Why Good Girls Don't Get Ahead_. But Gutsy Girls Do - Kate White [56]
Watch a videotape of yourself
Okay, this sounds a little far-fetched. But today so many work events are videotaped that it may be easy to get hold of a tape that features you making a presentation or just being a participant, and you'll find that this is the best possible wake-up call about how you come across.
Trust me, it can be a shock to see for the first time how you handle yourself in a work selling. In my own case I fell like I needed CPR alter viewing myself on tape. I had a way of flapping my arms around when I talked that made me look like a pterodactyl. But once you get over the initial shock, you can evaluate what's working and what's not. Ask yourself these questions:
• How's my energy level?
• How's my posture?
• What do my gestures and body language convey?
• Do I seem to be connecting with people?
• Is my voice forceful and effective?
• Are people paying attention to me as I speak?
• Do people in authority address their comments to me?
Answer this Question: Does your boss's boss know who you are?
If you're not known among those in power positions on the next level (or levels) of your company, you're not doing enough to network and/or highlight your accomplishments.
Answer this Question: How often does your boss trot you out to showcase your skills to higher management or your industry?
From time to time your boss will have the opportunity to show off star employees—for instance, by having them speak at conventions or industry functions, by having them make presentations of their research to higher-ups. As a boss I can tell you that the employees I choose to do this are those who I know will make me look good. But it's not simply a matter of their being highly skilled in their jobs. They also have to come across as dynamos. If they don't look “right,” I'm nervous about putting them out in front because of how people will perceive them. If you see others being shown off and you're not, it's time to consider your image.
THE HOLLYWOOD STARLET TRICK EVEN YOU CAN USE
President John Kennedy said that energy was everything, and if there were only one packaging tip I could give to the good girls who have worked for me, it would be, “Get some zip.” The right clothes and the right body language won't make up for operating on only four cylinders.
If your energy is consistently on the low side, you need to take a look at your lifestyle. Studies show that the four biggest energy zappers are lack of sleep, stress, poor eating, and lack of exercise. Stress is misleading because we've developed a false sense that it actually charges us up. It does momentarily, but according to Margaret Chesney, an epidemiologist at the University of California School of Medicine in San Francisco, if the pressure continues, it begins to erode both our energy and our resistance to illness.
My energy level has always been pretty high, sustained by megadoses of caffeine. But even still, I find there are times when I'm about to go into a meeting or make a presentation when I'm feeling about as exciting as a bowl of overcooked pasta. In those cases I've learned to try to do a few things to jump-start myself, sometimes simply walking around for a few minutes beforehand. Sitting up in my chair also seems to help. When I was at Mademoiselle, we did this fun little article once on how the stars stay beautiful, and it was filled with silly stuff like taping one's breasts with gaffer's tape to give them the look of ripe cantaloupes. But one tip actually sounded worthwhile. Before they have publicity shots done, some actresses reportedly jump up and down and vigorously huff and puff just to make themselves look full of vitality for the photo. I haven't been forced to use this technique yet but I keep it in reserve.
THE NEW (AND IMPROVED) RULES OF DRESS FOR SUCCESS