What Should I Wear to My Oral Presentation?

What should you wear to your oral presentation? Kevin Switaj has some tips in this week's episode. 

What is Bid and Proposal Tip of the Week?

The Bid and Proposal Tip of the Week provides short and insightful tips, guidance, and advice on navigating the complex world of bid development. Each week, our President and CEO, Kevin Switaj, shares his thoughts and ideas on how to improve proposal processes and deliverables.

Speaker 1: 00:00

Welcome to the Bid and Proposal Tip of the Week brought to you by BZ Opportunity Management. Each week, we provide you with advice and keys to being successful in the complex world of bid and proposal development. Now here's BZ president and CEO, Kevin Switaj, with this week's tip.

Kevin Switaj: 00:18

Hi, everyone. I'm Kevin Switaj with you for another bid and proposal tip of the week. What should you wear to your oral presentation? That's at the heart of this week's tip.

Speaker 3: 00:26

Did you know that BZ Opportunity Management is an accredited training organization by APMP, the leading professional association for bid and proposal professionals? Our foundation level training course prepares you for the APMP foundation level certification exam by teaching you both best practices and how to apply them in your day to day professional lives. We offer both public courses and company specific training to get your team certified. We can also administer the foundation level exam as part of our training. There is a reason we have provided support as part of APMP's bid and proposal conference training day, the past 2 years.

Speaker 3: 01:12

Our approach works with over 95% of our students passing their exam on the first try. Visit training.bzopportunity.com to learn more about our upcoming schedule and to contact us for a free training consultation today. BZ Opportunity Management, tailored solutions to help you grow.

Kevin Switaj: 01:36

This week's tip is our 4th in a 6 part series focused on oral presentations to your clients. I have already discussed the key evaluation criteria that's not written in the solicitation, the value of an oral presentation coach, and how to make sure your benefit statements are heard by your audience. Today, I wanna discuss how you should dress for your oral presentation. I am often asked during coaching sessions about what people should wear when they're delivering their presentation. Normally, my answer depends on the client.

Kevin Switaj: 02:05

I often advise teams to dress one half step up from your audience. Does the client normally wear business casual attire like polos and khakis? If so, a dress shirt and slacks are fine. If they tend to wear dress shirts, be sure to wear a sports coat. Now, this advice only goes so far.

Kevin Switaj: 02:23

If they normally wear suits, I'd say be even with your client. There's no need for you to wear a tuxedo or a ball gown to your oral presentation. Secondly, I'm asked about color schemes and formality. This is quite interesting given I am partially color blind, but I do have advice still to share. I normally say the lean conservative.

Kevin Switaj: 02:43

For traditional business dress, blue, gray, or black slacks and jacket, monochromatic shirt, usually white or blue, and a conservative tie will do the trick. Patterns on the tie are fine. Just make sure they are somewhat understated. No Homer Simpson or other novelty ties, please. I intentionally have been focusing on men's fashion because, frankly, the vast majority of the time, the question comes from male participants.

Kevin Switaj: 03:08

For women presenters, I often advise them to parallel the male suggestions I've already given. I also suggest no loud jewelry by either definition. It should not be over the top and should not make a lot of noise. For example, wearing many bracelets on one arm could be a problem, especially for someone who speaks a lot with their hands. In the end, my advice for dress comes down to two main points.

Kevin Switaj: 03:30

Be as comfortable as possible and make sure you are dressed slightly better than your client. These two ground rules will ensure the focus remains on the presentation for both of you and them. How to properly dress for your oral presentation is your bid and proposal tip of the week.

Speaker 1: 03:49

This tip has been brought to you by BZ Opportunity Management. A family owned provider of comprehensive bid and proposal consulting services to government contractors of all sizes. For more information please visit bzopportunity.com or email us at info at bzopportunity.com.