Friday, 01/07/2010

Public Speaking

Mid-day evaluation tip
Consider handing out a short evaluation form before lunch during your day long or 2 day workshops. Many people are reluctant to give negative feedback in front of others, but may do so anonymously. This way every member of your audience has a chance to provide feedback that you can review during the lunch break. You could use a scale of Excellent-Very Good-Good-Fair-Disappointing that requires a simple check mark, and then list the topics with a scale of 1-5 for the number simply to be circled. The most important sections are open-ended: “I wish less time spent on…” and “I would like to learn more about…”

Webinar Plan B
A webinar Plan B for PowerPoint-only sessions is to upload the slides to Slideshare.net with a secret link for the attendees. During the session, you can tell them when to click to the next slide and which slide number they should be on. Use that with your free teleseminar number, and you’re good to go.
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Good Business Practices

Using Google Trends to help secure engagements
Used Google Trends (google.com/trends) to help quantify regional interest in a particular topic. Next step is to go there an offer a workshop!

Holiday gifts that last
Trying to think of a unique and memorable end-of-year thank-you gift for a valued client or business associate? Tired of sending the same old over-packaged gift basket or ubiquitous gift card? Consider writing and mailing a “love letter.” That’s a card or letter of admiration, gratitude, and/or shared memories. In your own words and by your own hand, it lets the person you value know just why and how much he/she is so appreciated. The cost is minimal, but the effect — on you and the recipient — can be enormous. Handwritten messages are the gifts that live the longest on window sills, desk tops, and bulletin boards. Later they’re kept in treasure boxes or albums, to be reviewed again and again and passed on for others to read, sometimes for generations. The sentiments remind you of why you so like to work with this person. At the same time, they can deepen relationships and keep you top-of-mind the next time there’s a contract opportunity or a referral to be made.

Technology Corner

Must-read site for writers
Whether you write blog posts, newsletters, white papers, or ebooks, Copyblogger (copyblogger.com) is definitive location for new ideas and age-old reminders about the art of writing for web reader consumption.

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Computer utilities I love

  • Keepass – a free open source password manager, which helps you to manage your passwords in a secure way.
  • Free Commander — an easy-to-use alternative to Windows Explorer which allows you to see two windows full of files side by side, search more easily than Explorer, and more.

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Source: http://www.speakernetnews.com/