Tips on How to Build a
Powerful Network in 2010
Hank Blank is a Marketing Consultant offering a wide variety of services for clients including advertising, public relations, social media and interactive solutions. He utilizes networking to build his business and has spoken on networking to companies and organizations across the country.
Hank Blank's first tip is don't sit down.Sitting down is a kiss of death in networking. Many people arrive at a networking event and immediately sit down most often with people they already know. "That isn't networking it's socializing and you won't meet anyone new. Networking is about meeting new connectors," said Blank.
Don't Immediately tell people you are looking for your next position. It makes you invisible. There are millions of people looking for thier next job. If you start your conversation by saying, "I'm looking for my next career opportunity and here are my target companies, it is like white noise now and you won't be remembered because people have heard it so often," said Blank. Establish your personality and your uniqueness first so people will remember you and your persona. You can pitch the career part once you connect.
Don't hide behind your computer staying at home all day working on social networking. "Face time not Facebook leads to relationships and opportunities," said Blank. "Social networks are great at creating your personal brand but personal networking is even more important."
Don't use free business cards from the internet. You are trying to get that next six figure job and you are out there telling people you are uniquely qualified so why use a business card that homogenizes your identity?
Make yourself your client. Create a strong personal brand for yourself in 2010. Even if you get a new job how long will it last in this new employment world? On the other hand your personal brand is forever. Register your own domain using your own name.Establish a strong presence on social networks like Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter using your own name to help optimize your SEO when people Google you. Today you must own every posting on Googles first page.
To learn more just google Hank Blank or check out his site www.hankblank.com
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
10 Things You Really Didn't Know About Domain Names
10 Things You Really Didn't Know About
Domain Names
Domain names are equivalent to real estate within the virtual world. With the dot com era many people turned to the internet as a way of investment, social interaction, business marketing, and even virtual business. While we are all getting to grips with the ‘how tos’ and the ‘what ifs’ on the World Wide Web here are a few interesting facts about domain names that you probably did not know.
1. The world’s longest domain name
Legally domain names are allowed to be no longer than 63 characters in length (excluding sub-domains or domain suffixes). While there have been many contenders and claimants for the pole position of longest domain name in the world, I tend to go with the Guinness Book of Records:
http://www.llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch.com/
(Phew that’s a mouthful!)
The interesting fact relating to this domain name is it is actually a real word, named after a Welsh village! I wonder how many residents have complained to their local postal company regarding lost post?! Unfortunately this website is now under construction, but other candidates could also postulate for that first
place, like : http://www.iamtheproudownerofthelongestlongestlongestdomainnameinthisworld.com/
2. The world’s shortest domain name
Acknowledged internationally as being one of the main drivers behind internet evolution, Google have now legally acquired the shortest internet domain name. http://www.g.cn/ . Google purchased the unique domain name to assist their Chinese users in locating Google with greater ease.
3. The highest price paid for a domain name?
People throughout the world have cashed in on the dot com era, many earning an applaudable amount with very little input. In January 2006 it was announced that sex.com was sold for $14 million, making it the most expensive domain name purchased to date. Close contenders to sex.com are fund.com at over $9 million, porn.com for $9.5 million and business.com for over $340 million.
4. The first domain name to ever be registered?
On the 15th march 1985 the first registered domain name came into existence symbolics.com which is still in existence today.
5. What is the shortest dot com name that I may register?
According to registering laws all domain names must be a minimum of 3 characters in length excluding sub-domains or suffixes.
6. Domain names male and female
If you are looking to register a male name registered I am afraid you are out of luck as they all appear to be registered to date. The ladies may have a little more luck, however, the more common girl names also come with a heavy price tag.
Domain Names
Domain names are equivalent to real estate within the virtual world. With the dot com era many people turned to the internet as a way of investment, social interaction, business marketing, and even virtual business. While we are all getting to grips with the ‘how tos’ and the ‘what ifs’ on the World Wide Web here are a few interesting facts about domain names that you probably did not know.
