Sep 11

The Power of Being “Bold” in Your Business

The Power of Being “Bold” in Your Business
By Therese Skelly

There is an epidemic out there that is costing small business owners not only thousands of dollars in revenue, but more troubling is the cost of confidence, momentum, and integrity. I’m here to help solve this problem!

What’s the epidemic? The fear of being big and bold and owning all the gifts you bring to the table as a business owner. Most people go into business and spend all their time focusing on marketing, sales and getting money in the door, but they rarely stop to do the work on themselves. This is the key to mastery and also for creating a business that would really makes them happy.

The foundation for all the coaching I do comes out of my B.O.L.D(TM) Business Growth Formula. This blends both the inner game (mindset) with the outer game (business strategy) that when combined, create much more rapid and lasting results because it takes into account YOU and your business. Remember – as the owner, you are the business!

Let me share with you the elements of this powerful way of looking at business:

B: BLAST IT!!! We blast through the blocks, belief and barriers that are in your way

O: OWN IT!!! Own your unique vision, talent and style

L: LEVERAGE IT!!! Your time, talent and team

D: DESIGN IT!!! To serve your life, your clients, and your legacy

If I can be honest, the most ‘juicy’ work for me is in the domain of helping business owners OWN their stuff. (In fact, the word owner starts with the word own, so how fitting!)

Too often we go into business thinking we have to be a certain way, or let go of some of the unique, fun, or quirkier parts of our personality to be ‘professional.’ The things we did or loved in the past seem to get left at the door when we don the title of “Business Owner.” And yet it’s these very things that when integrated, will give you far more passion and serve to attract the exact ideal clients that you’d love to work with.

I show you how to own your vision, your talent, and your unique style. It’s here that so many clients come to me and find a really profound transformation when are taken through the process of getting to fully own all they want and who they are.

Ask yourself these questions to see if you are stuck anywhere in this piece of the process:

In the area of vision – is it yours or are you living someone else’s dream for you? When we look at talent – do you really embrace and promote the expert that you are? And for unique style – are you showing up and expressing yourself fully?

Now let me share with you some of the signs that you haven’t fully owned your brilliance. You will experience procrastination, doubt and fear and indecision, do inconsistent marketing, not have a clear message so you won’t be getting referrals or be seen as an expert, and you won’t be charging what you are worth. The cost is really quite high on so many levels if you think about it!

So how about if I give you a few pointers for how to begin to “OWN” what makes you magic? First – if you were 25% more bold in expressing who you are, what would you do differently? The funny thing…everyone knows this answer! Deep inside you is a part that would do more, speak up more, write more, and be more fully and uniquely you. Just make the commitment to do it. Get support if you need to, but make a plan and put yourself out there a bit more to see what happens.

Next – take a look at what are you afraid of if you do show up more boldly or more with your personality shining through? For most clients I work with it’s the fear that it won’t appear professional enough or there will be some judgment somewhere along the way. Yes, if you are a banker you probably can’t dress in a very flamboyant manner, but running your business allows you the freedom to be who you are. Leaning into some of those fears give you freedom to enjoy your life more every day.

And finally – remember that growing a business and marketing is just opening new relationships. I liken it to dating in that if you reveal only little aspects of yourself and attempt to put on a façade, you will either attract no one, or worse yet, the complete wrong person. While it takes some courage to be BOLD in your business, the more you put yourself out there, the greater the changes that your perfect “tribe” will find you!

(c) 2010 Therese Skelly
Therese Skelly is a business coach, marketing strategist, and mindset expert who loves to show her clients how to own their brilliance and passion, then get it out in the world in a way that gives them a business they will love. For more information on free business building teleseminars and inspirational articles, go to http://HappyInBusiness.com.
 

Aug 17

The Inner World or the Outer World, Which Will You Choose?


The Inner World or the Outer World, Which Will You Choose?

