Public
Speaking Training: How You Should Dress?
Most
people figure they have to "dress for success"
at their seminar, and that's not always the case.
Sure,
there are times when you're going to want to put
on your best business clothes. If you're a doctor
or a lawyer or a financial planner, you'd get
laughed out of the room if you show up in a sweatshirt
and sweat pants
No
one would take you seriously.
One
idea is to always dress one-notch higher than
your audience. And, the reality is that you can
almost never go wrong just wearing a business
suit.
But
a very important consideration is also your message
- the message you want your group to "get"
has to be supported by what you're wearing. If
your seminar is about brain surgery or rocket
science, you'll want to dress the part of the
surgeon or the scientist.
Are
there exceptions? Sure - but, Doctor, wear that
Hawaiian Aloha shirt at your potential peril if
you want to be taken seriously!
First
impressions to count. So breaking the rules and
showing up in clothing that is totally unexpected
can work in your favor, if your intention is to
shake them up and wake them up.
In
other words, if everyone would expect that you'd
be dressed up in a suit and you show up in sandals
and shorts, that's going to definitely get their
attention.
Another
very good approach if your group is comprised
of the general public and not your professional
peers is to simply dress in "business casual"
in a polo shirt and some slacks.
So
when it comes to dressing for your seminar, you'll
want to take into consideration three main points:
1.
What's your message?
2. Who's the audience?
3. Are you trying to shake things up, or blend
in?
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