Support staff sometimes work an amazing magic trick — they disappear. Although they're doing a great job, always reliable, and never miss a day, no one notices them. They are totally invisible.

Glenda Stone, managing director of the Aurora women's business network, says women have to work on their workplace visibility: "You need to balance credibility: doing a good job, with visibility: being seen to be doing a good job."

According to a famous set of statistics, the factors affecting someone's promotion at work are: visibility 60 per cent, image 30 per cent and performance 10 per cent.

So what can you do to become more visible? Jacqui Dove, trainer and neurolinguistic programming coach with the consultancy you:unlimited, says you have to think of yourself as a brand and look for ways to promote yourself. "Get known and noticed by more people. Volunteer for high-profile tasks such as managing projects, chairing meetings, organising events, and making presentations."

"Consider how systems and processes can be improved and draw up a proposal with a cost/benefit analysis. It's something that will impress the boss."

Other things you can do include seeing people face to face, instead of sending e-mails. And don't be shy of taking credit where it's due. If you pulled a report together, put your name on the front and help people to get to know you by using it. Answering the phone with "Tim Smith's office" does little to push you forward.

Support staff wanting to be accepted at senior level must learn to talk the talk, says the business author Ros Jay, whose publications include How to Handle Tough Situations at Work. "Focus on delivering a clear, concise message to your listeners, and eliminate self-deprecating language," she says.

"If you start your point with: 'This probably won't be of interest, but...', don't be surprised if no one wants to listen." Try to adopt a professional, business language, too, Jay suggests. "Cut out emotive words which are typical of the female vocabulary, and never add 'y' or 'ish' to words," she says.

And the experts agree — the other language to watch is your body language. "Walk tall, and look as though you're meant to be there," Stone says. "It's all about exuding confidence. You know you can do the job and more, but you have to make everyone else believe it, too."

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