Professional Presence: The Role of Culture and Context

professional presence and culture

What is Professional Presence? A person has professional presence if they conduct themselves in a confident and professional way. Being “professional” typically means keeping your conversations focused on work, and avoiding personal or potentially sensitive matters. However, professionalism also can mean many different things depending on your work environment and office culture. Some offices are … Read more

Why Assertiveness is a Challenge for So Many Professionals

presentations for creative professionals

Assertiveness doesn’t come naturally to a lot of us. It can often bring about an uncomfortable feeling that we’re rocking the boat or disrupting the status quo. So many of us are inclined to try to “fit in”, whether that’s within our families, with colleagues or friends. Nevertheless, assertiveness is an important skill to master … Read more

Communication Challenges of Remote Work and How to Fix Them

virtual presentation coaching

Does remote work increase productivity? Many studies say yes, and others say no. So which is it? Well, it turns out, it depends on the type of work you’re doing. Jerry Useem wrote in The Atlantic: If it’s personal productivity—how many sales you close or customer complaints you handle—then the research, on balance, suggests that … Read more

Persuasion Skills: Can You Be Convincing if You Aren’t Convinced?

(Listen to the audio or read below) You can’t sell something if you aren’t completely sold on it yourself. Or can you? What if it’s your job to persuasively communicate something, regardless of your personal feelings? We might see this with sales development reps (SDRs), account executives, management consultants, or marketing professionals. We can also … Read more