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Recently Sam Donaldson stated that the American population wanted the presidential candidates to have a high quotient of likeability and intelligence. Having only one of these characteristics was not enough. I believe the same is true for leaders of corporations and anyone that takes a leadership role on the platform. Audiences' want to listen to someone who is likeable and intelligent. The IQ factor can be ascertained with minimal effort. However, the basis of a "likeable" persona is a bit more complicated. What does "likeable" actually mean?

The answer becomes obvious when you think of the opposite. Unlikeable - Which is often the trait associated with Telemarketers and Infomercials. What do all majority of these have in common? Insincerity!

Compassion, empathy, respect, talking from the heart, simple common language, truth, confidence, credibility, and competence have a tonality that we intuitively recognize. When we sense the genuineness we quickly trust, like and respect. When we don't, we discontinue communicating, listening, and accepting. What are the keys to portraying a comfortable balance of likeability and intelligence when speaking in public?

1. Share a story with your audience members that is easy to relate to and that shows you've been in their shoes. This story should be one that anyone in the audience could have experienced personally in his/her life.
2. Laughter is contagious. When you laugh, do so when it is sincere. An insincere, swallow laugh can do more harm than good.
3. When using someone's name that is in the audience look at that individual and smile. Referring to someone and not truly acknowledging his/her presence is disrespectful. The individual will feel slighted as well as the other audience members.
4. If someone from the audience interacts with you by answering one of your questions or by asking you a question look at him/her the entire time he/she is speaking. If appropriate nod or smile to show encouragement or agreement.
5. Show your human side. The side that doesn't have all the answers or the one that makes mistakes. One way to do this is simply to say that "you don't know" instead of attempting to side step an issue you are not prepared to address.
6. Speak with firmness. An unshaken voice sounds confident and assuring. Stating your thoughts, perceptions, and ideas with determination and focus creates a high degree of believability. Use words that are found in your daily conversations. Being uncontrived on the platform denotes truth, honesty, sincerity and ultimately a high degree of likeability.

Reflect for a moment on the presidential candidates. Each made an impression on you that may have impacted your vote. Studies showed that votes were cast due to:

• Long standing loyalities to the Republican or Democratic parties
• Strong feelings about major issues such as taxes, environment, or social security.
• Impressions about the candidates based on their smiles, smirks, coughs, laughs, body postures, sighs and so on. Research has shown that majority of the voters used these impressions as their deciding factor.

Let's reflect for a moment on the vice presidential candidates who said the same thing as the presidential candidates during the debates. However the perceptions made were quite different . Senator Lieberman and Mr. Cheney calmly stated their beliefs, ideals, and values. The disagreements were noted and explained. It was a simple conversation about complex subjects on public television. The vice presidential candidates illustrated that "how" something is said is just as important as "what". The same principle holds for every speaker on a public platform.