PROJECTING A
PROFESSIONAL IMAGE
Phillip Westermeyer
Learning & Development Manager
Learning Outcomes
• What is image?
• Leveraging social media
• What professional services are looking for in new recruits
• Making a positive and lasting impression
• Communicating to be understood
• Working under pressure
• Recommended reading
What is Image?
“Your brand or image is what other people say about you
when you are not in the room”
- Jeff Bezos, CEO, Amazon
Leveraging Social Media
• Who is your target audience?
• Which social media platforms do you use?
• Blogging
 LinkedIn publishing platform
• Microblogging
 Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook etc
• Video and audio sites
 YouTube
• Image Pasting
 Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter
What does your photo say about you?
The Bottom Line
People buy people and it’s your personal brand that
tells them what they get when they buy you.
Your college grades will get you
invited to the party…how you
present yourself determines
whether they’ll let you stay and
dance.
What professional services are looking for
• Likeability
• Team player
• Emotional intelligence
• Confidence
• Curiosity
• Enthusiasm
• Commerciality
• Resilience
• Initiative
The Top 10 Bad Business Handshakes
10. The Sweaty Palmer
9. The Lobster Claw
8. The Fist Bump
7. The Wrestler
6. The Phantom
5. The Hanger-on
4. The Decliner
3. The Double-hander
2. The Bone Crusher
and coming in at No.1 is….
No. 1
THE DEAD FISH
Communicating to be understood
• Albert Mehrabian’s 7-38-55 rule
Active Listening Skills
• Engaged body language e.g. leaning forward, nodding
• Noticing shifts in body language and responding to
•
•
•
•
•
them
Validating and encouraging language e.g. ‘right’, ‘I see’
‘go on’ etc.
Questioning to explore and clarify
Paraphrasing or restating in your own words what you
have heard the contact say to check understanding
Playing back your perception of the situation to
understand if it is accurate
Pausing to consider answers
Active Listening Skills
• Placing your attention totally on the other person, not
•
•
•
•
allowing your thoughts to wander
Genuine curiosity and open mind
Holding back your own ideas and views for a time
Aiming for a balance in the conversation - 70% other
person and 30% you
Maintaining good eye contact
Applying the Questioning Funnel
Open
Open up the area for
discussion. Develop
understanding
Exhaust each line of
enquiry before going on
How? Why? Who? Where? When? What?
Probe
“Can you explain what you
mean by…?”
“Tell me more about…”
Reflect
Play back particular
words/emotions
Evaluate
Does this hang together/
make sense?
Play back to check
understanding. Clarify actions.
Summarise
Being Mindful
• At the right time
• Reading signals from the other person
• Knowing when to probe for more, when
to stay silent or when to close off an
area
..... involves considering what you are
trying to achieve to enable you to select
the most appropriate questions
Probing with a purpose
Probing to build
rapport
Probing to
understand the
issues, the facts,
the situation
Probing to clarify
understanding and
identify
implications
Probing to test
ideas and offers
Probing to gain
agreement
• Personal: gently
explore the
other person’s
interests,
background,
likes, dislikes
• “What are your
key strategic
imperatives this
year?”
• “Tell me more
about…..”
• “Does this
seem like the
sort of
approach you
are looking
for?”
• “Is there
anything we
haven’t
discussed?”
• Business:
general
business topics,
the industry,
market
• “Which of these
are your
priorities?”
• “Give me an
example of….”
• “What else would
you expect?”
• “What is the
consequence of
not meeting the
deadline?”
• “What else
would be
valuable?”
• “How would
you feel if….?”
• “Looking
ahead, what
concerns do
you
anticipate?”
Use POSITIVE Language
Working Under Pressure
• Viking Attack Game
In summary
• Your professional image is what other people say about
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•
•
•
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you when you are not in the room
Leverage the power of social media
Use body language to accentuate what you want to say
and how you say it
A good handshake and introduction can create a positive
first - and hopefully lasting – impression
Every interaction is an opportunity for people to see you
as the ‘go-to’ professional
Be an interested listener
Recommended books
Thank you