Inner World Outer World

The Inner World or the Outer World, Which Will You Choose?
By Carmen M Valdez

  • You can change your thinking: We are living through one of the toughest times right now, with this economy. We must make a lot of choices daily, and some of these choices can affect us now and for our future. These choices we make should be thought out carefully without the negative influences of this world. The economy has made a lot of people bitter and negative towards life, and if you have been affected, rest assure that you can change things, towards a different and improved direction. When we begin to think about matters from within, we begin to separate our thinking from the rest of the outside influences of this world. When we acknowledge the difference between our inner world, versus the outer world; things will begin to change for us.

  • Stay focused to find solutions: When we allow the economy, and negative people to influence our way of thinking, we are allowing the outer world of influence to do the thinking for us. Stressful times are affecting a lot of people right now, and with a stressful mind, one cannot think straight, in making good and thought out choices in life. If you have been affected by this economy, try to stay calm by taking your focus off negative thinking and try to face the problem, to stay focused in solving your problem. Your mind will focus on what you feed it, and if you continue to allow negative thoughts to influence your way of thinking, you will continue to get the negative outcome of what you feed your mind. If you have been affected by this economy, you can still change directions in your favor, by focusing towards a positive direction in solving matters instead of focusing on the problem. There is always a solution to every problem, you just have to find it, by staying focused in the right direction. Most people do not pay close attention to their negative self thinking inside of their mind, and this is one of the reasons why they do not find solutions to the problem. Staying focused also requires that we delete all distractions in helping us to find answers to our problems.

  • Take time to meditate on matters? Meditating is one significant way to release the stress in our lives while finding answers to our problems. Meditating can be done while taking a short walk alone, or thinking alone before going to sleep at night, or just taking time alone in any peaceful environment, to think clear and without distractions. You can also find answers to your problems, by asking yourself many questions that you don’t have answers too, while meditating. Some of these answers that you are searching for, may not come to you quickly, and some will come to you instantly, be patient, as these answers will appear to you in time. Taking time to meditate is one of the best ways in finding solutions to most of your problems. You see, you have all the right answers, in your own subconscious mind, and by searching for theses answers in your inner world of thinking; you will most likely find the best answers to your own problems.

  • Ask yourself many questions while meditating: Every human being has different circumstances because of different environments, and different cultures therefore, everything you have done in your life up to now, has been recorded in your own individual subconscious mind since you were born. You sometimes do things that you do not like about yourself, and this could be because of the environment that you grew up with. And by meditating on matters, we can search deep from within, to find the answers that we do not understand. You can find answers to many difficult questions that you do not understand about your life, by thinking deep within yourself and by asking yourself many questions through meditation.

  • Set goals to improve your life? Goals are essential if you wish to make improvement in your life. Goals have proved to change many peoples lives and it can also change your life. Although we may be facing tough challenging problems in the outer world that we live in, we can begin to improve our lives using a vision, in our inner world for our future. Setting goals and using a vision for our future is inspiring and motivating. Although we may be facing tough challenging times, we can have confidence that things will change for our future, by setting goals and taking action. Goals help us to control the direction in favor for our future, instead of having to stay in the same current and difficult circumstances that we live in now. You can set goals to improve your current circumstances, by replacing it towards a new vision for your future, and staying focused with your vision. You cannot and will not be able to change directions, if you do not set goals. Goals are essential in order to know where you are headed in life. If you do not have goals, most likely, you will continue to keep going with the flow of the outer world, instead of making choices with your inner world of your choice.

