Posts Tagged ‘client’
Backup Schmackup: Im Afraid, Very Afraid!
“Why should you be afraid?”, I can hear you ask.
I just got an email from my friend Miche who said,
“My laptop is sick at the hospital. Hard Drive failure. Am praying data can be retrieved.”
Her exact words.
Ohhhh : tremors of fear running up and down my spine!
Why?
Because … and I have to be honest … I haven’t *backed up* my laptop for ages!
Oh I can hear your derisive laughter, your looks of scorn … I can feel your disbelief.
Me – of all people – admitting this. My friends call me “TechieGirl”!
Well, the best part of my friend’s scary dilemma is that it’s forcing me into action!
I’m dusting off the cd burner and plugging into the power, plugging it into the USB slot – now how *hard* was that? I’ve got a stack of blank cds gathering dust on my desk … why not use them?
Hmm … why not do a *big* backup on the first of each month, and a *mini* backup every Monday [or Tuesday or Friday ... whatever works best for you]?
::::: Plan it! :::::
OK – stick with me here – open your online Diary or Appointments Database or hard-copy Diary and make an appointment *with yourself* – which part of the week could you devote say a half hour to, to do a quick backup? What about when you sit down to open the mail, or read a report, do your return phonecalls? If you work from home, why not start the backup as soon as you get out of bed so it’ll be done by the time you’ve had your walk, eaten your breakfast, and showered.
I can hear you saying, “Oh it’ll take too long … I’ll do it later … tomorrow … next week … next month …”. And then one day I’ll be getting an email or a call from you saying, “If only I’d backed up the computer …”
Imagine losing all your documents, projects, databases, passwords, software settings, names, addresses, phone numbers, email names, website links – YIKES! I’m scaring myself again!!!!
If I lost even *one* thing in that list above, I’d be in BIG trouble – REAL BIG trouble.
::::: What do I backup? :::::
Good question. The most important thing NOT to backup is your software.
You do have all the original cds, don’t you? And you made copies of those cds when you bought the software, right, as a *backup* in case the original cd failed? Didn’t you? Yeah, I thought so … no-one bothers to do that, but it’s the one thing which could save your hair from going white overnight after your computer dies.
MUST backup:
* LOGINS, ALL passwords, FTP access codes, banking details, etc. Where do you currently keep this info? Please don’t tell me it’s in a little book on your desk … oh so easy to get lost, to get put in someone else’s pocket, to go walk-about. You should have a password-protected spreadsheet or document, or even better – a password-protected database. I have a database which I open as soon as I create a new login, or add myself to a mailing list, or join a new news group etc – paste the info in *as* you create it, to ensure you’ll *never* forget it. Sure, you sometimes get confirmation emails with this data … but if your computer has *died* … get the picture? You can’t access the emails!
* CLIENT documents / projects / websites (if you’re a developer), in fact ANYTHING which could cause grief if you lost it or didn’t have a copy of it. If you’ve printed a lot of this stuff, what would you need if you had a *fire* and lost all your paper files? Think about that. Hard. Now make a list and maybe have a backup cd for each Client or group of clients, depending on your business.
* EMAIL software folder which should include ALL your emails. You do *keep* all emails don’t you? Please tell me you’re not one of those people who deletes emails as soon as you read them (business ones I mean). Have you ever considered that emails are a form of *database*? I can search my Eudora software for any word or phrase and in a nanosecond I have a list of emails relating to that item (all neatly filed in their email folders … but that’s *another* article!). I *love* Eudora’s features! Getting back to business, emails with historical information on projects are invaluable to see who said what and when they said it. It’s a timeline, tracking resource, for a project’s life.
* PHOTOS, personal, professional – unless you’re using them all the time, these can be kept on CDs on a regular basis. When you download from the digital camera, save to cd straight away and save space on your hard drive [note to "self" : follow own suggestion]. If you have photos related to a project or client, save them to the Client cd you created earlier, if there’s space.
* FINANCIALS. All your spreadsheets, MYOB or whatever other software you use to track financials. Every document which the tax department might one day want to see … for the past 7 years. Business plans, budgets, everything relating to your business which you’ll need to continue to *be* in business.
* FAXES – do you use online faxing like I do? Where every incoming fax comes into my inbox as an email? From now on, whenever one arrives, put it into a folder called FAXES or save with your client data. Faxes are also a record of what’s transpired – another form of database. Plus if you use this kind of fax service, you’re saving trees. 