1. The world’s longest domain name
Legally domain names are allowed to be no longer than 63 characters in length (excluding sub-domains or domain suffixes). While there have been many contenders and claimants for the pole position of longest domain name in the world, I tend to go with the Guinness Book of Records:
http://www.llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch.com/
(Phew that’s a mouthful!)
The interesting fact relating to this domain name is it is actually a real word, named after a Welsh village! I wonder how many residents have complained to their local postal company regarding lost post?! Unfortunately this website is now under construction, but other candidates could also postulate for that first
place, like : http://www.iamtheproudownerofthelongestlongestlongestdomainnameinthisworld.com/
2. The world’s shortest domain name
Acknowledged internationally as being one of the main drivers behind internet evolution, Google have now legally acquired the shortest internet domain name. http://www.g.cn/ . Google purchased the unique domain name to assist their Chinese users in locating Google with greater ease.
3. The highest price paid for a domain name?
People throughout the world have cashed in on the dot com era, many earning an applaudable amount with very little input. In January 2006 it was announced that sex.com was sold for $14 million, making it the most expensive domain name purchased to date. Close contenders to sex.com are fund.com at over $9 million, porn.com for $9.5 million and business.com for over $340 million.
4. The first domain name to ever be registered?
On the 15th march 1985 the first registered domain name came into existence symbolics.com which is still in existence today.
5. What is the shortest dot com name that I may register?
According to registering laws all domain names must be a minimum of 3 characters in length excluding sub-domains or suffixes.
6. Domain names male and female
If you are looking to register a male name registered I am afraid you are out of luck as they all appear to be registered to date. The ladies may have a little more luck, however, the more common girl names also come with a heavy price tag.
Freelancers disrespect thier time
As a freelancer or independent designer, the most valuable asset you have is your own time. Your ability to earn a living relies upon your own time management, which will allow you to perform income-generating services for clients. With effective time management you may be able to earn more and work less, and with poor time management you may find yourself working very long hours just to get by.
In this article we will look at 9 different things that freelancers often do that is disrespectful to their own time. If you find that your own time management skills are sometimes lacking, evaluate yourself in these areas to see if you have some room for improvement. Respecting your own time will lead to more profitable and efficient work, and more time away from work with your family or friends.
1. Under Charging
Pricing design services is a challenge for most of us. Because there are all kinds of variables (skill level, experience, specific type of work, location, etc.) there is no set price that you should be charging, but it should be similar to what others at your level and in your area are charging. It’s not uncommon for freelancers to under price their services because it is what they feel is necessary in order to compete. Doing so can actually be a disservice to yourself as it will require you to work more hours in order to earn a living.
One problem with under pricing your services is that not only can it be disrespectful to your own time, but it can also lead clients to do the same. When clients are paying a higher rate for a service they will be more careful about the work that they ask you to do when it is affecting how much they will be charged. Additionally, there is a perception issue that goes along with pricing. If a client sees a very low price for services they may assume that the price is low because the quality is also low, so be sure that your rates are reflective of your work and vice versa.
Another issue to consider is that lower rates will often lead you to rush through jobs because you’ll need to move on to the next one in order to keep money coming in. This will typically result in a quality of work that is less than your best.
Freelance Switch has a helpful hourly rate calculator. It will ask you a number of questions about your expenses and the hours that you can work, and it will assist you by showing an ideal hourly rate as well as a break even hourly rate.
2. Not Charging for Excessive Revisions
Most design contracts will address the issue of revisions or changes that are requested by the client. Very rarely will clients not want anything to be changed, but sometimes you may come across clients that are requesting excessive changes, or maybe they keep changing their mind about what they want. The price that you agreed to with the client for the service should not require that you make any and every change that is being requested without being compensated additionally for your time.
In situations where clients are requesting more than the agreed upon changes or revisions, it’s a good practice to tell them that you can make the changes but you will need to charge an addition fee. This will help you to get compensated for your time and it will force clients to respect your time as well.
