Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Video On The Internet - The Next Communication Revolution

Streaming Video is the future of the Internet. In the United States of America, $2 billion was being spent on streaming media technologies, and is projected to grow to in excess of $12 billion per annum over the next few years.

Today the Internet is the fastest growing marketplace and offers global, opportunities to all, from international conglomerates to the individual person sat at the kitchen table. What though is the most effective form of communication on the information super highway? The Internet has become the place to communicate with one another and the means to search for and locate information. Video streaming brings a whole new dimension to this experience for everyone, be they business persons negotiating a deal, friends and family keeping in touch with their loved ones, or people sharing a common interest seeing one another for the first time.

For communication to be of use, it must be effective. People are expounding vast amounts of time, effort and money to communicate effectively on the Internet. Studies have shown that using video on the Internet gets people's attention and increases the likelihood that the message will be remembered.
Humans remember:
10% of what they read,
30% of what they see,
50% of what they see and hear together,
and 80% of what they see, hear and do.
(source: Dr. Mehrabians, Study of Communication.)

This should have a significant impact on how one uses the Internet as a means of communication. Email changed the Internet, but video is changing the World. Email has become the fastest growing form of communication. Every day billions of emails are sent and received and the number continues to grow, (even allowing for the known problems of Spam, viruses etc.) some analysts are predicting that the number of messages will ultimately grow to as many as 100 billion a day!

This may sound great, but if one remembers that to be of use communication has to be effective, clearly definite strategies will have to be developed to achieve this aim of successful communication. The three major problems that have to be considered are:
- "How do you make your message 'stand out from the crowd'?"
- "How do you ensure uniformity of message (so everyone sees and hears the same message?" and
- "How do you try to ensure your message is not confused and misunderstood?"

Some people have started to include pictures and images to help convey the meaning and to add impact, but that still doesn't solve the problem! This is because we are used to 'face to face' communication, where the message is interpreted not only from the spoken word but also the non verbal communication. 55% of a messages meaning is derived from facial expression and 38% is derived from gestures, body language etc.

So what is the solution? People online need fully integrated video streaming facilities for their online communication and this technology is available now, ranging from Video Email, Video Instant Messaging and even live Webcasting and Streaming Web TV. Streaming Video is the online future, and now is the time to place ones self at the fore front of this next communication revolution.

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About the Author
Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of Be Successful News, a site that provides information and articles on how to succeed in your own home or small business. http://www.besuccessfulnews.com

Monday, September 29, 2008

Cultural Differences And International Business Communication

In the international scene, knowing and identifying cultural differences can make a big difference between successful business negotiations and mortifying rejections. International business communication plays a major role in this, as knowing how to communicate through their point of view is a great advantage.

Each country has their own way of saying things, what may not be offending to you may be offending to them. International business communication is all about knowing the important thing that lies behind peoples words in the international arena.

International business communication is communicating across cultures and the first thing you must always put in mind is the basic understanding that one size doesnt fit all. Always putting in mind that the cultural practices or habits you have does not mean that everyone else around the globe does. As they say, When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

The most important and worrying variables in the international scene of business are the cultural differences that most international business executives fail to comprehend resulting in most international business slip-ups. The failure to identify and adapt to these differences through effective international business communication can mean the difference between a closed deal and a faceless failure. Assuming cultures affect the way people communicate with each other and language above all else, is the core of culture.

Culture is the different ways in which people behave, act, or think towards themselves, families, and other people in the society. It includes customs connected with social, political, family, and religious values. Different cultures have deviating values for time and its use, for personal space, and for family values and chats. These differences must be identified and recognized to bridge the gaps between cultures and for real communication to take place.

Some of the effective international business communication guidelines that may help you swing that deal are:

Listening with an open mind
Communicating across cultures is all about putting aside personal feelings and listening deeply to the person talking. Develop your listening skills and learn how to hold your tongue. Knowing your own culture and the others culture as well will give you a better chance of bridging the differences. Keeping an open mind and sensitivity to these differences is a key factor for better communication.

Non-verbal and Verbal behavior
Every language had their own linguistic preferences, and these preferences will give clues about those particular cultures behavior, manners, and thinking. The English use modesty and understatement, and are sometimes purposely unclear to avoid confrontation and very polite. Eloquence, expressiveness, and flowery of words are most common among Italians and Spaniards, Germans on the other hand are very logical in manner. Knowing what people mean when they say yes is very important; it may mean yes, I understand but not yes, I agree.

Gestures
Gestures involves sensitivity and awareness, as gestures that are not offending to you might be very offending to the other, as in the case of beckoning someone to come over, some would hold out their hand with the palm up and then move the fingers gesturing the person to come. In Asian culture however, this gesture is considered rude. To gesture someone to come in Asian culture should be done with the palm facing down and then rolling the fingers.

Learning effective international business communication is communicating across cultures, and it takes great sensitivity and awareness by studying cultures and becoming more perceptive and adaptable in communication efforts.

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About the Author
T J Madigan has been established in online business since 1998 and is director of a number of successful online projects one of which is http://www.articles.net.au your best source for FREE articles and information.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Top 7 Ways To Become An Effective Writer

Are you an effective writer? Have you ever analyzed your write ups? Well I think that everyone is capable of producing effective writing. Unfortunately, laziness, lack of confidence, poor time management, and/or lack or experience can be barriers that prevent effective writing from happening.

Here are 7 tips that can guide you to become effective writer

Tip1 to become an effective writer: USE PROPER LANGUAGE IN WRITING
When we speak to each other, we don't use grammatically complete sentences, careful constructions, and beautifully modulated syntax. Our utterances are often quite ungrammatical, abbreviated, and incomplete. If these habits of speech are carried over into the written language the results are usually not very good. Using the most effective language to put your thought across is the key to be an effective writer.

Tip2 to become an effective writer: USE PROPER PUNCTUATION
Some people scatter marks of punctuation like confetti throughout their writing, making little distinction between the ranges of devices available. Yet if it is not used accurately and consistently, this creates an unsettling effect. The most frequent abuse of this kind is the use of the comma to string together statements, which are in fact grammatically separate. They might be independent sentences, or (more usually) notes or brief 'thoughts . The other extreme of the same problem is too little punctuation. This usually has the effect of leaving readers disoriented. Use proper punctuation while writing to be an effective writer.

Tip3 to become an effective writer: USE PROPER VOCABULARY
Do not use jumbled vocabulary. Using jumbled vocabulary usually occurs because the writer does not have a firm grasp of the meaning and best use of words. Thinking before writing is another way to become effective writer.

Tip 4 to become an effective writer: HAVE VARIETY IN WRITING
An effective writer is one who can grip the reader in whatever he writes and avoids repetition. Effective writer chooses variety of style, chooses variety of topics, and tries new writing techniques and strategies.

Tip5 to become an effective writer: PROOFREAD YOUR WRITINGS
Writing has an advantage over oral communication in that you have time to get your thoughts together, organize them in the best way possible, and use the most effective language to get your point across. A piece of writing that may be effectively written but is riddled with errors and sloppily presented, sends the message loud and clear that the writer is lazy, incompetent, ignorant, or worse. But an effective writer proofreads his writings.

Tip6 to become an effective writer: RELAXED WRITERS ARE EFFECTIVE WRITERS
Good writing comes from good energy. When your body is tired from stress or lack of sleep, you cannot work at your best. Getting yourself in a relaxed and rested state of mind can help at all stages of the writing process.

Tip7 to become an effective writer: THINK POSITIVE
Last but not the least but positive attitude always works wonders. Do not set yourself up to make your worst predictions come true. You can program yourself to get the best out of yourself just by changing the way you think-and talk-about your writing. Being positive about your writing, however, does not mean setting wildly unrealistic expectations for yourself. You wouldn't expect to learn to play the guitar or become a champion swimmer overnight, so don't expect overnight miracles with your writing. it takes time for everything to happen and a skill to develop. Give yourself time and you will become an effective writer.

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About the Author
John Khu is an experience entrepreneur and internet marketer. He specializes in communication development and personal happiness. http://www.communicationessence.com

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Five Common Mistakes in Business Writing?