>
* INSURANCE. Keep quotes etc on your computer? You’ll be needing these.
* DATABASES – all of them. A must. Trust me, you’ll kick yourself if you need one of these you didn’t bother backing up.
* COMPUTER DESKTOP. OK – what’s still sitting on your desktop which hasn’t be put away or filed yet? Probably a bunch o’stuff – clear this up before you backup, make your job that little bit easier.
* EXCEPTION to the SOFTWARE RULE above – if you’ve bought any software online, or downloaded any software or programs of any kind for which you did not receive a cd, then back it up. If you’ve still got the Installer file, save that – it’ll save time.
* BROWSER Settings – go through your browser Preferences screens, take snapshots (like printscreen) of those settings – it’ll save you a TON of time if you have to set up your email and ISP settings at a later date.
* PDFs : have you downloaded any pdfs or purchased any ebooks? Are they all in the same download folder, or in a PDF or eBook folder? You’ll want to save these.
Oh boy – I just looked at my hard drive – 222 folders of stuff – I need to do some serious sorting and computer *housekeeping* before I do a backup, otherwise it’ll take forever to sift through all that stuff! So here’s the list of things to do:
* tip : do it in bite-sized pieces, baby steps, little chunks each day
* make a list of things you want to backup – think about your client info etc
* do your computer housekeeping, put things away in folders, then put those folders in main folders to tidy up your own special filing system – do this on one day so it’s not too overwhelming
* on the next day, make sure you have spare cds – you might need a few, depending on how much filing needs to be done; go buy cds if you need to. Consider buying Read Write cds, rather than the regular cds – if you want to be able to add info to cds later.
* if you’ve got an internal cd burner in your computer, you’re a lucky dog – if you’ve got an external one, plug it in and make sure it works
* when you’re ready, start the software you need to backup (usually Toast or something similar)
* be prepared for this to take at least an hour, maybe more if you’ve got a ton of stuff, but *don’t * put it off! An hour spent now could save you *weeks* of worry and work in the future!
* when you’ve done the first *big* backup, pat yourself on the back, you’ve accomplished a very important business task!!!
While you’re feeling smug and proud of yourself, think about when you should do your next backup. How much work would you be ok about losing? One day’s worth? One week’s worth? How about a month of work? Whichever is the one you choose, make *that* the amount of time before you do your first *mini* backup. Don’t be afraid to set other backup procedures for times which suit you, your projects, your clients.
The main question you need to ask yourself is,
“How much work would it be OK to *lose* without it affecting me or my business?”
::::: DON’T FORGET :::::
Label your cds. How are you going to file them? In a cd box? Will they be in a hard plastic shell or sleeve? Where would it make sense to *see* the client name on the cover, when it’s in the box? How easily would you be able to find a cd in that box? You can write on cds with thick permanent markers, or if you’re really keen, you can print onto cd labels (available from many stationery companies).
Keep 2 backup copies.
If you don’t work at home, it might be worthwhile keeping a backup copy of the backup – one at work, one at home. Just in case.
Now that I’ve scared myself silly, I’m off to dust the cd burner and make a latte – don’t expect me to reply to your emails over the next few hours, I’m doing a backup!
© Teena Hughes is the Director of Build A Website Tonight, a website where you can build your own site online – with no skill – no fear – with no additional costs to update your site. Teena has been involved in the I.T. industry for over twenty years and has written many articles and ebooks, and loves to help people get their business started.
http://www.BuildAWebsiteTonight.com
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What to Know Before Signing a Home Improvement Contract
It is important to be a very careful consumer when it comes to home improvement contractors. For instance, I had a case where my client, an elderly and blind woman, signed a contract and paid $30,000.00 to a home improvement company that disappeared with all of her money! Unfortunately, the company was a scam operation, my client lost her life’s savings and it will take some time in court before my client may ever see her money again however, her mistake will be a lesson to all of you because this article explains how to protect yourself from home improvement fraud.
Before signing any contract with a home improvement company, first ask that company for its license number and check it out with your State or County Consumer Affairs’ Business License Division. Find the License Division on the web or call information and get their number. You want to find out (1) the name and address of the company associated with the license number given to you, (2) if the company is currently licensed and the license expiration date and (3) whether any complaints have been made against that company. The answers to those questions will help you determine if you want to proceed with signing a contract. Make sure both the contractor and the company he works for are licensed to work in your State.