3. Lack of Contracts or Policies
If you’ve been freelancing for a while I am sure you have realized the importance of getting signed contracts and having established policies for payment. Unfortunately, it’s almost certain that at some point you will have a project that doesn’t go according to plan or a client that doesn’t want to pay on time. With a contract you have a legal agreement and some protection.
Establishing some basic policies for how you operate is also important. An example would be to charge clients 50% (or some other set amount) up front before you begin working on the project. You may also have a policy of requiring the final payment before delivering the files to the client or uploading the site to their server. Policies are important because they establish your way of doing business, and it can save you time and headaches down the road as you won’t have to make all of these decisions on a case-by-case basis.
4. Poor Client Intake Process
Each client is different and they will all have specific needs for their own projects. Getting to know and understand your client is critical to the success of the project. Many designers want to jump in to the design process without dedicating enough time to get familiar with the client. While this may seem like it would save time, it will actually usually wind up costing more time because more changes and revisions will be required down the road.
By investing time up front to get to know to the client, their business, as well as their customers and website visitors, you will be more prepared to create an effective site for them, and you’ll have a better idea of what they are looking for. An efficient client intake process can lead to a higher quality of work, better results for your clients, and less wasted time.
5. Poor Organization
Organization is a big part of being able to work efficiently. Without proper organization you could be wasting a lot of time that you are not being compensated for. Organization is important in a number of different areas, including management of your clients and contacts, management of your finances, and project management. If you find yourself wasting time searching for emails from clients or trying to find out what invoices have not been paid, you could probably be working less hours if you’re able to improve your organization.
For more on organization see Critical Resources to Help Designers Get Organized.
6. Accepting Any Project That Comes Your Way
One common mistake that many freelancers make is that they accept just about any client who wants to use their services. Regardless of who you are and what skills you have, you’re bound to come across some projects that would be a better fit than others. By taking any project that comes your way you could be missing out on better opportunities that are right around the corner, and you could be working on projects that you don’t really enjoy anyway.
Being selective about the projects that you accept will generally be a better use of your time as you’ll be able to avoid those projects that require more time than they are worth. Rather than simply feeling like you have to convince the potential client to hire you, look at it as a situation where both of you need to feel that there is a good fit in order to work together.
7. Not Setting Work/Life Boundaries
Respecting your own time is not just an issue that affects your work, it also has an impact on your personal life and your time away from work. Everyone needs to get adequate time away from work, and poor time management with your work can easily carry over to your personal life. If an employer required employees to work long hours with evenings and weekends at the office, we would say that the employer does not respect the personal life of the employees. The same thing applies to those of us who are self employed. Working excessive hours shows a lack of respect for our time away from work.
Part of the allure to freelancing for many people is the potential to have a flexible schedule and to avoid working 9 to 5. While you don’t need to have rigid hours that cannot be flexible, it is important to have a clear distinction of what time is designated for work and what time is personal. Each person handles it differently. You may want to set a schedule that you’ll work each day or each week, or you may want to set hours that will be different each week according to your schedule. Whatever the case may be, for most of us it’s necessary to set hours ahead of time, otherwise the tendency is to work too much.
8. Spec Work
Spec work is very common, especially among younger or inexperienced designers, and it’s a very heated topic within the industry. Personally, I don’t dedicate any time to design contests or spec work because I have no interest in spending time on projects with a very low likelihood of being compensated. I, and many other designers, feel that doing spec work is disrespectful to your own time because you are working simply with the hope of being paid. The vast majority of participants will not receive any compensation for their time.
If you’re trying to get started as a freelancer and you’re not able to find other work aside from spec work, I would suggest contacting your friends and family. See if any of them have a need for your services or if they know of anyone who is in need of work. You can also reach out to non-profit organizations and offer a discounted service to them. Another option is to work on your own projects, which can be a great experience because it can be anything you want it to be. All of these options will allow you to gain experience and make some money without the need to do spec work.
