SOCIAL MEDIA FOCUS
Presenting Yourself Professionally:
In the Flesh, On the Podium and On the Web
By Sue Ann Kern
F
irst impressions are made within
those initial few seconds that you
meet someone new. You know that
feeling when you meet someone
for the first time? You may feel comfortable,
impressed, disappointed or distrustful.
Your first impression of an individual is a
critical building block in the growth of a relationship, whether professional or social, and
may very well be the reason why you decide to
pursue a relationship, or why not.
Negative first impressions can be nearly
impossible to overcome. Suppose you blew
your first presentation to your new boss. Even
if you have stellar performances after that,
your boss may still have the image of your first
disastrous appearance. It may take far more
effort to make your boss forget that image than
to ruin a positive first impression.
Think about that—if you start off on the
wrong foot, it is difficult to recover. People will
be harder to impress. However, if you start off
on the right foot then have a failure down the
road, people are more likely to give you the
benefit of the doubt in the future because they
know what you are capable of.
First impressions are not just made in
person. Consider a resume that has a misspelled
word, or a post on Facebook that is inappro-
priate. Consider the glaring “Under Construction”
message when you go to a website.
Now consider a resume that is impeccably worded and formatted. Consider a wellthought-out and professional social media
presence. Consider a LinkedIn profile and
website that effectively present your expertise
to the world.
Presenting yourself in person, on the
podium and on the web are all opportunities to
create positive first impressions and help you
grow professionally. No matter how afraid you
are or how shy you think you are, you can do
this. Just follow some simple tips and tactics.
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In the Flesh
What are some of the physical things
about you that will cause a person to form a
first impression? Appearance, body language
and attitude all are key factors involved in
providing a first impression.
Your attire will be dictated by the situation,
location and your audience. Know your audience. Is a suit appropriate? Is it casual Friday
every day? Professional dress in New York is
different than professional dress in LA or Miami.
In a professional situation, err on the side of
caution and dress more conservatively. One
piece of advice you may have already heard:
dress the way the individual in the position you
aspire to dresses.
Body language is incredibly important
and often overlooked. It can be a very effective communication tool, but it can also convey
much more than you really want to share. A
subtle hand gesture or change in posture can
alter the message you are giving, and someone’s first impression of you.
Communication is 55% non-verbal, 38%
voice inflection and only 7% words. Think about
a written message, text or email, and how often
we misinterpret the meaning because all we
have to work with are words. There is no voice
inflection and no body language to help those
words convey the message completely. Often
this can backfire.
Think about these gestures that you may
or may not realize you use:
The head tilt – when you tilt your head you
expose your neck, showing your ear. This signifies you are listening and displays trust. It can
also be a sign of sympathy, pity or insincerity.
The head bob – a simple nod is a sign
of agreement, but excessive head bobbing is
more of a concession or even resignation.
Use the head tilt and head bob to show
that you are paying attention, but when you
need to command authority or make a statement, keep your head straight.
What about your posture? People of
power don’t worry about taking up too much
space. Their power is evident in their posture.
Picture someone cowering in fear and shame
- they tighten up and contract, holding their
elbows to their side, wringing their hand or
shrugging their shoulders. Stand up tall, push
your shoulders back and don’t be afraid to own
the space around you.
Your appearance and your body language
are indicators of your attitude and mood.
Project positivity and show up with the intention to learn and participate. You have to be
there, so make the most of it. Be courteous and
use manners. Be on time. If you are not early,
you are late. Who wants to hear excuses? Plan
for the unexpected traffic delay. Nothing shows
disrespect more than tardiness. Smile but don’t
go overboard. Smiling can be very effective and
make you more personable and approachable.
Overdoing it and smiling too much, or in a fake
way, will make you look disingenuous. Smile,
make eye contact and raise your eyebrows
to show you are listening. However, when the
conversation gets serious, stop smiling.
On the Podium
First impressions are important when you
meet someone in person, but equally important when you step in front of a room to give
a presentation. Did you know that it takes only
0.02 seconds for us to decide whether we like
a speaker? You may very well decide whether
or not you like a speaker even before her or she
begins their speech.
Jerry Seinfeld once said, “According
to most studies, people’s number one fear is
public speaking. Number two is death. Death
is number two. Does that sound right? This
means to the average person, if you go to
a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than
doing the eulogy.”
Fear is a healthy emotion. It keeps us on
our toes. Do not pretend that you will never be
afraid before presenting. The key is to recognize
and acknowledge the fear and nervousness,
then find your own way to overcome them. Try
breathing and relaxation techniques. Sit in a
quiet area for a few minutes and calm yourself
while thinking of something comforting. Listen
to your “pump up” song before you speak.
Above all, remember why you are there.
There is a reason you are presenting: you are
the expert. You have something to offer. You
know something that your audience wants
to learn. Sure, someone out there may know
something that you don’t, but you know a lot
more about the subject than they do or else
they would have been asked to speak instead
of you.
What can you do to increase the chance
that people to like you when you first step onto
the podium? Again, body language is crucial
in those first few seconds when you take the
stage. Own your space. Stand with confidence
and pull your shoulders back. Look at the audience and smile. If you see a speaker with a
dumbfounded look like a deer caught in headlights, your sense of confidence and trust that
that person will be worth your time is smashed.