If your going to sign the contract then make sure certain things are included pursuant to your understanding and as required by your State’s Home Improvement Business Law. The contracting company’s name, address and phone number should be printed on the contract. Also, it is important that the contracting company’s home improvement license number is printed on the contract and that it is not different from the number you called and inquired about with Consumer Affairs. Lastly, make sure that all of the work to be performed is listed in the contract and that the approximate start and end dates of work are included. You should put a penalty clause in the contract regarding the contractor’s failure to timely complete the work because contractors are notorious for starting jobs and then leaving for a few days or weeks to do other jobs while you sit and wait in your dismantled kitchen for him to return. Once the contract terms are satisfactory then the contract should be signed by both you and the company’s representative.
An example of a consumer protection law is New York’s General Business Law §771 (“GBL”) requiring all home improvement contracts shall be in writing and contain certain terms of payment, fees for services and materials and start and completion dates, among other terms. GBL §771 is a consumer protection statute to prevent the misunderstandings between contractor had consumer and to protect the consumer from overreaching of the contractor, such as charging for work that was not agreed upon. GBL §771 limits the contractor who disregards its written contract requirements to satisfactorily proving to a court each and every item of work he did and the reasonable value of each item by detailed invoices, timesheets and proof of hourly rates, among other proofs. So, if the contractor who failed to put your home improvement work in writing attempts to collect $20,000.00 from you, he has to prove the value of his services in detail before scaring you into paying an amount you had no idea about. New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act and the Home Improvement Act protect the consumer even more by denying the contractor from recovering any monies if he violates any of the consumer laws AND he will pay three times the amount of damages (called treble damages) to the consumer for his failing to obtain proper permits or licenses or any other violation of those laws.
Lastly, protect yourself by not paying 100% upfront. Most contracting companies ask for a deposit upon your signing the contract. I suggest that you put down as little as possible and arrange a payment schedule with the company where you will pay a certain amount as certain work is completed. Of course, always get a receipt, signed by the company and stating the date and amount of any monies paid to the company if you pay anything in cash.
This article is certainly not all inclusive and is intended only as a brief explanation of the legal issue presented. Not all cases are alike and it is strongly recommended that you consult an attorney if you have any questions with respect to any legal matters.
Any questions and/or comments with respect to this topic or any other topic, contact:
Law Offices of Susan Chana Lask
853 Broadway, Suite 1516
New York, NY 10003
(212) 358-5762 Susan Chana Lask, Esq. c 2004
About The Author
Susan Chana Lask is named in the media as New York’s “high powered attorney”. She practices sucessfully all civil, criminal & appeals cases in State & Federal courts nationwide. http://www.newsletterjournal.com
Curse of Competence: How Being Good gets in the way of Becoming Great
Just before the storms hit last winter, my father-in-law and I replaced 26 feet of fence on my property. I must say, for a couple of non-handyman-sorts like the two of us, it is a very well done fence.
The fence posts are appropriately spaced and perfectly vertical. Four nails are equally distributed on the fence boards to allow for shrinking and expanding. The boards are evenly spaced and level across the top and bottom.
The whole job took less than five hours from start to finish and several of the neighbors have complimented us on both the quality of the work and the speed we accomplished the job. For my first fence job, it is very well done.
Would I like to do it again? Not on your life!
On occasion, I can appreciate the need to get one’s hands dirty to take care of an important job. Sometimes, a person has to do what a person has to do. It was also a good opportunity to dabble in a task that allowed me to grow competence in an area where I am admittedly weak. To save time, money, and the headache of finding, identifying, and monitoring a fencing contractor, it was simpler for me-with my father-in-law’s help-to complete the job personally.
But just because you can do a thing, doesn’t mean you ought to. The same can be said for companies who expend time and resources performing a task, because they can as opposed to if they should.
Sometimes, companies can end up performing tasks or undertaking roles that they really should not. Mix a little operational necessity with situational urgency; add in a dash of latent personnel competence and a company can find itself performing a function that my father would call, “not its best and highest use.”
While it is laudable to shore up weakness, a company should never fail to consistently capitalize and leverage its strengths, its highest and best use. There is a curse in competence. Competence is merely the minimum ability to carry out a task. Why should companies curtail-or at the very least strongly reconsider- activities for which they are merely competent?