For more on spec work, see Spec Work Can Damage Your Business.
9. Not Investing in the Essentials for Running Your Business
Running a profitable business obviously requires you to bring in more revenue than you spend on expenses. However, this does not mean that you shouldn’t spend anything on your business. There are plenty of legitimate expenses that are necessary for running a business or that will allow you to do your job more effectively or efficiently. For example, if you’re spending a significant amount of time on finances and tracking which invoices have been paid, you would be well served to invest in financial software or an online invoicing app. This would be a relatively small expense, but it will help you to make better use of your time.
In this article we will look at 9 different things that freelancers often do that is disrespectful to their own time. If you find that your own time management skills are sometimes lacking, evaluate yourself in these areas to see if you have some room for improvement. Respecting your own time will lead to more profitable and efficient work, and more time away from work with your family or friends.
1. Under Charging
Pricing design services is a challenge for most of us. Because there are all kinds of variables (skill level, experience, specific type of work, location, etc.) there is no set price that you should be charging, but it should be similar to what others at your level and in your area are charging. It’s not uncommon for freelancers to under price their services because it is what they feel is necessary in order to compete. Doing so can actually be a disservice to yourself as it will require you to work more hours in order to earn a living.
One problem with under pricing your services is that not only can it be disrespectful to your own time, but it can also lead clients to do the same. When clients are paying a higher rate for a service they will be more careful about the work that they ask you to do when it is affecting how much they will be charged. Additionally, there is a perception issue that goes along with pricing. If a client sees a very low price for services they may assume that the price is low because the quality is also low, so be sure that your rates are reflective of your work and vice versa.
Another issue to consider is that lower rates will often lead you to rush through jobs because you’ll need to move on to the next one in order to keep money coming in. This will typically result in a quality of work that is less than your best.
Freelance Switch has a helpful hourly rate calculator. It will ask you a number of questions about your expenses and the hours that you can work, and it will assist you by showing an ideal hourly rate as well as a break even hourly rate.
2. Not Charging for Excessive Revisions
Most design contracts will address the issue of revisions or changes that are requested by the client. Very rarely will clients not want anything to be changed, but sometimes you may come across clients that are requesting excessive changes, or maybe they keep changing their mind about what they want. The price that you agreed to with the client for the service should not require that you make any and every change that is being requested without being compensated additionally for your time.
In situations where clients are requesting more than the agreed upon changes or revisions, it’s a good practice to tell them that you can make the changes but you will need to charge an addition fee. This will help you to get compensated for your time and it will force clients to respect your time as well.
3. Lack of Contracts or Policies
If you’ve been freelancing for a while I am sure you have realized the importance of getting signed contracts and having established policies for payment. Unfortunately, it’s almost certain that at some point you will have a project that doesn’t go according to plan or a client that doesn’t want to pay on time. With a contract you have a legal agreement and some protection.
Establishing some basic policies for how you operate is also important. An example would be to charge clients 50% (or some other set amount) up front before you begin working on the project. You may also have a policy of requiring the final payment before delivering the files to the client or uploading the site to their server. Policies are important because they establish your way of doing business, and it can save you time and headaches down the road as you won’t have to make all of these decisions on a case-by-case basis.
4. Poor Client Intake Process
Each client is different and they will all have specific needs for their own projects. Getting to know and understand your client is critical to the success of the project. Many designers want to jump in to the design process without dedicating enough time to get familiar with the client. While this may seem like it would save time, it will actually usually wind up costing more time because more changes and revisions will be required down the road.
By investing time up front to get to know to the client, their business, as well as their customers and website visitors, you will be more prepared to create an effective site for them, and you’ll have a better idea of what they are looking for. An efficient client intake process can lead to a higher quality of work, better results for your clients, and less wasted time.