I am a certified life coach. I use the power of the mind and vision, to empower entrepreneurs in developing the right mindset to succeed in business. I also help people in general in their personal development and by using goals to succeed in life. I offer a complimentary half hour of coaching with no strings attached, to get you started in the right direction with a problem you are not able to solve.

http://www.coachingwithcarmen.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carmen_M_Valdez

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Aug 14

The Power of the Pen: Using Books, Reports, and Scripts As Sales Tools

Books and Special Reports
The Power of the Pen: Using Books, Reports, and Scripts As Sales Tools

The Power of the Pen: Using Books, Reports, and Scripts As Sales Tools
By Roy Rasmussen

The old adage about the pen being mightier than the sword was recently put to the test in a GEICO commercial. A ninja armed with a samurai sword faces down a man wielding only a pen. The pen holder signs a delivery slip, opens a package, and pulls out a taser. Zap! Point: pen.

When it comes to sales, there are many less dramatic but more practical applications of the power of the pen. Written or scripted info products like books, short reports (often called “special reports” or “white papers”), and scripts for live or recorded presentations can serve as powerful weapons in your sales arsenal. Here are seven ways you can use writing to empower your sales presentations.

Generating Leads

Generating leads is the first step in the sales process, and it is one of the most important sales functions of books, reports, and scripts. You can get prospective customers’ attention and persuade them to give you their contact information by offering free information in the form of a short electronic document, a short scripted video, a Kindle book, or a self-published print book.

This technique combines well with public forums where you can offer information to a group of prospects at one time, such as a seminar, a webinar, or a blog. You can invite your entire audience to supply their contact information by offering your free information giveaway during the course of your presentation. (And by the way, you can script your presentation, too.)

Booking Appointments

A free information giveaway can include a bonus offer geared towards booking a sales appointment, or the equivalent of a sales appointment. For instance, a free report can conclude with an offer to schedule a free initial consultation. This gives your prospect a no-risk motivation to schedule a sales appointment with you.

Depending on your industry you might use other incentives for booking appointments. An exercise club might offer a free month trial program, while a real estate agent might offer a free appraisal, or a software company might offer a free version of their premium package. This type of offer provides an opportunity to deliver a follow-up sales presentation after your prospect has become more familiar with your product or service.

Previewing Your Presentation

You can build a preview of your sales presentation into your free information giveaway. A report, video, or book gives you a forum to introduce your prospect to the basic elements of your sales presentation. You can establish rapport, identify the problem you’re offering to solve, highlight benefits, or anticipate objections. Your sales presentation can then build on the foundation you’ve laid in your preview, following up with reinforcement.

Qualifying Your Audience

Another sales function of an information giveaway is qualifying your audience. The most efficient way to do this is to build the name of your target demographic into the title of your book, report, or video. Wiley’s bestselling “dummies” series has an appeal to non-technical readers automatically built into every title. Other titles address women, seniors, workers in specific industries, or other target demographics.

This strategy isn’t necessarily limited to your title, either. The body of your info product can follow up with more details about who might benefit from what you offer.

Addressing Your Market’s Needs

The title and body of your giveaway can also pinpoint the needs your product or service addresses. Whether your offer is to alleviate arthritis pain, trim fat, save money on insurance, or convey some other benefit, mentioning this in your info product can give your prospects a preview of what your product or service can do for them.

Establishing Your Expertise

One of the most important sales functions of an info product is establishing your expertise. Once you’ve written a book, you’re instantly recognized as an expert. Likewise, if you can point to a website where someone can download your report or watch your video, that automatically enhances your authority.

Positioning Yourself Against Your Competition

Last but not least, an info product helps you position yourself against your competition. If you’ve written a book or you have a blog and your competitor doesn’t, you have several distinct advantages. Not only do you command more authority, but you possess a promotional platform you can use to pitch your own product or service as well as characterize your competition. When you’ve got your own info product, a competitor going up against you is like a knife fighter walking into a gunfight–or at least a ninja facing a taser.

Roy Rasmussen is a freelance writer and marketing consultant who helps create promotional material for small businesses, professionals, and entrepreneurs. You can read more of his writing and promotional tips on the website Publishing for Publicity, named after his book of the same title (cowritten with book designer Marian Hartsough and available on Amazon).

