6 Ways to Present Yourself Professionally so that People will Listen

As with many things in life, the presentation of yourself and your ideas in the workplace is essential to standing out and engaging with others. So how do you get people to listen to you at work, whether customers, colleagues, or managers? Here are our six tips on how to best present yourself professionally.

1. Be positive

People generally don’t enjoy listening to negativity and so you will encounter a much more positive response from a positive approach. Remember to smile often and you’ll put people at ease when talking with you, making it much more likely that they listen to, help or agree with you.

2. Dress the part

While we’ve all heard not to judge a book by its cover, unfortunately, it’s a habit that we don’t seem able to break. Scruffy attire leads to assumptions of disorganisation, carelessness and incompetence so be sure to clean, iron and mend your clothes and maintain a well-groomed appearance. This applies whether your workplace enforces business or casual dress, just make sure you match the tone of the company appearance.

3. Be passionate

Have you ever encountered a person who very clearly and outwardly seemed to dislike their job? Did you feel enthused by them? If you want customers to invest in your product or service; colleagues to get on board with an idea or managers to see your potential, you have to convince them of the value of your proposition with your own passion.

4. Body language

Did you know that 55% of communication is non-verbal? Body language is crucial to the message we give to others. Whilst smiling is one way of projecting confidence and a friendly demeanour, standing tall, opening up your posture and ensuring your palms face your audience can subconsciously give the impression of openness and honesty. 

Even the way you say things can have an impact on what people hear. Studies have found that we tend to vote for politicians with deeper voices as it suggests the person has power and authority. Speaking with a lower register may inspire more confidence in your words.

5. Be interested in the other person

It’s a universal truth that people love to talk about themselves. Showing curiosity in another person by asking them questions about themselves and responding with interest is a good way of developing relationships with people that will help you excel professionally.

6. Be prepared

A key mark of professionalism is organisation. Don’t commit the professional faux pas of allowing your phone to ring in a meeting or failing to produce the necessary resources for a project. 

Be proactive; rather than just highlighting problems, craft possible solutions to bring to the table. This will demonstrate your reliability and integrity, qualities that are highly valued in life, not just in the workplace and will be remembered by others.