There were two people today who spoke to the group of us who were doing some work. The room had about 200 people. It was at the end of the day, and people were anxious to leave. So it took a little effort to get all of our attention to listen to the messages.
The first person who spoke was a blond woman. Dressed in t-shirt, cardigan and jeans. She had a messy ponytail. Her body was chunky, and her clothes did not fit her well - they made her looked sloppy. She spoke with a voice that was medium high, with a slight upward inflection at the end. At least half of the people in the class got up and did whatever they had to do, without listening to her. I guess no one thought she had anything important to say. I cannot recall what she has said.
The second person who spoke was a man - he was likely to be in his 60s, wore a buttoned up shirt, and trousers. He had a belly, but the rest of him looked fit. His clothes did not highlight his big tummy. He had well groomed hair. Downward inflection when he spoke. Everyone listened. I remember what he has said. His message was the same message that he has given almost daily now. Yet somehow he still said it and we all listened.
The woman was probably higher in their organizational hierarchy than he was. Yet he had more presence, and commanded people's attention effortlessly when he spoke. Why? Because his image communicated authority!
To increase your personal presence - dress, groom and behave professionally. Not sloppily, but neatly. Not doing anything dramatically as to anxiously desire attention, but to reflect the best of you (without obvious flaunting) in a way that people are not only intrigued by you but also by your message.