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roy_Rasmussen

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Apr 20

Your Work Ethic Isn’t The Problem

Dave DaleyI can’t tell you how many well intentioned business owners I’ve met. Most of them are relatively new. I love their bright eyed, bushy tailed view of entrepreneurship when they first get into it. Unfortunately, I can assure you that sometime within the first two years, a lot of that spark will be gone. Rarely is it because they lack the enthusiasm and work ethic. The issue is that they assume enthusiasm and work ethic is all they need. Sorry…but that isn’t enough.

FACT: The hardest working business owner in the world will have an empty bank account without a dedicated focus on visibility.

Visibility doesn’t mean what you think it means. There are too many “gurus” out there insisting that you plaster your private life all over Facebook. “Check in” on Foursquare to let people know you’re at Home Depot. Post pictures of yourself on Instagram. Let me be clear…none of that is visibility. Nor will it dump money into your bank account.

Visibility is a phenomenon that few business owners ever achieve. The principles of visibility create a magnetic pull so powerful that customers and clients are drawn to you. They can’t help themselves.

Dave Daley
The Visibility King

Special Invitation – Learn Strategies to Increase Your Visibility and Attract More Clients

Ever wondered why certain people seem to draw the most incredible audience and subsequently build a thriving business? Ever wondered if that could be YOU one day?

If your answer is yes, you need to join me and Rick Cooper for an Exclusive Webinar Training Event on April 23rd…

“Exactly How To Get 34% More Clients and Customers Working LESS Than You Do Now…With NO Cold Calls, Networking or One-on-One Selling of ANY Kind”

Sign up now! Click here to learn more

On the webinar, you will learn:

  • How a high school dropout with ADD went from being a struggling contractor to selling three 6-figure businesses for over $300K (you’ll learn what he did to make his businesses worth thousands)
  • How to turn yourself and your business from a “no name” to a “big name”…even if you’re brand new
  • The proven sales formula that works for ANYONE who tries it – once you learn these principles, you’ll turn your business into the dream job you’ve always wanted (wait until you see this!)
  • How to get this formula up and running in your business within 90 days – even if you are just starting out

Register here: Click here to register for the webinar

See you on the webinar April 23rd!

Dave

Apr 04

Respect Your Audience! Speaking Tips for Entrepreneurs

Respect Your Audience! Speaking Tips for Entrepreneurs

By Deidra Miller

Respect is essential in effective business interaction. In an interview by Entrepreneur.com, business etiquette expert Marjorie Brody, president of Brody Communications, an international business communications skills company, says, “I think the biggest thing to remember is to be respectful of people. Treat them with courtesy. If Public-Presentationsyou’re disrespectful of people and their time, you’re not going to build those relationships.”

But people may not know how their behaviors may be communicating disrespect. Case in point: I attended a meeting recently and was very interested in the entrepreneur who was speaking because I had heard good things about him. At the start of his talk he said, “I’m going to take 45 minutes, an hour at the most.” He finally finished almost two hours later! This was very disrespectful of his audience’s time. I’m sure he’s a nice guy, but he came off as rather arrogant, I thought. What it said to me was that he believed his time was more important than ours, that what he was saying was so fascinating we wouldn’t care how long he spoke. He knew we were a captive audience, and where I was sitting especially it would have been disrupting to get up and leave, since it wasn’t a large room. I wasn’t really able to spend two hours there, but it would have been disrespectful of me to be so obviously leaving in the middle of his talk! If he had been honest up front and said he was going to take two hours, at that point before he got started I could have moved with very little disruption to a spot where I could leave quietly when I needed to.

This was counterproductive to his purpose, since the longer he took, the less interested I was in what he had to say and the less I was listening. Not only because I was anxious to leave, but I felt like I had been lied to for the sake of keeping me there under false pretenses. He lost much of his credibility with me because if I couldn’t trust this one simple thing he had said, the rest of what he said could be questionable too.

