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TJ's Insights
March 9, 2004
Do Clothes Make the Man or Woman?
Style versus Substance is the phony debate I face with many of my speech and media training clients. They think that media/presentation coaches want to focus purely on style, whereas the clients think of themselves as purists who are solely interested in substance.
This is a phony debate.
Anyone who wishes to maximize the impact of his or her substance will always spend a great deal of time, money and effort on style as well. The two are as intertwined as stands of a thick rope.
George Washington was quite exacting in his white hosiery-he always had a regal look even though he turned down being named king of America. When approaching a city, he would get out of his coach and would ride in on white horse back. His image was crucial to his mission.
Winston Churchill gave a much attention to the wide wale of his pinstripe, the bigness of his glasses and the affectation of his cigar. Yes, he had substance, but he always extended it with style.
Do you ever remember seeing a single hair out of place on Margaret Thatcher's head? Of course not; that would have sullied her resolute, strong, principled political image.
Ronald Reagan would often joke about his age, but he knew this would only work if he appeared to be vital and healthy. Throughout his 8 years in the White House, he never missed a secret Tuesday morning session with his hair dresser who magically preserved Reagan's head the color of chocolate ice cream.
Your style must complement and extend your message if you want to be effective. One reason Left-wing best selling writer and movie maker Michael Moore is successful is that his image is totally consistent with his message. He always wears a baseball cap, has exactly 3.5 days of stubble on his face, and wears old t-shirts and jeans. For Moore and his "everyman" message, his "style" is perfect. To give Moore a haircut, close shave and an Armani suite would rob him of his power just as surely as cutting Sampson's hair.
The key is to figure out your own substance/message and then come up with a style that communicates that message on its own.
Style is the best marketer substance ever had, and powerful leaders know this and embrace it-they don't whine and show disdain for mundane acts of image building.
Media Training Worldwide provides more media and presentation training workshops and seminars (54 separate courses) than any other company in the world. Media Training Worldwide also publishes more than 100 presentation training books, DVDs, CDs, and other information products and is the largest presentation/media training publisher in the world. For a product catalog or more information on training services call 800-755-7220 or visit http://mediatrainingworldwide.com/mediatrainingcatalogapril2004.pdf.
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