''I'm not sure what you just said, but your pants don't match your tie''

Throughout my career, I have taken a number of leadership development courses. Some of these courses were voluntary on my part and others were required for advancement within the organization. I have also taken presentation classes that have allowed me to polish my speaking skills. The more classes I took, the more I began to realize a common thread when it came to giving and making presentations before a group. The common thought by most of the participants in these courses was that the only presentation skills that really mattered were what you had to say during your presentation. In other words, there existed a belief that the message, the speaker's knowledge, and his or her level of expertise is the most critical, highly ranked component of any speech or presentation. In other words, this was how the presenter would be judged. This same belief seemed to also account for the high level of nervousness that most of us experience when speaking to an unfamiliar group. We are so concerned that our audience is judging us solely by our words and knowledge and, if we are unable to adequately convey our thoughts, everyone will criticize us for our lack of expertise. While the message and content is an extremely important component of any successful speech or presentation, there is another side to communication that involves the nonverbal aspects of public speaking.

Data indicates that the highest percentage of what your audience remembers is the way you present your message, not what you are actually saying. The second highest percentage is how you verbally deliver your message, for instance your tone, the inflection in your voice and how well you project. Lastly, and the lowest percentage of what your audience remembers is what you in fact have said: your intended message.

When the Presidential debates started, I thought I might run a small experiment of my own. I asked my wife to give me her opinion about who she would most likely vote for in the next presidential election based on the candidates that were involved in the debate. Throughout the debate, I asked her what she thought of each candidate as they presented their arguments to the questions that the moderator asked them. She decided on candidates based heavily on how they presented themselves for their dress, posture and mannerisms. She said they 'looked presidential.' The more she listened, the more she began to discount the candidates that carried themselves well, in her opinion, but did not sound presidential. Their tone did not elicit confidence in the audience. When the debate finally concluded I asked her who had the strongest overall message, she said she wasn't sure because she hadn't listened that closely to their actual message.



I told this story to an author friend of mine who has written a number of excellent books on managing careers and developing leadership skills, and she agreed that this response was accurate. The way we dress for a presentation instantaneously induces a feeling about the way we are perceived by our audience. She made the point that we should always dress above what we anticipate the situation to call for. In other words, we can always remove a tie, but we can never really put one on once we enter the room and discover everyone is wearing one. If the occasion is a more formal business presentation, the blazer with the khaki pants will not work; you have to wear a suit that is coordinated. This will set the tone about how you organize yourself, and the discipline that you have for yourself. This will carry over to your audience and flow back to you in the form of respect as a speaker and ultimately a leader.

So to summarize, if you have a message to deliver or a presentation to make, obviously take the necessary steps to properly prepare for the event. Although this is a critical step, you should also realize the importance of how you present yourself and communicate the passion you have for your subject. Your audience will listen to your message once you gain their attention and respect through well-developed nonverbal qualities.

About the Author

Scott J. Mills, president of TheModernLeader.com, has a BS Degree in Professional Aeronautics from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. He has been actively flying in corporate aviation since 1985. He has managed the training and standardization departments for two large corporations and has been involved in integrating and transition processes. Scott has participated in a number of leadership programs at the emerging leader level as well as the mid-level leadership point

He is also a strong advocate and promoter of diversity and inclusiveness programs within companies, believing that diversity is a key component to any company's success. To see more on Scott Mills and TheModernLeader.com http://www.themodernleader.com