Business Success and Professional Image

PART TWO

How you talk is an essential part of creating a positive professional image.

How you talk

Some people are naturally gifted with a melodious voice. They also know exactly what to say, at the right time to the right person.

And then, there are people like me – the really challenged ones : ) We learn out through trial and error what works and what doesn’t. Most of you are probably somewhere in the middle.

Volume, tone, and the words you use – all these contribute to a polished professional image. Conducting a business meeting with a low, barely-audible voice will make you less effective. Selecting the right words will get you the results you desire. And not having tact and diplomacy can REALLY get you in trouble.

We are all “works in progress”

I’m still working on my “inside voice”. Years ago one of my clients invited me to a business gathering. That evening I also had to chance to meet my client’s brother. We had spoken on the phone before so he knew my voice. His reaction was funny when we were first introduced. This tall man looked down at my 5-foot frame. Then he looked again. Finally he said, “You are the same Mariana I often speak with on the phone, right?” To my smart Alec answer, “As far as I know there is only one of us”, he started laughing and responded, “I’m saying that because judging by your voice on the phone I expected you to be a much larger person.”

I took that as a compliment – and don’t tell me otherwise ; )

Be you

We all have things we want to improve. Maybe, like me, you need to work on your “inside voice”. Or maybe you need to pay more attention to the dress code of your specific industry.

Whatever it may be, you can change – as much or as little as you want to. You want to conform to essential norms, but still keep your individuality, retaining the essence that makes you special.

Mariana Fieraru

Mariana Fieraru, an Eastern European transplant, fell in love with her new home shortly after landing in New York. She "discovered" pizza! Years later she still loves pizza. And so do her two feathered-kids, Sunny and Flipper

Mariana worked on both, the east and the west coast.
Big or small, each project she worked on helped define the importance of gaining and sustaining a competitive edge in an increasingly complex business environment.

Business know-how, love of teaching and writing – all combined in 2006 to form OBI.
Its mission: to make learning fun! And easy.

Through its training, consulting, and publications OBI builds bridges of knowledge to take you from where you are to
where you want to go. Using a mix of serious, informal, analytical, and optimistic approach, OBI truly makes learning fun.

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