* Competence hampers growth ? If competence is the minimum ability needed to carry out a task, it requires little or no effort. Growth requires rigor. Where is your time best spent: on activities that make you and your company better or on activities that offer little intrinsic reward for their completion? Growth requires sacrificing what is comfortable. Rigor commands your full attention. You can choose either growth or competence. There is no room for both.
* Competence masks distinction ? When you deliberate where to go out to eat, one of the earliest questions you ask is, “What kind of food do we want: Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Steak, Seafood, Vegetarian, etc.” Now imagine if you had half dozen restaurants to choose from and they all offered all choices. How would you choose? Your potential customers have the same problem when they are looking for someone who does what you do. In a crowded marketplace, you do not want to look like everyone else. Distinction is strongly correlated with success.
* Hedgehog Principle ? In his book, Good to Great, Jim Collins identifies factors that set the best companies apart from their competitors. Within the Hedgehog principle, he identifies “What can we be best in the world at?” as one of the key questions that the best companies answered. There is much more to be gained by being the very best at one thing, rather than very good at a number of things.
How can you catch yourself performing a non-essential competence? To start, ask yourself the following questions:
Is this task compulsory?
Are you are doing something because you have to and not because you want to? There are times when forces external to your business compel you to undertake certain tasks. If you and your people are not passionate about the task, but have to perform it nonetheless, consider an outsourcing arrangement.
Does it align with our purpose?
A purpose statement should embody something that you have a reasonable chance of being. When considering whether a task is essential, ask yourself if it contributes to the fulfillment of your purpose. If it does not, then it is drawing energy and time away from activities that will.
How did we come to engage in this task?
Are you not really sure how you got around to doing a task in the first place. In the exigency of performing your natural function, competencies develop. This is a natural outgrowth of effective performance. However, if after considering the history of a task you cannot clearly remember how you got into the practice, chances are it was somewhat unintentional. Consider that a clue.
There are two factors that combine to encourage you to widen your breadth of competence. The first is our corporate role models. Do you have any Jack Welch books on your bookshelf? I do, too. Welch is great. Many of us can learn from his wisdom.
However, that does not mean your business should become a General Electric. There are very few enduringly successful conglomerates in the world. Do not fall into the assumption that just because it works for one, it will work for all, or most importantly, for you and your business.
The second factor is the Judeo-Christian ethic that encourages you to be a well-balanced person. Balance is laudable. The more options you have, the more problems you can solve. Balance provides options. But, balance is not as helpful if you do not live in and leverage your strengths.
By all means, continue to expand your personal horizons. You will be healthier for it. But, your business is weakest when its activities are too diffuse. As an organization, focus on what you do best. Strive to become the best in the world at it. Resist the comfort that comes with mere competence.
REPUBLISHING PERMISSION: You are welcome to download or reprint this article so long as you include my byline and copyright at the end of each piece with a live weblink. Please forward publication specifics to http://www.JeffSimon-Consulting.com/ The attribution should read:
“By Jeff Simon of Jeff Simon Consulting, The Client Retention Specialists. Are you having trouble keeping your best clients?
Please visit Jeff’s website for additional articles and resources for keeping your best clients.”
How Peer to Peer (P2P) Works
Peer to Peer (P2P) Technology- How it works:
Ever wondered how P2P works? This guide will run down most of the major P2P services and how they work. Peer to Peer technology lets people share files over a network on the internet. Most people now use what is known as the second generation of P2P, which is unlike its predecessors like such as Napter, the second generation has no centralized server, making it harder for it to shut down.
How first generation P2P services worked:
A connection is established by a peer finding another peer to connect to. Each peer exchanges active peer and their addresses. When a connection has been established, the user can then search for files. When a search has been submitted, it connects to all nodes on its connection list. The results are then displayed and a connection is made.
How second generation P2P services worked:
Gnutella2: Hubs are used to quickly search for files, eliminating the original “find peer and search” method. Instead, they store a list of files on all the “Leaves” (A peer) that are connected to it, thus dramatically reducing search time. Advantages: Unlike Napster, if a hub crashes, it’s network stays alive. Disadvantages: Doesn’t make network any more durable than the first generation of P2P. Gnutella2: www.gnutella.com
FastTrack: Programs such as Kazaa and iMesh use the FastTrack protocol. Normal peers connect to a supernode which acts jsut like a hub. Supernodes also connect to other supernodes, allowing search requests to move through the network very quickly. Peers then establish a direct connection to a client after a file has been found. Advantages: Any client can become a supernode. Disadvantages: Corruption of files occur. Clients include: Kazaa (www.kazaa.com), iMesh (www.imesh.com)
BitTorrent: .torrent files are used to store information about the file being shared. Once a torrent file is opened, the client connects to the tracker which tells the client where the file is located and what other peers/seeders there are. BitTorrent works by chunks of small files being transferred (even through multiple connections), while you are downloading. The files are checked for corruption as the download continues. Leechers are people who download and don’t upload, and are highly frowned upon on some sites, disallowing them from downloading any further. Advantages: Very fast for popular, new files. Disadvantages: Trackers are unreliable and if it goes down, the file is lost. Clients include: Azureus (www.azureus.com), Shareaza (www.shareaza.com).