The frustrating part was he didn’t need to take that long. He spent more time on irrelevant stories and jokes than on content. And by the end I was much less receptive to what good content he did offer. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely recommend using stories and humor to gain rapport with your audience. But unless you’re doing standup comedy, your speech should contain much more value content than “fluff.”

Major takeaways I learned from this experience:

  • Show respect, in speaking and all other activities, by backing up what you say with your actions and keep your promises, in little ways as well as the more important ones. Integrity is the basic cornerstone of any dealing with people, in business as well as personally. People only want to do business with people and businesses they respect and trust.

 

  • While it’s very important to establish rapport with your audience, you also need to provide a high percentage of valuable content in your speeches. Your audience will be engaged and will view you with much more respect. They will feel you provided them with information they can use, and that their time was well spent. They’ll be much more likely to want to listen to you again.

Deidra Miller is the owner of Magic Wing Administration, specializing in providing strategic tips and administrative services to entrepreneurs. She learned her skills hands-on in her over 30-year career in the corporate world, in various roles-executive assistant, office manager and project manager. Then in 2010 she launched Magic Wing Administration to follow her passion to help entrepreneurs have more time to grow their business. She now has several loyal clients, and is working on a new book, Strategies for Entrepreneurs: How to Optimize Your Business. Visit her website to receive her free e-course Tips for Entrepreneurs: http://www.deidramiller.com/tips-ecourse.

Contact: http://www.deidramiller.com, deidra@deidramiller.com, 949-544-1334

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Mar 03

Is Your Life in Transition?

Is Your Life in Transition?

By Hope Tackaberry

Everyone, everywhere goes through times of transition. Without understanding all the possibilities that exist during this time, it can feel like a scary, lonely place with no stable footing. And though it may seem frightening, it is also a time of great empowerment and dynamism.

Change opens doors

Transitions mark shifts in the pattern of one’s life. And… the most exciting part is that this is the time when we are most open to creating something new for ourselves. Whether your transition is self-created or has seemingly happened to you, this time in your life is WIDE OPEN! You are no longer living by the same old rules or stories. You are no longer tied to the same beliefs. You are no longer playing the same roles you were, etc.

Survival and Stability

Many people consider this stressful. The reason for this is that most human beings like stability. He/she likes life in transition“knowing” what is happening, what is going to happen and how he/she fits into the world. At the very core of this need is the attachment to survival (first and foremost) and then having the knowledge that the survival elements will be maintained. Any change in life that affects our sense of survival stability will feel disturbing to most people.

However, not all transitions are a threat to “food and shelter”. See “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs” for reference. (could not attach pic here. Just Google and you will see the image). One can go through a transition, turning point, awakening, shifting in ANY of the levels: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem and/or self actualization. What often occurs is that multiple transitions are happening simultaneously or consecutively. And so it is… that people can get overwhelmed.

Questions that often come up during transition: “Who am I now?”, “What will I do?” “If that didn’t work, what shall I do now?”, “Who will I be without _____?”etc.

THE GOOD NEWS

Times of transition are the most fertile ground for great change. In fact, that’s exactly what they are; open windows that lead to growth and expanded awareness. When I say great change, I mean change created by YOU! When you float in the place of “I don’t knows”… you give yourself the freedom to imagine a NEW LIFE, a NEW WAY OF BEING, NEW BEHAVIORS, NEW ACTIVITIES and NEW WAYS OF THINKING. Very exciting stuff!

On the contrary, when everything is going smoothly in life, one’s interest and openness to change can be low… because there is less impetus as the subconscious would prefer to stay in stasis.

Whether transition is thrust upon us or wells up from within us… it is always a portal to personal growth. The sooner we see this and embrace this, the sooner our stress levels will decrease.

So… what do you do next?

Consider that this is a wonderful time to:

  • Get clear about what you really want in life
  • Get your priorities in order
  • Re-assess any limiting beliefs you may be holding
  • Delve into finding your purpose and/or passion
  • etc.

