Do visible tattoos negatively impact entrepreneurs business with customers, clients, or investors?

[SweetTooth]

I don't personally have tattoos but I am curious about this. Do tattoos negatively affect investors, clients, customers, or partners perceptions of entrepreneurs?

 

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[Brian C.]

My father has always put it like this.

"You might not care, and that guy might not care, but there is some a--hole out there like me who does."

 

[IrishSpring600]

Can you imagine Bill Gates with a tattoo? LMAO! What about Zuckerberg? ROFL

Steve? Nah. Even though he was high all the time, he knew better.

What does MJ have to say about tattoos?

If you're sporting a LA Laker's tattoo on your face, chances are we aren't going to get along, and NO, not because of the tattoo, but because you're a moron.

 

[ApparentHorizon]

Some people like them, some don't.

There was a guy with a sleeve on Dragon's Den (version of Shark Tank), and he got a $50mil evaluation for a web design company.

Unless you're a rockstar in your industry, it's probably best to not have any visible ones.

 

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[Omni]

If you're starting a tattoo shop, that changes all the answers completely...

 

[TonyStark]

If you're starting a tattoo shop, that changes all the answers completely...

LOL

 

[CaptainAmerica]

It completely depends on who your best customers are. If I were your best customer (that's a joke, by the way, I'm nobody's best customer) - it would matter. Depending on what I'm buying, it might matter a lot.

 

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[Goldman snacks]

I have tattoos all over my arms, I made sure that the lowest tattoo on my arm is not visible even if I'm wearing a suit and I stretch my arm out(like 3 inches up from wrist).

Obviously I am going to have a hint of bias. I have known people that have said "I want them but I will never have tattoos because I won't be able to get a job"
I have worked in a corporate environment for two years and nobody even knew I was inked until I saw friends from work On weekends.

I like the fact that people don't know that I have tattoos and are surprised once they see them.

Now to answer your question, YES tattoos do affect your chances with everyone, I never have them on show in a business environment. You can be covered all over with tattoos and aslong as you keep your hands, neck and face clean you will be fine in a suit. It doesn't matter if it's visible in a t shirt, and if your trying to close deals in a tshirt then you probably wouldn't be posting this question.

If your first impression counts then cover up. mostly older people will judge as in their day only army vets, sailors or crooks had tattoos. Nowadays most millenials have them. I think if you have tattoos out on show in a professional environment it just says idgaf about how people perceive me.

So a lot of negatives, Now for the positives. If you are in a fashion, hip hop, indie or a modern laid back environment it actually boosts your perception and you become more insteresting. It also easier for the opposite sex to find an excuse to talk to you. One of my small goals in life is to get to a stage where I supply my own finances and I will get hand tattoos aka 'job stoppers' just to say f*** you to people that think tattoos are for scumbags.

I'm sorry I have a lot to say on this topic, also a tattoo is not a tattoo is not a tattoo, a badly drawn picture of your dog from the local 'artist' that moonlights at Walmart night shift is going to affect people's perception differently to a peice of art done by the best in the world.

 

[jon.a]

Negative for me. Also.

 

[LightHouse]

Can you imagine Bill Gates with a tattoo? LMAO! What about Zuckerberg? ROFL

Steve? Nah. Even though he was high all the time, he knew better.

What does MJ have to say about tattoos?

Doesn't @MJ DeMarco have a tribal arm band?

 

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[RHL]

Depends on whether it can be fully hidden even in shorts and short sleeves or not.

What's the EV on a visible tattoo:

+EV: It sometimes makes you feel good, or cool. It has sentimental value. It had a purpose at the time you got it. It is part of your personal identity. It is a conversation starter

-EV: It makes people dislike or look down on you, you don't get hired, people don't want to buy from you, you fail to close deals, you lose tons of money, you are substantially less successful than you might have been. Most people get Tattoos in your teens and twenties. Everyone is a dumbass in their teens and twenties. Everyone. No exceptions. Had I gotten a Tattoo when I was 24, it would have been like a Hydralisk from Starcraft or something, and then I'd be forced to spend my entire life and fortune developing a time machine just so current me could return to the early 2000's and punch past me in the face.

