was from 4Pm to 7AM the next morning. So half that for one suit.
I dont know if he was the tailor the whole time or if he was just an assistant who did final measurements. I would have to look around and try to find my receipt somewhere to get his contact info. I know YYYY knows who he is because she said her dad buys suits from him, and pays about what XXXX paid.
I would think that he would be able to handle 15 suits at once, he is supposedly very popular in China. The Flight Attendant in America recognized my suit. I am not sure if he would just contract out to another shop though.
The best thing about it those is that apparently he keeps your measurements, so apparently if I ever find my receipt, I can email in an order.
Let me know if i can be any more help.
ZZZZ
Yeah, Baby. You look good, you play good.
Entry Filed under: China, Pre-Departure, Beijing
10 Comments Add your own
1. Witold Sadowski | February 25th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
“Don’t bargain for fish which are still in the water” (Indian Proverb)
All else is fair game. Perfect Price Discrimination – charging whatever each individual consumer is willing and able to pay (aka - Optimal Pricing) – helps extract all consumer surplus that lies beneath the demand curve and turn it into extra sales revenue.
Sounds smart to me…
2. Chris Carr | February 25th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Nice. There you go. Good job.
3. Simeon Trieu | February 26th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Agreed. Witold’s got the right answer. It goes the other way, too. When I first got into managing my own business, I was very sensitive about the price I charged my clients. I felt that what I would pay (which is very frugal) would be what my clients would be willing to pay. I didn’t want to be a blood-sucking businessman who tried to eek out every penny from my client. I would feel “bad” about charging so much for a service that I thought was simple enough. (some clients would pay $100/hr. for simple network installation, not typical of the central coast) The take-away I was reminded of in this particular post is that if a client is willing to pay it, you should be willing to take it. No questions asked. Their due diligence is their own prerogative, not mine.
4. Amy Linker | March 7th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
I agree with the statement that if you look good, you play good. In addition, you come off as more serious and professional. Looks do matter. You do not have to be beautiful to look good either. I often find myself arguing with my teammates on how we should dress for group presentations. I am the one who suggests we wear suits as it makes us look more professional. If our presentation is not that great, our appearance helps (it does not entirely) make up for what it lacks. I’m not saying that looking good is an alternative to working hard and creating an excellent presentation. What I am saying is that you seem more authoritative and knowledgeable if you dress the part. I have watched many people present that look plain sloppy. It makes me wonder how they can run an effective business if they can’t even dress themselves. I am hoping to buy a tailor made suit in China, so Dr. Carr, if you do find a connection that makes ladies apparel, please let me know.
As for the variable pricing the lady in your post provides; that is the essence of business and negotiation. Different people value different items at different prices. Finding the right price for different customers can be very lucrative. As an American, I find it uncomfortable to bargain. I like the price to be specifically stated, no if ands or buts. With the help of my negotiations class this quarter, I am becoming more comfortable with the whole bargaining process. Negotiating is an integral part of business.
5. Tai Massion | March 8th, 2008 at 10:55 am
I had a similar experience in India with outrageous prices for a custom made sari. Some on our trip got made about the price they were trying to charge. I wasn’t mad, they were trying to earn money. But, not agreeing to a price and not feeling like negotiating any longer we walked out of the home we were taken to by our rickshaw driver-(who earns commission on us they are all trying to make a living). The next day, we come to find them waiting for us outside the place we were staying. I didn’t feel threatened, more annoyed.
On another note- I never liked the idea of people staying up all night sewing clothes for me, but I guess it is better for them to earn the money and they are willing to do it.
6. Steve Munio | March 10th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
I find it amusing that with all the incredible culture, monuments, historical architecture, artwork, food, etc. to see in China, many men I’ve talked to coming on this trip are most looking forward to these cheap suits. Of course we are all itching to negotiate an incredibly low price as well. I’ve heard that it isn’t too far-fetched to expect to be able to buy a well tailored silk or wool suit for $30. I suppose these plans quiet our complaints about labor rights if we are just waiting eagerly (whether we realize it or not) to get our chance to jump on the exploit-the-Chinese bandwagon.
7. Chris Carr | March 12th, 2008 at 11:24 am
$30 for a suit? Even in China, not gonna happen. Or if it does, the thread count will be so thin it will fall off you after a one hour wearing. For something decent, figure $100 up. Look at the quality of the fabric you are buying.
8. Andrew Steen | March 12th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I bought one of my nice suits at Goodwill for $10. Fits like a glove. Navy, three button, sporty feel but sophisticated look.
9. Sarah Ybarra | March 16th, 2008 at 12:15 am
I agree that you have to look good to play good. The way you look is very important, this is the first lesson we learned in Dr. Whitakers class. People judge you the minute you walk in the door to an interview or meeting. If you don’t look good for an interview then you might as well not sit down. People make snap judgments and make decisions based on their first impressions. Someone who looks good and gives of the impression of professionalism is much more likely to get a job than someone who looks sloppy.
As far as the pricing goes. It is a lot like our negotiations class with Dr. Peach, you have to get the best price you can whether you are the consumer or the manufacturer. Both parties have the option not to complete the transaction. I plan to put my new negotiating skills to good use in China and India and haggle to get the best possible prices. If I need any help I will certainly be calling on Witold (the best negotiator in Dr. Peach’s class) to work out a deal for me.
10. Adam WIndham | March 19th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Well you know the old saying, “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” I think appearance is a very important thing to consider in business. Whether we like it or not, our society is all about looks. Now before someone bites my head off, let me rephrase and say it’s initially all about looks. I mean how many times have you said, “wow, look at that guy/girl, I bet they have a great personality!” This has applications in the business world because people will always pass judgment on you simply based on the way you look. Granted, your actions will speak much strongly then any suit you wear, but why not use it to your advantage. I’ve read numerous articles that talk about how different color combinations can evoke certain feelings and how to tailor your wardrobe to the type of meeting/presentation you’re giving. Who knows, it could be that little extra that distinguishes you from your co-workers.
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