Published On: Mon, Nov 11th, 2019

ONLY HE COULD WEAR ALL DARK CLOTHES AND STILL BE A BRIGHT LIGHT TO HIS AUDIENCE

Hidden Messages Behind Public Speaking

Over the years I’ve coached a broad range of clients toward the goal of making their public speaking and media appearances more effective.

My clients have included the CEO’s of many of the largest, most successful companies in America, which leads me to my first point.

  1. Successful entrepreneurs and leaders of successful companies are the most difficult to train. Why?  Because success spoils them into thinking that because they’ve made it to the top they must know what they’re doing.  So why should they listen to a communications coach who has less money and power then they do?

Answer: because they still need to learn a few new tips and techniques from someone who focuses on communications, and not on building businesses or amassing wealth and power.

The visual

Does it matter how you dress or the color of the clothes you wear?  Answer: yes, most definitely!

The other day I attended a presentation by a man who has built a number of successful insurance marketing agencies across the county that are still growing at an awesome 40% a year.  One of the insurance companies they represent credits them for having sold $1 billion worth of life insurance.

So how was this genius business builder dressed who was once in his own words a financial “train wreck” in debt $30,000 and changing jobs one after another, but now has hit it big and earning millions a year and helping others to do the same thing? 

Why All Black?

Unless you’re a Steve Jobs, why on earth would you wear a black shirt, black pants and black shoes?

Had he asked me how he should dress to speak to a group he’s endeavoring to inspire to take the same road to riches that he took, I would have told him to lighten up, wear brighter colors.

At least wear pastel shades that cameras like better.  Why all black that makes you look somber and funereal?  You want to look friendlier, happier, more prosperous . . . make what you have to say or offer, more inviting.

I would have told him to forget the black shirts, once the pride of the paramilitary wing of the National Fascist Party and after 1923 an all-volunteer militia of the Kingdom of Italy.

Together with the black pants and black shoes, my friend you’re projecting a dark, almost sinister image that’s the opposite of the impression you want to make.

  1. Does the length of your talk matter?

Answer: are you kidding?  TOTALLY!  You’ve no doubt heard the expression, “less is more.”  I’d say the shorter the better unless, of course, it’s a complicated message you want to impart, in which case you might need to speak for more than 20 minutes, but every minute after that you’re out on a cliff near a dangerous precipice of your audience descent into mental blackout.

Besides staying on track with your messages, speakers need to be mindful of urinary tracks in their audience for after 20 minutes, while you’re just getting wound up, some will be thinking of rest room relief and mentally bailing out on you.

I’d recommend speaking for not longer than 45 minutes and leaving 15 minutes for Q&A.  That’s plenty of time for most talks from a stage or in front of a group.  On TV, you can shave that down to 3 to 5 minutes, because that’s all you’ll get to deliver your message.

Back to the whizbang successful business builder in black, he spoke for (gulp) over two hours and articulate, smart and accomplished as we was, if he went a minute longer, I thought my bladder would burst.

About the Author

- Sharing timely, newsworthy weekly blogs by the one and only Thomas J. Madden at https://maddenmischief.com and other newsworthy topics from his mighty PR firm TransMedia Group.

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