With today's business moving at the speed of broadband, everyone expects better results in record time. Every day, we deal with hundreds of business communications in the form of e-mails, letters, phone calls, chats, and meetings-and that's before we tackle the "to do" list.

It's no wonder that many business messages often reads as if they were written between floors on an elevator, coming across as sloppy and careless. This article outlines five common mistakes in business writing, with tips on how to avoid them.

1. Burying the point. Time is short-get to the meat of the message as soon as possible. Think like a journalist: put the crucial information at the top, where people are sure to read it. If you leave the golden nugget for the final sentence, your reader might never get there. Make sure your message is labeled clearly in the title or subject line, so your reader can decide quickly how to organize it.

2. Inviting a yawn. Advertising expert Hal Stebbins notes, "If you're bored with what you write, don't blame the reader for yawning." The best way to generate interest in your writing is to be interested yourself-in your subject, your reader, your company, and your Communication. Seek out and emphasize the most significant reasons to cause the reader to act or react as you want. When in doubt as to what to emphasize, remember that the person you're writing to is still a human being-someone who is subject to the same things that motivate all people. If you wouldn't want to read it, chances are, neither will your reader.

3. Saying in twenty words what you could say in five. Charles Dickens may have been a great novelist, but he was being paid by the word. In business writing, the longer the phrase, the better your chances of losing the reader halfway through. Keep it short and straightforward, and you'll keep your reader's attention. A quick way of figuring out where your writing needs editing is to ask yourself: "Would I say this the same way if I were talking with this person face to face?" Why businesspeople write "We will ascertain the facts and advice accordingly" when in conversation they would say, "We'll find out and let you know" is a mystery. If you wouldn't say it, don't write it.

4. Using unfamiliar words. Your goal in writing should not be to impress the reader with your writing ability but to express ideas so that the reader can understand them. Some business writers thrive on using long words and unfamiliar technical, trade, or legal phraseology. These vocabulary exhibitionists use difficult words to give their writing an air of authority-but they end up sending the reader to the dictionary more often than not. Write to express, not impress, and you'll save yourself and your reader a lot of trouble.

5. Relying on outdated language. Using obsolete expressions and clichés is the lazy way to write. Like anything else that comes too easily, the result is nothing to brag about. Filling your writing with phrases that belong in your grandfather's legal documents will only alienate your reader, and using canned phrases will have your readers snoring. It's much better to keep your writing up-to-date and fresh.

Hasty business writing is a one-way ticket to the "delete" button. It doesn't take long to put a little care in your writing-a minute to spell check and another to check for common mistakes like the ones described--but the result will be a message that lasts much longer in your reader's mind and is more effective in getting the results you want.

Source: Free Articles

About the Author
Courtland L.Bovee is one of America's leading instructors in clear and effective communication. With John V.Thill,he co-authors several leading college-level texts, including Business Communication. Thill is a prominent communications consultant and is currently the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Global Communication Strategies.Their website, Business Communication Headline News is the #1 business communication site on the web.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Mobile Phones: Making the World Smaller

Today, communication is everything, and this is evident in the way in which we get our everyday products from all over the world. Before the invention of the telephone, it was unimaginable that one would ever be able to converse with somebody even twenty miles away. In the world of today, we can't even bring ourselves to visualize what life would be like if we could not speak across oceans and continents.

There was a time when a telephone was attached to a wall and could move only as far as the telephone cord. Today, even in our homes we are able to chitchat about about the weather and everything else under the sun from not just the drawing rooms, but also from the kitchen, the bathroom, the attic, or any other place you can visualize. And all this because the telephone had finally become cordless.

There was a time when the car phone was seen as being a major advance. Who would have imagined that there would come a time when you could talk while you were moving from one place to another. Yet, even with cordless phones and car phones, we continued to be fixed to something – in this case, the house and the car respectively.

Then the big boom happened! We saw the invention of something that introduced a great shift in the way in which the world carried out its communication. The spotlight time of the mobile phone had now begun. This was obviously very different from the days when letters had to be posted whenever some message of great importance was involved. Back in the days when post was the only way to communicate quickly, one could never have imagined getting super-fast answers. But now, as mobile phones continue to exercise their sway over our lives, the buzzword is instant communication.

We are the children of the communication era, and can observe the rise of newer and newer modes of communication. And what could give voice to this era than the mobile phone the mobile phone. We are no longer tied down by telephone cords. We are able to talk to our near and dear ones, our colleagues and mentors, and whoever else we would like to even as we keep moving around.

Gone are the days of having to keep in mind important phone numbers. We have passed the days of looking for a pay phone if we want to make a call. The mobile phone has made life so much easier for us, by allowing us to make and receive calls at all times!

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About the Author
The author Ajeet Khurana recommends Samsung U600, Luxuries, and Technology.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Web Conferencing Call

If you are thinking about getting into web and video conferencing, then it is important to know what is required to operate any proposed conferencing system. But when you are deciding which web conferencing application to utilize, none of the applications currently available will do everything well. With the vast amount of service providers that are available today, it’s not always easy to find the one that best fills the bill for your particular web conferencing needs.

An ideal approach could be to begin with a Web conferencing solution available in both externally hosted and internally hosted versions, so that customers who wish to initially use the services of an external conference service provider, and then migrate the conferencing software over time to on-site, can do so without user and IT training. Global availability of the video and audio conferencing web services is something else to consider when selecting a video or audio conferencing web service provider. Using video or audio conferencing web services can improve your productivity and levels of service as well as providing instant cost savings.

Considering the cost savings that Web conferencing can deliver, the market is geared to take off in the next few years. Whether you decide to become an affiliate or a reseller, the key to cashing in on the coming boom in online web conferencing is to study the market, know the product thoroughly and then place it before your web visitors or mailing list audience in a compelling and convincing manner. Multiple Location Participants – If you have key people in distant lands that will need to come into the web conferencing loop, remember to keep this in mind when shopping for a web conferencing package.

Similarly, if you need to gather demographic information about your meeting participants, obtain valuable input, or quiz and test your participants, then the new online survey capabilities of current web conferencing systems will be an important feature to look for when choosing your conference format. Some web conferencing tools include the ability to share one’s desktop, allowing participants to “present” information, be it a PowerPoint Presentation, an Excel Spreadsheet or a Word Document with other attendees of their web conference.

So what is it exactly “Web Conference Call”? Web conferencing is when two or more users who are connected to the Internet to share information. Many purchasing decisions require the input of more than one person, and web conferencing allows you to get all the decision makers together in one meeting. With Web Phone Conferencing technology you also have the option to either download or save your meeting and conversation.

Generally, once all the partakers have done their part in setting up their computers for web conferencing, what's left is for each partaker to type in a few keystrokes, click the mouse button and begin conferencing. This is by far the most commonly used type of web conferencing and is the ideal solution for organizations who have multi-location sites yet require collaboration between their employees on projects and documents. When beginning the search for a web conferencing solution, start with setting your objectives and determining the features you require.

So, the next time Sunday night comes around and you are faced with another week of travel, email trails, difficulty in scheduling training and long lead times in closing sales and negotiating contracts, do yourself a favor and look into web conferencing for your business. Video and web conferencing enabled us to develop a powerful new consulting/training business model in which we blend live classroom training with a continuous program of interactive videoconference training events, accessible by participants from virtually any location.



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About the Author
Do you want to read more about web conferencing? Then browse my site http://www.web-conferencing-info.biz/

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Forming Links With Mass Notification

The offices of our world have transformed immensely. While many still adhere to the daily grind and hustle and bustle of a commute, more and more people are carrying out their work in various new-fangled ways. And more and more businesses are making their businesses grow on a global level. While this meets many needs of convenience and versatility in a global marketplace, it opens up a new need that involves communication with the workforce. When the workforce for any business is located all across the globe, or even in different areas of the same town, communicating effectively with every employee can turn into a problematic job. When you spend time communicating to your employees at the individual level, you are actually losing productivity time in your business. Thankfully, today there are many mass notification methods to aid you in getting rid of unnecessary waste of money and time effectively communicating with your employees.

Mass notification is quickly becoming an integral aspect in business today. When you need to communicate with your workforce, you can use mass notification to make sure that your workforce gets the same information at the same time. All information is supplied by you. So the information has to be absolutely accurate. Typically, there should be no miscommunication or misunderstanding within the workforce.