5. Poor Organization
Organization is a big part of being able to work efficiently. Without proper organization you could be wasting a lot of time that you are not being compensated for. Organization is important in a number of different areas, including management of your clients and contacts, management of your finances, and project management. If you find yourself wasting time searching for emails from clients or trying to find out what invoices have not been paid, you could probably be working less hours if you’re able to improve your organization.
For more on organization see Critical Resources to Help Designers Get Organized.
6. Accepting Any Project That Comes Your Way
One common mistake that many freelancers make is that they accept just about any client who wants to use their services. Regardless of who you are and what skills you have, you’re bound to come across some projects that would be a better fit than others. By taking any project that comes your way you could be missing out on better opportunities that are right around the corner, and you could be working on projects that you don’t really enjoy anyway.
Being selective about the projects that you accept will generally be a better use of your time as you’ll be able to avoid those projects that require more time than they are worth. Rather than simply feeling like you have to convince the potential client to hire you, look at it as a situation where both of you need to feel that there is a good fit in order to work together.
7. Not Setting Work/Life Boundaries
Respecting your own time is not just an issue that affects your work, it also has an impact on your personal life and your time away from work. Everyone needs to get adequate time away from work, and poor time management with your work can easily carry over to your personal life. If an employer required employees to work long hours with evenings and weekends at the office, we would say that the employer does not respect the personal life of the employees. The same thing applies to those of us who are self employed. Working excessive hours shows a lack of respect for our time away from work.
Part of the allure to freelancing for many people is the potential to have a flexible schedule and to avoid working 9 to 5. While you don’t need to have rigid hours that cannot be flexible, it is important to have a clear distinction of what time is designated for work and what time is personal. Each person handles it differently. You may want to set a schedule that you’ll work each day or each week, or you may want to set hours that will be different each week according to your schedule. Whatever the case may be, for most of us it’s necessary to set hours ahead of time, otherwise the tendency is to work too much.
8. Spec Work
Spec work is very common, especially among younger or inexperienced designers, and it’s a very heated topic within the industry. Personally, I don’t dedicate any time to design contests or spec work because I have no interest in spending time on projects with a very low likelihood of being compensated. I, and many other designers, feel that doing spec work is disrespectful to your own time because you are working simply with the hope of being paid. The vast majority of participants will not receive any compensation for their time.
If you’re trying to get started as a freelancer and you’re not able to find other work aside from spec work, I would suggest contacting your friends and family. See if any of them have a need for your services or if they know of anyone who is in need of work. You can also reach out to non-profit organizations and offer a discounted service to them. Another option is to work on your own projects, which can be a great experience because it can be anything you want it to be. All of these options will allow you to gain experience and make some money without the need to do spec work.
For more on spec work, see Spec Work Can Damage Your Business.
9. Not Investing in the Essentials for Running Your Business
Running a profitable business obviously requires you to bring in more revenue than you spend on expenses. However, this does not mean that you shouldn’t spend anything on your business. There are plenty of legitimate expenses that are necessary for running a business or that will allow you to do your job more effectively or efficiently. For example, if you’re spending a significant amount of time on finances and tracking which invoices have been paid, you would be well served to invest in financial software or an online invoicing app. This would be a relatively small expense, but it will help you to make better use of your time.
Would you hire a dental student to fix your tooth?
Would you hire a dental student to fix your tooth?
Why you should hire a professional Web designer
~ by Julie Bodine, Owner/Creative Director of Margarita Marketing
I can tell I’m starting to get old – parts of my body are falling apart! For example, I just had to have a tooth implant. A root canal I’d had years ago finally failed. I don’t have dental insurance, so how did I find the dentist to fix my tooth? You guessed it – by referral! Almost always one of the very best ways to hire someone new is to find out from others you trust whom they used. Fortunately (or unfortunately) my Dad had just had four implants – I went to the same dentist and I’m very happy with the results.
Want to know one of the things I NEVER considered doing? Hiring a dental student to fix my tooth. No offense to all the dental students out there, but for a procedure like this, I wanted the best. I wanted it done right the FIRST time because – let’s face it – this procedure HURT, was very expensive and took up a lot of my time.
