Short Presentation Tip – TTT

One of the most common mistakes people make when using a screen to project their presentations is speaking to the screen rather than the audience. It’s a habit that can cause your words to be lost, and turn a good presentation into a fiasco. But it’s also something you can easily avoid. A simple mnemonic will help:

TTT, or Touch, Turn, Talk

You spend a lot of time going over your presentations and getting them just right. In fact, most of the time, you know the content of each slide without even glancing at it. And you probably have the slides in front of you on your computer while you are speaking as well. If you think about it, it’s almost never necessary for you to look at the screen during a presentation.

The screen is a visual aid for your audience. The only time you need to engage with it is when you want to point out something on a slide. So, each time you put up a new slide, read aloud or elaborate on its headline and content while maintaining eye contact with your audience. If you want to refer to something on the slide, remember to use the TTT rule: Touch the part of the slide you wish to speak about (or point to it with your laser pointer); Turn back toward your audience; and then Talk about the part of the slide you referenced.

With a well-designed presentation and TTT, your message will come across loud and clear.

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Tips to Improve Interactive Whiteboard Presentations

What’s important is the end result, were you able to capture the audience attention? Or did they consider listening to you was just a waste of time. When you were done, did they want to hear more? Or in their mind they were shouting “Finally! It’s over!”? Here are some tips in assuring full attention from your audience.

First thing is to make sure that your pointer is accurate. Do make adjustments before starting to avoid control malfunctions, if you have time to do dry runs of your presentation to prevent glitches from happening. Maximize also the use of keyboard shortcuts these would help in the flow of your presentation. Instead of erasing stuff on the board like a regular eraser going back and forth, draw around the area with the eraser and click in the center. This will look professional and would make erasing faster. The touch screen really helps in his case.

Another thing you can do is to hide some parts with one of the tools available called screen shade. This could create a little mystery and the audience can participate in finding out what is hidden. For fun, create a picture puzzle with pictures related to your topic, this is another chance for the crowd to interact.

There are many more techniques you can use and make your interactive whiteboard presentation unique. Research on such techniques and ask around. Different styles, games and other ways to make your discussion more interesting helps in having a fun and successful presentation always.

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Present: The Ominous Time?

How many times have you said to yourself that you will do something tomorrow instead of today? Yes, I know, you are busy, but the problem is that our days don’t get any longer, and we don’t get any younger.

You have 25.500, only 25.500! These are the days a human has by the age of 70. Make the present count, for you have been in a race against time since the first day you were born. Time doesn’t wait for you, so then, why would you wait for it and postpone it for tomorrow?

After all, what’s wrong with today? Why do we have to delay that confrontation for tomorrow or just our writing, or reading, going to the gym, falling in love or filling for divorce, or just giving up sweets?

I love New Year’s resolution! Nobody remembers it in February, and even if he /she will, deferment for tomorrow is the cure for remembrance. The answer is not in tomorrow but in today, in the present time.

Psychologically speaking the human mind is constantly wondering in the past or in the future. Through meditation, we actually stabilize ourselves at the time of living, and that’s Present. The only moment we are in control in is the present. I can plan for tomorrow, and I can go down the memory lane, but the only feasible time is now. Whatever will change, it will be done at this present moment. The more you will wait, the more you will have the probability of not accomplishing it.

If you want something to be done, give it to a busy person! Of course it is so true and of course it is so right. That person knows that all the money in the world cannot buy back time, so organization is the key word. If you are not going to do it today, you might not do it at all!

People need to smell the roses everyday, do something for their souls on a daily basis, and that is how the whole life will be lived while they are still breathing.

“Cogito ergo sum,” I think therefore I exist/am. We exist now, we are thinking now, and we are acting now. Present is the only time we get, so we need to use it wisely!

Use today like it is your last day to live! Use it to maximum; squeeze it until nothing is left!

So, why are you still reading this and not doing something?

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Wrapping Christmas Presents For Their International Journey

There are now many families that are spread throughout the world, with groups or individuals moving for a variety of reasons staying in touch with these can be difficult and to make sure that you are able to show you are still thinking of them and wish to celebrate events such as birthdays and Christmas then many families will look to send parcels to one another.

Sending parcels internationally is well known to be a lengthy process and with your parcels being loaded and off-loaded on to various vehicles including aircraft. This could mean that your fragile item gets its fair share of bumps and knocks along the way and the last thing you’ll want is for your parcel to turn up broken or in pieces if it was something delicate such as glassware or pottery.

