Safety Consulting Corner

Casaul Fridays

Somehow I came upon an article in a Canadian newspaper about appropriate dress on casual Fridays. Click Here to read it. As you know, many small consultants already have a casual Friday (and a casual Monday - Thursday for that matter!) What caught my eye in the article was the statement "The more body parts you show, the more you lose your personal power and credibility." Hallelujah! I have been at many meetings and  conferences where safety professionals at all levels and of both sexes are wearing less than enough clothing. Yes, everyone wants to be comfortable but a conference or meeting is still a work event in my book. Guys can get away more with wearing shorts at these events but still, too much skin just doesn't seem right. I have seen young ladies just starting out in the profession almost cause half a room of men to practically fall off chairs when wearing a simple sleeveless, low cut and form fitting shirt during a late June conference. She may look great but when she tries to have a serious conversation with any of these men about a work issue, including the possibility of future employment, she is not going to be taken seriously. She is going to be remembered for her skin and not for her potential. No, it' not fair, but it's true. Before you get too casual on Friday or any other day, reconsider what message you want to send.

Head in the Sand?

Sure you have been hearing a lot about Facebook, myspace, linkedin, ZoomInfo and many others and you have probably gotten at least one invitation to either join or verify your informatiion on these sites. While it is very easy to stick your head in the sand and ignore these websites, you would be smart to at least establish a basic presence online. What is your online life? Do you have one? One reason you want to get out there sooner rather than later is because it is highly unlikely that you are the only person in this world with your exact name. If you get out there and add youreslf to these sites, including at least a basic current profile, it will be more difficult for others to confuse you with a similarly named person. If you have the same name of someone who has received a lot of bad press, and someone searches on that name, how are they going to know that you are the professional and not that axe-murderer? By adding yourself to the sites and keeping your profile current, you are helping to make sure that the real listing for the real you comes up in the search results.

A few places to stake your claim include:
www.LinkedIn.com
www.spoke.com
www.claimid.com
www.zoominfo.com
www.myspace.com
www.facebook.com
www.multiply.com

Just a suggestion - but you might want to type up the basic profile info in Word and then cut and paste it into the different websites. It will save you some finger strain! Go ahead - Get Out There!

PR

Good publicity is very important to consultants. What else can give you tons of free exposure to large groups of potential clients? Too many consultants think that publicity is the same as advertising and many consultants have no idea how to get it. The following brief audio file titled "Publicity for Consultants" (about 15 minutes long ) can help get you started. Enjoy!

Pretty in Pink?

Especially with soring gas prices, you may be finding yourself invited to participate in meetings via webcams or through webconferencing systems.  Phone conferences are easy  - you can sit in your pajamas, cut your toenails, pet your dog - do practically anything if you want to but once that little camera is involved, things are different. You could just throw on a nice shirt and jacket and hope for the best but there are a few additional steps you can take to make a better impression during the web conference.

First, check out what's behind you. The camera will pick up more than just your smiling face so check out what else will be in the view. While you don't want a wall full of posters or a bulletin board crowded with papers in the background, you also do not want a plain blank wall behind you either.  An organized bookcase is a good choice or even a wall with your diplomas. You don't want anything distracting like a large window with a lot of activity outside. If you are by a window you might want to reconsider. Although we are not professional on camera speakers, it isn't too hard to make yourself look better. You should have a light source in front of you and not behind you. Consider placing a lamp in front of you but out of the camera's view. Another "professional" hint is to make yourself look less rumpled. You may have been told in class pictures to sit on your jacket and this technique still works today. If you are wearing a suit jacket, pull it down and sit on the ends so that it doesn't bunch up. If you are a woman (or even a man that wears jewelry) keep it simple. Wear jewelry that fits close to your body. For example, avoid long dangling earrings and lots of jingling bracelets.  Finally, remember all you know about good presentation and speaking skills and put your knowledge to good use. Just because there may not be anyone else in the room with you doesn't mean you don't have to follow the rules. With a little extra preparation, your web presence will be close to the real thing.