EDonkey Network: Edonkey runs on the same principle as first generation P2P, only anybody can become a server. Clients communicate with the server to download files, and random chunks can be downloaded in any order then put together in the end. Advantages: No file corruption, leech penalization. Disadvantages: It can penalize users unfairly. EDonkey: www.edonkey2000.com
Infinitive!, Copyright 2005. All Rights Reserved.
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Freelance Copywriters on the Internet: How to Tell the Difference Between Heaven-sent and Hack
If you’re hunting for a good freelance copywriter and have never done it before, or if you have but find yourself needing another for the first time in a while, I don’t envy you. This “brave new” e-world has turned your once straightforward search of a neatly stacked file of brochures and introductory letters into a bothersome wade through a mucky world of half-baked online listings and search results which only seem to list those freelance copywriters who are experts in SEO, or at least know what the heck it means (search engine optimization).
You: “I just need a good freelance copywriter to write this product launch brochure who’s not going leave me hanging or make me ask for another round of financing.”
Google: “Results 1-10 of 44,700 for brochure copywriter (0.17 seconds).”
And that’s not even a very popular search term. Yet, with 44,700 doors (or thousands more depending on your search) to choose from, what are the chances you’ll click the one that leads to:
? A freelance copywriter who plays nice with designers and doesn’t charge a first-born child
? A freelance copywriter who knows when and where to offer their expertise on how to communicate a message
? Creative, cliché-free, differentiating, success-enabling copy that is turned in clean and on deadline
It’s probably better than a 1-in-44,700 chance, but you’re still more likely to fall short than be wildly ecstatic about your freelance copywriter decision unless you add a few points of structure to guide you through the online chaos:
1. Look at freelance copywriters further down the list. Unless you’re specifically looking for an SEO copywriter, how high a freelance copywriter or a link to a freelance copywriter ranks in search results is not indicative of how good that copywriter may be. Search engines rank web sites according to formulas of keyword saturation in site copy, meta tags, links and other places. Not how well a freelance copywriter’s work achieved his client’s objectives. Spend some time at this. There is more to the marketing, branding and advertising worlds than the Internet, and there are many worthy and successful freelance copywriters who work in the offline world, but have only a token presence on the Net. Go ahead and look at the top-ranked freelance copywriters, but investigate the others as well. Look at who their clients are, the work they do, the brands they’ve worked on, what their site is like and testimonials from past and current clients. That should give you a good gauge. Or if you like the advertising a specific company do a search for “CompanyX AND copywriter.”
2. If you want quality, steer clear of “bidding” sites. There’s too many of them already, and more seem to be popping up all the time. The online auction is a great concept for your old fishing equipment or clunker on cinder blocks, but not for a good freelance copywriter, designer, photographer or any other “creative service” professional. Sites like Elance.com, Guru.com and their many cousins allow service providers to whore themselves out for projects in a reverse auction where the lowest bid wins. Unfortunately, there really is no winner. The freelance copywriter (or whoever) gets a fraction of the fair market value for their work and the client, unless they’re extremely lucky, will be stuck with a student, green amateur or someone who might not even speak English well-to say nothing about the copy they’ll write.
3. Seek out freelance copywriters with online portfolios. Find freelance copywriters who have some kind of online portfolio. Go through it in detail. Try to get an idea of the communications problem the freelance copywriter had to solve and get a grasp on the talent and thinking that went into creating the finished copy. Then ask yourself, “If I was in the market for something like this, would this make me more interested in learning about this product or want to buy it?” The work of a good copywriter will be obvious.
