Does How You Dress Make a Difference?.

Welcome to QuickBites — public speaking tips and techniques you can digest in five minutes or less.

When you speak to an audience, should you dress for yourself — or for that audience? Should you follow the advice to "be authentic," or go by the axiom that you should dress one half-step above your audience?

A Lesson Learned the Hard Way

Early in my career, I made an appointment to meet the owner of a high-end audio store — a store known throughout the region, located in a college town. I arrived early, waited thirty minutes, got fifteen awkward minutes of the owner's time, and then nothing. He wouldn't take my calls for weeks.

A more experienced colleague finally asked me how I'd been dressed for the meeting. I told him: my finest suit and tie, of course. He laughed. "That's your problem. This guy might sell high-end products, but he and his employees are laid back. He saw you as a stuffy corporate guy."

The Turnaround

The next day I put on jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers, got on my motorcycle, and drove to the store. The owner walked onto the sales floor, saw me standing there helmet in hand, and his first words were: "What do you ride?" From that day on, we had a solid relationship.

Dress for the Audience, Not for Yourself

For a more formal group, I wear a suit, white shirt, and tie. For a laid-back conference where the audience is in chinos and golf shirts, I'm in a sport jacket and a buttoned-down shirt with no tie. The right choice is whatever helps you connect with the specific audience in front of you — unless, of course, you're a celebrity, in which case just about anything goes.

Thank you for devouring another episode of QuickBites. Tune in Monday for another episode of Public Speaking with Peter George, and again Thursday for your next QuickBites. Until then, remember — when it comes to speaking in public, you've got this. I'll see you next time.