Hiring a well-recommended professional – one who ONLY fixes teeth for a living – just about guaranteed that I would be happy with the results. And I was.
I’m sure you’re like me and would never consider going to a dental student for such a procedure, nor would you have someone who had only completed the local Red Cross first aid class fix your broken foot. Of course not! You’d go to the doctor/dentist or whatever professional you could trust to do the job right the first time. Yes, they cost a little more, but my health is worth it. My time is worth it. Isn’t yours?
Why is it, then, that so many people, especially small businesses people, are content to hire students or other non-professional designers to design their Web sites? No, it’s not life and death . . . or is it? Perhaps it is the death of your business if you don’t get it right – the first time?
Your Web site is often the first impression potential clients have about you, your business, your product and/or service, your customer service. Don’t you want to make sure that is a positive impression? Yes, as with the doctor and dentist, it costs a little more – but don’t you want to be guaranteed a job well done. The first time?
Why you should hire a professional Web designer
~ by Julie Bodine, Owner/Creative Director of Margarita Marketing
I can tell I’m starting to get old – parts of my body are falling apart! For example, I just had to have a tooth implant. A root canal I’d had years ago finally failed. I don’t have dental insurance, so how did I find the dentist to fix my tooth? You guessed it – by referral! Almost always one of the very best ways to hire someone new is to find out from others you trust whom they used. Fortunately (or unfortunately) my Dad had just had four implants – I went to the same dentist and I’m very happy with the results.
Want to know one of the things I NEVER considered doing? Hiring a dental student to fix my tooth. No offense to all the dental students out there, but for a procedure like this, I wanted the best. I wanted it done right the FIRST time because – let’s face it – this procedure HURT, was very expensive and took up a lot of my time.
Hiring a well-recommended professional – one who ONLY fixes teeth for a living – just about guaranteed that I would be happy with the results. And I was.
I’m sure you’re like me and would never consider going to a dental student for such a procedure, nor would you have someone who had only completed the local Red Cross first aid class fix your broken foot. Of course not! You’d go to the doctor/dentist or whatever professional you could trust to do the job right the first time. Yes, they cost a little more, but my health is worth it. My time is worth it. Isn’t yours?
Why is it, then, that so many people, especially small businesses people, are content to hire students or other non-professional designers to design their Web sites? No, it’s not life and death . . . or is it? Perhaps it is the death of your business if you don’t get it right – the first time?
Your Web site is often the first impression potential clients have about you, your business, your product and/or service, your customer service. Don’t you want to make sure that is a positive impression? Yes, as with the doctor and dentist, it costs a little more – but don’t you want to be guaranteed a job well done. The first time?
Presenting with PowerPoint: 10 do's and don'ts
<"Title" content=""> <"Keywords" content=""> <"Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <"ProgId" content="Word.Document"> <"Generator" content="Microsoft Word 2008"> <"Originator" content="Microsoft Word 2008"> <"File-List" href="file://localhost/Users/bbuffalin/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0/clip_filelist.xml">
Presenting with PowerPoint: 10 do's and don'ts
Cherie Kerr knows how PowerPoint can be both provocative and persuasive in a business meeting.
She's also aware that precisely the opposite can occur.
"It can be the very best friend you have," says the Santa Ana, Calif., public relations consultant. "But you have to use it right."
Kerr's two-sided view of Microsoft's popular presentation and graphics program in Office Small Business mirrors a debate coursing through business and academia. While many embrace the values of PowerPoint as a potent business tool, there are others who contend that it's a drag on effective interaction — that it confuses, distorts and even strangles communication.
But, as Kerr points out, any discussion of PowerPoint's merits and miscues merely illustrates the importance of using the program to best advantage. Here are 10 ways to use PowerPoint to help make your business look brilliant, not brainless.