The method that you choose to send your mass notifications will depend on the media or forum that tends to be most widely used in your office. Emails and SMSs are the two most popular means of mass notification, and their ability to do the job cannot be denied. If your workforce is listed as a primary group in your contact book, then you can send one email that everyone shall get at the same time. SMSs work in the same way. If all of your employees give you their cell phone numbers, you can create a group list in your contacts list, and send a single SMS message to the entire staff by just tapping on some buttons.

Because today's employee is a mobile one, try to convince your bosses to use both email and text messaging in conjunction with another. If the mass notification you wish to send out seems imperative, ensure that everyone receives the information in a timely manner by sending an email, and follow it up with an SMS. While many people may not be checking their emails that often, most mobile users will be able to access the SMS notifications immediately. Communicating with your workforce and with all members of your company could never have been simpler or more efficient. A big hurrah for the mass notification methods of today.

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About the Author
Effective businesses and business people know how to set reminders. We will help you set up reminders with sms messaging or a mass notification system.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Professional Client Communication

The fact that a large volume of business communication, nowadays, is performed electronically, has been to the detriment of the language, and grammar, employed in such communications. It is important to realise, however, that every opportunity – formal or informal – to communicate with a client, or customer, in writing, is an opportunity to present a professional image of an individual, or company, and should be approached accordingly.

Effective Communication

The most important aspect of any business communication is the main point, idea, or message that it conveys, and it should be conveyed as quickly, and concisely as possible, in language that is appropriate to the target audience. Avoid technical terms, jargon and acronyms, wherever possible, and do not bury your main idea in a heap of additional, or subsidiary, information, which will dilute its importance, and distract the reader. Short, simple sentences, arranged in short paragraphs – not more than three, or four, sentences – can help you to present your idea(s) in punchy, easily digestible segments.

Try to write with the client, or customer, in mind. Be sensitive to his, or her, needs and wants, and, above all, avoid writing anything ambiguous, in other words, anything that can be misconstrued, or misunderstood. Professional businesspeople rarely have time to dwell on correspondence, and if your meaning is not instantly clear then the chances are that you will miss an opportunity.

Take similar care with any factual information, of figures, that you include in your correspondence. Use only information that you fully understand – and can therefore make correct inferences from – and verify it, for accuracy. If you present incorrect information, and/or incorrect analysis, your credibility with a prospective client, or customer, may be damaged beyond repair.

Incorrect spelling, punctuation or grammar may also serve as a source of distraction, or irritation, to a reader, diverting attention away from the main thrust of your correspondence, however worthy it may be. Use a spell checker, and have a competent colleague proof read your work for errors – including factual errors, or flawed logic – before producing your final draft.

You can help your reader to navigate, read, and understand your document by including appropriate headings and subheadings, bullet points, and enough white space to clearly separate the text. A single, clear font – preferably an open, “sans serif” typeface, such as “Arial”, or “Verdana” – used throughout is generally easier on the eye than multiple font types, styles and sizes.

Conclusion

Unsatisfactory business writing can result in a loss of credibility, respect, and, ultimately, business. Learning to write effectively in a business environment can take a little time, and effort, on the part of a writer, but the opportunities to impress prospective clients with those newfound skills is plain for all to see, particularly in a business world driven, nowadays, by electronic mail.

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About the Author
Andy Edwards is an independent writer and researcher on financial and business subjects. See additional information on a Professional Writing

Monday, September 22, 2008

Communicating on the Telephone

One of the most common things we do on a day to day basis is communicate with other people. Good communication can lead to a better understanding of people and perhaps more importantly, allowing others to fully understand us. This is especially important in business.

Communication means have changed dramatically over the years, with the introduction of modern telecommunications such as faxes and email, but still the most widely used communication tool is the telephone. The telephone is a very powerful tool, especially when used within a business environment and many people underestimate its importance and more importantly, the importance of the person using it.

When a potential client phones a company, their first impression of that company is created by the person who answers the phone. In order to ensure that the caller develops a positive image within their mind, the person answering the call must be efficient, confident and capable of inspiring confidence in the caller. It is a very big responsibility but by examining existing skills and practising new ones this challenge can be met, and the standards maintained.

Professional Telephone Techniques

When answering the telephone always remember:
You are aiming to make the caller pleased that they chose to call your company
You are aiming to impress the caller with your courtesy and helpfulness
Answer the telephone with identification

While on the call:

Remember to ensure your opening greeting identity’s you and your organisation clearly, by speaking into the mouthpiece. Always ask for the caller’s name and use it, it gives the impression of friendly familiarity. Speaking in a warm, interested tone will add to this.

If you have to ask the caller to wait - explain why. In this situation, service your call on hold every 30 seconds and thank the caller for waiting. Make the caller feel that you are anxious and willing to help; if you agree to call back at a specific time, call - even if you have been as yet unable to attend to the query or request.

Attend to a query immediately or you may forget. If there are other priorities, write down the query. Let your caller hang up first and say "Thank you for calling"

As with any form of communication, when speaking on the telephone, there are certain elements which will effect the ease with which you communicate and also the understanding of the message that you are trying to get across. Comparing the use of the telephone to such methods as letter writing or face to face meetings, it is easy to see that the telephone has a lot of limitations. There is no written word to read, therefore retention of what you have said is difficult. There is no body language, just your voice to make that important impression. Using the voice correctly involves paying special attention to three areas. These are.

A - Speed
B - Clarity
C – Tone

A - Speed
Speaking too fast automatically creates barriers, and confusion. The caller will find it difficult to grasp what you are trying to say. When making outgoing calls you are prepared and [hopefully] know what the call is about. The person at the other end of the line was probably not expecting the call and almost certainly was involved in something completely unrelated at the time.

When answering calls, slow down, think before you answer any queries or questions.

B - Clarity
Avoid mumbling. Speak clearly and distinctly but avoid compensating for this by shouting.

C - Tone
Speed and Clarity may be fine but this means nothing without a positive tone. No matter how bad your mood is, don't let it show in your voice. Sound friendly and cheerful, even if it is killing you.

Listen!
Another important communication skill essential while on the telephone is listening. Listening to customers is perhaps one of the most important things that anybody can do. Ask questions and then step back. Try not to prompt too much. Allow them to have their say.

Good, professional telephone skills are paramount for a company’s reputation. It is the first impression a potential customer has of the company and sets the standard for future business.

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About the Author
Sheila Mulrennan from Professionaldevelopment.ie specialises in writing articles relating to Personal Development Training, Presentation Skills and Communication Skills. Visit her website at www.Professionaldevelopment.ie for more.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Stay Connected In Style With Orange Mobile Phones

Are you thinking of buying a new phone? Well there must be many options that you can explore for this purpose but one of the best that you can get is the Orange Mobile Phones Many varieties and features are present in these phones and one can research exhaustively for these phones before choosing the one that you want to buy.

Before you buy a phone, it is important that you decide for yourself as to what kind of a gadget you want. Whether a basic handset would solve the purpose or you want a hi-tech gadget to suit your personality and style. According to your requirement then, you can go for the phone that you like. Also, the price range should suit your pocket.

There are various options of connections available when you want to buy the mobile phone. You can go in for a pay as you go deal, a contract mobile deal which offers free line rental or a sim free phone. Whichever suits your choice may be taken up. If you want a high-tech gadget but do not want to shell out lot money, then contract phone is the deal for you. Sim free deals offer freedom of network and pay as you go helps in controlling your monthly bills. Freebies can be obtained with these deals and also free services are available like free texts for some time, downloads, lower call rates, free gifts like Xbox 360, Nintendo, iPod, etc. Accessories are also available for free.

You can research online for great offers and deals and vast choice of Orange mobile phones. All leading brands are available with the freedom to choose your plan and handset. Get going with these deals and get yourself a hi-tech gadget today and stay connected easily.

