B2B Writing Institute

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Professional Presence for B2B Writers

Professional Presence for B2B Writers

WHO WOULD YOU HIRE?

ROUND 1

  • Same person
  • Same clothes
  • Same glasses
  • Same camera
  • Same equipment
  • Same window
  • Same room

WHO WOULD YOU HIRE?

ROUND 2

  • Same platform
  • Similar experience
  • Same career
  • Same city

WHO WOULD YOU HIRE?

ROUND 3

Hi Sarah, We have a new client project available. Are you available to work on this?Thank you, Jessica

Response A:

Hi Jessica, Yes, I’ll do it. – Sarah Greesonbach

Response B:

Hi Jessica, Thanks so much for thinking of me! I’d love to be involved. – Sarah Greesonbach
  • Same person
  • Same project
  • Same time required
  • Similar word count

“Professional” is in the eye of the beholder

It changes by culture, location, time, job, just about everything affects it. It also changes by situation (email versus phone call) and seniority (freelancer verses consultant verses employer)

How do we decide what’s professional? 

We study the norms and preferences of our target audience. This will be biased because our clients have biases. Let’s work within them (and of course challenge them intentionally when we need to). 

It’s hard to feel professional when we don’t know a lot about our target audience. We imagine some business-suit type or executive who’s intimidating. We see ourselves at our worst, and them at their best… so of course we don’t feel like we have a great presence. So let’s work on that!

From my perspective, professional for digital careers means: You’re emotionally/psychologically present in video, voice, and print, you appear approachable, and you give the appearance of preparing for the interaction… Which still can mean different things to different people! So today I’d like to break down this code and explain how I see professional presence for B2B writers

Please remember… this will be extraordinarily biased based on my experience, how I was raised, and what I’ve seen “work” in the industry. Your mileage may vary, and I could be totally wrong about your situation. Worse, some of this stuff could be “wrong” to ask of people! (Like, why enter a situation with deference? That’s odd sometimes.). But I encourage you to consider what I share here and see if there’s anything that can help you add to your pile of “green flags” in order to get hired. Adjust for your style and the way you want to show up in the world… and prosper

Surprisingly, that process of observing the illusion of society and then passing through the illusion to “do what you want”… that’s the ultimate presence. But that’s a process and a personal evolution, and no one can rush you. So for now, the focus is on: who has your paycheck and can hire you, and how can we “meet them in the middle” in terms of professionalism to secure the bag. 

Let’s look at the three most important things to consider about each of the following categories:

  • Web Etiquette
  • Zoom Etiquette
  • Phone Call Etiquette
  • Email Etiquette
  • Project Management Etiquette

WEB ETIQUETTE

  1. Don’t assume anyone owes you anything. 

Introduction emails, prospecting emails, comments on public LinkedIn posts… we keep these short and sweet because we are respecting the experience of the person on the other end. No prospect, no matter how good a fit for you, owes you anything. We earn every interaction. 

  1. Treat people with respect, perhaps even deference. 

This is a fine line to walk, because we don’t need to suck up to anyone. But look for ways to treat people with respect while also maintaining your self-respect builds your reputation. Not everyone we connect with will hire us, but everyone we connect with makes a judgment about how professional we are and perhaps eventually passes that on to others (… or not!). 

  1. Temper your emotions to provide a baseline so that the highs and lows pop more. 

This may not be relevant if you aren’t publishing online, but consider creating a tone or perspective that’s more tempered or even-keeled, instead of being !!!! or 🙁 🙁 all the time. That way, when you do go for the exclamation point or the cuss word, it will mean more/be more noticeable. 

ZOOM ETIQUETTE

  1. Find a light source and put it BEHIND your computer screen. 

This will immediately upgrade your camera set up and make it easier to see you, which appeals to our primal need to see facial expressions in order to trust people. 

  1. Set yourself up in a 3x3x3 grid (golden ratio) for a professional appearance. 

Imagine dividing up your screen in a 3x3x3 grid called the “golden ratio.” You want your face and body to be evenly situated on the grid to provide the most accurate proportions to your face. (Moft Laptop Stand). A couple examples: 

  1. Use an external mic of some kind (AirPods, Headphones, Mic, etc.).

The audio quality of your built-in speakers will be scratchy and carry less presence. It’s worth $100 or less to get a higher quality pickup on your audio. (Remember, it’s a business expense!)

EMAIL ETIQUETTE

  1. Assume good intentions. 

Not everyone can properly express satisfaction or emotion by email. When you get an email, assume everyone is happy and respectful and respond accordingly, even if the topic of the email is corrective or not positive. 

  1. Don’t just answer the question — provide additional (positive) details around your answer. 

Successful communication is not just passing answers back and forth. Short answers can be appropriate sometimes (like when you’re on the go or deep in an exchange and you want to save the client time). But most of the time, a line or two of context or positive emotion smooths out the whole communication. 

Hi Sarah, We have a new client project available. Are you available to work on this?Thank you, Jessica
Hi Jessica, Yes, I’ll do it. – Sarah Greesonbach
Hi Jessica, Thanks so much for thinking of me! I’d love to be involved. – Sarah Greesonbach
  1. Schedule email for business hours. 

For better or worse, clients will note the hour an email is sent, and “off-business hours” can appear unprofessional or haphazard. Most email apps have a “delay send” feature, or you can install Boomerang to do that for you. 

PROJECT MANAGEMENT ETIQUETTE

  1. When a project goes off course, operate from an internal state where it is already solved. 

Impatience, anger, frustration, fear. All of these emotions are natural and healthy, but they have a way of making communication less clear. They can also cause you more frustration, stress, and mistakes because you’re responding to an enemy that isn’t there.  

  1. Treat absolutely everyone in the process like a peer or higher. 

Assistants, project managers, graphic designers, executives, subject matter experts… they are all your equal or higher. Write in full sentences, assume good intent, give compliments, etc. Generally, be a strong partner to everyone in the process and it can result in amazing referrals and connections down the line. 

  1. Defer to the person who’s in charge — and step up when you’re the person in charge. 

Too many chefs in the kitchen… too many opinionated people in the editorial process. Every time you step into a situation, quickly assess and accept your “role.” Sometimes clients will want to publish something bad. After you (politely) point that out, your job is done. You have met your obligation (consultant) and allowed them to make a decision (paying client). You can then decide if you want to work in that situation again, and perhaps the answer is no. But it’s not a professional’s job to nit-pick and argue others into accepting your perspective. (“Lower the stakes.”)

CONCLUSION

Absolutely everyone is capable of observing other’s standards and professional preferences and deciding which parts to pick up for themselves. I’ve made concessions like: glasses, make-up, a laptop stand, a nicer mic, etc. Other people online you’ll see do not make those concessions. They find a way on their own. 

The best thing for you is to be aware of all the options, understand how they might impact how someone sees you, and decide accordingly.