1. Hold up your end with compelling material.
In a way, PowerPoint's ease of use may be its own worst enemy. However simple and engaging it can be to build eye catching slides and graphics, bear in mind that PowerPoint isn't autonomous. The audience has come to hear you, not merely to stare at images tossed onto a screen. Build a strong PowerPoint program, but make sure that your spoken remarks are no less compelling. "PowerPoint doesn't give presentations — PowerPoint makes slides," says Matt Thornhill, president of Audience First, a Midlothian, Va., business that offers presentation training. "Remember that you are creating slides to support a spoken presentation."
2. Keep it simple.
We've all likely seen PowerPoint and other presentations where the speaker seemed ready to propose to the program. After all, it was clear that he fell in love with every wrinkle, special effect and other bit of gadgetry available. But the most effective PowerPoint presentations are simple — charts that are easy to understand, and graphics that reflect what the speaker is saying. Some authorities suggest no more than five words per line and no more than five lines per individual slide. "Don't gum up the works with too many words and graphics," Kerr
says. "Do you really need to have everything up on the screen?"
3. Minimize numbers in slides.
PowerPoint's lure is the capacity to convey ideas and support a speaker's remarks in a concise manner. That's hard to do through a haze of numbers and statistics. For the most part, most effective PowerPoint displays don't overwhelm viewers with too many figures and numbers. Instead, leave those for a later, more thorough digestion in handouts distributed at presentation's end. If you want to emphasize a statistic in PowerPoint in Microsoft Office Small Business 2007 , consider using a graphic or image to convey the point. "For instance, when I once was talking about the prevalence of Alzheimer's patients, I used a photograph of an old woman rather than just throwing up a number on the screen," Kerr says.
4. Don't parrot PowerPoint.
One of the most prevalent and damaging habits of PowerPoint users is to simply read the visual presentation to the audience. Not only is that redundant — short of using the clicker, why are you even there? — but it makes even the most visually appealing presentation boring to the bone. PowerPoint works best with spoken remarks that augment and discuss, rather than mimic, what's on the screen. "Even with PowerPoint, you've got to make eye contact with your audience," says Roberta Prescott of The Prescott Group, a Connecticut-based communications consulting firm. "Those people didn't come to see the back of your head."
5. Time your remarks.
Another potential land mine is a speaker's comments that coincide precisely with the appearance of a fresh PowerPoint slide. That merely splits your audience's attention. A well-orchestrated PowerPoint program brings up a new slide, gives the audience a chance to read and digest it, then follows up with remarks that broaden and amplify what's on the screen. "It's an issue of timing," Kerr says. "Never talk on top of your slides."
6. Give it a rest.
Unique from other products in Microsoft Office Small Business 2007 , PowerPoint is most effective as a visual accompaniment to the spoken word. Experienced PowerPoint users aren't bashful about letting the screen go blank on occasion. Not only can that give your audience a visual break, it's also effective to focus attention on more verbally-focused give and take, such as a group discussion or question and answer session.
7. Use vibrant colors.
A striking contrast between words, graphics and the background can be very effective in conveying both a message and emotion.
8. Import other images and graphics.
Don't limit your presentation to what PowerPoint offers. Use outside images and graphics for variety and visual appeal, including video. "I often have one or two very short video clips in my presentations," says New York technology consultant Ramon Ray. "It helps with humor, conveys a message and loosens up the crowd."
9. Distribute handouts at the end — not during the presentation.
Some people may disagree with me here. But no speaker wants to be chatting to a crowd that's busy reading a summation of her remarks. Unless it is imperative that people follow a handout while you're presenting, wait until you're done to distribute them.
10. Edit ruthlessly before presenting.
Never lose the perspective of the audience. Once you're finished drafting your PowerPoint slides, assume you're just one of the folks listening to your remarks as you review them. If something is unappealing, distracting or confusing, edit ruthlessly. Chances are good your overall presentation will be the better for it.
Visit the Small Business Technology Articles section of this website to learn more about small business technology strategies and solutions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)