What does it mean to be professional?
If you’re still wondering whether you’re the best person for the job – aka if you’re suffering from the impostor syndrome and are constantly doubting that your accomplishments are your own – there are some little tips you can employ to look, speak and think more like a professional. People who tend to believe that they’re inadequate in their role are not able to recognise success even if they are skilled and successful. Unfortunately, the impostor syndrome is a common psychological issue that affects many high achievers. If you’re familiar with the feeling that people might ‘find you out’, you can benefit from simple behavioural tools that can gradually modify your reading of the situation.
Whether you set yourself impossible high goals or whether you believe you’re built your professional career on sheer luck, understand how to act as a professional can help your brain to perceive your performance as real.
Get the look
There’s no denying that your outfit has a significant impact on your mood. Consequently, if you define your ideal professional outfit, you could create the feeling of being professionally adequate. For a start, you need to invest in a capsule wardrobe with items that you can combine elegantly to create a variety of stylish and business-like looks. Similarly, a simple and effective day makeup routine can also help you to look your best and feel more confident. Finally, if you’re an independent expert, you might want to add a professional feel to your business with forward mail services, so that you don’t need to display your personal address on your business cards.
Get the lingo
Do you sound professional when you talk to new clients? Sales experts from Frosch Learning will be the first to tell you that how you sound and how you behave as you speak impacts greatly on your ability to convey a message effectively. For instance, you may be very knowledgeable in your niche, but if you lack confidence when negotiating prices, potential clients will be more likely to look elsewhere. Additionally, people who use business vocabulary as part of their communication strategy instantly sound like they know what they’re talking about. As simplistic as it might sound, it’s often a matter of using a word instead of another and referring to common business practices as a guideline.
Get the mindset
The last step of your transformation is to be able to identify business opportunities. As an entrepreneur, you can prove your worth by understanding where there is money to be made, to speak clearly. Consequently, identifying an opportunity for growth or for income diversification is part of building for yourself the image of a successful business person. Ultimately, it’s a matter of analysing the market and understanding what customers need and want. Successful entrepreneurs might get a hunch, but it’s not how they drive their company to success. Instead, they rely on data analysis to take their decisions. Get your data and think like a business expert.
The bottom line is that you can train yourself out of the impostor feeling if you cultivate a professional look, language and strategy. The more you behave like a professional, the more entitled you’ll feel to your success!
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Cyber Geek Girl
