Importance of Nonverbal Communications

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It is extremely important for a speaker to be concerned about how they dress when speaking in public. The way you dress when speaking to an audience is the most important form of nonverbal communication. Clothes set a stage for the first impression (Kalisch, B.J. & Kalisch, P.A., 1985). The first impression sets up the observer to make judgments about the person and the type of interactions that will take place with that person (Waller-Wise, 2007). Public speakers need to be aware of the message that the clothing they’re wearing sends to their audience. The first impression one makes is vital to obtaining their audiences’ initial trust. The way you decide to dress when speaking depends on the type of audience that you are speaking to. In the past, I have had many opportunities to observe numerous public speakers. One instance in which I felt a speaker dressed inappropriately was when received a security brief from a local counterintelligence agent. The CI agent that gave the presentation was wearing a pair of blue jeans. The CI agent should have worn a pair of khaki pants instead of the jeans if they were going for the casual look, because the khaki pants would have given off a better professional appearance. My first impression of the presenter was that she probably didn’t know what she was talking about because of her appearance. Eventually the presenter gained my trust once she started speaking because she was very confident and knowledgeable when she was speaking. I didn’t find the speaker’s attire as a distraction to her presentation, but still believe she could’ve given off a more professional appearance. Another time that I felt a speaker was dressed inappropriately is when the Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA) came to speak to us here at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. The SMA was dressed in the Army Combat Uniform (ACU) which is the utility uniform
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