About the Author
Amy Barthlow is offering loan advice for quite some time. To find Orange Mobile Phones, Cheap Orange Mobile Phones, Contract Orange Mobile Phone, Latest Orange Mobile Phone UK, Orange Mobile Phone Deal visit http://www.orangemobilephoneshop.blogspot.com/
urce: Free Articles

Saturday, September 20, 2008

If You Want Someone to Follow You, You Have to Give Good Directions

“Good leaders make people feel that they're at the very heart of things, not at the periphery. Everyone feels that he or she makes a difference to the success of the organization. When that happens people feel centered and that gives their work meaning.” - Warren Bennis

Whether you are a high powered executive, manager, entrepreneur, or president of a volunteer organization, your success will be defined by two things: 1) Letting people know they matter and 2) Setting clear expectations for them to follow. If you don’t have both of these 2 principles in place before your employees/volunteers start a project, I can guarantee you that you’ll soon hit a brick wail called “Lack of Communication.”

A lot of executives automatically ‘assume’ that their department heads or higher managers automatically know everything they need to know to carry out instructions without actually telling them what needs to be done. Well, we all know the outcome of how things will be if we use that lovely word ‘assume’, don’t we? Somebody is going to end up with egg on their face because a ball got dropped somewhere along the line!

You, as the person in charge, know what you want, but it’s up to you to clearly define your expectations to your team right from day one. The outcome may be crystal clear in your mind, but if not translated into clearly defined steps and written on paper, your message may be as muddy as the good ol’ Mississippi!

If you want to enroll others in your vision and get maximum participation, you have to write out the context of the steps for others to follow. There’s a reason why we call this a ‘clarity’ statement – it not only defines your desires, it also opens the door to another important step called ‘communication’.

Here are some steps that will help you ensure the teamwork, productivity, and positive end results you need to create success in your business.

1. You have to get real clear about where you’re going and what you want the final outcome to be before you ever present it to your team. If you’re not sure about where you are going, do you think they are going to follow you? I don’t think so Alice! Get the “W’s” down pat beforehand – Who will do what, when, and where and how it will all come together at the end.

2. Meet with your team to discuss your proposed new plan and tell them how it is going to work. Have a detailed agenda in place so as not to waste your time or theirs. Scheduling meetings with your key players creates a synergy and allows them to freely offer ideas and possibilities that you might very well not have thought of in your original concept. (There’s that word ‘communication’ explained.)

3. Be sure to set clear guidelines for who is responsible for doing what and when you expect it to be finished. Make sure that team members are clear about their roles so you won’t hear “I thought Mary was taking care of that!” when something doesn’t get finished.

4. Be sure you have a verbal commitment from your team that they’re on board for the project. Schedule follow-up meetings and weekly check-ins to keep the project on deadline. And speaking of deadlines, be specific about the date you expect to have everything completed by.

5. Lastly, offer your support and then get out of the way and let them do their stuff. No one likes to be micro-managed or feel as if their leader is breathing down their neck all the time! Words of encouragement go a long way to fostering good personal relations and they go down a heck of a lot easier than words of condemnation do. Remember, success is building relationships, not tearing them down.

All of the great leaders of our time had a clearly defined plan. In addition, they had an innate ability to communicate that plan to others in order to receive the results they desired. It just makes good business sense that you, as the leader, do the same.

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About the Author
Cookie Tuminello is founder of Success Source, LLC and creator of the 8 step People Pleaser No More™ System. In this powerful new program, women learn how to go from being overwhelmed, overworked, and overpowered, to having more productivity, more profit, and more power in their business and personal lives right NOW. She is a published author and powerful keynote speaker as well. To sign up for Cookie’s FREE Report “50 Ways To Take Back Your Power Right Now”, go to http://www.SuccessSource.biz.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Employee Communication And Internal Communications Relation.

Gatehousegroup.co.uk has been built by internal communicators for internal communicators. In building this; we simply wanted to create a place where people working in the field of internal Communications could visit and discover the latest thinking as well as share your ideas. We hope you find Internal Communications a helpful place and we encourage you to get as involved in sharing information as you want to. There has always been debate about how to structure and manage corporate communications and where various functional responsibilities should sit – across human resources, media relations, corporate social responsibility, brand, sales and marketing. And although different organizations manage this accountability in slightly different ways – sometimes internal communications sits in a corporate communications function, sometimes in the HR or marketing functions -- the lines between employees, stakeholders, customers, competitors, regulators and media have been seen to be relatively distinct. These relationships have also been relatively manageable within these distinct silos.

Most functional internal communication leaders today have come from a publishing, journalism, or PR background. And in general, internal communication functions have been managed – and often managed very effectively – as information and knowledge publishers. Of course, most internal communication operations are very good at managing “two way communication,” ensuring that employee surveys track how things are going and what drives the right results to the bottom line; supporting senior leaders and line managers in their communication roles; providing opportunities for the employee to be heard. “Best Practice” is well and truly bedded in, and blogs, forum, and news for the corporation are all adding new approaches to the mix.
Gatehousegroup.co.uk has been designed to do just that. By encouraging anyone in the industry to submit content, contribute in the Forum, share relevant and useful links, we are creating a community which enables us to help each other. Whether you need urgent hands-on support, a strategy for a major change project, a suite of channels, or just have a feeling your communications could be better, give us a call. We'd be delighted to meet with you and share our ideas. Called 'Tone from the Top', I have begun a program of interviewing senior business leaders and asking them what they think about internal comms and the value of having a dedicated internal communications team. But rather than try to summaries their words, I have created a podcast where you can download the actual interview and hear their thoughts, straight from the horse's mouth. It got me thinking about what IC really is all about.
I remember only a couple of years ago having a debate with a director of IC about renaming the IC department to Internal Marketing. The rationale at that time was that people were so disengaged with the communications that were being sent out, that the only way to re-engage them was to start making it interesting. So what better way to do this then starts applying the principles of marketing? Treat your internal people as customers and then use the same techniques as you would in a traditional marketing campaign - ie run internal advertising, competitions, lavish, high budget award dinners and conferences usually reserved for only the most deserving of clients, and mini intranet sites to promote the launch of some new internal program.

By: wright

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Gatehouse Internal Communications Group work with leaders, managers and in-house communicators, in the UK and globally, to help shape their organisation's culture, provides services for Internal Communication,Employee Communication Consultancy, Communication Research,Corporate Communication Management , mobilise employees behind change.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Time Management Tip: Communication Costing You Time?

This time management tip is about the importance of communication in your efforts to be more efficient with your time. Communication always involves at least two parties, and the more people involved the more likely communication problems will cost you time. As with any good plan you have to start right to end right, and it’s no different with communication.

Good upfront communication improves time management and lessens frustration. Before starting on any project clarify the expected results, and get agreement on both the results and the time line. In most cases any two people don’t have to take the exact approach to get the same result. It’s the result that’s important not the details of how. Setting time lines up front establishes mutually agreed upon time frames so no one feels let down later.
Tracking and measuring saves time and improves your time management. Establish the measurements that will be used by everyone involved to measure progress, and set a date and time for follow-up. Measurements and follow-up dates won’t prevent things from going wrong, but it will prevent them from getting ignored until it’s too late to correct things and get things back on track.

Communication provides an opportunity for you to learn things that will further improve your time management effectiveness. At the agreed upon date and time follow-up and get feedback. From the feedback you will learn about any problems or short falls, and you will learn information that will be useful if you ever have to do this again. Feedback is really important on several different levels. Through feedback you will learn how to effectively communicate with the other person, how to improve the system, what you’ve overlooked, and how to make the project efficiently repeatable if it needs to be.

You may have thought that time management tips were just personal pointers, but as you can see time management tips often extend to your interaction with others. You don’t usually get behind all on your own, so you need to learn how to help others to help you to stay on track. Communication with a few measurements and follow-up is a great way to improve your time management efforts.

By: Cheryl A. Clausen

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Would you like to learn more about your time behaviors? Try this Time Management Analysis and find out where your opportunities for improvement are. Looking for success? find Success here.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Communication With Your Client After The Sale

Almost everyone who know how to make money selling on ebay knows that communication with buyers must occur. However, when most think about communicating with buyers, they think about communicating before and during the actual auction. Unfortunately, that is only part of the story. Communication really starts after the sale.

Want to know how to make money selling on eBay? Focus on sales after the buyer makes an auction purchase. Once there is a sale, the seller needs to focus on communication about the auction, payment and shipment. However the seller also needs to communicate to set the stage for future sales.