It's literally a no-brainer.

Now, In some circumstances, I think it would be accepted even by the most reserved/conservative people: If you were in Delta Force, or won an Olympic gold medal, or something like that, I think it might be OK to get a concealable one in honor of that achievement. But nothing visible, and 99.9999% of the time, when it's some barbed wire or a flour or a butterfly or Chinese characters or some bromide you got off of Tumblr or something, just say no. Same way with neon hair, lobe gauges, pierced septums, forked tongues, and all that other shit. Get attention by accomplishing something meaningful rather than being a circus attraction.

 

[Guest34764]

I think it just depends about the tattoo.

If it's for sentimental reasons I think that's completely fine, and I don't think others would have a problem with that.

However, when you start getting tattoos for the sake of having a tattoo then It might negatively impact the way people think about you as a person and in business.

Just my .2 cents, I'm too young for one anyways, but I'd consider getting one for my mother or father.

 

[SenGracic]

Make sure a shirt and pants can hide them that's it. I do have tattoos and I will get more but I always make sure that If I wear a long sleeve shirt and pants nobody can see them, if needed. Some people don't like them and I respect it when it comes to business or other formal stuff. When it comes to walking outside or going out with friends then idgaf, it's who I am. I know this sounds a little bit weird but that's how I see it. Business and formal stuff = hide it the best you can.

(sorry for my language)

 

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[Envision]

Depends on what the tattoos are and what the people you are talking to know about you. Randall Pich has tattoos on his head, neck, and hands and he's running the fitness apparel game right now, Andy Frisella has a full sleeve and is running the supplement/business/podcast game right now.

I have a sleeve and im going to get more and I work heavily in real estate, my own business, bankers, contractors etc. I dont think its ever been a problem but thats because Im not a dumb F*ck and when i start talking people start to get a feel for the type of person I am.

Most people who have tattoos are morons and I can immediately tell after seeing their ink, you can tell by the line work and what they have tattooed. Whereas if you have been tattooed by Jun Cha or Carl Grace you tend to have more money to spend, you've obviously vetted out who you're getting the tattoo from, and you're much more careful about it.

Just dont get it on your face and make sure you can cover it up and you'll be good to go.

And I've had investors, bankers, and business owners compliment mine - who knows if its genuine but I still work with them.

edit: and for the record, never have I ever even thought about what anyone thinks of my tattoos... the way I see it, I am going to accomplish my goals with or without whoever is in question its just a matter of if you're going to be a part of it or not.

There is always more business owners, bankers, investors, etc.

 

[Andy Black]

In my humble opinion, if tattoos are the reason you can't make sales then you've got bigger problems.

The crowd isn't starving.

 

[Tony I]

Can you imagine Bill Gates with a tattoo? LMAO! What about Zuckerberg? ROFL

would it matter? would people not use facebook if zuckerburg had an arm tattoo?

this really isn't a big issue. do what you want. if you want tattoos, get tattoos. if you're a good entrepreneur, I don't think it matters.

In my humble opinion, if tattoos are the reason you can't make sales then you've got bigger problems.

this.

 

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[DaRK9]

I think people only think this because they are told this.

I've never had issues with getting jobs or landing sales because of it. If anything it has made me stand out locally in my field as the younger, up to date guy.

You have agency people wearing suits and expensive watches who are behind the times but "look right".

These guys sell crappy websites, spam mail, and billboard packages.

I don't "look right" yet I get the job done with modern media and put 110% effort into my work.

The people who are truly getting it want results and don't they care what the person giving the results looks like.

If my tattoo's change your opinion that much.

Great, go work with them.

