Profession!

Profession Joke

A worker who was being paid by the week approached his employer and held up his last paycheck. "This is two hundred dollars less than we agreed on," he said.

"I know," the employer said. "But last week I overpaid you two hundred dollars, and you never complained."

"Well, I don't mind an occasional mistake," the worker answered, "but when it gets to be a habit, I feel I have to call it to your attention."

Profession Distinguish or Perish

Many people share your profession or offer your companys services. The shelves are crowded with seemingly similar products and services that confuse would-be customers. People cant turn you over and read your label, so you must make clear distinctions about how you are different. What is your Unique Value Proposition?

Consider the bottled water industry. Each brand makes its promise, pledging the uniqueness of product design and development. One brand claims it contains natural antioxidants; another uses only spring water; still another boasts of more potassium than a banana. Without these minor distinctions, they look the same and fail to pique our interest.

The most difficult question for people to answer in any kind of potential transaction (job interview, sales presentation, pitch meeting) is Why you? Why your product? How are you different than the last five people that were here? If you dont possess obvious differences (you speak five languages or your product is biodegradable), then you have two choices: think of something distinct in terms of products or services you can offer, or go back to the drawing board, look at the competition, and find an attribute you can offer that no one else presently does. Furthermore, your Unique Value Proposition must benefit the buyer. I lived in Switzerland or I was captain of the chess team may not resonate with the CFO of an electronics company.

Whether its a literary manuscript, vitamin, or the strengths you offer, have a clear Unique Value Proposition that further draws the attention of those who can do business with you.

Ken Lodi Communications helps companies distinguish themselves by crafting unique messages and branding attributes that set them apart from the competition. What is your message? Are you confident in your ability to present it to others? Learn the industry secrets: www.kenlodi.com 323-932-1026.

Profession

You will be understood in the professional context you create during the first few moments of your communication. Make those first few moments as crisp and clear as possible, and you will create a professional mindset and image that is easy to sustain. Like any good novel, engage from the first page.

If you appear nervous, your listeners will feel a bit uncomfortable. If you gain confidence as you continue, they will see you as a shy speaker who overcame their shyness. If you begin with a joke that flops, you're a poor comedian who later got down to business. Don't make your opening comments an improvised string of guess work; don't wing it, win it.

Rehearse the first three minutes of your presentation. When you memorize the first three minutes of your presentation, you quickly create the "sure-footing" that carries you through the rest of your rehearsed presentation. You're "in the zone" which puts your audience at ease and makes them receptive to your message. Now you must sustain that momentum until the final minutes of your presentation.

Rehearse the last three minutes of your presentation. People mistakenly assume their presentation close is created when they run out of material. "Are there any questions?" is not a close any more than "testing, one-two-three" is an introduction. Memorize your thank you, words of appreciation and call to action; create the emotions that set them in motion.

You will be remembered by the emotional context you create during the last few moments of your communication. They may forget your words, but not how you made them feel. Know what to say and how to say it. Improve first impressions, stay focused on the body of your presentation, and ensure your last few words create emotion and a lasting impression.

Ken Lodi builds confidence and wealth for mangers and executives by improving their presentations, pitch meetings, and value propositions so they leverage big opportunities. How would you rate yourself when you stand front and center?

Nobody cares about your profession unless there's something in it for them. "I'm an accountant" doesn't automatically translate to a benefit for your listener. A "value proposition" puts your profession in terms that illustrate a solution to one of your listener's likely problems.

When you're perceived as a problem-solver, you pique interest and create a desire to learn more. "I'm an accountant" doesn't build suspense or a need for further interpretation. "I create wealth for people," leads to the follow-up question, "How?"Or better, "I need to talk to you." This opens the door to further clarify what you do, who you do it for, and, specifically, how you create wealth.

Value propositions are often confused with "value-added" features. If you tell me you write software programs specifically for real estate agents, it doesn't help me-in fact, it excludes me. A pitch with a niche excludes more than includes. If your business is open on Saturdays, it's meaningless unless I work weekends. These "sweeteners" hopefully tip the scales toward your product when there is similar, accessible competition. Value propositions don't pigeon-hole a career or service so soon in conversation that people dismiss an opportunity to network or do business with you.

