I have found there are some key elements to success in the world of business that are seldom taught, even at the college level. Alongside the many courses offered, there should be required courses to assist adults in presenting themselves in a way that will serve them as they seek to excel in the professional world.

Many feel that charisma is something you are born with; some have it, some don’t. This is only partially true. There are some people who are naturally charismatic, it is true. However, we can develop charisma if we choose to focus, become more self-aware and pay attention to those with whom we interact. This guide will touch on the five elements that comprise Professional Charisma. You will find pointers you can begin to use immediately to experience a change in the way people respond to you.

Although you can integrate many of these keys into your everyday life, the objective here is to help you develop characteristics that will propel you as a professional, helping you to succeed in career and business. This is about Professional Charisma, not being the life of the party.

Contrary to what some may believe, developing professional charisma does not require you to change your personality. Be assured, the key is to remain authentic. This is just about becoming a better version of yourself.

What is Professional Charisma?

Professional Charisma is the additive you need to supercharge your ability to excel in your career and business. If you already have the technical skills needed to do a great job and you have a solid work ethic and drive, professional charisma can help make your ascent to the top easier.

Professional Charisma is a term I created to denote the ability to communicate in a way that conveys you are intelligent, credible, confident, trustworthy and likeable. These attributes aid in opening doors of opportunity and become the wind in your back to push you toward your goals, because you are being aided by others instead of pulled down by them.

Forbes Magazine published a study by the Carnegie Institute that found only 15% of our success in the business world is determined by our education and skills. Eighty-five percent of our success is determined by our ability to communicate, our ability to lead others and our personality.

The way you come across may outweigh your actual skillset. Professional Charisma will open doors of opportunity and keep you at top of mind. Harvard University did a study that found charismatic managers accomplish more. Why? Because they are able to develop teams who are willing to go the extra mile for the manager they hold in high regard.

I have identified are Five Elements that comprise what I call Professional Charisma.

1. VOICE
The sound of your Voice is often crucial to whether or not you are able to command a room, engage an audience or maintain attention. Many people have habits that affect the sound of their voice and may distract from their message. Here are the top 10 examples:

Here are some tips to conquer the most common ones:

High Pitched Voice

Most people’s pitch gets higher when they are nervous, stressed or under duress. These situations cause your vocal cords to constrict.

There are people who naturally have high pitched voices. This is considered to be one of the most annoying of the negative speech habits. Women can be hampered in business due to the pitch in their voice, because the sound in their voice does not command respect. Men are typically very sensitive to pitch and are prone to want to avoid high pitched voices. Women can find themselves being tuned out or not invited to the boardroom. Here is an exercise that can help.

1. Try humming the first verse of a simple song like Happy Birthday to find your natural pitch.
2. Now hum it in a lower pitch.
3. Speak in that lower pitch.
4. Support your voice from your diaphragm.
5. Use your chest voice (imagine you are pushing your voice out of your chest).
6. Practice daily.

Knowing where your natural pitch is will help you to control your pitch during stressful events. For example, if you are in customer service and the customer is accusing you of something that is not your fault, you do not want to allow your pitch to get higher, you will come across as upset. Knowing what your natural pitch feels like will help you to lower it even more to convey you are in control.

Too Fast Speaking too quickly may reduce your ability to communicate effectively. People may be missing a lot of what you’re saying. You may also come across as neurotic if you go from one topic to another without pause. If you really want people to understand what you are saying, you need to allow space for them to absorb what you have said. Plus, you may be destroying the rapport between you and your listener. If you are in sales, customer service or in a position where you want to influence your listener, you may need to match their rate of speech.

To help you slow down, focus on great diction and pause at the end of a complete thought.

1. Record yourself reading out loud.
2. Practice reading out loud and be sure to over pronounce every consonant in every word.
3. Don’t be afraid of looking and sounding silly in your practice, it’s all a part of working new muscles.
4. Be sure to put the endings on your words; for example running vs runnin’, better vs betta’, that vs tha, to vs ta’ small details in speech make a big difference.
5. Read, record and listen 15 minutes every day.

Mumbling

1. If you are often told to repeat yourself, because what you said was not understood, you may be mumbling. It means that you are probably chewing up your words, turning multiple syllable words into one syllable or running words together. The whole point of talking is to be understood. To minimize the frustration of having to repeat yourself, learn to enunciate your words for better diction. This can be accomplished by creating new muscle memory in your mouth and facial muscles. You will need to over pronounce in your practices for at least a month, until the new sounds become habitual. The exercise above will also be very helpful.

The  Way You Sound When You Speak

2. Speech

The way we sound when we open our mouths to speak can open doors for us or put us in a box. The goal is to speak in a way that garners broad base appeal. For example, in the United States there are many different accents depending on where you live. In the south, the southern drawl is pervasive, while people from the Northeast Corridor speak much more quickly. People in the Midwest also have a sound that is distinctive to that region. However, when you watch national news such as, NBC, ABC and CBS, you will notice you can’t usually tell where the reporters are from based on their accent. There is a standard American accent. If you want to be a reporter this is a requirement for the job. The networks look for broad base appeal. The nuances that distinguish where you grew up can be distracting.