 

[Paul Thomas]

It truly depends on the industry, the person, and the tattoo.

I've worked in high finance, and tattoos are definitely looked down upon in that industry.

I've also worked in media and digital media and 75% of the people have tattoos and no one bats an eye.

 

[RHL]

would it matter? would people not use facebook if zuckerburg had an arm tattoo?

This isn't the correct way to diagnose a problem. In WWII, engineers working on planes were puzzled: They were reinforcing areas frequently hit by Axis AA guns, making planes stronger everywhere they saw significant hits being taken, but they were still losing a lot of planes. Then someone realized something: Planes coming home with battle damage were taking all their hits in unimportant areas. The planes hit in other areas hadn't made it home at all, and that's where additional armor or a smaller profile was needed.

If you look at someone who has already estabished a billion dollar company, sure, a massive winner like that won't be hindered in the slightest even if they have a swastika tattooed on their forehead. But looking at that is like looking at the plane that made it back.

What you don't see is that if the 19-year-old billionaire-to-be had had his earlobes hanging on his shoulders when he went in for his first $30,000 loan from Bank of America in 2005, the conservative 57 year old Indian loan officer he met there would have shitcanned his application, and he'd still be clearing 65K/yr at Microsoft.

I mean, nobody here is going to make life decisions for you, but for me, I'll pass on the body mods/tattoos. It's hard to imagine any way that a tattoo could ever increase your odds in the fastlane. But it's not hard at all to think of ways it might hamper your aspirations. That's all I need to be against the idea.

 

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[devine]

Pretty much anything that isn't conform will have a negative impact on people's perception.
It doesn't matter how much charisma you have, how successful you are - it will be perceived negatively.
How you deal with it is another question.

@RHL I honestly think that fastlane is for people who succeed no matter what.

 

[jon.a]

If we're doing business, I don't want to know if you have a tattoo.

Of course there is a long list of things that I might not want to know about you.

 

[RHL]

honestly think that fastlane is for people who succeed no matter what.

Yes, but unless you want to be a casualty of the post-hoc fallacy, you should do whatever you can to lengthen those odds. Just because, for example, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg dropped out, but that doesn't mean you'll meet the same fate if you drop out with no company, no goals, and no plan.

Anyway, I've already spent enough time on this subject. Like I said, I certainly don't have any stake in what someone does or doesn't do. Lots of decision-making tools on this forum and elsewhere, choose for yourself and accept the consequences of those choices. It's all anybody can do.

 

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[safff]

I have tattoos all over my arms and back.

I'd say something like 'I don't let it define me' or 'I don't let people judge me on it' but truth is - first impressions count, and I use them to my advantage.

I meet clients in a business shirt and suit If I get the feel that they're more laid back/working class ( I guess here the term would be 'bogan') based on the type of product that they're coming to view and a few conversations over the phone, or after meeting them, I take the jacket off, roll my sleeves up and have them on show.

The effect it has in establishing a powerful connection to someone that doesn't know they have anything in common with you can be amazing. It turns you from a salesman to a dude just like them who is trying to earn a living. Of course that's not all there is to it but it's a tool.

People feel comfortable around 'normal' people like them, so appearing normal to both a banker in a suit or a guy who turns up in boardshorts and sandals is actually a great advantage.

It works both ways. I've turned up to buy a $100k car before, only to have the sales man look at me in my ripped jeans and tattoos and assume I wasn't serious, and subsequently loose a sale because essentially he didn't acknowledge the customer base that was out there - the only customers were ones that looked like him.

I went back the next day and purchased a car from his colleague who had a few tattoos funnily enough..

