Chapter Eleven
Developing a
Professional
Presence
Chapter Preview: Developing a
Professional Presence
•
•
•
•
•
Importance of professional presence
Favorable first impressions
The image you project to others
Choice of clothing for work
Manners and interpersonal relations at
work
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Professional Presence
• A dynamic blend of poise, selfconfidence, control and style
• Empowers us to be able to command
respect in any situation
• Permits us to project confidence that
others can quickly perceive
• Permits us to rise above the crowd
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Professional Presence
• Can’t be superficial
• Requires principles including:
– Service (making a contribution)
– Integrity and honesty (foundation of trust)
– Human dignity (every person has worth)
– Fairness (justice for all)
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Making a Good Impression
• First impressions are lasting ones
• First impressions are the first step in
building a long-term relationship
• It is not just first contacts with clients,
patients, customers, and others that are
important
• Positive impressions should be the
objective of every contact
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The Primacy Effect
• The tendency to form impressions
quickly at the time of initial meeting
• Later information is either ignored or
reinterpreted based on initial framework
• First impressions represent 100% of
what they know about you at that point
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The First Few Seconds
• Gladwell’s appearance had lasting
implications
• Our thinking is not always rational
• Decisions happen subconsciously in a
split second
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Total Person Insight
Books are judged by their covers, houses are
appraised by their curb appeal, and people
are initially evaluated on how they choose to
dress and behave. In a perfect world this is
not fair, moral, or just. What’s inside should
count a great deal more. And eventually it
usually does, but not right away. In the
meantime, a lot of opportunities can be lost.
Susan Bixler and Nancy Nix-Rice
Authors, The New Professional Image
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Assumptions Versus Facts
• Initial impressions are made up of
assumptions and facts
• Often reliance on assumptions based
on nonverbal communication
• The briefer the encounter, the greater
the chance for misinformation
• Emotional focus should be on the other
person
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Cultural Influence
• Stereotypes of entire groups can be
formed during early years
• Cultural differences can be subtle
• Organizations today
– Attempt to create a new kind of workplace
where cultural and ethnic differences are
treated as assets
– Find it more difficult to develop policies that
do not offend one ethnic group or another
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The Image You Project
• Image describes how other people feel
about you
• Behaviors that communicate a mental
picture that others observe and
remember
• The image you project is like a picture
puzzle that is formed by a variety of
factors
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Figure 11.1 - Major Factors That
Form Your Image
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Surface Language
• A pattern of immediate impressions
conveyed by appearance
– Clothing
– Hairstyle
– Fragrance
– Jewelry
• Clothing is particularly important
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Surface Language
• More relaxed dress code in recent years
• Things that have not changed
– If you want the job, look the part
– If you want the promotion, look promotable
– If you want respect, dress as well or better
than industry standards
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Selecting Career Apparel
• Special uniforms for particular jobs
• Project an image of
– consistent quality
– good service
– uniqueness
• Uniforms can enhance company
cohesiveness and add to company spirit
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Wardrobe Engineering
• Describes how clothing and accessories
can create a certain image
• Effective packaging is an individual
matter based on the person’s
– circumstances
– age
– weight
– height
– coloring
– objectives
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Table 11.1
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The Business Casual Look
Usually includes
• Slacks
• Khaki pants
• Collared shirts or
blouses
• Shoes with socks
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Usually excludes
•
•
•
•
•
Jeans
T-shirts
Shorts
Sneakers
Sandals
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Typical Casual-Dress Guidelines
• Movement toward emphasis on greater
comfort and individuality
• Wear dressier business clothing when
meeting with customers or clients
• Respect the boundary between work
and leisure clothing
• Wear clothing that is clean and neat and
that fits well
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Your Facial Expression
• After overall appearance, it is the most
visible part of you
• Provides clues to identify the inner
feelings of another
• Strongly influence people’s reactions to
each other
• A smile is most recognizable signal in
the world
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Your Entrance and Carriage
• The way you enter an office or business
meeting can influence the image you
project
• If you feel apprehensive, try not to let it
show
• Project self-confidence with
– a strong stride
– a friendly smile
– good posture
