Pictured with Katie-May Crane on board the World Heritage Catamaran Cruiser at Strahan, Western Tasmania

Katie is a super example of a professional tour guide. Why? Because she's able to establish a professional presence. First, let's describe what professional presence is all about. It's about how to increase your effectiveness with people, present yourself professionally, self promote with credibility, manage things competently, and handle social situations with savvy.

She's a direct descendant from the original families on Sarah Island who settled during the 1800's on the West Coast of Tasmania. While I was on board the World Heritage Cruiser, a AUD$2.8 million, 30m, sleek new catamaran cruiser, she intervened and resolved an argument between two parties of international visitors who had been bickering over seating positions.

It looked like it was going to be an ugly and sorry incident with different people arguing over whose seats belonged to who. Katie intervened like oil in a gearbox, and came up with a creative solution that left everybody happy and satisfied. >From what looked like what was going to be a serious complaint over 'rights', she was able to turn things over for the better and left everybody happy and satisfied after the incident.

What really impressed me was when I asked her what had happened, and she replied, "Well, people do expect the best when they visit us, and so they should get nothing but the best!"

What was really surprising in the end was that the tourists who had complained loudly and unhappily about the service took the time and trouble to write down specific accolades and a glowing account about how graciously she had handled the situation to everyone's delight and saved many red faces, and allowed all to have a happy holiday! Well done Katie!

Let me ask you - how's your professional service attitude when you're working with your clients? Do you give of your very best service when you're serving others? Remember to treat the person opposite you as not only a Very Important Person (VIP) but as the Most Important Person (MIP) in the world when you are communicating with them!

To do that, focus on them, smile, be sincere, be there for them totally in the moment and creatively resolve any problem or challenge for a win/win situation. The business of work is a game. Like a game, it should be a pleasure to do business with you!

Professional presence will help you to become more successful, make more money, be more happy at work, and position yourself for greater management and leadership responsibilities.

Pictured with Richard Davey, actor, author, story teller, historian and theatre director extraordinaire of The Round Earth Company which produces the longest running play in Tasmania,
" The Ship That Never Was".

Richard's got a commanding voice that's strong, fully projected and comes over loud and clear. I'm a great believer in that we all can enhance the sound of our voice and thereby create a better 'presence' when we talk with other people. It's important to realise that how you audibly present yourself has a strong impact that can affect the perceptions of your audience.

Our voice projection and the sound of our voice is ultimately used more than any other variable to determine how others will react to us. For example, if we're listening to someone with a high-pitched nasal voice, we determine that they are whining. We will automatically make this perception on anyone else we encounter speaking with this same sound.

Some people speak with a 'breathy' voice. This means that the people are keeping their vocal folds open too widely and often not making complete closure with each cycle, thus allowing excessive air to pass between the folds.

Air may be released before a word is said, during its pronunciation and even after the word is said. The addition of the extra air makes the words unclear and the extra air diffuses sound. To stop this from happening, make sure that less air is expelled when you are pronouncing your words.

Try this exercise to rid your voice of breathiness and use less air when you're speaking. Sit up straight. Take a deep breath and cut back as much as possible on the amount of air being exhaled both before and after the word is sounded.

Count from 1, 2, 3, 4... and upwards to as high a number as you can in one breath. Count off at a fairly brisk pace. The longer you can count and be economical with your breath, the less breathy you are are.

Do this exercise several times during the day. Stretch yourself and continue to see how far you can count up to on one breath.

You will soon be rewarded with a 'tenser' voice that will use much less air and allow you to pronounce each word with a much higher quality of sound.

To sail the 7 seas of high adventure in personal, professional and financial success, you must leave the safe anchorage of the shoreline.

I'd like to leave you with something strong and powerful to think about, and if you agree with the philosophy, to take action on it from TODAY! It's from MY CREED by Dean Alfange that was published in
Denis Waitley's Weekly E-zine:

"I do not choose to be a common man or woman. It is my right to be uncommon, if I can. I seek opportunity, not security. I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the state look after me. I want to take the calculated risk, to dream and to build, to fail and succeed. I will not trade freedom for beneficence, nor my dignity for a handout.

I will never cower before any master, nor bend to any bully or terrorist threat. It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid, to think and act for myself, enjoy the benefits of my creations and to face the world boldly, and say, 'This I have done.'

These are strong words that will take courage and perseverance to live out a life like this. And when you do, you would have done it the way Frank Sinatra did in his song..."And I did it my way!". Live your best life and lead the field.

Make it a winning month!

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Do write to me with any comments or feedback that you have.

See you next month!

Ricky