Those who know how to make money selling on eBay know that following the close of an auction it is important to immediately contact the winning bidder. These same sellers also know that it is important to acknowledge payment receipt. Once payment is received they know that it is important to keep the lucky bidder updated regarding shipping progress. Finally, there is communication in the form of feedback regarding the seller.
make money on ebay by making it easy for prospective buyers to get answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Include a list of the most frequently asked questions AND the answers in your auction description. That step will result in much less email to you, along with time to re-answer questions previously asked by another bidder. More importantly, it will result in more bids. Prospective buyers can see the answers to their questions instantly, and can then move onto bidding rather than waiting for you to email the answer later.

Make money on eBay by making it easy for prospective buyers to get good answers to their questions.

If a prospective buyer asks a question that is unique, take the time to answer it immediately. The longer the time between the asking of the question and you responding the less likely that there will be a bid from that prospective buyer.

There is more to communicate however. There also needs to be communication about combined shipping for other auction and eBay store sales. In the shipment that you send the buyer needs to include:

• A ‘Thank You’ for making the purchase and dealing with you.

• A business card that highlights how to contact you and find your other products.

• A flyer referring buyers back to your eBay Store and auctions.

A word of warning; be sure that you don’t violate any of eBay’s rules in your communications.

Communication following the close of an auction can result in the buyer remembering you for your great follow-up and concern about them and the items that they purchased. It can include appropriate feedback (Provide feedback 100% of the time. While it takes some time to provide feedback, it also rewards buyers who make purchases and leave positive feedback for you.) Finally, include communication in the packaging of the items that you ship. Done correctly, that communication will result in buyers making additional purchases in the future.

One of the keys of how to make money selling on eBay is to communicate. Don’t forget to include communication after the sale. That can be the most important communication of all.

To Your eBay Success!

By: Kanwaljit Kaur

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For more useful tips & hints, please browse for more information at our website:- www.auction-words.com www.auction.reprintarticlesite.com

Monday, September 15, 2008

The Keys To Good Communication

Clear communication is a key factor to a happy and fulfilling life. How well you communicate will determine the quality of all of your relationships, therefore determining the overall quality of your life.

The reason why most people have unsatisfactory results in their life, is because they have poor communication skills. People get frustrated when they don't get what they want,and often times don't realize it is because they did not communicate clearly, what it is they wanted.

Poor results come from poor communication, not only in personal communication, but also in metaphysical communication. One of the main reasons why many people do not get what they want in life is because their way of communicating what they want is unclear.

You must be very clear on exactly what it is you want when communicating with another person, The Universe, or yourself.

I know you may be thinking, what do I mean with yourself. A lot of times we are wishy washy with what we want. We tell ourselves "I kind of want this,but I also kind of want that." or "I guess that would be alright.". We need to be very specific with ourselves of exactly what it is we want. We cannot express clearly, to someone else, what we want if we are unclear, about what we want, ourselves.

First we will discuss how to communicate with your Higher Power to get what you want, then we will discuss how to communicate with other people. I am using the term "Higher Power" or "Universe" because I do not want to offend any one's religious beliefs. You can replace the term Higher Power with God or whatever name you believe the creative source to be called. The principles for communication will be the same.

To manifest what you want in life, from a metaphysical standpoint, I would highly encourage you to sit quietly with a pen and paper, and write exactly what it is that you want to create in your life. Write what you want in great detail. The more detailed you are, the better. Remember, this is about being extremely clear about what it is that you want.

After you have written what it is that you want, I would highly suggest that you read what you wrote one to three times a day out loud. This will benefit you in two ways. First, it will help your mind get extremely clear and focused on exactly what you want. Your mind being clear will help you stay focused, take proper action and communicate to others in a more clear, concise and effective manner. The second benefit is, the two most powerful ways to communicate with the Universe, to manifest, is through writing and speaking. Writing creates the most energy, with speaking creating the second most energy. Writing and speaking to the Universe are your two most powerful ways to create what you want.

Now let's talk about our everyday communication with other people. There are many elements that go into positive effective communication. There is verbal and nonverbal communication.

The words that we use only make up 7% of our communication. The other 93% is voice tone and body language. What that means is, before you have even said a word, you have already said a lot.

It is very important to practice paying attention to your body language and voice tone. Let's talk about voice tone, for a moment. Have you ever had someone ask you for something in a whiny sounding voice; or how about in a very demanding tone of voice? Think back to when someone has approached you with either of these voice tones. Did you really want to give them what they were asking for? Probably not, you were probably pretty turned off by their approach. Focus on having a friendly confident tone.

Body language is huge! So many people are giving the wrong signals and they don't even realize it. Your words and voice tone may be saying one thing, but your body is saying something very different. The non verbal speaks louder than the verbal, always. The person that you are communicating with will most often not even realize that they are being effected by your body language, however they are, it happens on a subconscious level.

Pay attention to your body language. First of all make sure you are standing up straight with your shoulders back. Good posture shows that you are self confident. Confidence is attractive to everyone. You are much more likely to have someone say yes to you, when you exude self confidence, than if you do not. Another tip is to avoid standing with your arms folded in front of you. Arms folded communicates that you are stand offish and blocking the other person from getting through to you. It also communicates disinterest.

Eye contact is so important, because of so many reasons. I will just cover a few reasons here. For one thing, it shows strong self confidence. It also allows you to have a strong connection with the person you are communicating with. A lot of people do not trust a person that avoids eye contact and building trust is the number one component to effective communication. Eye contact can be hard for some people. If you are someone who has difficulty with maintaining eye contact, begin practicing now. It begins with awareness, then practice, then mastery. One of the most important skills that you can practice and master is maintaining good eye contact.

Next comes the words that we use. Even though words are only 7% of our communication, they are still extremely important and require conscious awareness to use them effectively. There is so much to cover, when it comes to the words we use. I will share some resources for you to study on your own, that will help you with everything that we just covered. First let's cover what I believe to be one of the most important things to be aware of when it comes to the words you use.

Most people's main focus when they communicate is on themselves. They use the word "I" over and over again. It can be very valuable for you to understand that most people's number one interest is themselves. One of your greatest tools to be a great communicator is to stop using the word "I", "Me" and "My" so often and start using the word "You", "Your" and "Yours" much more often. People love to talk about themselves, and if you let them do it, you will be their most favorite person in the whole world, because most of the people they talk to are talking about themselves most of the time.

Another important thing to realize is that people love the sound of their own name. Use a persons name often during a conversation with them. They will be putty in your hands.

Remember, God gave us two ears and one mouth so talk less and listen more. And really listen, a lot of times when another person is speaking we are caught up in our head thinking about how we are going to respond or just waiting for our turn to speak. Listen with you complete focus and attention on what they are saying then trust that you will be able to respond organically. The best communicators are the best listeners, not the best talkers.

To really master these skills and take your communication to a whole new level, I would highly recommend that you begin to study NLP. NLP stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming. By mastering NLP, you will become a master of influence. NLP will cover the best way to use your words, how to build powerful rapport, how to read other people and so much more.

Here are a couple of tips on how to build powerful rapport. First when talking to someone on the phone or in person, match their speaking style. It is a good idea to match the voice tone and speaking speed of the person that you are talking to.

Another powerful tool is to mirror the body language of the person you are communicating with. Don't mimic them, just subtly mirror them. When you do this you are sending them a subliminal message that you are just like them.

Remember, no matter where your communication skills currently are, you can always be better. To be a better communicator it just takes self awareness, the desire to be better and practice.

By: Ryan Pearson

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Ryan Pearson Personal Empowerment Coach www.lifecoachryan.com

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Covenant Communication

Careless or caustic words can cause more damage in a marriage than anything else. Take the time to covenant together about how you will communicate - it will enrich your relationship every day:

We covenant together never to raise our voices in anger. Even when we are angry, or hurt, or wronged.


We will never discuss a problem or situation in anger.

We will never insult the other person with our words. We will not attack their personhood.

We will never bring up issues that have been dealt with.

We will never bring up past faults when dealing with a present problem.

We will address one issue at a time in any given discussion.

We will define goals, work toward them, and hold each other accountable in them.

We will respect one another's personhood, mind, experience, opinions, and emotions. We will never degrade the other in any of these areas.