Whilst we can’t control how well our parcels are sent with regards to care and handling you will obviously want to make sure that your parcel is best prepared for its potentially long journey. One of the most important things to remember is packing your parcel securely but many people will forego this as they want to send a present in gift wrap and bows, this is still possible but if you wrap your present with this decorative wrapping you should also aim to place this inside a slightly larger and more heavy duty cardboard box.

This is because your parcel will possibly be knocked and having that extra barrier can protect your present and arrive in one piece. To make sure the gift wrapped present isn’t bumping around loose in the cardboard box you should aim to insulate and secure your parcel with various packing materials that aren’t very expensive to buy. Polystyrene, bubble wrap, even scrunched up newspaper can hold your parcel securely and take the brunt of any damage that your parcel encounters.

It is also advisable to use a reliable and secure shipping service from a courier or parcel delivery firm when sending parcels overseas, especially when dealing with Christmas presents, birthday presents and other deliveries with set in stone deadlines. These companies are able to send parcels quickly and with the greatest levels of security to ensure it is only the intended recipient who ever opens the parcel.

So make sure you use the right service and packaging when you have a parcel to send this Christmas and it should arrive quickly and safely.

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Top 5 Benefits of Using Steaming Video to Broadcasting Live Presentations

Not too many years ago, it was commonplace for companies to fly important employees and key personnel to attend meetings, trade shows, conventions, and give presentations on behalf of the company. Those days are gone due to the tremendous expense inherent with travel, including hotels, car rentals, airfare, and of course the day-to-day expenses for food, drink, and entertainment associated with the trip.

Companies looking to trim those expenses while increasing their own bottom line profits are now turning to the internet and doing live streaming video presentations because of its many benefits. Here are 5 of the most significant benefits of streaming your own presentations:

  1. Your audience is global. From the comfort of your own computer, you can literally broadcast to potential customers in Europe, Australia, Russia, etc. without dealing with any travel expenses whatsoever.
  2. You can push your powerpoint slides to your audience just as easily as if you were right in front of them in person. While you’re speaking on video in real time, you’re also showing the powerpoint presentation you spent countless hours on right on your prospect’s computer screen.
  3. You can interact with your viewers as well while you give your presentation to take questions, get comments, and generally judge the interest level with your audience. It’s just like being there in person.
  4. Unlike meetings you have to travel to, streaming video presentations can be archived for future viewing, so if an important client for some reason misses the presentation, they can see the video in full without missing a beat.
  5. Some live streaming video broadcasting platforms allow you to resell the service while you’re doing the presentation.For example, if someone is watching and wants to do the same type of impactful presentation for their company, they can click a button on the screen and immediately sign up for an account and you would get paid as an affiliate.

When considering companies that can provide live presentation and video streaming products, I would strongly suggest going with one that has an affiliate program as this is very powerful technology that really sells itself once you see for yourself how powerful a live streaming broadcast can be.

Remember: The traditional advertising model is shifting from conventional avenues towards the internet. Large corporations are capitalizing on this fact by spending millions of dollars developing internet marketing software where technology is at the point where streaming video is now a reality.

Take advantage of the amazing benefits of live broadcasting. Your advertising budget will thank you for it.

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Five Steps to a Successful Sales Presentation

Knowing how to give an effective presentation is a powerful skill and can be indispensable in helping you achieve both your professional and personal goals. Whether you’re pitching your business concept to a venture capitalist, hoping to land your next blue chip client or convincing the over the counter customer that your product is what she needs – a successful presentation is key to closing the sale.

Before you walk into any meeting room or shake any hands, is your presentation up to scratch? Keep in mind these five important tips to deliver an effective pitch:

  1. Think about structure – as the presenter, your critical role is to guide your audience through your main points. One of the most important components of good presentation skills is being able to effectively organise your delivery. The structure of how you present your argument as you lead your listeners through your presentation is vital to effectively communicate your core message.
  2. Know your audience - your presentation should be tailored to your audience. By knowing about different styles of people and their personalities, you’ll be able to better determine the type of audience you’re addressing.
  3. Consider your gestures and body language - your words make up just a small portion of your presentation. Gestures and body language communicate so much more to your audience; you can give emphasis and assurance where needed. Be aware of that body language and posture need to show that you’re confident about your product, so make sure your body communicates the same messages your words do.
  4. Use effective visual aids – PowerPoint slides, charts, graphs – use visual aids to help you communicate your message and illustrate your point. It’s important that your visuals enhance your presentation and don’t distract the audience – you don’t want viewers spending their time trying to read a large paragraph of text or comprehend a graph on the screen while you’re delivering your key messages.
  5. Be prepared for tough situations – it starts with knowing your product and identifying potential problems beforehand. Learn how to effectively prepare for and handle a tough room.

