That next promotion could be at your fingertips - AMY VERNER

Are you wondering why you might not have nailed that potential new account despite having stellar storyboards and a thorough understanding of your client?

Maybe the problem wasn't so much in the presentation of your proposal as in the presentation of your hands.

Regular readers will know that I'm a strong proponent of the word "polished." It's difficult not to be when the word's various definitions include refined, cultured, flawless and skillful - all qualities exemplified in a role-model employee.

Today, I will address polish in the context of nail care - and this applies to men, too

Consider some highly possible scenarios: You're meeting your lawyer and he's thumbing through some documents. You notice chewed nails. Red flag No. 1: You think he's way too anxious.

Alternatively, you notice crud underneath his nails. Red flag No. 2: You think, if he doesn't notice that, then what else isn't he noticing?

Or, if your lawyer's a lady, you are concerned that her nails are the colour of oxblood and so long that they resemble talons. Red flag No. 3: You wonder whether she's passive-aggressively saying, 'Don't mess with me or I'll claw your eyes out.' "

All this is to say that people don't realize how quickly they judge others based on the hard layer that protects the tips of your 10 digits.

"A lot of people associate clean hands with being more trustworthy," says Ashley Cox, a lead aesthetician and manager of the Men's PowerSpa in downtown Toronto.

There, construction workers and executives spend 30 minutes and $40 for the "Essential Hand Care" treatment that includes cut, shape, cuticle work and massage. In other words, a manicure, which ironically sounds too feminine.

Handling paper and working in dry offices can be dehydrating. Some customers come in as often as twice a month because, as Ms. Cox points out, "Your hands and your face are your best business card."

Vancouver image consultant and personal shopper Diana Kilgour says men will only pay attention to their own hands once they see what a difference a manicure can make.

A little pampering in the name of looking professional seems reasonable enough, but women have been known to treat their nails as mini-canvases. Airbrushing on long, artificial nails makes it possible to create detailed, multi-coloured designs. But only women who own stock in the tools responsible for these techniques should consider arriving at work with sunsets or paw prints on their nails.

Ms. Kilgour is a proponent of polish, even more so when women have large nail beds. She is adamant, however, that certain looks work better than others. Black polish has transcended its association with Goth-obsessed teens and is now considered progressively fashionable. Chanel's Vamp and OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark lacquers have been popular enough over the years to spawn waiting lists.

Just remember Ms. Kilgour's advice: "If you are brilliantly groomed in every way and doing a wonderful job, then yes, I suppose you can have dark polish on short nails if it's always on," she says. "But there's nothing less attractive than dark polish that's half on, half off. That's just a nightmare."

A much safer option is the French manicure, where the nail attached to the skin gets a pinkish coat not far from its original shade and the white end is emphasized with white polish. Irene Lee, owner of Pure Nail Bar, which has five locations across Vancouver, says women can get 10 days out of a French manicure ($25) depending on how often they use their hands.

For Ms. Kilgour, the bottom line is not what people can get away with, but measuring up to a standard. "When someone else is writing our paycheque and doing performance reviews, the rule would be, 'Are your hands speaking louder than you are?' "

So now raise them up if you'd like a raise.