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?
Spoke this morning in Minneapolis to Realtor association communications directors from all over the country. Q&A tip 64: Avoid trailing off at the end of sentences. Make eye contact and end strong.
Spoke yesterday to Florida Realtors; today to California IT managers; tomorrow, I'm in Minneapolis. Presenting tip 72: Storytelling is a powerful tool. It helps visualize complex ideas, and it provides that much needed connection to the audience.
Spoke yesterday to financial executives. Business development tip number 1 for all my many construction-industry clients: THE two most important people to winning new projects are your Project Manager and Superintendent. But are you preparing them effectively for interviews?
Spoke today in Chicago at a sales and marketing conference. News interview tip 9: Long-winded answer leads to being "taken out of context." Keep responses 10-12 seconds and significantly reduce the chance your comments will be misinterpreted.
Speaking in Chicago tomorrow. Crisis Communications tip 44: Don't let outside groups hijack your social media efforts. Build a base of supporters in the good times who will rally to your defense in the bad.