The key to an effective presentation is to communicate effectively and gain some perspective on who your listeners are and how they will respond. Sales training programs can help sharpen and hone your skills so your delivery is powerful and poignant. By keeping in mind a few key elements, you can boost your comfort and confidence levels when standing before an audience.

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Detailed Commercial Property Presentation Tips for Brokers

When you work in commercial real estate brokerage, you will be pitching your services on a regular basis to property owners and business proprietors. For this reason your presentation strategy should be well crafted and considered.

Certain standard marketing elements can be applied across all property presentations, but unique property information should be overlayed to match the property to the market and the opportunities available. Specific presentations win the attention of the client and convert the listings more effectively.

Consider these questions:

  • What makes your property presentations different and engaging?
  • Why should the client choose you to solve their property challenge?
  • What can you do with the particular property listing that will attract more enquiries and shorten the time on market?
  • How can you get the best price or rent for the client in an efficient and direct way?

These four questions are at the heart of pitching and winning new listings in office, industrial, and retail property. If you do not have specific answers to each question then your presentation will be difficult to convert and win.

It is now easy to see why you should have a very specific approach to presenting your services in sales, leasing, and or property management. Here are some elements to consider and to help you devise your property presentation approach:

  1. What is your ‘claim to fame’ when it comes to the local property market? Your brokerage will have some profile (hopefully it is substantial and positive), and you will have a personal profile as a property specialist. Review the sale and leasing results that will help you win the attention and confidence of the client. Have some testimonials that support your claim for success in the industry segment.
  2. What is your market share today in the segments that are relevant to the listing? Have provable numbers that will help the client see that you have the ‘lions share’ of the enquiry relevant to their property type. It is hard for a client to ignore dominant market share and deal results over time.
  3. Hopefully you really are a specialist in the location and the property type. That will allow you to ‘drill down’ into property and marketing specifics. Tell the client exactly how you will reach into the target market and convert more enquiries for their property. Help them see the process by telling a few relevant success stories from the local area. Stories help engagement in any property presentation.
  4. Pert and Gantt charts will help you display the sales and leasing process for any property. The more complex the property, the greater the need to show the client the stages of marketing, inspections, and negotiation. Selling or leasing a property can be a stressful process for many clients; make it easy for them to make a decision by using charts and graphs that apply to moving ahead with you and your brokerage.

These simple strategies allow you to move into a property presentation with focus and information. That will make it easier to engage the client to see and accept your recommendations as a property specialist.

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Power Point Presentations Evoke Audience Emotional Intelligence When Done Properly

With the use of technology our world has improved immensely. There more ways than we can imagine to present information. We can now present valuable data using technology which presents information in a most concise manner where everyone has the chance to learn. A very popular presentation format found in business is the power point or “.ppt” presentation. One of the most popular .ppt presentations found in corporations today are emotional intelligence presentations.

Recent studies have proven that this intelligence is one of the many keys to success when it comes to business practice. Companies are eager to learn more about this field as it relates to expanding business. Universities are curious as well as it could be a valuable component in teaching methods thus students will be better educated. There is a very high interest and potential increase in this field as studies are conducted. Due to this increased research many companies are requesting emotional intelligence tests in the form of .ppt presentations. It is a subject matter everyone is interested in.

Information on how to present emotional intelligence ppt’s can be found by conducting on-line searches and can even be downloaded for presentation content. However, when we rely on sources other than our own we don’t get a complete grasp on the subject. This type of presentation should be done as accurately as possible. By creating your own presentation you will be better prepared for any questions or feedback. It is not a difficult task. All you need to be aware of are some basic things.

Your visuals should captivate your audience right away. You want their full attention and not people checking the clock every few minutes for breaks. Colorful graphics and catchy music will hold their attention right away. Most people attend presentations because it is part of their job. And sadly most people attend expecting to be bored as usual. Wouldn’t it be nice to get back positive feedback that proved this mindset contrary to popular belief! Make sure you are not only entertaining but also informative.

Companies are looking for nuggets of information they can put into practice. When you get their attention you can start imparting knowledge. Make sure you present in a language everyone can understand, that is be relatable and not come off too techy. People need to be receptive to your presentation.

