« Older Entries

Presentation and Your Company Car

Why is it that business people often spend so much money on image only to lose all that wonderful first impression on the fact their car looks terrible? Boy it sure seems like a lot of wasted effort to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a professional website, colorful brochures, hairstyles, attire and a gold Rolex only to ruin it all by driving up in a dirty car. In fact if this scenario were not so common, I seriously doubt I would bother to mention it at all. But it is a fact and indeed I have seen it. How so you ask?

Well, for 27 years I ran a company that franchised mobile car wash units and auto detailing rigs and marketed so many cities. We would constantly see this from our business customers. Their cars looked like crap, of course we saw the people who noticed this problem and did something about it, namely paid us to clean up their messy cars.

Yet by the same token as a Franchisor Founder, we noticed sales people, potential vendors and even business partners attempt to do business with us and they parked their dirty cars in our parking lot. Silly really, as they were selling to a company specializing in cleaning cars.

Nevertheless, it should be noted that your car and its cleanliness will be judged and your automobile is very much a part of your business presentation.

Tags:

Bridesmaids Presents – The Gifts of Thanks and Appreciation

Thanking and appreciating bridesmaids is traditionally done by giving bridesmaids gifts. Apparently, finding and purchasing these gifts fall on to the bride’s responsibility. Although this task is not mandatory, however, most brides stick to this idea as it is the most effective and easy way to thank their wedding attendants who have been very supportive and helpful during the entire wedding process.

Depending on the bride, she may present the gifts to her bridesmaids before or after the big day. Pre-wedding parties such as bridal shower and bridesmaids luncheon can great times to present gifts to bridesmaids.

There are so many gift items for bridesmaids available in the market these days. Some may find it very advantageous, but some find it very tricky that they might not be able to find their likes as easy and fast as they want. So because of this, one must plan and decide in advance before going out for shopping.

When shopping for bridesmaids gifts, the bride must consider the personal preferences of her bridesmaids. Bridesmaids are different individuals and may have different likes, dislikes, interests and personalities. And a key to make your gifts effective is to select items according to each girl’s individual taste. This is easy, though, since bridesmaids are basically family members or friends of the bride and she knows them already. But in case these girls are barely known by the bride, then she will need to do some investigation as early as possible. Asking some friends or family members of each bridesmaid is a great idea to collect opinions and suggestions that can really make sense later on.

Bridesmaids jewelry is one of the best gifts you can give to each of you wedding attendants. Necklaces, bracelets, earrings and anklets can make them look complete on your wedding day. However, bridesmaids jewelry pieces, as gifts, must be chosen according to each girl’s wedding dress, as well as personality. Of course, you can’t just pick a piece of jewel without thinking that item might not be best for each wedding attendant. Also, instead of choosing very elegant pieces, choose pieces that are beautiful but not competing. Remember, you are the bride and you should be the center of attention and not your bridesmaids. So, choose bridesmaids jewelry pieces that are not competing, but instead complementing.

Many brides these days opt to shop online instead of shopping at local bridal stores. Why? Because they can find great choices and best deal items in not time, at the comfort of their home. There are thousands of online stores that carry a wide variety of wedding supplies and accessories, including bridesmaids gifts. Also, these online products are usually available for personalization. Meaning, brides and grooms will have the chance to add their personal touch onto their wedding items. So, if you opt for personalized items as bridesmaids gifts, there’s no other easy way than browsing the Net. You can find so many personalized bridesmiads gifts online, from engraved jewelry pieces, embroidered handbags; scarves; robes and shirts, engraved picture frames and albums to etc.

Tags:

The Art of Presentation Skills – Creating Mental Stimulation

Let’s say you have a room full of people you are looking to train, or influence. You have a lot of information to convey to this group of people, how should you do it? What is the most cost effective, time appropriate, and let us not forget easiest way to do this? Better yet the most important question to ask one’s self is how can I get this group of people interested, gain their trust and keep it throughout the process.

In either instance, a speech would do, but it may come across as tedious or even worse, boring. If you have information that must be conveyed starting with a “boring” speech type proposal is certainly the quickest way to lose the attention of your audience. Once you lose the attention of your audience, it is gone, working on regaining their attention is also a lost cause, start strong and never lose their attention.

Here is a novel idea make your statement(s) via a presentation. Presentations have the ability to hold the attention of your audience as well as “highlight” or pinpoint any information that must be retained. The intriguing idea behind presentations is that they allow mental stimulation as well as visual stimulation. By combing mental stimulation with audio stimulation, you are entertaining two of the five senses; thus allowing the memory retentive area of your audience’s brain to step in and help the brain “absorb” and process the information provided easier.

Before you start your presentation, there are a two key steps to keep in mind:

1. Know the subject you are trying to convey

Who wants to listen to someone that has no idea what he or she is talking about? If you want someone to listen to you, and find your information valid, make an effort and put in the time dedicated to research your topic(s). If someone asks you a follow-up question or questions the last thing you want to say, “Uh I’m not sure,” all creditability is lost from the time you mutter the word “Uh.” Know your stuff, be able to recite the information in your sleep, and make sure that you are ready for any question or questions that may be thrown at you. Keep in mind that the information you are presenting can only be as credible as the person presenting it, and you will be sure to check and recheck the facts as often as necessary.

2. Know your audience

Who is your audience? Who are the people that you will be presenting to? When making a presentation it is important to keep your audience in mind. They are the people you are looking to “convince”, if you are not able to pinpoint your target audience you are not going to be able to tailor the information accordingly. For instance, a younger audience may do better with an Internet based technology chat, whereas an older audience may get lost in the idea of the Internet. Before presenting any information, make sure you aware of your audience, who they are and the best way to convey your message.

Remember our ultimate goal here is mental stimulation, by stimulating our audience’s brain we can keep them interested, entertained, and help the information “sink” in. By following the guidelines outlined above, we can engage our audience in a presentation that not only teaches them but also allows them the opportunity to advance their knowledge.

Tags: