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 all day today in Fort Wayne, Indiana at a construction association leadership academy. Negotiation tip 33: Don't mirror your opponent's demeanor, especially if the tone/questions are negative.
Spoke this morning in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Crisis tip 17: Don't do news interviews directly in front of the crisis scene. The news media want to show you in front of the "trainwreck." Resist!
Worked today in Denver with a soon-to-be very large credit union association. Presenting tip 6: Remove physical -- or virtual barriers -- that disconnect you from your audience (lectern, table, spacing, bad camera angle, distracting background, etc.).
Speaking this week in Colorado, Tennessee and Indiana. Messaging tip 19: Too many talking points leads to watering down of core message. PRIORITIZE!
Spoke today in Columbus, OH. Virtual tip 6: Here's my take on camera ON vs. camera OFF debate. If in the "old days" meeting was a phone call, then cameras OFF. If it was an in-person meeting, then cameras ON. Set expectations in meeting invite whether it'll be camera ON or OFF