Make your introductions benefit-centered, not profession-centered. Couch your value proposition in terms that solve peoples' problems. What burden can you lift? Which frustration do you eliminate? The brake repair shop sign that reads, "Gimme a brake" is not as effective as, "We eliminate your squeaks." Now I'm interested!

Determine how you can reframe your profession in terms that create emotions and stimulate conversation, clarification and new opportunities.

My name is Ken Lodi. I build confidence and wealth for managers and executives by improving their presentations, pitch meetings and value propositions so they leverage big opportunities. And what is it that you

A profession is an occupation that requires extensive training and the study and mastery of specialized knowledge, and usually has a professional association, ethical code and process of certification or licensing. Examples are: librarianship, diplomacy, accounting, engineering, law, teaching, architecture, aviation, medicine, social work, pharmacy, finance, the military, the clergy, nursing, and those who work or perform research in the various sciences.

Classically, there were only three professions: ministry, medicine, and law. These three professions each hold to a specific code of ethics, and members are almost universally required to swear some form of oath to uphold those ethics, therefore "professing" to a higher standard of accountability. Each of these professions also provides and requires extensive training in the meaning, value, and importance of its particular oath in the practice of that profession.

Sociologists have been known to define professionalism as self-defined power elitism or as organised exclusivity along guild lines, much in the sense that George Bernard Shaw characterised all professions as "conspiracies against the laity". Sociological definitions of professionalism involving checklists of perceived or claimed characteristics (altruism, self-governance, esoteric knowledge, special skills, ethical behavior, etc.) became less fashionable in the late 20th century.

A common inquiry used to evaluate if a particular occupation is, in fact, a "profession" is the "advocacy test". Simply: If an occupation requries that one regularly act as an advocate for another individual, group, or entity who lack the specific knowledge required for such advocacy, then that occupation meets the test and can be deemed a "profession". From this, the importance of specific codes of ethics and (often) licensure follow.

A member of a profession is termed a professional. However, professional is also used for the acceptance of payment for an activity, in contrast to amateur. A professional sportsperson, for example, is one who receives payment for participating in sport, but sport is not generally considered a profession. (Although a profession can also refer to any activity from which one earns one's living, so in that sense sport is a profession.)

Profession History

Historically, the number of professions was limited: members of the clergy, medical doctors, and lawyers held the monopoly on professional status and on professional education, with military officers (the grandfather of modern engineers) recognized as social equals. Self-governing bodies such as guilds or colleges, backed by state-granted charters guaranteeing monopolies, limited access to and behavior within such professions.

With the rise of technology and occupational specialization in the 19th century, other bodies began to claim "professional" status: physical therapist, engineers, educationalists and nurses.

With the church having receded in its role in western society, the remaining classical professions (law and medicine) are both noted by many as requiring not just study to enter, but extensive study and accreditation above and beyond simply getting a university degree. Accordingly more recently-formalized disciplines, such as architecture, which now have equally-long periods of study associated with them, and which are becoming considered as their equal.

Profession Definitions

Many organizations have codified their conduct, often designated code of ethics, and what they require for entry into their organization and how to remain in good standing. Some of these codes are quite detailed and make strong emphasis on their particular area or expertise, for example, journalists emphasise the use of credible sources and protecting their identities, psychologists emphasize privacy of the patient and communications with other psychologists, anthropologists emphasize rules on intrusions into a culture being studied.

Most of the codes do show an overlap in such areas as ethics and quality standards.

Another area of inquiry that will allow a student of this subject to define concepts of professionalism may be inferred from guarantees. But these are inferences only. The idea behind a guarantee is that the person offering the guarantee is accountable to the extent of damages that will be compensated.

One thing these sources hold in common, implicit or explicit, is the idea of accountability those who are members of these organizations or professions are held accountable for what they do. Links to these sources are made in External Links.

In many legal regimes that have "regulated professions" the issues of "public safety" or "client welfare", harm, ethics, accreditation or credentialling, licensing, peer discipline, special knowledge, judgement, training, practical experience and oaths of conduct are common to the regulated professions. One or more of these factors may suffice to distinguish the profession from a related trade. The professional is obligated and sworn to exercise expert judgement on behalf of the client's interest. The client is not usually assumed to understand the complexities of the professional's special knowledge domain.