Does a stylist or trainer have to look the part?

For many, when a hair stylist, personal trainer or beauty consultant doesn't look the part, it's a deal-breaker. Some believe their appearance is their business card.

We've all heard professionals dispense advice on how we should take better care of ourselves.

Your stylist gets on you about your damaged hair. Your dentist flogs you about flossing. Your doctor wants you to lose a few pounds – and your dermatologist is sick of your picking.

But what if those nags aren't exactly practicing what they preach? Should you turn tail and run if, for example, your personal trainer is kind of pudgy? Should you dread getting a haircut from a stylist who wears her hair in dyed-blue dreadlocks?

I feel you have to represent what you are selling. I am selling wellness and fitness, so I have to look like I know what I'm talking about.

In my line of work, I'm selling the benefits of exercise. When it comes to the business of beauty, what you see goes a very long way – and that includes personal trainers. The natural reaction is to balk at a flabby fitness guru and follow the recommendations of the trainer with the chiseled abs.

However, some overweight clients may feel more comfortable talking to a trainer who is also carrying around a few extra pounds.

If you're someone who's never gotten off the couch and sees a trainer who's lost 50 or 100 pounds up there doing a Zumba class, you're going to get motivated but you still have to make sure they know what they are doing when it comes to training you.

On the flipside, being lean and muscular isn't the only measure of stamina or fitness ability.

There are a lot of trainers that look amazing who are clueless. I think a general rule of thumb is to look at what type of fitness level you are trying to achieve, and make sure the person you choose can 'walk the walk and talk the talk.' You want to find someone that looks good and has the experience to make you feel energized, healthy and balanced.

On the other hand, hair and fashion stylists don't have the same problems when it comes to how they look. Anyone who has seen the frightful outfits worn by aspiring "Project Runway" designers, or the ghastly hairdos sported by stylists on shows like "Shear Genius," knows that even the most eccentric artists can produce mainstream looks. Their trendy customers get it and they trust.

Hair and fashion stylists are a lot more creative and frankly, get most of their referrals from people that like their clients hair, not their own.