In other words… ask the BIG questions! Once you have answered these questions and others like it… deciding what to do next gets considerably easier.

Since transitions will have you asking those questions naturally, why not dive right into them? Your life is ripe, right now for creating anew. This is LIFE CATALYST stuff! You can recreate your life just as it was, open up to building something completely new… or create something in between. It is completely up to you!

Start by shifting your thinking from “This is scary” to “This is exciting” and go from there! You’re at a wonderful juncture and ANYTHING is POSSIBLE! Enjoy the ride and welcome to your shift!

Times of transition are some of the best times to work with a personal coach, mentor or therapist. Making a successful transition to the next part of your life is much easier with a strong support system. As opposed to relying solely on a spouse, friends or family, working with a professional will insure that YOUR Life Agenda is the main event!

To set up your free Life Coaching Consultation, email hopetackaberry@gmail.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hope_Tackaberry
http://EzineArticles.com/?Is-Your-Life-in-Transition?&id=7366059

 

Jan 20

5 Ideal Characteristics of a Successful Business

Success Characteristics5 Ideal Characteristics of a Successful Business
By Thomas R Holthus

Building a successful business takes time, energy and effort. And not only that, it takes a good business model. You need to select a business that will perform for you in the long run.

Let’s take a look at 5 key attributes of a successful business:

1) Low start-up costs

Unless you are already wealthy, you may want to consider a business that has low start-up costs. The more you invest up front, the more you risk. And not only that, the longer it will take you to earn back your initial investment of capital.

2) High demand product

If you start a business, it would be nice to know whether you will actually earn money, wouldn’t it? Absolutely!

When you start a business, make sure that you do your due diligence. Research the market to see if you are offering products that people want. Make sure there is a market for your product and you know how to reach potential customers.

Look for an industry where there is a high demand for your products. This can make a big difference in the results you get.

3) Scalable business

One challenge that many business owners face is that their business is not scalable. As they gain new customers, they have to shift energies from sales and marketing toward service and delivery. As a result, they are able to spend less time bringing in new customers. This shift can put a strain on their finances.

Look for a business model where you scale the business up. You want to be able to add new customers without creating problems for your business. Partnering with another company that can help fulfill orders can be a real time-saver and will allow you to continue to focus on getting new customers.

4) History of satisfied customers

To build a successful business, you need satisfied customers. Make sure that you have the best opportunity to attract and retain lifelong customers.

If you are buying a business from a past owner, take time to interview customers and find out why they like doing business with the company. If you purchase a franchise business, talk to customers and ask them what they like best about working with the company. Ask them if there is anything they would change.

5) Recurring income

There are many ways to earn income in a business. Many companies sell products. They earn revenue on each sale. That revenue goes to pay business expenses and the remaining amount is considered a profit. You can reinvest your profits in the business or draw money out in the form of income.

Many companies are successful in selling one product. Other companies offer a variety of products. There is a value in giving customers a selection of products to choose.

You need to look for ways to find new customers. You should develop your sales skills to improve your results.

One other strategy to look at is to create a recurring income. What if you could make one sale and then earn money every month after that from the sale. How is that possible? Think about how an insurance company works. They sell an insurance policy. The insurance agent that sells the policy earns a commission after the sale. Not only that, they earn a commission every month after that for as long as the policy remains active. That’s because the policyholder continues to make payments every month. Actual results may vary depending on the company.

What if you could earn an ongoing recurring commission from making a single sale? Think about how you can create a recurring income. This one idea alone could generate tens of thousands of dollars in income every year for the rest of your life.

Thomas Holthus is a Business Mentor who teaches people on strategies to start and run a successful business. He has a background as a Senior Program/Project Manager and System Engineer with extensive experience proposing, winning and managing high technology programs. For a Free Video with tips on how to start your own business, visit http://yoursuccessandwealth.com/wealth/.