4. Judge by the work, not the product. You may have a great new product that everyone’s going to want, or an old product that everyone already has, but with a new feature or something. Now, your first instinct in finding someone who’s going to write copy to sell this product is to find someone who, if you’re selling underwater titanium door hinges, has written copy for underwater steel or plastic door hinges. Yes, too many marketers think if a freelance copywriter has only written for X and not Y, that they can’t write for Y. This kind of thinking is misguided. Again, go back to No. 3 and look at the portfolio. Gauge the talent. If they did a great job communicating something about X, you can bet they’ll be able to do the same for Y. A freelance copywriter isn’t defined by the product. He is defined by how he writes about that product.
These guidelines, along with a little “buyer beware” mentality, will help you wield the Internet as the powerful information tool it’s purported to be. You will find a good freelance copywriter.
Adam Barone is a freelance copywriter from the Boston area, who writes results – generating copy for such clients as The Timberland Company, Bank One, TJ Maxx, and other clients and ad agencies.
Visit him at http://www.adambarone.com. Subscribe his e-newsletter, CopyTHINK at adambarone.com/mailinglist/?p=subscribe .
©Adam Barone 2005. All rights reserved.
Reprint rights granted as long as the article is published in its entirety, including links.
How To Take Your Freelance Writing Chances
Your initial freelance writing assignments are the best way to present yourself to your client for repeated work. If you provide for them a good product, at a good price, they are likely to come back time and time again. The goal of any career, particularly as a freelancer, is to have steady business. Instead of continually needing new clients or another job to fill your day, why not utilize repeat business? When you make the most of your freelancing time you are helping yourself to gain more business and maintain that which you already have.
For many people getting that first job is the key to success. It is the hardest part of working because more and more people want quality providers and want to use someone who is proven and worth the risk. You cannot get these jobs if you are new. But look at it another way. When you do get to that point, it is important to make the most out of all assignments so that you get return business from that client. This could be any number of things, but should always focus on maintaining a strong working relationship with the client. Providing them with good work, timely work, and listening and meeting their needs will have them coming back to you time and time again.
There is another, even more important, reason to build your business like this. That is referrals. When you do an outstanding job for people, they return time and time again with more business. But, they also tell people about your talents. This can be an outstanding way to use the jobs you get to create more jobs for yourself.
Now, that is not to say that you can not search for new writing job vacancies in other realms as well. But, you must strive to maintain the employment that you already have. By building strong relationships with your clients, you can help them continuously meet their needs while building your business.
Visit http://www.FreelanceWritingResource.com for more Articles, Resources, News and Advice about Freelance Writing Jobs.
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How To Become A Polished Public Speaker In Just One (1) Day
The fear of speaking in public ranks right up there with the fear of death. I had the same fear myself until I was chosen to be an electronics trainer for the Air Force. It was only then I realized just how afraid and lousy at speaking I really was. I went to my first day of the 8 week training course excited and looking forward to learning a skill that many have never mastered. I soon found out I was really terrible and needed a lot of practice.
Practice? Yes, that and knowledge are all it takes to become a really great speaker in a very short time. I even have the first video they made of my very first speech. I still look at it sometimes when I need a good laugh. I was talking about investing in the stock market, and my hands did pretty much whatever they wanted. My hands decided, for some weird reason, to perform something known well among speakers as the “fig leaf”.
Remember Adam and Eve? They were supposed to have worn fig leaves. Because I did not know what to do with my hands during that first speech, my hands decided for themselves to cover my crotch, clasped together with white knuckles. Geez, how embarassing. I never did that again while speaking!
I told you this story so you can laugh along with me. I also wanted it to help you understand some of the basics about becoming a great speaker.
1. Practice your speech over and over. There are several good reasons for this. The first reason is time. There’s nothing worse than “going over” the time limit your client gave you. Another good reason is to find out if you really know the material you’ll be talking about. Video taping yourself will show you mountains of improvement that must be done!
2. Write your speech out completely on paper first. While practicing (in front of a mirror always), slowly get away from “reading” your speech to just talking about it. Eventually, as you memorize what you’re going to say, you won’t need notes.
3. Always stand with your body (especially your mouth) facing the audience. This will feel strange at first, because your initial inclination will be to turn away from them. If you are using a presentation board or whiteboard, make sure that you write, then turn around and talk to them about it. Point to it with a pointer while facing them and speaking. So many speakers go to write on a board and end up talking to the board!
4. Your hands should exercise natural gestures while you’re speaking. Don’t flail your arms around or play “pocket pool” with the change in your pockets. Avoid nervous gestures like playing with your tie, or twisting your hair, waving a pointer around, or rubbing your nose. Speaking first in front of a mirror will help you avoid these later. While looking in the mirror, watch what stupid, nervous things you tend to do and be very aware of them always.
