Pointers on Professionalism

You’ve probably heard the following two phrases:

1) It’s what’s on the inside that counts. We’ll call this “content”.

2) Image is everything. We’ll call this “image”.

It seems there is conflict in common philosophies about how we present ourselves to each other and to our world.  If we align with the first statement, the second one doesn’t matter.  Yet, on a daily basis we are confronted with a world of competition.  In this world, image undeniably plays a vital role.

So how can we maintain the integrity of our content while observing the role of our image?

…Or better yet, how can we use both to make a difference?

I believe that if we are truly passionate about our content, putting time into presenting it professionally is worthwhile.

Here are a few pointers about presenting a professional image:

IN WRITING:

• Take the time to check for spelling and grammar errors.  Check out this site for a fun list of commonly misspelled words:  http://theoatmeal.com/comics/misspelling
• Be concise.  Know what you really want to say, then say it.
• Double-check formatting to make sure it is visible to your audience that you care about what you are saying.

IN SPEECH:

• Be appropriate.  Being appropriate really means being aware of your environment.
• Be respectful. The word “respect” actually means to “look back” or “look again”.  Do both.  Look at what you are about to say and how it might come across; look again.  Then, look back to see how it was received.
• Be genuine.  Stand behind what you say. Actively.

IN GRAPHICS:

• All of the above. And…
• Clean up poor resolution images.  Pixelated images distract and detract.
• Use graphics tastefully. Graphics can be overdone, but when used tastefully, they really add to professional presentation.

Finally, don’t forget that it is what’s on the inside that counts, and it is important to take the time to communicate that, professionally.

Thanks for reading! (Now go practice!)

Inspired in part by David Cutler’s The Savvy Musician regarding successful print materials.