You have been selected to give a presentation in front of an audience and need to pick an outfit. We’ll dive into the thought process for deciding what to wear based on the audience and topic of your speaking engagement. The right outfit is an easy way to establish yourself as an authority, command attention and make strong first impressions.
To Whom are You Presenting?
Internally to Colleagues
Are you speaking internally to colleagues at your company on a particular topic? If so, my suggestion is to elevate your clothing choices one level above what you would typically wear. For example, if your company dress code is business casual, a male colleague in the audience might wear a polo shirt and slacks. As the presenter, men could opt for a button-down shirt and even add a sport coat if you are presenting to a team of executives at your company. Elevating your professional appearance sends the message that your presentation is important, and you are taking this opportunity seriously. If you are a woman presenting, an elevated outfit might include a dress or a blouse and skirt if you typically wear black pants and a casual top. The chart below highlights the types of attire typically associated with each dress code category. Look for selections to the right of the category of your company dress code so that you elevate your attire one level. If your company dress code is business formal, that is about as formal as you can go so no need to elevate your attire one level above! Maybe consider swapping in pieces that you don’t typically wear so that you stand out a bit from your everyday look.
Externally at an Industry Event or Conference
If you are giving a big presentation to an external group of professionals who either work at the same company or work at a collection of companies, you’ll want to consider the following:
1) What will members of the audience be wearing? Eg. are you presenting to accountants who are wearing business suits or to a sales team at a start-up technology company where the audience is wearing jeans, sneakers and t-shirt?
2) What is your topic? If you are presenting to the accountants, is your topic, “Updates to the Corporate Tax Code” or “How to Prioritize Fitness and Wellness during Tax Season.” If your topic is the latter and you present wearing a business suit, you are not going to inspire a wellness or relaxation mindset and may lose credibility with your audience. Instead, play the part and dress in casual attire or even comfortable attire that inspires relaxation so that your wardrobe matches your messages. If you are in fact a subject matter expert on a technical topic specific in the accounting field, you will want to match the formal tone of the audience and also wear a business suit / professional dress and blazer. If you are giving a presentation to the more casually dressed sales team, the general rule is to elevate your attire one level above what they are wearing but not so much so that you seem unrelatable or not in line with their culture. Jeans can work for both men and women but steer away from t-shirts, polo shirts or any tops that are overly casual. Blazers for both and men and women are most always a win.
3) How can my clothing choices be both professional and memorable? After your public speaking exercise has ended, members of the audience will often want to approach you to ask questions or share feedback. Make it super easy for them to spot you in the crowd or identify you in a conversation. This can be more challenging for men who typically don’t have as much variety in their wardrobes as women. If you are a man wearing dress pants and a blazer, try to pick a color or pattern that makes it easier to identify you. For woman, bright colors or fun accessories can make you easy to spot in a crowd if there is a networking session after the presentation.
Members of the Community
Are you presenting to parents at the local high school or to members of your church? While a community-oriented presentation may not warrant the level of formality required for corporate presentations, you still want to distinguish yourself as an authority on the topic at hand. Wearing the right outfit can help make a lasting impression with your audience. If you are presenting to a group of parents at a PTO meeting in the evening, most will likely be wearing comfortable clothing in this more casual environment. Elevate your attire one level above what the audience will likely be wearing. Ideas include:
Men: Casual slacks and a button-down shirt. If you are presenting on a topic more formal in nature such as the budget or fundraising, add a sports coat to bolster your look even more. Dark wash jeans can be acceptable as well. Avoid hats.
Women: Dark jeans (no holes or fray) and a colored top, blouse or sweater are strong choices. A casual dress is another smart choice. Make color choices that compliment your skin tone and help you stand out in front of an audience. My complexion is very fair and therefore I steer clear of lighter colors that will make me blend in with the meeting room. A solid color knit blazer can round out any outfit. Avoid hats or any overly casual sandals.
Polish Your Presentation Skills
While what you wear is important for commanding the audience’s attention and setting the professional tone for your topic at hand, what you actually say and how you say will always be the most important. It is human nature to feel anxious or nervous standing in front of a crowd giving a presentation. Being prepared can lesson the stress that accompanies public speaking. Below are public speaking tips to help you feel ready and prepared for your next presentation.
1) Practice Practice Practice. The more you have practiced your speech the better prepared you will be to deliver it while managing the physical manifestations of stress that often accompany speaking in front of an audience. Muscle memory has a way of kicking in even if your heart is racing a bit during the first couple minutes of your presentation.
2) Exercise strong body language and control. Avoid touching your face, playing with your hair, pacing and excessive hand movements. Many of these movements are subconscious when presenting and can be the result of nerves. You want the audience laser focused on your words and not your movements. My best advice is to video record one of your practice rounds to get an overall evaluation of your presentation. Watching the recording will highlight any habits or tendencies that you want to address.
3) Speak slowly and loudly. The last thing you want is for members of the audience to not be able to understand or hear your important message. Speaking slowly and loudly will best ensure that your message is ingested by all. If you are a naturally quiet speaker, there are a couple options: 1) ask for a microphone if available and if not 2) intentionally practice raising your voice several levels. I am confident you can do this but like anything that requires practice, you need to be intentional about a volume adjustment and constantly remind yourself to speak up. Speaking slowly can also help reduce the number of filler words that you use such as “ah, um, like…” A recording will easily identify if you have a tendency to use filler words.
4) Know how much time is allotted for your presentation and time yourself to finish a few minutes short of that timeframe.
5) If you are using presentation slides to accompany your presentation, keep the information on each slide simple so that the attention remains on what you are saying vs. trying to read what is on a slide. Avoid looking back at the slides while presenting and instead keep your eye contact with the audience.
6) Make eye contact in 5-second intervals with the audience. Eye contact is extremely important. Instead of going back and forth with your eyes quickly scanning the room or group, you want to practice locking eye contact with one person for 5 seconds before moving on to the next person and doing the same. This eye contact strategy accomplishes two things:
- It makes members of the audience feel a stronger connection to you because of the prolonged eye contact.
- It keeps you more grounded and focused during the actual speech because you aren’t constantly scanning your eyes and head.
Good luck! You can do this.
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