The Speaker’s Appearance

When it comes to public speaking, first impressions matter. In many cases, the speaker is a stranger to the audience. Initially, the only way for an audience to evaluate a speaker is by their visual appearance. Many of us know the expression, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but that is exactly what most of us do.

Think about your last trip to a bookstore. You entered the store and found the aisle housing the books that interested you. Then, most likely, you browsed through the shelves for a title or cover that captured your attention. Once you saw it, you picked up the book and looked inside. Countless numbers of good books go unread because of uninteresting titles, or downright boring covers. When it comes to speaking, your appearance is like a book cover, and it really does matter.

Several years ago, I mentored a female speaker who had an above average gift of communication. Her challenge was that she did not know how to groom or dress when speaking. Often, she would show up for presentations looking disheveled with unbrushed hair. Her appearance put people off, particularly other women. It was clearly a distraction that took away from her credibility and message. Her shabby appearance distracted her audience and minimized her effectiveness. After a few delicate conversations, she started paying more careful attention to her appearance and discovered the importance of preparing not only her message, but also herself. In time, she learned to eliminate the physical distractions that had been working against her.

Experienced speakers recognize that, prior to speaking, it’s a good idea to look at yourself in the mirror. Unfortunately, several years ago, I learned this lesson the hard way. A few minutes into my talk, I noticed a young man in the front row making peculiar gestures at me. His left hand was low in front of his chest. With the index finger and thumb of his right hand, he was feverishly making an up and down motion. Finally, in a desperate attempt to get his message across, he pointed to his zipper. Suddenly, I realized that my zipper was open. (Earlier, when talking about the introduction, I talked about getting the audience’s attention. I do not recommend this method). I quickly glided over to the lectern and zipped up my pants, to the delight of an anxious and distracted audience. Please learn by wisdom what I learned by consequence, and always take the time to examine yourself in front of a full-length mirror before you hit the podium.