Tips for positive body language when presenting
Successfully using your voice in presentations
We form impressions about new people within seconds of first meeting them. Your audience will quickly be making judgements about your competence and trustworthiness. Can your clothing really increase your chances of presentation success?
Yes.
What you are wearing sends a signal to your audience about your potential expertise.
Would you feel confident if your surgeon wore a clown outfit or if your lawyer was dressed as Spiderman?
How do your audience expect an expert in your field to look? Build their confidence by 'dressing the part'.
But, (sometimes) breaking convention can be a great way to attract attention and be memorable. Are you the only speaker with pink hair? Could you be known as the expert that always wears orange? Are you an academic with a love of wearing baseball caps backwards? A unique, non-offensive colour, item or style can quickly become your visual trademark.
Don't go too far... avoid anything that distracts or attracts more attention than your message. You want your audience to remember what you said, not what you wore. The Steve Jobs black polo neck is a great example of a consistent, memorable style that was never bigger than the message.
Do use clothes to make you feel confident. What outfit do you think you look great in? If it's appropriate, wear it. Use it as your public speaking armour.
Building public speaking confidence is about increasing our confidence and putting lots of small things in place that increase our positivity and chances of success. Your clothing could well be one such small item that will increase your confidence.
If you look great, you feel great. The result? You will speak great too and achieve great things.
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