Personal Appearance
How to dress to impress for your next presentation.
What a speaker looks like should never over-shadow what he or she has to say. A speaker’s appearance, however, can help make the message more convincing. Keep these points in mind as you prepare for a public appearance.
- Dress conservatively.
- Wear a dark suit with a solid color shirt or blouse (preferably light blue). White tends to reflect light onto the face of the person wearing it.
- Socks for men should be knee length. Hoisery for women should be seamless, with nude toe and heel.
- Do not wear flashy jewelry.
- Keep jacket or dress free of lapel buttons or pins.
- There should be no bulky items in pocket.
- For major appearances use powder, professionally applied. A dusting of powder on your face will help avoid shine often caused by bright lights. It will also mask any tendency men have toward “five o’clock shadow.”
- Do not wear light sensitive glasses or sunglasses.
- When seated, keep jacket buttoned but pulled straight to avoid wrinkles.
- Make sure collar and tie are straight, shirt tucked in, blouse neat.
Where in the World is Anthony?
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Gave opening keynote this afternoon at an insurance conference in San Diego. Presenting tip 92: Don't staple your notes. It draws attention to them, especially when you turn the page. Instead, fan the pages and smoothly slide and discard.
Worked all day today with a St. Louis-based contractor. Negotiation tip 33: Don't mirror your opponent's demeanor, especially if the tone and questions are negative.
Spent the day working with Michigan law enforcement leadership. Crisis communications tip 7: Quickly address misinformation and rumors in the early hours of a crisis, or risk losing control of the narrative.
Back to work! Spoke last week in Orlando. This week I'm in Ohio, Michigan and Missouri. Meeting/conference tip 15: More Variety = More Energy. Mix things up to keep your audience constantly engaged.
Just wrapped my last job of the year, working with an Ohio-based insurance company. Huge thanks to all my clients who made this year truly one for the books—and more than just a nod to my travel partners, @Delta, @Marriott, @Avis, and @Uber for getting me where I needed to go.