Do I look like an executive in this photo?  Executive Presence for Leaders starts with the first impression.
 
How you dress is an important first step for how you show up as a Speaker too.
 
You don’t have to wear a tie all the time these days. Sometimes a suit and tie can even come across as pretentious and out of place.
 
In coaching Leaders, I often ask them to change their outfit for the second session, to look the part that they are trying to play.
 
What are people looking at? What does your outfit do?
 
1. It starts with you. When you dress casually, you are more likely to speak casually.
 
We often take on personality aspects of our outfit. If you want to present as a professional, looking like one helps you feel like one, and speak like one.
 
2. Being tidy, taking care of your outfit and caring about yourself helps others feel that you care about them.
 
It can show that you care about their opinion and that you focus on detail. It shows you took some time to prepare for that meeting - this shows respect.
 
3 It is acceptable to dress one level higher than your audience and still fit in.
 
In my 20’s I mistakenly dressed in a full suit and tie and shiny black leather shoes, in winter for an IT software sales presentation at the Snow.
 
While I eventually won the deal, I felt so uncomfortable and looked out of place all day.
 
Either match your audiences level of dress or be only one level higher. (For men this is tie, suit, shirt or jacket change).
 
4. Dress how the audience expects you to dress for someone talking on your topic.
 
Steve Jobs wore a black skivvy at times to be perceived as a successful IT Manager.
 
A client of mine in construction wears boots and no jacket but he wears clean boots and smart jeans and a nice long sleaved shirt. He looks how you would expect a successful construction Leader to look.
 
5. Match the presentation and message you wish to convey.
 
With a humorous / entertaining talk I dress more casually so the audience feels more relaxed.
 
For corporate training, in the CBD I dress in a suit without a tie and drop back to no jacket after we settle in. The tie would be on for a CEO job interview.
 
If you want to feel confident, fit in, demonstrate success, show respect or entertain, dress correctly and it will make a difference for you and your audience.
 
6. Be comfortable - don’t pretend to be someone you are not.
 
If you have an important presentation to deliver before June or want your team to communicate with higher impact…
 
Feel free to join us at B Well Speaking Academy for our 1hr Webinar on High-Performane Speaking Blueprint on 19 March 2026.
 
B Well Speaking Academy
 
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