If you speak English, regardless of your accent, there is standard speech. For example, the letters th, require you put your tongue between your teeth to get the correct sound. If your pronunciation of that sound is a hard t sound, it may cause people to wonder where you are from and even question your level of education. This can take away from what you are actually saying. If you don’t believe me, ask Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska, who is often made fun of and not taken seriously because of her Mid-Western U.S. accent.

Your speech is made up of pronunciation, diction, grammar and accent. Attention to small details such as pronouncing the endings of words such as, running vs runnin’, better vs betta’, that vs tha, to vs ta’ make the difference in whether or not you sound polished.

Sometimes people lack a professional sound because they use colloquial words, phrases and nuances.

Proper grammar is paramount when it comes to sounding educated. Be sure your speech is serving you. Record yourself and listen back, how do you sound? Sometimes people listen to their recordings and still don’t really get an understanding of the way they come across. You may need to get feedback from someone whose speech you admire. However, most people probably won’t be able to break down the errors and tell you exactly what you have to do to fix them. You may need a speech or communication coach for that.

3. Body Language

Research has shown that only 7% of what you communicate is determined by your words Thirty–eight percent is determined by the sound of your voice. Your body language accounts for a whopping 55% percent of your message. So, it is important to be cognizant of what your body is doing. It is funny, very few people really study body language, but pretty much everyone subconsciously interprets it. Here are mannerisms you may want to avoid.

Poor Eye Contact makes it look like you are not interested, lack confidence or cannot be trusted. In the Western world, eye contact is important. It doesn’t matter whether you are speaking to someone who is senior to you or junior to you. If they are senior to you it shows respect, if they are junior to you it shows you respect their humanness.

Wondering Eyes or shifty eyes may be perceived as lack of interest or confidence. Don’t stare, you will come across as creepy or disconnected, but maintain friendly eye contact. Your eyes are the window of your soul, good eye contact allows people in and it can help you to read others.

Cocking Your Head to the Side can make you look weak. This body language is often demonstrated by women and can make them look docile. Notice, when people want to lighten up a serious situation they may tilt their head to the side to make things seem less serious. If done unconsciously in the boardroom it can be quite diminishing.

Crossed Legs While Standing is an ultra-feminine pose. I have never seen a man stand this way and it can definitely make a woman come across as girly and may not serve her well in a business situation.

Hands Under Your Desk during a sales negotiation may be interpreted as you have something to hide. Always keep hands visible and palms open, it shows you can be trusted.

Clasping Hands during negotiations can look like you are praying, please, please, please.

Caressing yourself can indicate you are comforting yourself as you stroke your arm or lightly rub the top of your hands.

Rapid Blinking can indicate you are nervous, for some people, when their heart rate increases so does their blinking.

Poor Posture or slouching typically conveys a lack of confidence or the subconscious desire to make one’s self small. You will find those with strong presence stand up straight with shoulders back. They take up more space. When we don’t want to be noticed, we slouch or even crouch. Have you ever noticed the posture of a person who has to leave a meeting early and doesn’t want to be noticed?

Folded Arms can be interpreted as being closed to what you are hearing. It also can  indicate you are protecting yourself. If you want to convey you are open, you must open your body. It helps people to connect with you.

Over Gesturing can communicate you lack self-control. Sometimes when people are nervous and their adrenaline takes control, they come across as if their movements are involuntary. Don’t expect to lead others if you don’t look like you have control of yourself.

No Gestures can make you look like a drone or robot. Using your hands and arms to drive home a point is quite engaging. When your gestures come across as purposeful and intentional, it suggests you are in control.

A Somber Face can make people uncomfortable, especially if they don’t know you. A face that doesn’t smile may communicate you are uncomfortable, unhappy, closed, take yourself too seriously or lack confidence.

.

A Smile expresses confidence, helps others to relax around you and can be used to engage others. Smiling actually causes physiological changes that make us feel better. So when you offer someone a smile and they return it, you help them to feel better. Have you ever smiled at someone and they didn’t smile back? How weird is that?

4. Word Choice

Though they only account for about 15% of how people interpret our communication, words cannot be discounted in their importance in shaping our message. As a professional, it is important to become cognizant of your word choices.

Level Up Your Speech
Use words that denote you are an expert. Do not confuse this with using jargon that is only understood by those in your industry. The key to communication is to be understood. However, here is an example of what I mean by up leveling your speech. If you went to a doctor and he was describing a procedure he is about to perform on you, which description would enhance his credibility?

“We will stab you with a needle so you won’t feel anything, cut you open, stick a probe in and push it up to the problem area so we can see what’s going on?” or “We will use a needle to anesthetized the site to ensure you feel no pain, make a small incision, insert a probe and advance it to the problem area so we can determine what is going on.” Notice, both descriptions contain the same message but the words used make you feel very differently about the doctor’s professionalism.