We will never belittle the seriousness of the concerns the other brings to our attention.

We will seek to build one another up. We will never bring up a problem without also encouraging the other in something that they are doing well.

We will seek every day to express our love for the other in thought, word, and deed.

© 2002 Paula Marolewski

You have my permission to reprint and distribute this article as long as it is distributed in its entirety, including all links and copyright information. This article is not to be sold or included with anything that is sold.

By: Paula Marolewski

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Paula J. Marolewski provides challenging and interactive adult Bible studies for individuals, Bible studies, small groups, and adult Sunday School classes at Sink Your Roots (www.SinkYourRoots.com). Studies include such topics as Debunking the Myths about Knowing God's Will.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Pc To Phone Solutions: Communication At Ease

The PC to phone solutions is steadily gaining momentum among the masses due to various positive reasons such as the cost-effective factor and hassle-free communication. This innovative means of connecting people from all over the world with the support of Internet telephony has offered a new dimension to connectivity. The VoIP phone providers are analysing the advantages of utilising this special kind of telephony in the place of conventional network connectivity. These advanced and latest networks have seriously changed the manner people communicate with one another. With the inception of this technology, people nowadays can easily chat, transfer files, view, and even enjoy the conference calling over the same network at a very affordable tariff rate which is very low as compared to the conventional means of communication.

One can easily enjoy the facilities of communicating with the PC to phone or Internet telephony but this process has special requirements which have to be fulfilled. First of all, a PC is required to avail this facility. Apart form this the other requirements are a headset, an Internet connection, and an efficient VoIP service operator which would permit the users to enjoy unlimited calls all over the world. Domestic as well as International calls can be comfortably enjoyed at the same price and that also without paying anything extra money for the connection of network.

When the PC phone is installed, the concerned person has to create a personal account and register to avail the service of his or her preferred network service operator. After all the requirements are fulfilled a personal account number is offered to the person. He then just has to download the software which is required to avail the facility of PC to phone solutions. As such after fulfilling all the requirements the users can enjoy unlimited long distance and international free calls whenever and wherever they want while they are online. Furthermore, the services of the VoIP phone are not limited to just calling international numbers but the service has now been extended to mobile phones too. Therefore, it is conceivable for the users to enjoy international and long distance calls at very cheap rates.

The PC to phone solutions has various user-friendly features which pertains to telephony. The interface of this technology is quite convenient, friendly and can be comfortably accessed from anywhere without any hassles. Actually, the PC phones have become everybody's choice and its activation is also very hassle free.

Actually the technology of the VoIP calls is based on real-time and efficiently transmits the voice signals into digital packets which are then routed over the internet. As such the customers can easily send images, video clips , and even personal recordings to their beloved others without any generation loss and interruption.

By: Kristen Kiya

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For more information, visit: PC phone calls offered by one of the best VoIP provider.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Improved Business Communication Services During Phone Downtime

A third (36%) of United Kingdom (UK) workers have had company telephone failures caused by factors such as flooding, power cuts, road works and equipment faults during the past year.

This is the main finding of a new study commissioned by a hosted Voice over IP (VoIP) provider, and of those respondents, 60% had experienced up to a full day’s phone disruption, costing them an average of £14,431 per day. To achieve improved business communication services, a hosted VoIP solution can be the answer to sustaining communication between company and client during times when a regular phone would fail.
The potential cost to businesses of such an unforeseen disaster can be enormous. For example, more than a quarter of people questioned (26%) were unable to take incoming work calls during telephone downtime and resorted to using their mobiles instead, and could thus incur typically higher mobile costs. Despite the disruptions and company telephone failures causing huge losses of capital, 61% of businesses had no disaster recovery plans to address the issue.

This research comes a year after severe flooding caused havoc for businesses in many parts of the UK.

Hosted VoIP Solution
By replacing a traditional Private Branch Exchange (PBX) telephone system with a hosted VoIP solution, telephone calls are made over the internet rather than a conventional telephone network; businesses can divert all calls off-site should an unforeseen disaster strike. Alternatively, firms can keep their existing PBX and connect a hosted VoIP solution too, ensuring they have a back-up plan in place should one network fail.

The nature of a hosted VoIP solution means that business can be done as usual because calls can be easily diverted to home phones, mobiles or other offices – giving the company the ability to continue functioning from a different location and benefit from such improved business communications services. Despite this, nearly two thirds of those questioned (61%) weren’t aware of a plan to deal with disruption to incoming calls caused by events beyond their control. Worryingly, more than a quarter (26%) said they couldn’t be contacted or didn’t know how customers or suppliers would contact them during times of phone outage.

The Importance of Having a Plan B
Surprisingly, the survey revealed that one in four people (25%) still rely on their fax machine as a viable communication method with customers if their telephone system goes down. However, when fax machines operate using a central office phone service, this is not a workable solution to the problem. All too many companies seem to disregard the threat of unforeseen circumstances and factors, and then feel regret when experiencing company telephone failures and losing tens of thousands of pounds per day and upsetting their client base.

Businesses need to reassess the value of being able to maintain a reliable telephony solution during adverse circumstances. Communication is the foundation of all successful businesses, yet companies are failing to put as much emphasis on ensuring that their phone system is as protected from downtime as they put on other areas such as network and data access. Commercial company telephones with failures and are out of service have costs which build quickly and the daily financial damage potential to a company is massive due to lack of business communication with clients.

By: Rosemary Grace Brooks

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Inclarity is a UK based communications provider of IP telephony with their hosted VoIP solution and Voice and Data carriers, helping businesses stay communicated with clients and minimising capital losses because of company telephone failures.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

How To Keep Your Man - Communication

Talk To Us
Unfortunately, we men aren’t the mind readers many women seem to think and hope that we are. We are just not that gifted. More often than not we need to be told things, straight up and in plain English, for us to get the message and for it to sink in.
If something is on your mind, tell us. Don’t just walk around presuming our powerful intuition will naturally kick in and we’ll tune into the signals. We may pick up on the vibe, but we won’t know exactly what it is. The chances of a light clicking on in our minds and the inner voice saying, “Ah ha, I know what it is,” are very slim.
Once you have decided to talk to your man about something that is on your mind, you then have to decide on the best possible approach bring it up. This will depend on several factors.

• The nature of the subject
• Your mood and his
• The temperament of your partner

If the subject of your discussion or concern is of a sensitive nature, particularly for him, then you will have to choose your timing and words very carefully. Maybe even run it by a close friend first - preferably one who knows both you and your partner - what it is you want to say to your man, just in case it sounds like it might be coming out all wrong, or could be misinterpreted.
If you are upset about something, or angry, try to refrain from announcing the issue while in this frame of mind. Approaching your man when you are angry will more than likely just lead to an argument. If a man feels like he is being verbally attacked (or is about to be) he will naturally go into defensive mode to repel that attack, and anything on your mind that you want to convey will either come out all wrong, or the problem will just be exacerbated. Likewise, if he is in a negative or moody mindset, wait until his mood is lighter before approaching him.
Every man varies, as we all know, and that also applies to one’s temperament. Some men are very calm and relaxed, even in the face of adversity. Others are angered easily. Only you know the temperament of your man. Always keep that in mind when bringing up any sort of touchy subject and act accordingly.

Be A Good Listener
Generally speaking women like to talk more than men. It’s just a part of a woman’s make up. However, men need to talk and express themselves as well.
Sometimes your man will need to vent about the happenings of the day. Or he may have something on his mind that he just needs to get off his chest or bounce off of you.
Be a good listener. Be attentive. Even if you don’t particularly want to hear about his day at work or whatever, take the time out to listen to him anyway. You don’t necessarily need to comment or offer an opinion. Just listen, be genuinely sympathetic or empathetic and let him know that you are always there for him if he needs to speak his mind.
Male or female, we all need to know that our partner is there for us in every way, and that they will always have an attentive ear if we need to talk.