5. When you see your audience start to yawn or begin squirming, get your jokes ready. If you’re a natural comedian, you will be able to come up with one on the fly. If you’re not a natural comedian, have a couple of your favorite anecdotes ready to tell when they are needed.
6. Watch the audience closely. They are the most important element in your speech. If you have to, pick one person out and ask them questions to make the speech more interesting.
7. Speak with a voice that is neither too low, too high-pitched, or just plain monotone. Inject tone in your voice in every sentence. Practice this in front of a mirror so your speeches don’t become something people forget.
8. Your enthusiasm will make you memorable. The subject, I hope, is something you are very enthusiastic about, and it should show. The twinkle in your eye, the tone of your voice, and your body movements should suggest excitement and interest. It will rub off on your audience. You’ll see them sit up in their chairs and start really paying attention.
9. Look at everyone while you are speaking. Don’t pick out just one part of the room to talk to. The rest of the room will wonder if you’ve got a buddy in that part of the audience! Speak to all of them.
10. Know your subject thoroughly. Those mornings when I felt I had not studied enough the night before made me feel very uncomfortable with the electronics subject I was teaching that day. I like to study at night, sleep on it, and then I would really be ready the next day. If I tried to study just before the speech, it was never quite as effective. No matter what, knowing your subject well puts you at ease. This also puts your audience at ease.
11. Make sure you end your speech with something that sounds like a summary or ending. I don’t know how many times I have listened to speeches where the speaker just stops! There’s a long pause while the audience tries to figure out if that was it or not. Then comes some sprinkled clapping, unsure at first. How humiliating! Your ending should sound like a real ending.
If you are a writer, salesman, consultant, or any number of other business-related professionals, there will be times when you will be asked to speak in front of an audience. A lot of practice and preparation will make you great!
About The Author
Lynne Schlumpf – Author of “The Little Website That Could” Win a free copy of the book here: http://www.littlewebsitethatcould.net
Physical Activity Versus Exercise: Is there a Difference?
Quite often a client will come into the gym discouraged with their exercise program. The common complaint being lack of results. They give a list of activities they are doing but still do not see any changes in physical appearance. Yes this can be attributed to many variables but one of the key elements to consider is intensity.
We need to ask, what constitutes exercise? Is all physical activity considered exercise? The answer is no. Unfortunately there is not a general number or percentage that can be given to state that an activity is exercise. Exercise should be defined as an activity that is harder than what you may do on a daily basis. And this definition is going to vary for all individuals. It will be specific to an individual’s background, possible limitations and current fitness status. What may be considered an exercise for one person may not be for another. For instance if you usually go for a walk each night after dinner, then walking (at this pace) would be considered physical activity not exercise. If you ride your bike to work everyday, cycling (at this pace) is going to become physical activity for you and not exercise.
Let’s explain.
When you first try an activity, it is new to you and your body feels challenged by this unknown stimulus. As you start performing this activity on a daily basis, your body starts to adapt and overtime it will become less challenging. The truth is that you are getting better at doing that activity and you don’t need to work as hard. Yes, this is an indicator of some fitness improvement but soon those improvements will plateau. In other words, when this stimulus becomes familiar, the end result will be fewer calories burned and less stress on the body. In order for the body to alter its body composition and for you to see changes in your physical appearance, the body needs to be challenged. This is called the Overload Principle. This principle states that there needs to be a stimulus of higher intensity than usually performed to elicit any adaptations or changes. Without an overload or high enough intensity, the body is not going to change. If your body can get the job done in the status it is presently in, then it’s not going to make extra effort to become stronger or leaner. Your body is concerned with survival not the latest bathing suit fashion.
So what do we prescribe for someone that is “working out” but not seeing the results they want?
First thing to suggest may be to change up their routine. It could be possible that they have been doing the same thing for so long that what was once a stimulus or exercise, no longer is. Instead of using the elliptical, why not try the treadmill, stationary bike or even roller blading? Instead of doing the same exercises like the seated chest press and cable row, why not do a cable chest fly or lat pulldown?
After changing the exercises you are performing, the next step is to appropriately progress the intensity. Your body will start to adapt to this new routine and we need to keep it guessing.
