Underdressing For Public Speaking

Has a guy ever told you something, and you just had to go, "Really?  That's what you thought.  Really?"

I had one of those thoughts when reading Guy Kawasaki's Reality Check.  (a must read for every entrepreneur and marketer)

Guy gives tips about public speaking, and one of the tips was to overdress - never dress beneath the level of the audience.  I totally agree.   But it was Guy's reason not to underdress that made me go, "Really?  That's the signal it sends?"

You see, Guy feels that underdressing communicates this message:

"I'm smarter/richer/more powerful than you.  I can insult you and not take you seriously, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Wow - how interesting.   I always feel that underdressing communicates this message:

"I'm not professional enough or smart enough to want to dress in a way that will impress you."

We seem to think underdressing sends different signals.   When I see a speaker who is underdressed, I think the speaker is sending a signal that they are "less than" the level of the audience.

Guy thinks that when a speaker is underdressed, it's sending a signal that the speaker is "more than" the audience.

I wonder if this would be true for a female speaker?   Perhaps for men, dressing down is a sign of status, where as for women, dressing up is a sign of status.

What do you think?   If you see a speaker who is underdressed, what signal does that send to you?  

And is it different for male and female speakers?

Comments

[Andrew (Six Minutes Public Speaking Blog)]

You've raised an interesting issue, Holly.

When I see a speaker who is underdressed (either male or female), the message it sends to me is that they don't care much about this presentation. I think this might represent a "less than" OR "more than" feeling toward the audience. Or, it might just say the speaker is completely ambivalent about the whole thing.

In any case, I think an underdressed speaker is always a bad sign because if the speaker feels higher than the audience, lower than the audience, or ambivalent about the audience, it's quite likely they will never connect with the audience.

If the speaker didn't use audience analysis when it came to choosing their clothes, they probably failed to do any audience analysis at all.

[Ken Brand]

Paradox - Both could be true, it depends. Either way, overdress is the way to go.

My 2cents. If I perceive the speaker to be someone famous or known, then underdressing falls into Guy's "really". If I don't know much about the speaker or haven't formed a strong impression, then underdressing would signal what you suggest.

It's an important observation and tip for all public speakers, signals are key.

Thanks for sharing.

[Paul Stoltzfus]

This is a tough one for me.
I like to dress up, but I HATE a tie. Looks too old fashioned or tight ass or something. Maybe I've seen too many well dressed "slick salesmen"? I'd rather wear a sport coat and mock turleneck. And yet I know it's not wise to judge my guests by my personal preference.

My excuse:
The 1st couple minutes are impacted by dressing uP or DOwn, but by the end of our conversation, the content of the message and connection with the guest is what they will go home with.

I'm very curious what other folks have to say...

[Antonietta N]

Funny - I am always way to concerned with the conent to give a toss what anone is wearing! why do we continue to be soooo concerned with the packaging rather than the content? OK I am not suggesting for a minute that track pants (sweats?) for example are appropriate - but can't a person wear what they are comfortable in and not fear being judged for it? And what is 'dressed up' to you may be completely different to me. IMHO we, collectively, would benefit need from letting go of our collective fixation with externals and focus on what matters.

[greatmanagement]

I think it depends upon our definition of 'underdress'. If the audience consisted of smart business men and women and Bill Gates turned up in jeans and not wearing a tie - not a problem becasue he is well groomed. If he turned up (and I don't think he would) in dirty / shabby clothes then that would put me off insatntly.

Andrew

[Holly Buchanan]

Interesting point about if it is someone who is well known (Bill Gates, etc.) it's ok to underdress the crowd.

What if Carly Fiorina showed up at an executive conference in jeans - same rules apply?

[Holly Buchanan]

Paul,

I think what industry you're in can also affects how the dress attire comes across.

I know a lot of guys who revolt against the "tie" thing.

I think Guy's point was that NOT wearing a tie or underdressing is a sign of power. (at least in the tech industry)

My female perspective was that NOT wearing a tie was a sign of LACK of power. If you were powerful, you'd take advantage of the added credibility a tie could bring you.

But guys may look at it differently. That's what I found so fascinating - what you wear may send different signals to different audience members.

I think it all goes back to - know your audience.

[Gena]

The point is to achieve a balance; know your audience, your topic and dress accordingly. We recently presented to Harley Davidson dealers (men and women)and the entire audience was in jeans. Had the presenter preferred to dress up rather than down, the message may not have resonated as well.

[Jen Grant]

Interesting article and funny thing is, I had Reality Check and your Soccer Mom Myth books on my shelf as my 'next in line' and guess which one I picked up first? YOURS! :) (loving it btw)

For me, oddly enough, the majority of public speaking I do is either to groups of the "everyday" woman, or executive men.

When speaking to women, the topic always falls under women empowerment, women in business or arts & crafts. In those settings, I make it a point to "underdress" so the audience can easily relate to me just as I am: another down-to-earth, "where the hell are my keys?".

If I'm dressed for "success", they'll subconsciously place me in a class "above" them which gives them permission to silently tell themselves "she's better than me, so no wonder she's successful". Its crazy talk, I know.

When speaking to men on the other hand, I darn well better be dressed to the nines and have shoes that are scuff-free. If I don't, they won't listen or respect me---95% of them have judged me before I even open my mouth. And trust me, I need the farthest head start I can get!

[bdecker]

Agree totally with "When in doubt, overdress."
The reason is, when underdressed I think you show you don't care about the audience enough to do your homework.
Bert

[Bronwyn]

Holly,

Beside what you and everyone else has said, I want to add the thought that maybe the statement also reflects the way Guy thinks.

My response to underdressing is that either the person didn't care much about the assignment or genuinely does not care about image.

It then means that the content and style have to be absolutely riveting and/or valuable so that the audience takes only those away from the presentation

[Jeff]

Holly,

I'd echo Ken's thoughts - the more famous and rich the speaker, the more dressing down suggests that the event isn't important enough to dress up for. It's a "because I can" thing - kind of like Hugh Hefner working in his pajamas. If the person is less well known/wealthy, then dressing more casually than the audience signals what you describe.

I know that when I teach multi-day courses I always dress up the first day and then dress more casually the following days. I want the first impression to be "I'm taking this seriously and am honored that you came to learn from me," but I want people to relax into learning on the subsequent days and I try to signal that with more casual clothing. Now I'm wondering if perhaps I should rethink that...

[Holly Buchanan]

Great comments folks - keep them coming.

Jeff - I think you are dead on with dressing up the first day for the reason you stated so perfectly. After that, dressing down gives others a chance to loosen up as well - a perfectly good signal to send. (as long as it's not those shorts you're so fond of - you know the ones I'm talking about.)

[Klyde]

This is really interesting. I am very conscious of how I dress for interviews and important events, and I agree that men think differently about this. In interviews for example, I try very carefully to not underdress or overdress.
I would say that if you wear what people who work the job you are applying for wear, than that is par. If I want to be a manager but I am applying to be a supervisor, I will dress like the managers at the company dress. I am careful not to overdress because to me that gives the signal: I need this job so bad I will jump through any hoops and not take any chances. I want to come off like I was already dressed this way so I seem professional but not to eager. This is a great insight, and I will be sure to err on the overdressed side when meeting with women now.