Feedback and Input
If you are with a man who never seeks your input nor respects your feedback, or a man who constantly ridicules you for your feedback and input, then he is not the kind of man you want to keep. Hopefully most readers are not with an egotistical, insensitive brute like that.
A regular guy genuinely enjoys and respects feedback from the woman in his life. If he’s smart he’ll realise that he actually needs it. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, male or female, and there are always certain insights a woman can offer a situation that a man just won’t see.
Real men want you to express your views on things, to tell them honestly what you think. Whether your man agrees with what you have to say or not is irrelevant. The important thing is that you are showing an interest in something he is doing, is planning on doing, or is interested in. If you really don’t like something he’s made, for example, try to be tactful in saying so. Maybe offer some tips for improvement? If the feedback has some positive element or angle attached to it, it will almost always be well received.
Any man worth being with will relish feedback and input from his partner.

By: Darren G Burton

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

The above article is an excerpt from the author's book "How To Keep Your Man: And Keep Him For Good" by Darren G. Burton. To view or purchase a copy, visit: www.amazon.com/How-Keep-Your-Man-Good/dp/1409203786/Born in Sydney, Australia, and now living on the Gold Coast, Darren G. Burton has been writing for more than 20 years. He has written numerous full length works of fiction and non-fiction.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Effective Selling Part 4-A Winning Presentation

The best way to get someone to become a customer is a winning presentation. The better you can present your offer the better your outcome will be. It's time for some professional business development to make sure you have a flawless presentation.

It helps when presenting your offer that you are speaking with the prospect one on one and that there are no distractions. Use an outline so that you won’t forget anything. If you do a presentation without an outline you may forget some of the important points of your offer. When possible have the presentation at a place that you can do a visual presentation that will show that your products work. Also, show how they work against some of your biggest competitors. You know what they say - seeing is believing.

At the end of the presentation, you may still have people that may be undecided about your products and company. This is a good time for them to ask questions and for you to answer them. Make sure you answer every question they ask completely so that all of their concerns are cleared up. This way they can make a better-informed decision about your company and your products. If you just blow off their questions and don’t clear up their concerns, they may not become a customer and more importantly they will tell their friends not to become a customer either.

Use any of the questions that the prospects ask to upgrade your presentations in the future. You should always be improving your presentation to make sure you answer any important questions for future customers before they get the chance to ask them. this is part of professional business growth. Make a note of what needs to be changed and make changes for the better.

A winning presentation is where people are so impressed by what you are presenting that they cant wait to sign up for what it is you are offering because you have shown them how wonderful your offer is, and have answered all of their questions before they asked them. Learn to make a winning presentation and you are on your way to a really successful business.

Sometimes you have several people that you want to present your opportunity to and you may decide to do it all at one time. You could host an in-home, where all the people you want to share your idea with come to your home and you give your presentation and show some product demonstrations. This way you can sign up more than one customer at the same time. Also, if they have questions, one prospect may ask what another prospect is thinking but is afraid to ask. An in-home is a good idea when you have a group of people that are in the same area that you want to share your opportunity with.

Mike Cosentino is a professional development expert, entrepreneur, and a top sales trainer read more of his topics or subscribe to his free newsletter at www.mikecosentino.net

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Give A Good Presentation

I have encountered so many catalogs over the years where the second I open the page I am confronted with a wall of square boxes with tiny pictures of products and details in each of them.

I can tell the company is trying to pack in as many products as they can into their catalog printing in the cheapest space possible, and I suppose I should give them credit for being able to use their space efficiently, but that does not mean I am going to buy anything from them.

When I walk into a store I am usually confronted by a large display for whatever the company is trying to focus on. This display typically has some sign with vibrant, eye-catching colors and large letters telling me the name and price. The display is so large I just cannot help but look over at it.

This is exactly the kind of thing you should be doing with your catalog printing. It is not just about giving people a lot of products to buy, but doing so in a way that appeals to the senses. Use good colors and varying sizes in order to give emphasis to certain products.

A wall of square boxes does not make me care very much about any of the products I am looking at. They have no personality and blend together. It is the catalogs that have half a page dedicated to one product, and take the time to tell me everything I need to know in an easy to read format that get me buying things.

Those are the companies taking control of their catalog printing to get the most out of it. They know what products they want to sell the most and what kind of effort is needed to get people reading.

Sure, they cannot fit nearly as many products into the catalog as someone who is using the space as efficiently as possible, but the products they do put in will have a better chance of selling. Sometimes you need to take your best products and give them the amount of promoting they deserve.

Vary up font size and color schemes to draw the eyes more to certain products. You need to instill the right amount of energy and excitement into your catalog or else no one else is going to be excited about it.

I have had plenty of occasions where I was looking forward to getting a new catalog in the mail because I knew the companies sending them did a great job of presenting their products. They made their catalogs fun to look through. Even if I did not end up buying something I still enjoyed seeing the products they had.

This helps set the right mood and feel for your company. If all you are doing is focusing on trying to get the next sale, or trying to promote as many products as possible, you will end up failing to sell any of them.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit: Catalog Printing

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Monday, September 8, 2008

Power of Appearance

I remember from the early days of The Simpsons an episode where Homer uses a special tonic to grow all of his hair back. As soon as he has his full head of hair he begins to get promotions at his job and is looked to with a new level of respect, until he’s told to give a big speech in front of a large group of executives. Well, when Bart accidentally spills all of his tonic, Homer’s hair falls out, and when he gives his big speech everyone walks out because they see no reason to listen to a bald man.

Now, this is a rather extreme example, but there is a point to be found in the joke. People put a lot of stock into appearances. When you first look at a person you’re going to be forming opinions about them, and in the business world this is even truer of a statement.

Did they reach out their hand to shake yours? Are they wearing a nice, clean suit? Is their hair combed and are they clean-shaven? Did they hand you any color business cards during or after your conversation?

At least some of these details are going to be important, because it really does tell us a lot about the person we’re dealing with, and to ignore it would be trouble on your part, because people are going to be doing the same to you.

The point isn’t to say that you should go out of your way to act in one specific fashion to make the best appearance possible. Being yourself is still perfectly acceptable, and most people don’t like talking to someone who’s trying as hard as they can to be another person.

What you need to do is simply be aware of the fact that people are going to make judgments based on some of the more superficial aspects of you. Make sure you do have some color business cards on you to hand to people if you need to, just as you need to make sure that you look well dressed and dignified.

Each industry is going to have different social norms that people follow, and it can be a scary thing to enter into a business world filled with customs you aren’t completely sure of.

Don’t worry and don’t let it make you nervous. Everyone had to start out somewhere, and most people are more forgiving than it might seem. Sometimes all it takes is a little honesty on your part in telling people that you’re still getting a feel for the lay of the land.

Never be afraid of letting your personality out. The more genuine you are, the better of an impression you’ll be able to make, and the better chances you’ll have at making a sale.

Visit this site for more information color business cards

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Sunday, September 7, 2008

The Coverage of Presentation Skills Training

Whether you like it or not, people will judge you based on how you look and carry yourself. An investor would likely offer his/her financial assistance to the one who appears to be more professional looking. A customer on the phone will be more at ease with a customer service representative who exudes confidence in his/her voice. If you think you lack the confidence, the presentation skills training may just be what you’re looking for. It covers a lot of interesting areas, all of which will help you realize how important a presentation skills training is not just for managers but for everybody else. What areas are being covered with presentation skills training?

A presentation skills training, which can last for two days, covers different important points. The first part will always be the introduction, wherein you will define the elements that will eventually bring down a person’s morale or level of self-confidence. It is also at this point that you will identify effective relaxation techniques. Others include the following:

1. Structure of Your Presentation. You should pay attention not only to yourself but also to the presentation material itself. Your audience will eventually take a look at it. Besides, when you know you have well-prepared visual aids, you will become more confident to discuss matters even with the tough and big guys of the company. This workshop will show you the important steps in creating a presentation, the best methods to present your report and discussion, as well as the kinds of notes that you need to use.

2. Influencing the Audience. More than the materials, your main goal is to actually influence the mind of your audience. Depending on what you’re going to present, you may have to force them to do some action, change their perception, or simply allow them to take your facts and information. The presentation skills training will show you the best strategies when it comes to audience persuasion.

3.Voice Technique and Body Language. As the adage goes, mean what you say and say what you mean. You can only achieve this, however, if there is harmony between your words and your actions. The presentation skills training will show you the right voice techniques, such as how to be clearly heard. You will also learn some words that, when used, will have more impact to your audience. Moreover, for higher confidence, the body language workshop of presentation skills training will demonstrate proper posture and body gestures. You will know how to communicate to your audience just by using your body alone.