 

[GMSI7D]

i think meta, i think next level and overview.

what interest me is why people have tatoos in the first place, in this day and age, compared to let's say, the fifties ?

why people follow the trend : pokemon phenomenon, cell phone phenomenon and so on.

i want to know what is the force behind the phenomenon of fashion in society

i have spent the last 10 years searching for answers .


famous marketer Jay Abraham once said that nobody wanted a cell phone in 1990.

advertisers and capitalists imposed them on us thanks to our brain wiring ( the need to be part of a community, social proof, whatever reason)



So what's the point here ?

i am not here to tell you that you are right or wrong. your life is yours.

i am here to make you think about why people follow the trend

because it is worth billions of dollars for capitalism

 

[devine]

i think meta, i think next level and overview.

what interest me is why people have tatoos in the first place, in these day and age, compared to let's say, the fifties ?

why people follow the trend : pokemon phenomenon, cell phone phenomenon and so on.

i want to know what is the force behind the phenomenon of fashion in society

i have spent the last 10 years searching for answers .


famous marketer Jay Abraham once said that nobody wanted a cell phone in 1990.

advertisers and capitalists imposed them on us thanks to our brain wiring ( the need to be part of a community, social proof, whatever reason)



So what's the point here ?

i am not here to tell you that you are right or wrong. your life is yours.

i am here to make you think about why people follow the trend

because it is worth billions of dollars for capitalism

Because average human IQ is ~90. Human with IQ150 is not the same being as human with IQ90 and if you don't take it into account - you'll have a problem time trying to really succeed in both - society and your life in general.

Majority of fundamental questions are already answered in evolutionary and behavioural psychology. Actually, a lot of people here would benefit from learning such aspects of science, it will change your life once and for all.

 

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[devine]

edit: and for the record, never have I ever even thought about what anyone thinks of my tattoos... the way I see it, I am going to accomplish my goals with or without whoever is in question its just a matter of if you're going to be a part of it or not.

There is always more business owners, bankers, investors, etc.

Last time I said that on TFLF my thread got derailed with a shitload of crappy comments and sent to landfill by Vigilante himself.
Excellently said.

 

[DaRK9]

It works both ways. I've turned up to buy a $100k car before, only to have the sales man look at me in my ripped jeans and tattoos and assume I wasn't serious, and subsequently loose a sale because essentially he didn't acknowledge the customer base that was out there - the only customers were ones that looked like him.

I went back the next day and purchased a car from his colleague who had a few tattoos funnily enough..

Something similar happened to me at my job. I work at a pretty nice restaurant. I tell this story to all the trainees.

An older gentleman came in wearing torn up clothes and a Miller Lite trucker hat for lunch.

The other bartender avoided him and made a comment. I waited on him, and eventually started talking.

Turns out he owns like 12 farms and a few cattle ranches.

Had 3 beers, French Dip and a coffee. Bill came out to around $30. Dropped a $100 bill and said thank you.

 

[Ninjakid]

If you're going to spend all your time and effort making sure you meet people's expectations, you might as well just go the extra step to get a 9-5, and be happy with cubicle life.

 

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[Jeremy Groover]

Visible tattoos are a no on every level for me. I want to be versatile in every business endeavor I choose to take on. Yes, a lot of the time it will not effect you, but you never know when it will until it does. I don't want to miss out on something that I needed in my endeavor because I choose to put a tattoo too low. A lot of people will say IDGAF about what people think, and that is true. But I do give a F*** when someone doesn't buy from me or discredits me before I can sell them on something. I do give a f*** when I'm missing out on important opportunities because some a**hole wants to judge me for my choice. I wouldn't want to be friends with someone that treats me like that, but I do want their money. Just saying...

Jeremy

 

[splok]

Different roles require (or at least encourage) different "uniforms", which are basically the set of expectations that comes along with that role. Sure, you can violate expectations and still succeed, but it likely adds a handicap.

If you want to optimize for a particular role, make sure you know what the uniform is and adhere to it.

If you hate the idea of a uniform, build your life towards roles that have minimal expectations.

Before doing something to permanently de-optimize yourself for certain roles, be really sure that you'll never need (not want) to take those roles on.