For aerobic training: A suggestion would be to work at an intensity that is challenging to you. When working aerobically an intensity closest to your anaerobic threshold will elicit the most adaptations. Try not to come into the gym and beeline to the elliptical day after day doing thirty minutes at level four. Your body will soon catch on to that intensity and you will end up burning less calories and causing minimal changes to your muscles. Those calorie counters on the machines should not be your guides. They are inaccurate and are used as a marketing tool to consumers. We all know someone or ourselves that stays on a machine until they burn a specific number of calories. That calorie counter is based on a 150 lb person with no consideration for their genetic makeup or current fitness status. Someone who is more fit will actually burn fewer calories! So lets use the talk test marker. You should be exercising to a point where you are struggling but an intensity where you can still have a winded conversation.
For anaerobic training:
Have you ever seen someone in the gym on the cable row doing repetition after repetition? They have probably completed about fifty and still do not look a bit fatigued. In order to see skeletal muscle changes we need to be working within the anaerobic energy system. In other words, working at a high enough intensity where your muscles fatigue.
The first step is to stay in the anaerobic energy system. A general rule would be completing a set between sixty and ninety seconds. If you were to perform the exercise for longer than ninety seconds, the anaerobic effect would be lost and minimal adaptations would occur. Most people are concerned with the number of repetitions that they are doing. What is most important is the time that the muscle is under tension.
The next step is the fatigue factor. Not only do we need to stay within a time limit, we also need to fatigue the muscle before the set is up. There are two options for fatigue: volitional or momentary muscular failure. Volitional fatigue, a fatigue more realistic for the general client, is a subjective fatigue where they chose to terminate the set when they feel they cannot perform another repetition. Momentary muscular failure, which elicits the most adaptations, is physical fatigue where the client cannot perform another repetition even if they tried.
The key to continual success with an exercise program is strategic variation along with the proper progression of intensity and exercises. Try to recognize what is considered physical activity and exercise in your program. There is a difference and will be reflective in your end results.
References:
Gardiner, P.. Neuromuscular Aspects of Physical Activity. Human Kinetics. 2001.
Katch F.I., V. L. Katch, W. McCardle. Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance. Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins. Fourth Edition, 1993.
Teri Mosey is an Exercise Physiologist and Instructor for Health and Fitness Certifications.
Peak Performance Fitness
http://www.peakptfit.com
Hey, Client, This Is Me! Sell With Your Writing Voice
In a crowded market, clients will be seeking personality as they read what you’ve written — they’ll click right past pages that feel “been there, read that.” They’re looking for a voice that says, “Hey, client, this is me!”
They want to know not just what you deliver — but how. Will you be funny or serious? A perky cheerleader or a sardonic commentator? Will your view of life be based on “believe and it happens” or “what you see is what you get?”
Here are some tips to add your own voice to your writing.
1. Write from the heart.
Too excited, passionate or angry to sit still? Best time to connect with your voice. Grab a pencil and scribble ideas as you jump around the room.
2. Say something new.
After forty articles on time management, your readers know about cutting projects into manageable chunks and setting priorities. Ho hum. Try “better than zero” or “turn your life into a time warp.”
3. Tape yourself talking to a good friend about a product.
Do your words sound different when you speak than when you write? Transcribe the tape into an article for easy reading.
4. Picture your ideal client (you do have one, don’t you?). Imagine that she is gushing about your service to a friend — highly recommending you. What words does she use to describe your services? What emotions come through?
5. Cut. Then cut again. When you have to trim your piece to meet a word count requirement, notice that you’re left with the most essential words — all yours.
6. Write fast. Get the words down before your inner critic has a chance to participate. Edit later.
7. Reveal yourself: family, mistakes, secret dreams. When you feel just a bit embarrassed, or feel your private persona has become more public, you’ve probably just touched your audience’s heart.
8. Be concrete — not abstract.
As writing guru Natalie Goldberg would say, “It’s a geranium, not a flower.”
9. If you’ve had voice training, be especially alert to creating the bland and the blah.
Julia Roberts could hold an audience while she reads the telephone directory. Your copy has to stand alone, without dramatic oratory. Exercise 3 may not work for you.
10. Don’t be afraid to break the rules: use slang and contractions. And it’s okay to begin a sentence with “and” or “but.”
Just tread carefully on the rules of grammar and spelling. “Your about to head off for you’re great adventure” can be a credibility-buster.
About The Author
Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker, editor, and consultant. She helps clients who want to use writing to sell and sell what they write.