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Jan 20

Using PowerPoint to Create Your Own Quote Graphics for Facebook and Pinterest

Quote Graphic SamplesUsing PowerPoint to Create Your Own Quote Graphics for Facebook and Pinterest
By Susan Schleef

What Are “Quote Graphics”?

Do you keep an eye out for relevant quotes on Facebook that you can pass along to your friends and followers? Have you noticed how many are now being shared as “pictures” rather than just text?

What if you didn’t have to wait for someone else to send the right quote? What if you could quickly, easily and inexpensively create your own “Quote Graphics” with the perfect quotes for your business niche?

Many people recommend designing infographics, quote pictures, and such in Photoshop. But if you don’t have the software budget or the time and patience to learn Photoshop, here is another option: PowerPoint!

Once you learn the process, it doesn’t take very long to create a new Quote Graphic. But there are quite a few steps involved in the process. In this article I will describe the overall process.

Start With a Word Document

If you’re like me, you probably have a Word document full of quotes you like to share on various social media platforms. Just save a new copy of this document and reformat it as needed for import into PowerPoint. Put each quote, including the author’s name, in one paragraph with a “return” at the end.

Next, go into PowerPoint and import all those quotes from Word. You should end up with one complete quote on each slide. Each “return” character will signal the start of a new slide during the import process.

Importing an outline or other text from Word into PowerPoint is a very quick and easy process once you learn how to do it.

Basic Formatting in PowerPoint

Once you have all your quotes in PowerPoint, go to the Slide Sorter view, select all the slides, and apply the default Office Theme with a Layout of basic white background and a title box at the top.

Next change the orientation from the usual Landscape to Portrait. You can do this on the Design tab in the 2007 and 2010 versions of PowerPoint.

Now you can change your view to Normal and start formatting each individual slide.

The first step will usually be to adjust the spacing of the quote text so that it looks well balanced and visually pleasing. I recommend using a simple font that is easy to read in a size ranging from 32 to 40.

Adding Photos to Your Slides

My favorite way to present most quotes is to display the text of the quote centered near the top of the slide and then insert a related photo in the bottom part of the slide.

My favorite source for free and royalty-free photos is the Microsoft Office clip art site. When you search on particular subject or keyword, be sure to filter the search results to display “Photos” only.

I look for photos that are basically “landscape” in their shape. That way the photo will fit comfortably in the bottom half of the slide beneath the quote (about 8.5″ width by 5.5″ height).

You may need to adjust the size of the photo somewhat, but be careful not to change the aspect ratio between the height and width of the photo or the photo will look distorted. Occasionally you may need to crop the photo slightly in order to make it fit well in the bottom of the slide.

Check the layout in Slide Show view to see how it will look when you post it on Facebook or Pinterest. Once you’re pleased with the overall look, you just need to save that specific slide as an image file.

Saving a Slide as an Image File

The steps are slightly different in different versions of PowerPoint, but basically you want to do a “Save As” and change the File Type to “JPEG File Interchange Format (.jpg)”.

When you click the Save button, PowerPoint will ask “Do you want to export every slide in the presentation or only the current slide?” Click on the middle button: Current Slide Only.

Now you have an image file that is ready to post as a photo on Facebook or to pin on Pinterest.

Susan Joy Schleef is a Presentation Strategist who helps her clients get their message into their audience’s brain. Susan is a Certified Beyond Bullet Points Presenter and is the Founder of Presentations With Results, Inc. She posts new ideas on her blog several times a week at http://PresentationsWithResults.com/blog. Connect with her on Facebook to see her Quote Graphics at http://Facebook.com/SusanJoySchleef

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Schleef

http://EzineArticles.com/?Using-PowerPoint-to-Create-Your-Own-Quote-Graphics-for-Facebook-and-Pinterest&id=7143409

 

 

Jan 20

Effective Communication: Talk With Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime

Effective Communication

 

Effective Communication: Talk With Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime
By Dr. Brian Grossman

7 Steps to Effective Communication

Everything You’ll Ever Need, To Get Anything You’ll Ever Want

How often have you said the wrong thing to the wrong person? Have you lost your temper with co-workers in front of a group? Have you ever thought of the right thing to say at a critical moment, ten minutes after the moment?Here are 7 quick tips to assist you in becoming an effective, influential communicator.

