Imagine meeting a tattoo artist with no tattoos. Would it make you pause? How about a makeup artist who doesn’t wear makeup? A wedding planner who isn’t married? A therapist who doesn’t go to therapy? A lawn care company with an unkempt property?
Our brains are remarkably efficient. We fill in the blanks long before we know the story. Sometimes those first impressions are useful. Sometimes they’re completely wrong. We often expect the people providing a service to embody the service they provide. Sometimes that’s reasonable. Sometimes it’s an unfair expectation.
A tattoo artist doesn’t have to want tattoos on their own body to create incredible art on yours. A makeup artist may see makeup as a craft and tool rather than a daily necessity. A therapist may be highly skilled, regardless of whether they seek therapy themselves.
And maybe that lawn care company’s property isn’t their responsibility. Maybe they’re in the middle of a renovation. Maybe they’re so focused on serving clients that their own landscaping has taken a back seat.
The point isn’t to ignore what you see.
The point is to resist the temptation to stop looking.
If you’re choosing someone to work with, don’t rely on a single signal. Look at their work. Listen to how they think. Read what others have experienced. Ask questions. Expertise isn’t always obvious at first glance.
If you’re the one providing the service, remember that people are always gathering clues. Your website, your workspace, your communication, your attention to detail—they all contribute to the story people tell themselves before they ever become your client.
None of those things tell the whole story. But each one tells part of it.
The challenge—for both providers and customers—is to know the difference between a meaningful signal and a convenient assumption. Because sometimes the best expert in the room won’t look the way you expected. And sometimes the details really do matter. The wisdom is in knowing which is which.