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Time to Polish Our Professional Presence

 Professionals behaving professionally
Spring Cleaning

As winter slowly fades away, many begin to focus on spring-cleaning. Typically, the first places we begin to clean in our homes are the places most people can’t see, like going after those dust bunnies hiding in the dark under our beds and couches, getting the step stool out to clean the top of our grubby refrigerator and scouring our well-used ovens.  

Perhaps this year consider a spring-cleaning scrubbing and polishing of our professional presence.  After all, our presence is what defines us in our professional and personal life.  Surprisingly enough, our non-verbal, verbal, and written communication skills project our professional presence.  Our communication skills indicate to others whether we are professional or not.  It really is that simple.  

Not so simple, however, is the each of those components, the non-verbal, verbal, and written communication, are comprised of many other elements or components. The communication package is quite complicated.  So, it is important to concentrate on each of these components and realize that everything about us is sending a message to others.   Decide for yourself what you want that message to convey.  

Additionally, in our social lives, our non-verbal, verbal, and written, indicate to others the type of person we are—nice, confident, sad, bored, friendly, angry, etc.

Please pay careful attention to:

  • Attire and Appearance
  • Body Language
  • Facial Expression
  • Verbal Content and Tone of voice
  • Written
  • Handwriting
  • Grammar
  • Pronunciation
  • Electronic Communication
  • Email
  • Social Networking

Special Note

  • Tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language is 90% to 95% of the content of all messages.
  • Words equal only 5% to 10%

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