Use Positive Language

If you service customers or clients, undoubtedly you will receive requests that you absolutely cannot grant due to company guidelines and policies. Your job is to relay the message while maintaining a positive interaction. We do this by eliminating words like no, don’t, can’t, won’t and any others that have negative connotations. We can tell a customer we are unable to grant their request and still keep the delivery positive. For instance, instead of saying, “Sorry that’s against our policy.” We could say, “What we can do is………” Do not even mention what you cannot do, keep the interaction positive and tell them what you can do to assist them.

Words can be powerful in conveying urgency. Let’s say you are dealing with a customer who is clearly upset and needs to feel you take his situation seriously. In conjunction with the right tone and body language, use words to communicate you are earnest in resolving the situation with haste.

Instead of simply saying, “Okay sir let me look into that.” Try, “I apologize for the frustration you are feeling sir, let me look into that right away for you.” Do you see how adding a few key words can make someone feel differently about the service they are receiving? Always apologize when a customer is having a bad experience. When you verbalize the emotion (frustration) that customer is feeling, you suggest you understand. ‘Right away’ expresses urgency. The words ‘for you’, personalizes your service to them.

You are sure to stand out when you use phrases like, “This is as unacceptable to us as it is to you.” “Let me follow through on that.” “You can count on me.” These words express accountability and if you live up to them you will be considered exceptional.

Pleasantries Are Important

Words of pleasantry add polish and finesse. Some words and phrases are too casual for business, such as ‘No problem’. I recently read a blogger express how he hated that phrase, because he never perceived his request to be a ‘problem’. ‘You’re welcome’ and ‘my pleasure’ denote an air of refinement. From time to time replace ‘okay’ with ‘certainly’. ‘Good morning, afternoon or evening as a greeting, tops ‘hi’ any day. ‘Sir’, ‘Madam’ or using your client’s last name with their title makes people feel respected.

Never underestimate the power of your choice of words to enhance your professional image.

5. Mindset

The actors who actually win Oscars are not the ones who pretend, they are the ones who become. The same principle can be applied to our interpersonal skills in the workplace. Learning to control your mindset will help you to come across in a way that will better serve you, your organization and your clients.

Imagine you have a client that everyone would prefer to avoid. They are indecisive and a bit unpleasant. Instead of choosing to merely tolerate this client because that is your job, how different do you think that interaction would become  if you changed your mindset?

Reset your focus by choosing to be warm and appreciative; these words can create a mental shift that will cause your tone and body language to conform. This is easier than pretending and generates sincerity which can be felt. Plus, if that customer is adding to your bottom line, you shouldn’t have to feign appreciation.

Maybe you don’t connect with their personality, but surely you can find a way to connect to the value they bring and their contribution to keeping you employed. With this in mind, you no longer have to pretend and merely tolerate the annoying client, you can find ways to celebrate them. Focus on being warm and appreciative will put a genuine smile on your face when you greet them. Your tone of voice and disposition will follow the positive thoughts you are choosing. By simply shifting your mindset, you can create an experience that is genuine.

Here is another example, what happens when someone is trying to sell their idea with a defeated attitude? I am sure you have seen it. The front line employees are summoned to the boardroom and asked to give their input on a new procedure they have been mandated to implement. They are all disgruntled about it, but no one has the guts to speak up and cite the problems. They don’t believe management will seriously consider their input anyway. When pushed to respond, one of the employees starts out with their arms folded and a scowl on their face. They state how they hate the new procedure, it’s stupid, unnecessary and it’s a total waste of time.

All this may be true, but that is probably not the type of response that will foster management’s reconsideration. Instead, they can refocus their mindset so they can come across in a way that will help them to be heard, as opposed to alienating those they are trying to engage.

They could shift their focus and communicate from the premise that those making the decisions really want the new process to add efficiency. Most employers are looking for ways to improve business, not for ways to agitate their employees. Assuming management would really like to hear from them will help them to express themselves in a more palatable way. They may choose to convey sincerity and support. This state of mind will help to shape the body language, the tone and even the words.

Mindset may be the most important element to Professional Charisma. Whatever is going on inside your head is what you will communicate, many times inadvertently. When people think of developing charisma they think of increasing their likeability factor. Likeability is undoubtedly a currency. When you are likeable your life becomes easier. Instead of swimming against the tide, you benefit by being moved forward by the current. Success comes with its own obstacles; a personality that works against you doesn’t need to be one. Increasing our likeability quotient should be a part of our personal development. That does not mean you should focus on being a people pleaser, no one likes a ‘kiss up’. That mindset lacks sincerity and gets little respect. Developing charisma does not mean becoming focused on impressing others so they will like you.

The secret to charisma is about making sure people feel good about themselves when they are around you.

You are now aware of five important elements that can affect the way others perceive you. You may want to gather feedback from a few people you trust to get somewhat of an understanding as to how you come across. Plus, you can implement these tips to begin working on the areas you feel you need to develop.