Presentation Tips

Giving an oral presentation can be a scary and intimidating task for anyone to do. This can be made even worse if you have to give a presentation in front of your peers as in a classroom setting. There are numerous tips that can help make a presentation flow and captivate the audience.

One tip that will improve your presentation is to make sure you know your information. It is vital that as a presenter you have the knowledge needed to effectively cover the topic you are presenting. Also, it is good to know a lot about the subject in case there are questions at the end of the presentation. "The best classroom presentations are created by people who are comfortable with what they are going to talk about" (Russell, para. 3). Nobody wants to listen to a speaker who is pretending to be knowledgeable on a certain topic. Your audience will also believe you and want to listen to you when you can show that you actually know the information.

Another tip for presenting in class is to use visual aids. According to Presentation Magazine, Professor Albert Mehrabian researched and concluded that about 55 percent of the information we absorb is visual and only 7 percent is text (Presentation Skills, para. 4). Using visuals allows the audience to take in more of the information and to remember it later on. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words and this has be shown to be true. A study by Decker Communications shows that using visual slides provides you with a 67 percent chance of achieving of your objectives (para. 4).

By using these tips, you can greatly increase the effectiveness of a class presentation. It is important to start using these skills now so that they can be perfected by the time you reach the business world.



Russell, Wendy. 9 Presentation Tips. Retrieved from http://presentationsoft.about.com/od/classrooms/tp/student_tips.htm.

Presentation Skills 1. Use visual aids. Presentation Magazine retrieved from http://www.presentationmagazine.com/Essential_presentation_skills_1_visuals.htm

Letters vs. Email

In a world where people expect everything to be right at their fingertips within seconds, it is possible that letters will one day become obsolete. Email has become a huge means of communication and now other methods like text messaging, instant messaging, and Twittering have started to show precedence over letters. There are many positive attributes and benefits of using direct mail and letters.

Direct mail gives you the opportunity to truly "inspire, frighten, cajole, convince, make cogent arguments, and motivate" your audience by using real emotion. (Levinson) When people read emails they do not want fluffy, drawn out responses. Readers want direct and concise information when they read an email. Letters allow the writer to present valuable information in a persuasive, organized manner. Letters require more personal thought to be put into them and also provide historians with valuable information. (Thaindian News) Also, emails and other forms of electronic data are more easily lost than paper letters.

To me, letters show a more emotional and personal connection. I have grown up in a world where I have everything at the snap of my fingers and have suffered from the results of instant gratification. It is great living in a world where I can communicate quickly and effectively, but I do believe that letter writing can still be important. At least for a little bit longer. There is already evidence that letter writing is becoming second-best to methods like text messaging and emailing. It is important that people still see the importance and value of a hand written message.



Levinson, Ivan. "E-mail vs. Direct Mail: Which works better?".

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/art-of-letter-writing-dying-out-as-people-use-email-and-texts_100182116.html

Look the Part

People have different views when it comes down to what should be worn to a job interview. Some think that you should not be judged on what clothes you wear, while others believe that it is a great indicator of the type of employee you will be. According to MSNBC.com, when you dress up for an interview you are showing the person that you respect them and their company enough to dress up and put that effort into looking put-together. This article suggests that an interviewee call the company's HR department and ask what the proper dress would be.

According to Randall Hansen in his article on quintcareers.com, first impressions are critical in job searching. When you are looking for a job, you are marketing a product-yourself- and the potential employer first sees your attire. Collegegrad.com warns college students and graduates to stay away from casual or stylish attire. Interview dress standard is still conservative. Some suggestions for proper attire are

Men and Women

• Conservative two-piece business suit (solid dark blue or grey is best)
• Conservative long-sleeved shirt/blouse (white is best, pastel is next best)
• Clean, polished conservative shoes
• Well-groomed hairstyle
• Minimal cologne or perfume
• Empty pockets--no bulges or tinkling coins
• No gum, candy or cigarettes
• Light briefcase or portfolio case
• No visible body piercing (nose rings, eyebrow rings, etc.)

Men

• Necktie should be silk with a conservative pattern
• Dark shoes (black lace-ups are best)
• Dark socks (black is best)
• Get a haircut; short hair always fares best in interviews
• No beards (unless you are interviewing for a job as a lumberjack!)
• Mustaches are a possible negative, but if you must, make sure it is neat and trimmed
• No rings other than wedding ring or college ring

Women

• Always wear a suit with a jacket; no dresses
• Shoes with conservative heels
• Conservative hosiery at or near skin color (and no runs!)
• No purses, small or large; carry a briefcase instead
• If you wear nail polish (not required), use clear or a conservative color
• Minimal use of makeup (it should not be too noticeable)
• No more than one ring on each hand
• One set of earrings only

These tips should be followed in order to guarantee the best results at an interview. It is best to remember that you are dressing to impress your possible future employer. Dress to impress!


http://www.quintcareers.com/dress_for_success.html
http://www.collegegrad.com/interview/jobinterviewattire.shtml
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15211788

Avoiding Green Marketing Myopia

With the recent trend of making everything "green", it is vital that businesses remember what customers truly care about. It is true that some people care about being "green" and saving the plant, but marketers need to figure out what really drives their customers. According to Ottman's article, when Philip's introduced their EarthLight light bulb, it only appealed those people who deeply cared about being "green." Environmentally conscious companies must keep in mind their customers needs and interests in order to sell their products.

Consumers today, for the most part, are not overly concerned about saving the environment. For green companies to sell their products, they need to attract customers through other ways besides focusing on the greenness of the product. Phillips sold more of their light bulb after changing the name to one that told consumers that it was a money and energy saving lightbulb. Companies must remember to appeal to consumers' interests instead of always focusing on the "green" aspect of their product.

Job Hunting

Searching for a job can prove to be a grueling and complicated process, but by using networking, you can greatly increase your chances of finding a job. Prospective employers are concerned about applicants' job experience, knowledge and qualifications. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists all of the requirements and expectations for each job field. This shows that companies still look at employees' qualifications and not who is recommended. Networking helps job-seekers but it is still important to make sure they are experienced and qualified for the job.

Networking

Networking creates many valuable benefits for people who are looking for jobs. Through networking, job-seekers can get their name out to companies, explore career possibilities, and open new doors to their future career. "According to CareerXRoad's 8th Annual Sources of Hire Survey (Feb 2009), referrals made up 27.3% of all external new hires." (Reilly Guide) Many people feel safer and more comfortable when they hire someone who has been recommended to them by a trusted source. It is said that 80% of jobs available are never advertised, which means that it is very important for job-seekers to network.

http://www.rileyguide.com/network.html

Blogs in Business

According to Newsweek there are 9 million blogs on the internet, 40,000 are created everyday and it is the "most explosive outbreak in the information world since the Internet itself". (Newsweek) Business cannot afford to overlook this new technology and trend. Only 27% of internet users now look at blogs since the end of the presidential race. If companies want to get their name out there to internet users and potential employees, they must create a blog that can get the attention of these people. More and more people are using internet networking tools to find jobs. Businesses can also use blogs to keep their customers, shareholders, and target market informed about what they are doing as a company. In this high tech world that we live in today, businesses must embrace the blogging trend to capture new markets, maintain current customers, and find better employees.