– a genuine sense of energy
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Your Voice Quality and Speech Habits
• Qualities that contribute to your image
– Tone of voice
– Rate of speech (tempo)
– Volume
– Ability to pronounce (diction)
• Avoid…
– Too nasal
– Too weak
– Monotone
– Strong accent
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- Too high-pitched
- Too insincere
- Too loud
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Your Voice
• Cultural and racial differences are
sometimes detectable in our voices and
dialects
• The best rule is to be yourself;
communicate well and be understood
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Your Handshake
• A friendly and professional way to greet
someone
• Can communicate warmth or
indifference
• Might be the only physical contact
between people
• A skill that can be improved
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Your Handshake
• The message the handshake sends
depends on several factors
– Degree of firmness
– Degree of dryness of hands
– Duration of grip
– Depth of interlock
– Eye contact during handshake
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Etiquette for a Changing World
• Etiquette is a set of traditions based on
kindness, efficiency and logic
– Sometimes called manners or protocol
• Universal passport to positive
relationships and respect
• Avoid behavior that might be offensive
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Dining Etiquette
• Business meetings often conducted at
meals
• Pay attention to table manners
• Order food that is easily controlled and
is not messy
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Meeting Etiquette
• Start and end on time
• Always start and end the meeting on a
positive note
• Speak to the topic
• Don’t speak unnecessarily
• Summarize and recap responsibilities
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Cell Phone Etiquette
• Do not use at business meetings, in
elevators, or in restaurants
• Talk in a normal speaking voice
• Ask cell users who disturb you to take
the call in private
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Conversational Etiquette
• Don’t be too informal, too fast
• Avoid foul language
• Avoid other sensitive terms or
expressions
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Networking Etiquette
• When meeting people at an event, tell
them your name and what you do
• Avoid negative talk
• Follow up with contacts
• Send a written thank you note if
someone has been helpful to you
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Total Person Insight
In a society as ridden as ours with
expensive status symbols, where every
purchase is considered a social
statement, there is no easier or cheaper
way to distinguish oneself than by the
practice of gentle manners.
Judith Martin
Author
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Incivility—The Ultimate Career Killer
• Civility is the sum of the many sacrifices
we are called to make for the sake of
living together
• Civility is under siege in our society
• Small gestures can improve civility and
enhance your career, such as
– Saying "Please" and "Thank you"
– Opening doors for others
– Treating coworkers with dignity and respect
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Professional Presence and
Job Interview
• Communicate the image that you are
someone that is conscientious
• Be prepared
– Visit the place of business beforehand
– Observe the people already working there
– Dress up one step in terms of professional
appearance
• Show that you care enough to make a
good impression
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Chapter Review
• Importance of professional presence
– A dynamic blend of praise, self-confidence,
control and style
– It permits you to be perceived as selfassured and competent
– These qualities are quickly perceived the
first time someone meets you
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11 | 35
Chapter Review
• Favorable first impressions
– People form impressions of others quickly
at the first meeting
– First impressions tend to be preserved
– The impression you form of another person
is made up of assumptions and facts
– Assumptions are based on surface
language conveyed by appearance
– Your verbal messages influence the
impression you make
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11 | 36
Chapter Review
• The image you project to others
– Image is how other people feel about you
– Your behaviors and appearance
communicate a mental picture that others
observe and remember
– The picture determines how they react to
you
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11 | 37
Chapter Review
• The image you project to others
– Image is formed by
Facial Expression
Voice
Entrance & Carriage
Handshake
Competence
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Self-confidence
Integrity
Manners
Surface language
Positive attitude
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Chapter Review
• Choice of clothing for work
– Discrimination on the basis of appearance
is a fact of life
– Clothing is an important part of image
– Factors that influence choice of clothing for
work:
• The products or services offered
• The type of person served
• The desired image of the organization
• The region where you work
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Chapter Review
• Manners and interpersonal relations at
work
– Manners, etiquette, or protocol is a set of
traditions based on kindness, efficiency,
and logic
– Proper etiquette
• Dinning
• Meeting
• Cell phone
• Conversational
• Networking
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