Remember along with your visuals and information sound is a key component. Sound helps create atmosphere. Sound is a common denominator in getting attention. Sound is also a great stimulator of the senses helping to keep restless bodies awake. Capture your audience’s attention and keep it. Harness their emotional intelligence. By doing so you will remain receptive and get the reactions you expect.

Knowing when you are losing their interest or when you need to explain something more clearly will become readily evident.

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The Exchange of Presents Demands Your Presence

The Exchange of Presents Demands your Presence

Tis the season for presents/presence and there is no better time of year to practice both the giving of your heart as well as the giving of your attention.

Have you ever noticed, I mean really truly noticed that when you give a gift to someone you feel as excited and/or nervous to give as the person feels to receive?

There is anxiety: will he/she really like what I chose to give, there is anticipation: Oh I can’t wait for him/her to open my gift, there is heart: I really paid attention this year to what he/she said they needed. If you are prone to just hand a gift to someone and allow distraction to take you away from the actual opening of the gift then you are missing out on all the magic of that moment. Being in the present with the person receiving a gift is a gift itself.

Where in your body do you feel this anxiety, anticipation and/or generosity?

In what ways is your energy transferring to those around you?

It’s an amazing connection, a coming together moment for the giver and receiver, where synchronicity is so aligned only the uninterrupted presence of awareness in the opening of the gift, the present, could break the bond. It is the height of mindfulness or intentional attention. How many times during the year do we use intentional attention in our daily lives?

“To allow ourselves to be truly in touch with where we already are, no matter where that is, we have got to pause in our experience long enough to let the present moment sink in; long enough to actually feel the present moment, to see it in its fullness, to hold it in awareness and thereby come to know and understand it better.”
Jon Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are

The question is how can we give ourselves the present of presence all the time? It’s a magical feeling to be so engrossed in the moment of giving that we don’t pay attention to time or space or what comes next. This deep concentration, this deep immersion of presence is called flow and scientists believe that the pathway toward inner peace and happier human beings is through these flow moments where we are so absorbed in the moment we occupy that there is no room for past or future. Author and psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Ph.D., considered by some to the be the father of the concept of flow, says,

“Flow experiences occur in different ways for each person. Some might experience flow while doing a sport such as running or playing tennis and some might experience flow while playing an instrument. Some people might experience flow in the simple act of giving a gift whether it be an actual gift to unwrap or the act of volunteering and giving of their time and energy.”

If you are ever in a situation where you want to get a handle on what is happening in this exact moment, breathe. Practicing presence is as simple as deep breathing. Your breath is always with you and you can stop in the middle of everything you are busy with to take purposeful breaths and calm your brain and your heart and your spirit and create focus and intentional attention.

There are more ways to give yourself the present of presence. Here are a few to take with you in your bag of goodies this holiday season:

“… the concentration is usually possible because the task undertaken has clear goals and provides immediate feedback.”
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Turn off your thinking mind and tune into your now mind. The health benefits of mastering being in the here and now are significant. According to an article published on an eco institute site “these health benefits include a reduction in stress which we all know reduces the risk for heart disease, lowering blood pressure, reducing recurring pain, and is a boost for our immune system. This boost is accomplished by increasing our antibodies and brain function by our body’s response to our thoughts both positive and negative.”

You won’t be leaving anything important behind if: You let go of old thoughts or let go of what if thoughts. You will however be gaining awareness and color and vibrancy in the moment you occupy by accepting what is happening right this moment and all this moment is giving to you.

Let go of the Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda mindset: Each new moment that presents its gift to you has the ability to be a gift for your heart and soul. Give in to what is being offered by enveloping yourself in the passion, authenticity and energy of now. By letting go of your expectation of what the moment could or should or would bring, allow the moment to unfold in all its organic splendor and guide you.

No Restrictions. In helping my clients set goals and create their own avenues of accountability we create if/then statements. For example: A client wants to lose 10 pounds by the end of the month. The if/then statement might say, “If I feel like having a sugary snack after dinner then I will drink a hot apple cider or munch on an apple instead.” In the present or gift of presence this would be the one time when your prepared mind could hinder complete flow of enjoyment. Let go of the if/then thinking and align your mind with the here/now thinking. Notice how much more rich and emotional the here/now mind perceives life in its raw and real time. If/then changes your course and forces you to control the gift of the present which then has the potential to control the outcome. Here/now allows you to just enjoy flow in the moment for what it is without the stress of barriers or diversion.

