Ed. note: In Part One and Part Two Gayle covered the important foundational challenges in putting together your material for leading a conference or training session. Part Three covered putting the presentation together--and step-by-step Gayle will help you do that successfully. This final part ends with some invaluable personal advice.

What to wear?
Appearance plays an important part in how the audience perceives you. Assessments may be accurate or completely off base, but they will be made. To think otherwise is to be into major denial.

Clothes provide a strong non-verbal message. Two good guidelines for presenters:

• Dress up a notch. A jacket always gives a skirt or pants and blouse a touch of authority.

• “Wear” your profession. Dress for the role you are filling. You are a Christian professional in a role of leadership to other Christian professionals.

Clothes can make statements. A woman presenter expresses thoughtful listening as she gracefully puts her hands in her skirt pockets. She shows a move to informality by removing her jacket during a small group discussion time. A wise presenter chooses footwear allowing her to keep her mind on her work not on her tootsies.

Now is also a good time to review your hair style and makeup. Usually it is not a good idea to make drastic changes to your appearance just before your  presentation; to do so may only serve to make you self-conscious. Subtle changes are often confidence builders though, so have a good haircut and spruce up your makeup. [Read more...]