Sheila Mulrennan is a business author and journalist who regularly contributes articles on Management, Personal Development and Presentation SkillsTraining to leading business publications. Visit http://www.professionaldevelopment.ie for more information.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Delivering A Business Presentation

Delivering a business presentation is something most of us fear, but in actual fact they are a vital element to running a successful business. From delivering sales pitches to prospective stockists through to delivering a business presentation for investors, there are a number of occasions in which solid presentation skills are vital to your business. Thus spending time learning the tips to successful presentation and business presentation techniques can deliver a tangible return to your business, and make delivering presentations a more confident and straightforward experience, resulting in more impact in the presentations you deliver.

Firstly, before attempting to deliver a business presentation you should try to clear any anxieties you may have around talking in public and addressing an audience, as these will only serve to hamper your business presentation. If you can communicate with a person one-to-one, there’s no reason you can’t communicate with multiple people at the same time, and essentially that’s what any business presentation is. Rather than viewing a business presentation on a pedestal, you should treat it as if it were any other conversation, albeit you have a rough idea of what you’re going to say in advance of the conversation. That way, you’ll find the process much less daunting and be more equipped to view your business presentation skills in perspective.

When delivering a business presentation, there are a variety of styles that can predominantly be adopted, depending on your confidence, skill and flair. The first is to create a presentation and take in a written version to be delivered orally – in other words, reading from detailed notes. For the nervous presenter this technique can be a great way of getting the job done, but for success through business presentation delivery, you’re going to need to adopt a more professional style. The second style is to come equipped with bulleted notes, depicting the general direction the business presentation is to take. This is a useful tactic for most presentations, although it is limited and perhaps less flowing to use this style than the third – off the top of the head. The off the top of the head business presentation style oozes confidence and competence, and is one of the most effective in achieving objectives. Without notes, simply talking about your presentation subject and sharing your knowledge, you can connect much more personally with your audience and really hit home your core message. Aim to adopt this conversational, confident approach in delivering your next business presentation, for a more effective and flowing delivery.

Finally, a crucial element to delivering any business presentation is the eye-contact. Making eye-contact with your audience can seem difficult at first, but it is crucial that you direct your attention to individual audience members to make for a more engaging delivery. This simple technique also inspires confidence in the message you’re delivering, and makes your business presentation more memorable and interesting, particularly where the presentation is in a free-flowing style. Combined with a confident oral delivery, eye contact can make or break any business presentation.

Work from home and Be Your Own Boss with CityLocal Business Franchising Opportunities. Choose Your Own Working Hours – www.citylocal.co.uk & www.citylocal.ie

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Friday, September 5, 2008

How to Present without Fear - PRACTICE

Public speaking is one of the largest fears that people face. Whether a toast at a wedding or as business meeting facilitator- public speaking can be a nuisance. Some balk at embarrassment while others fear hesitating. Even for the most learned or the professional speaker, public speaking is difficult.

Overcoming fear is similar to athletic competition- one must practice before competition. Research with hundreds of clients shows that when individuals practice speaking they become confident and unrestrained. Presentations are not as difficult as they seem; they require structure and framework. Get help with your next presentation with PRACTICE©.

Preparation - No presentation can begin or even end properly without proper preparation. All speakers require a framework that must include 1) your audience analysis, 2) your purpose or motive for the presentation, 3) your 3 or 4 main points 4) any stories or statistics required 5) your call to action. These five components are essential to every presentation. Meetings today are run too haphazardly. Productive meetings must have purpose.

Rapport - Some presentations are succinct and do not enable much time for your to build audience rapport. You can overcome this hurdle with consistent interaction. More importantly, adult participants desire becoming part of the presentation. When possible, stop for questions, engage participants with case studies, exercises, charts, etc. If you relax your audience you too will relax.

Attention - It is important to understand that you will never capture the attention of an entire audience. People filter during presentations are think about a myriad of items other than you. However, to ensure you capture an audience majority it is best to use metaphor, statistics, and even self-deprecating humor. Participants enjoy hearing new information especially that which is memorable.

Conviction - Passion and empathy are keys for presentation success. Avatars of the speaking world capture audiences with charisma. The best speakers include King, Kennedy, Robbins, Clinton and many others. Participants even in business meetings enjoy listening to those passionate about the subject.

Timely - Presentations must be time honored. Research proves that business meetings and classroom training are too long. Keep meetings succinct and agenda bound. No meeting should last longer than 45 minutes to one hour.

Information -Dependent - The best meetings have agendas and stick to them. Every meeting must have an opening three to four main points and closure. Do not offer similar bromides others do. If you want to run an effective meeting then you must honor the framework of an agenda with only three to four main points. This framework keeps meetings focused and energetic.

Close - Our work over 27 years proves that over 82% of meetings have little if any closure. Every meeting must have a summary of key points and a call to action. For a keynote presentation this is imperative, a classroom breakout- a return on investment and for the general business meeting- completeness of task.

Evaluation - On completion of any meeting take a few moments to digress your presentation for evaluation. Never focus on the rote "smile sheets" handed to participants, simply review your work and areas that you believe might need improvement.

There is no such thing as a flawless presentation. Even the "best" professionals mar their performances. The key is to not worry, remain relaxed and most important- have a conversation. The best presenters have a plan, know their purpose, speak with passion and hold their presence. Yet, the most imperative tool for any speaker is practice. So, for your next speech remember to PRACTICE Your Presentation©. Now make it happen!

Copyright (c) 2008 Drew Stevens PhD

Drew Stevens assists organizations to dramatically accelerate business growth. Visit http://www.drewstevensconsulting.com to download FREE "Sales Effectiveness" White Paper or his newsletter Split Second Success.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Delivering A Business Presentation

Delivering a business presentation is something most of us fear, but in actual fact they are a vital element to running a successful business. From delivering sales pitches to prospective stockists through to delivering a business presentation for investors, there are a number of occasions in which solid presentation skills are vital to your business. Thus spending time learning the tips to successful presentation and business presentation techniques can deliver a tangible return to your business, and make delivering presentations a more confident and straightforward experience, resulting in more impact in the presentations you deliver.

Firstly, before attempting to deliver a business presentation you should try to clear any anxieties you may have around talking in public and addressing an audience, as these will only serve to hamper your business presentation. If you can communicate with a person one-to-one, there’s no reason you can’t communicate with multiple people at the same time, and essentially that’s what any business presentation is. Rather than viewing a business presentation on a pedestal, you should treat it as if it were any other conversation, albeit you have a rough idea of what you’re going to say in advance of the conversation. That way, you’ll find the process much less daunting and be more equipped to view your business presentation skills in perspective.

When delivering a business presentation, there are a variety of styles that can predominantly be adopted, depending on your confidence, skill and flair. The first is to create a presentation and take in a written version to be delivered orally – in other words, reading from detailed notes. For the nervous presenter this technique can be a great way of getting the job done, but for success through business presentation delivery, you’re going to need to adopt a more professional style. The second style is to come equipped with bulleted notes, depicting the general direction the business presentation is to take. This is a useful tactic for most presentations, although it is limited and perhaps less flowing to use this style than the third – off the top of the head. The off the top of the head business presentation style oozes confidence and competence, and is one of the most effective in achieving objectives. Without notes, simply talking about your presentation subject and sharing your knowledge, you can connect much more personally with your audience and really hit home your core message. Aim to adopt this conversational, confident approach in delivering your next business presentation, for a more effective and flowing delivery.

Finally, a crucial element to delivering any business presentation is the eye-contact. Making eye-contact with your audience can seem difficult at first, but it is crucial that you direct your attention to individual audience members to make for a more engaging delivery. This simple technique also inspires confidence in the message you’re delivering, and makes your business presentation more memorable and interesting, particularly where the presentation is in a free-flowing style. Combined with a confident oral delivery, eye contact can make or break any business presentation.

Work from home and Be Your Own Boss with CityLocal Business Franchising Opportunities. Choose Your Own Working Hours – www.citylocal.co.uk & www.citylocal.ie

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com