Step 1: Think before you speak

This is the BEST tool to stop you from being fired, embarrassed or simply developing a bad reputation in your personal and business network.

Even when you feel confident at work or home, when interacting with others, we can say the wrong comment at a critical moment. Remember, difficult or angry people are experts at pushing your emotional triggers or buttons.

When you are going to contribute or say anything at a key moment, Take a Breath and Think Before you Speak.

What are you going to say? What’s the goal? Is it an additional comment? Is it sarcasm? Are you agreeing, disagreeing, or just talking. Think of George Costanza in Seinfeld? That is not the reputation you want.

Now, many people ask, How do I appear to others while I ma thinking? Great questions: When you are stumped, and therefore thinking, you can say “Great Questions, Thanks for asking, let me think for a moment.” Now you appear competent, thoughtful, and graceful in communication.

Step 2: What is their style?

What is the style of the person you are talking to? Are they fast paced, slow paced? Direct, harsh, easy going and friendly, or talking and you do not get a word in?

There are four core styles of people. Direct, Relational, social and logical. Match the style of person or people you are talking to. This takes some practice, yet the benefits are huge. If you are talking at a slow pace to people who are fast paced, they are screaming in their head…”Get to the point!”

Social people drive logical people nuts. They jump from topic to topic.

Step 3; Become a wordsmith! (Be great at vocabulary.)

What is the language at your workplace? Is profanity acceptable? Is it an easy going pleasant communication style, or are people driven and we talk in short bullet points. The better you can match the culture at work, and the words, the better your reputation will become.

Step 4: How am I perceived? Check In to find out

Have you ever asked a trusted source how you are perceived at work? Or, have you found out at performance review time? Have you come to your husband or wife and they have been upset at your from and event three days ago?

We all settle into routine. We tune out the familiar. It’s important to “check in” after a difficult communication, or in general with others. “How are we doing? What can I do for you? If you have had an incident with someone, do not hide. Deal wit the situation and people will accept you.

Step 5: Avoid Sarcasm, Use Humor

Sarcasm is humor with a sharp, cutting edge. If you are at work, you may think “these people know me; sarcasm will not be an issue.” Then, later, you are called into a meeting with the boss. Avoid making fun of specific people. Avoid sarcasm on the phone at all costs. It is usually misinterpreted and, “you can’t take it back.”Use you natural humor. Poke fun at common events that happen to everyone.

Step 6: Avoid potholes

Often, we are trapped by others into awkward moments. We might feel compelled to pile on when making fun of someone else, or trying to get the last word in with our colleagues. Just like in sports, the second person gets the penalty; you will be remembered for the last mean insulting reward.

Be the designated communicator: Remind people to be their best, and you can stop the pile on, or falling into the pot hole effect.

Step 7: Listen more, talk less.

When at work, or networking, or business events, have your guard up. Be clear in what you want to say. Rehearse your tag line at home. What are three things you do well that you can offer others?

Ask questions to other people. Get them talking. People’s favorite topic is themselves. Ask them about their issues, their work, their fun, and listen.When you hear a connection that you can offer your expertise, jump in. People connect with others best when they feel they were listened to, and not told too much.

Dr. Brian teaches techniques that allow professionals to tap into their own style of communication to accomplish goals and to say anything to anyone, anywhere anytime.

Dr. Brain Grossman
http://www.drbriangrossman.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Brian_Grossman

http://EzineArticles.com/?Effective-Communication:-Talk-With-Anyone,-Anywhere,-Anytime&id=6988137

 

 

Jan 01

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