As you plan your campaign, you have to be mindful of the fact that your voters want to get behind an individual who has communicated to them the three C's: character, composure, and competence. One or more of these can come into play in your every communication. Perception can be influenced by appropriate clothing, accessories and grooming, as well as person-to-person eye contact and whether you give honest, straightforward answers to the person you are talking to.
Not surprisingly, I have read many surveys showing results that people believe that character is the biggest shortcoming of most politicians. Whether it is true or not, that is the common belief and I guess I would have to agree with it from my own personal point of view.
One of the biggest flaws to me is when you ask an incumbent or a candidate a question and you get a rambling or dodging answer. When I ask a question, I want an honest, straightforward, simply put answer! I appreciate that very much and would vote for someone that could give me that. Anyone that could not give me that I could not trust. Direct and logical answers are always the approach even if the person or group you are talking to may not like what you are going to say.
Another very important perception is the one you create with good eye contact. How would it make you feel if the person in front of you could not look you in the eye when he/she was talking to you? I would be hard pressed to trust that person.
Even when a high-level candidate is speaking to you, the prompters are strategically placed so the audience has the perception that the speaker is making eye contact with you. Most candidates, however, do not have access to such high-tech equipment, nor do they address audiences the size that the President does. Therefore, preparation and coaching are your best tools.
A candidate has to show a controlled physical image that can withstand the pressure of the moment. This controlled image communicates credibility. Speaking, debating, press interviews and meeting the voters face-to-face are the makers or breakers of an election. Being prepared and coached for these events will cut down on your reactions to the stress.
I cannot overemphasize the importance of eye contact, because many glances back to your written page will only show that you are not prepared. Therefore, it should be the candidate's goal to read as little of the speech as possible. I learned that if you have the written speech before you, you will refer to it. The worst scenario is if you lose your place in the speech! That is just downright embarrassing. It leaves the worst possible impression on your audience, not to mention what it does to to your stress lever. But if you write only four or five general areas that you want to address on the piece of paper before you and just talk to your audience instead, you will be further ahead.