Sense your way to presence. Play a mind game with yourself by paying attention to each of your senses, one at a time. This activity is great practice for presence and being mindful of the here and now. Pay attention to your breath, carefully watch how your hands touch things, observe what is going on right in front of you, concentrate on the smells all around you and see if you can name them, really dissect the flavors of your next meal, listen carefully when someone is speaking to you and try to detect the many levels of emotion being used in the conversation.

Purposefully create daily moments of presence. Go a different route home from work, eat lunch in a different location or pack a lunch that is different than what you normally eat, skip lunch completely and pamper yourself instead, take your hobby with you wherever you go and work on it at least once during the day away from home, learn something new today and bring it up in conversation. The opportunity for an awe moment is created in being present with intentional attention.

In the winter time I enjoy washing the dishes, even with dish gloves on because I am so comforted by the warm water cuddling my cold hands. It is a daily, year round chore but at this time of year the cold is a stark reminder of the blessing of heat. My appreciation level for warm water and keeping my family healthy soars. I find myself actually looking forward to this chore and instead of washing dishes 3 or 4 times a day to keep up with the mess I let it pile up so that I can spend real time appreciating the warmth. Bizarre, I know, but the presence it creates is magical.

“Wherever you are, be there. If you can be fully present now, you’ll know what it means to live.”
Steve Goodier

Call to Action

In what ways can you create presence during present giving?

Whatever level you are involved in while preparing for this holiday season, how can you be more mindful of each preparation step along the way?

Even if you are alone, how can you be present rather than wishing the time away?

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Common Presentation Mistakes

We’ve all been victims of ridiculously long and monotonous PowerPoint presentations on many occasions. I’m perplexed as to why so many educated and competent professionals give such terrible presentations. Creating and presenting a good presentation is not a tough thing to do. It just requires some thoughtful planning. In order to really begin to do the right things it is vital for us to recognize and quit doing the wrong things. To help you out, here are 4 of the most common mistakes individuals make when presenting:

1. Failure to capture the audience’s attention.
Did you know that people listening to you subconsciously make a decision within the first 15 seconds whether you are worth paying attention to? Like a first date, making a good first impression is everything when presenting. But all too often we see people get up, automatically flip to their PowerPoint, and dive into the information they need to get across. A poor introduction to a presentation is like showing up to a blind date in your pajamas – everything is going to be bad from there on. So what can you do to get your audience’s attention? I myself really like to use humor. Humor sets people at ease and gives them a needed moment of relaxation and fun. Not too long ago I began a presentation with a Super Bowl commercial. It had nothing at all to do with the subject of my presentation (and I told the audience that), but it delivered me the audience’s full, rapt attention.

2. Clumsy PowerPoint presentations.
Microsoft intended for PowerPoint to enable professionals to be more successful presenters, but unfortunately it has made the vast majority of people even worse at presenting. Instead of complementing the information, when used improperly, PowerPoint in fact hinders it. Generally people put too much text in each slide. If people are going to simply read your material word for word, why not just send them an email and forget about the presentation altogether? PowerPoint really needs to be used for key points only, not every detail you intend to communicate. Also, pictures are worth a thousand words and video clips ten thousand. I’ve seen so many presentations that are only text – no pictures. That is excruciating for the audience. Many people lack the graphic design skills to make aesthetically appealing presentations. If that is your dilemma, there’s always the option of PowerPoint outsourcing. There are companies that will actually design your presentation for you and will make it look tons better than you probably could.

3. Lack of Organization
Not giving your listeners a basic preview of what you are presenting on keeps the audience disoriented and wondering where you are going and when you will be done. It’s helpful as an audience member to have a preview of what is going to take place. Make sure your listeners know the main ideas you will cover before you talk about them. It will provide for them a framework for the info and put them at ease because they’ll have an idea where they are at. You ought to think of your presentation kind of like a city tour. You want to give the passengers a map with the key sights they will see along the way.

4. A Failure to Finish Strong
Besides your introduction, the conclusion is the most crucial part of your presentation. It is the very last impression you leave with your listeners. Too often presenters will just kind of end their presentation when they finish covering their content. They will say something like, “that’s it.” What their listeners are thinking however is something like, “that’s it???” You should wrap it up with a bang. Use a story or an illustration. Do something that leaves people with a pleasant impression. You can, believe it or not, get by with giving a lousy presentation if you merely begin and end well. Naturally you will want to do more than just that, but you get the point.

Steer clear of these four common mistakes in your next presentation and you’ll be well on your way!

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