eyes). To top things off, she was sporting an inordinate amount of jewelry, both cosmetic and real, all of which looked very expensive, none of which matched itself or her outfit.

“Phew!” I hear you thinking, “Quick! Get the hook!” Not so fast. Once she began talking about real estate inv

Not long ago I was invited by a colleague to a presentation for potential real estate investors. A builder and a realtor had joined forces to build a multi-million dollar property with the help of investors in the hopes of selling it for a hefty profit. The presentation was relatively informal, taking place on a Sunday afternoon.

It began with an introduction by a junior member of the real estate arm, who turned the “stage” over to the builder. Lo and behold, a woman about 6 feet tall, in her mid to late sixties stood up and, began with, “Don’t mind the cough, its pneumonia, but it’s not contagious.” If that wasn’t enough to send the audience packing, her physical appearance was diametrically opposed to the ideas of “promotion” and “sales”. She had one of the sorrier body shapes I’d ever witnessed; going out where a women’s body typically goes in and vice-versa. The snug black knit outfit she had on only emphasized her "figure". In addition, her slip was flying like a flag outside the slit of her skirt. Her hair was a version of blonde not known in the natural hair color spectrum; her make-up was both too pale (skin) and too bright (lips and eyes). To top things off, she was sporting an inordinate amount of jewelry, both cosmetic and real, all of which looked very expensive, none of which matched itself or her outfit.

“Phew!” I hear you thinking, “Quick! Get the hook!” Not so fast. Once she began talking about real estate inv

taking place on a Sunday afternoon.

It began with an introduction by a junior member of the real estate arm, who turned the “stage” over to the builder. Lo and behold, a woman about 6 feet tall, in her mid to late sixties stood up and, began with, “Don’t mind the cough, its pneumonia, but it’s not contagious.” If that wasn’t enough to send the audience packing, her physical appearance was diametrically opposed to the ideas of “promotion” and “sales”. She had one of the sorrier body shapes I’d ever witnessed; going out where a women’s body typically goes in and vice-versa. The snug black knit outfit she had on only emphasized her "figure". In addition, her slip was flying like a flag outside the slit of her skirt. Her hair was a version of blonde not known in the natural hair color spectrum; her make-up was both too pale (skin) and too bright (lips and eyes). To top things off, she was sporting an inordinate amount of jewelry, both cosmetic and real, all of which looked very expensive, none of which matched itself or her outfit.

“Phew!” I hear you thinking, “Quick! Get the hook!” Not so fast. Once she began talking about real estate inv

t it’s not contagious.” If that wasn’t enough to send the audience packing, her physical appearance was diametrically opposed to the ideas of “promotion” and “sales”. She had one of the sorrier body shapes I’d ever witnessed; going out where a women’s body typically goes in and vice-versa. The snug black knit outfit she had on only emphasized her "figure". In addition, her slip was flying like a flag outside the slit of her skirt. Her hair was a version of blonde not known in the natural hair color spectrum; her make-up was both too pale (skin) and too bright (lips and eyes). To top things off, she was sporting an inordinate amount of jewelry, both cosmetic and real, all of which looked very expensive, none of which matched itself or her outfit.

“Phew!” I hear you thinking, “Quick! Get the hook!” Not so fast. Once she began talking about real estate inv

ce-versa. The snug black knit outfit she had on only emphasized her "figure". In addition, her slip was flying like a flag outside the slit of her skirt. Her hair was a version of blonde not known in the natural hair color spectrum; her make-up was both too pale (skin) and too bright (lips and eyes). To top things off, she was sporting an inordinate amount of jewelry, both cosmetic and real, all of which looked very expensive, none of which matched itself or her outfit.

“Phew!” I hear you thinking, “Quick! Get the hook!” Not so fast. Once she began talking about real estate inv

eyes). To top things off, she was sporting an inordinate amount of jewelry, both cosmetic and real, all of which looked very expensive, none of which matched itself or her outfit.

“Phew!” I hear you thinking, “Quick! Get the hook!” Not so fast. Once she began talking about real estate investment in general, and the property she was designing and building in particular, all thoughts or preoccupations about her appearance drifted away. This woman was the “real deal”, and her knowledge and passion came through loud and clear. Her explanations of how profit was to be gained through this kind of investment were presented in such a clear understandable way; a 6 year old would have understood her. Her reasoning and enthusiasm for her project were infectious. Despite a rocky start, (and an uncanny resemblance to Ursula the Sea Witch from Disney’s "The Little Mermaid") this woman was one of the best presenters I’d ever seen. And what a sales woman!

The moral of this story? When it comes to presenting, you really can't judge a book by its cover. While I am in no way advocating you try and look anything buy put-together, polished, and professional when speaking, you don't have to concern yourself with a bulging middle or a receding hair line. Be yourself, be knowledgeable and enthusiastic about your subject, and present your message in a clear convincing way, and to your audience you'll be beautiful.