Tips to Improve Appearance while Presenting

Did you know that within the first four minutes of a presentation, the audience either receives or rejects the speaker? It’s true! And since our minds gather eighty-seven percent of information through sight, we must take advantage of this time through physical appearance (Vassallo, 1990).

Throughout this blog post, I will periodically reference to Wanda Vassallo’s Speaking with Confidence. Wanda Vassallo is an author, speaker, and dramatist who is a phenomenal public speaker. She wrote Speaking with Confidence with the goal of helping her readers improve their public speaking skills.

I mentioned that eighty percent of information taken into our minds is through sight because looks are everything as a public speaker! Granted, you cannot simply look good to be a great public speaker, but it is a crucial aspect of public speaking. Throughout my blog post, I will briefly talk about the importance of posture, gestures, eye contact, and facial expressions while speaking.

Now, sitting or standing up straight is a critical aspect of good posture, but there is much more to it than that. Vassallo mentions that you should stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, distribute your weight evenly (so you do not look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa!), make sure your eyes are visible and try not to play with hair, pencil, or other objects (1990). Following these simple ideas can greatly improve your appearance.

Good gestures are also possessed by good public speakers. I am aware of the fact that many people do not know what to do with their hands, but if you follow these tips, you’ll definitely improve as a public speaker! Vassallo recommends the speaker to move more than just your hands (you can move your whole body!) and to practice your gestures in the mirror. If the gesture looks unnatural, make a note of it! However, Vassallo also mentions what gestures NOT to do. Gestures such as folding hands in front of the body, playing with jewelry, and keeping hands in pockets should be avoided (1990). In other words, move your hands in a moving motion! But, do not seem “jittery” or play with objects with your hands. If you follow these gesture tips, you will be an active speaker and seem much more appealing during presentations!

Eye contact is important in all social interactions. Use eye contact when talking to colleagues, coworkers, bosses, and especially audiences! When you use eye contact, you create a bond with the audience and make the audience interested. More importantly, according to Vassallo, if you do not use eye contact, the audience will believe that you are not interested in the presentation or the topic you are speaking about (Vassallo, 1990). We all know that this is not true! If you are reading this blog post, you must care about how the audience perceives you! So, as Vassallo stated in her book, eye contact is crucial in ensuring that your presentation is successful.

Lastly, facial expressions can easily make or break your presentation. Vassallo mentions in her text that, “the expressionless speaker is inviting the audience’s minds to wander to other things,” (1990). In other words, when a speaker is not engaged with their presentation, the audience will not be engaged either. This is more than enough reason to incorporate facial expressions into your public speaking skills. You do not even have to do much to do this — a genuine smile here and there can get you far!

Although appearance is not the most important aspect of a public speaker, it is crucial for a good public speaker. However, there is still much to cover to improve public speaking skills so stay tuned!

References:

Vassallo, W. (1990). Speaking with confidence. White Hall, Virginia: Betterway Publications.