Executive Success: Moving Up the Corporate Ladder Requires Personal Presence, Says Executive Communications Expert Dianna Booher

DALLAS, Oct. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Middle managers who want to break the glass ceiling to hold executive positions must polish their personal presence skills, according to Dianna Booher, author of the newly published book Creating Personal Presence.

"Millions of salespeople, consultants and mid-level executives are stuck at their present levels because they lack the confidence and skills to make a positive impression on senior management," said Booher, whose book helps people look, talk, think and act like a leader to improve their skills so they can rise in the ranks of their companies as well as sell their ideas and services more effectively.

"People always ask, 'What is charisma?' Our firm's research shows that people who get ahead have these qualities: They can think on their feet, they can move a conversation forward, and they can think strategically," says Booher, whose company, Booher Consultants (http://www.booher.com), presents various writing workshops - from proposal writing to email, presentation skills training, and interpersonal skills training to large companies in the U.S. and throughout Europe, South America, and Asia.

"Everyone needs to sell their ideas to get ahead. Managers need to convince executives that they can handle responsibility, lead teams, spend their budget money wisely. Lawyers need to convince juries and judges. Salespeople need to persuade prospects and build trust," she said.

"People are often too laid back and even careless today. It shows up in their dress, in their talk, and in their writing. People have lost their sense of what is appropriate for what audience and the business results they hope to achieve," says Booher, who has written 45 books that have sold almost 4 million copies in 17 languages. "They've taken short cuts, but senior executives who look for style and substance notice those deficiencies."

Booher's key points for making effective presentations, improving communications, and getting ahead in business include:

• Acting consistently with integrity
• Demonstrating a willingness to listen to others' ideas
• Engaging with others and being approachable
• Being genuine
• Demonstrating thoughtfulness and good manners
• Having a sense of humor
• Being competent and accountable for results

Leaders must think strategically to cut through the clutter and summarize well.

"If people can't express themselves succinctly in the executive suite, they will be asked to sit down," said Booher.

Other critical thinking skills include the ability to:

• Organize ideas coherently
• Think visually and communicate with stories, analogies, metaphors, and soundbites to make messages clear and memorable
• Think on your feet under pressure in stating opinions and responding to questions

To learn more about Booher's techniques, salespeople, middle managers, consultants, entrepreneurs, lawyers, and other professionals can read the first chapter of Creating Personal Presence by going to http://www.creatingpersonalpresence.com. A video book trailer can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfehYfghzbM  

Many can benefit from Booher's secrets to success:

• Middle managers: They need to make recommendations up the chain, have their eye on a higher rung in the corporate ladder, and want to hold their own in the C-suite, selling their ideas and responding to questions.

• Executives: C-suite officers need to exude presence among large employee groups to instill trust and generate loyalty, and when they speak to the public and suppliers, to instill confidence in the company's product or service.

• Consultants/Entrepreneurs: They sink or swim in the same stream as salespeople. Making a sale depends on the three essentials of influence: a clear explanation of what they can do, the emotion evoked in their listener, and credibility with the client that they can handle the work.

• Lawyers: Lawyers win or lose cases often based on credibility and the likability factor. They will use Booher's SEER Format® to coach witnesses to give clear answers.

About Dianna Booher and Booher Consultants

Booher Consultants works with organizations and individuals that want to dramatically increase productivity and improve effectiveness of their communication - oral, written, interpersonal, or cross-functional. For more information, go to http://www.booher.com  

Dianna Booher is CEO of Booher Consultants, a communications training firm. Her clients include nine of the ten largest corporations in America and 140 of the Fortune 500. She has won several awards including the Star Quality Award from IBM, a Vendor of the Year Award from Frito-Lay, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from ASTD-Dallas. She has also been inducted into the National Speakers Association's Hall of Fame. She has also been featured by Successful Meeting magazine on its list of "21 Top Speakers for the 21st Century" and named one of the "Top 100 Thought Leaders in America" in 2007 and 2008 by Executive Excellence.

Contact

Polly Fuhrman: [email protected], 817-318-6000
Cynthia Shannon: [email protected], 415-743-6469

SOURCE Booher Consultants