Use your hands to share your energy.
When you are using gestures, you are expressive and animated and the audience will copy
your energy. If you keep your hands at your side
or stuffed in your pocket, what does that say
about your energy level or your confidence?
Stand still. Don’t rock, sway or thrust your hips.
You want to move around the podium and step
away from the lectern, but don’t dance around
like you have to find the nearest restroom. With
that said, you can walk onto the stage with the
most confident stride and capture the audience
with that gleam in your eye and engaging smile.
However, if your presentation isn’t good, none
of that matters.
Visual aids, if used effectively, can really
help get your message across to your audience. Remember, 55% of communication is
non-verbal. Make sure that you secure the
necessary equipment: projector, screen, microphone, speakers, WiFi, white board, cables and
extension cords. Go to the site early in the day
to ensure that the room, AV equipment and
other material is set up the way you need.
PowerPoints are very effective visual aids.
They can enhance your speech or they can be
a distraction. They are there to help convey your
message, rather than give your audience reading
material. How often have you seen a presentation with so much information on the slides that
you spend more time trying to read the slide than
listen to the speaker? Limit text on slides and
use images that help convey your point or paint
a picture of your idea. If you want the audience
to have some detailed written information to take
away, then put it on handouts.
On the Web
Today, more than ever before, we are often
presenting ourselves for the first time through
the World Wide Web. This could be through
a website, LinkedIn profile, Facebook page,
Twitter account or another social media site.
It is just as important to create a first impression from the web as it is in person or on the
podium.
Have you ever researched a business
online before contacting them to buy a product
or enlist their services? Have you ever used
LinkedIn to either look for a job or to hire
someone to fill a position? Have you ever tried
to locate an individual on a social media site
after meeting them in person?
First and foremost, separate business
from pleasure. If you use a social media site
for fun, make sure you have a different account
for business. Your friends and family may care
about your business, but chances are your
business associates don’t care about your
friends and family. They do not need to know
about your Saturday evening escapades, son’s
soccer game or your vacation pictures. Your
professional image online should be a reflection
of your professional self.
REPRINTED FROM CONCRETE OPENINGS | VOL. 22 | NUM.2 | JUNE 2013
SOCIAL MEDIA FOCUS
Take an objective look at your website.
Does it project the image that you want for
your business? Your website is analogous to
your store or office and you want it to present
the same professional image. Is it messy and
confusing? Sterile and boring? Are there
misspelled words? Keep it updated regularly
and make sure visitors easily find your contact
information.
The profile picture that you use on social
media should be chosen wisely. For Facebook, Google+ pages, Twitter and Pinterest,
use your logo. These types of social sites are
about the business, not about you. If you use
your picture it becomes confusing, because it
is not clear whether this is a personal profile or
a business profile. LinkedIn, however, is about
you. You just happen to work for, or own, this
business. Do not put a picture of you and your
significant other, especially if you have a cross
gender name, like Kelly or Tyler. If you see a
profile picture of a guy and a gal and the name
is Pat, then how do you know which one is Pat?
Don’t put a photo of your dog unless you are
a vet or run an animal shelter—this is not the
place to showcase your furry friend. Unless you
are a professional sportsperson or athlete, stay
away from profile pictures of you engaging in
sporting activities.
How often should you participate in social
media? It is a fact that one can get lost and
spend countless hours perusing the depths of
social media. It is a labyrinth of information and
can suck you into its vortex before you can say,
“follow me,” yet a regular and reliable presence
is very important. How often have you looked
for a company’s Facebook page only to find that
they haven’t posted in a long time? Are they still
in business? Why don’t they care enough about
their audience to post current activity? Create
a schedule for yourself and stick to it. You may
remember the acronym CRISP from one of my
previous social media articles (Concrete Openings, December 2012):
• Check social media sites three to five
times a week
• Respond to comments from connections
• Inform your connections of new happenings with your business
• Search for new connections
• Peruse other sources for interesting information to share
Then log off and get to work. If you create
a schedule, stick to it and keep it CRISP. You
should be spending no more than 15-20 minutes
a day, 3-5 times a week on social media.
Conclusion
Competition is fierce out there. Many
companies are vying for the same chunk of
business. Many others are trying to get that
same job or promotion. You must make that
first impression count!
You know you have the right product or
service to solve your potential client’s problem.
You know you have the best idea to pitch to
your boss. Now you know the tips and tactics
to create a positive and professional impression
in the flesh, on the podium and on the web.
Sue Ann Kern is a trainer, consultant and
professional speaker on social media. Through
her company, Face It! Social Media, she helps
businesses and individuals to promote their
products, services and themselves through Social
Media. Kern earned her degree in Electrical
Engineering and spent the early part of her career
as a digital designer and programmer. She has
presented to the CSDA membership and held a
workshop on the subject of social media. Sue Ann
can be reached at 435-201-8610 or by email at
[email protected].
REPRINTED FROM CONCRETE OPENINGS | VOL. 22 | NUM.2 | JUNE 2013