Monday, September 5, 2011

Telecommunications public relations assist companies to thrive in the field

These days, it is difficult for many individuals in the United States of America to find a good paying job that can support a family. This is to say nothing about other parts of the world, where it is incredibly difficult for a significant portion of the world's population to make enough money just to eat. It is a very sad fact of modern life that while some people have to fight for their lives each and every day, struggling and working anywhere from ten to twelve hour days for pennies an hour just to have enough money to purchase just to buy enough food to not starve while others have billions of dollars in the bank and lounge around their infinity pool all day drinking mai tai's and talking about how the richest one percent of the population deserves incredible tax breaks. In this climate, the average worker has to do whatever he or she can do to make ends meet.

In the United States, there has been a considerable amount of growth in the field of telecommunications. Many financial analysts and news pundits believe that the next frontier for the American economy is telecommunications and energy generation. This is why so many telecommunications firms attract some of the best talent straight out of college. They are making an investment in their company's future by trying to hire the best and the brightest in their particular field so that they excel in the future and will hopefully generate a large portion of the company's future revenue.

This is why so many telecommunications companies have started to enlist the services of top quality telecommunications public relations firms to help them protect their reputations.

In the intensely competitive field of telecommunications, reputation is the only thing that really matters. If a phone company has low rates, or offers great customer services, or has the best coverage, it does not matter if that company has been afflicted by scandal. In this case, people will not trust that company, and thusly will undoubtedly take their telecommunications dollars to a competing company, who will happily provide them the top quality services the previous company was not able to. This is why so many telecommunications companies, from small Mom and Pop operations to multinational conglomerates have started using top quality telecommunications public relations firms to help them retain business as well as to generate new business through the protection of their respective reputations.

Top quality telecommunications public relations firms have a number of tools at the ready to assist them in their endeavor to help telecommunications companies expand their revenue streams and get repeat customers, which is obviously the most important factor in any successful business in any field. The main weapon in the arsenal of telecommunications public relations companies is the media. By releasing information about their clients to selectively chosen media outlets, top quality telecommunications public relations firms can effectively shape how the public views their company, and can hopefully drive business up by giving people the peace of mind knowing that if they contract a particular telecommunications company that the telecommunications public relations firm represents, then they can expect quality service at a reasonable price. If this somewhat lofty goal has been accomplished enough times, then the telecommunications public relations firm starts to get a reputation for effective work itself, and thus the cycle repeats, allowing telecommunications and telecommunications public relations firm alike to continue operating for years to come.

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Sunday, September 4, 2011

The top public relations firms have the years of experience needed to help their clients

Many business professionals work hard to succeed. They put in long hours at the office, spend most of their days away from their loved ones, and put most of their time and energy into ensuring that they consistently perform quality work for their employers. This is the only surefire way to succeed in business today. There simply is not room for error in this day and age. People have less tolerance for tomfoolery and repeated mistakes, so it stands to reason then that companies have the same ideas regarding their employees. Businesses today expect their employees to go the extra mile to ensure that the business thrives and is able to consistently turn out a tidy profit. In older times, people could get away with being kind of lazy with regard to their business activities, but those days are long gone. It is absolutely that every employee of a particular business operates at the top of his or her game, even if he or she is a janitor, or if he or she is the head cheese.

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Thursday, September 1, 2011

10 Signs Your Boss is Insecure

We've all worked with bosses who are insecure about their abilities. They will not tell you why they are insecure, but the signs are evident. Working for a manager who lacks confidence is difficult, if not impossible. These are usually the managers who focus on technique, micro-manage, and spend most of their time trying to catch you do things wrong. That is how they determine their value because leadership is a foreign concept to them.

Here are 10 signs that you might observe:

(1) You do something right, but you never hear from your boss. An insecure boss feels that praising you makes him weaker.

(2) A mistake is observed in a report, and the boss fails to assume any accountability.

Instead, the insecure boss will blame his staff.

(3) A loose deadline suddenly becomes a hard due date. For example, you have an informal discussion with your boss about a deliverable which is due sometime in the near future. Your boss goes to a meeting where he is told that the work is needed immediately. Instead of negotiating for a later date, or offering to help you, an email arrives in your Inbox asking why you are late.

(4) A verbal agreement is ignored. You agree with your boss regarding a date for your vacation. At a later meeting, your boss informs you that he cannot remember the discussion, or that he now needs you at work.

He also wonders out loud why you cannot easily change the flight date.

(5)  Most of the correspondence is done in writing. While email is a popular method of corresponding, the insecure boss uses email to prove a point, or as a tool to verify that you failed to deliver as expected. For example, "Sara, the report is now two days late. Explain." A confident boss, on the other hand, will work with you to ensure the report is done on time. Everyone wins!

(6) The insecure boss looks to develop working relationships with subpar employees. This type of boss finds it hard to interact with go-getters. It is easier for him to hang out with employees who are stagnant, especially since he believes they do not pose a direct threat.

(7) The insecure boss over-delegates. Part of being insecure is the lack of competence, which means that he needs to have others do the work. This is an excellent strategy for an incompetent boss because he can blame others for work that fails to meet expectations. Of course, if good work is done, he will take full credit.

(8) The insecure boss prefers to report facts, and not trends and forecasts. In other words, bosses who lack confidence will avoid going out on a limb. They are afraid of making mistakes.

(9) Insecure bosses love meetings. Having meetings appears to be work, and these bosses want to look busy, as if they are doing something productive. The meetings usually contain information you can share via email, such as status reports.

(10) Insecure bosses are more focused on their appearance. Because they are mostly incompetent, they tend to dress well to masquerade their poor leadership skills.

When working with an incompetent boss, make sure that you are clear regarding expectations. You want to know exactly what is due from you. Take the time to review how you will be evaluated, and document any area where you need assistance. If you feel the insecure manager will keep you from realizing your goals, look to find a different position either within your company or externally. You will not be the first one who observed the signs of insecurity.

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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Financial services PR firm convince that the financial sector is trustworthy and can meet their need

In the wake of recent developments on the world stage, individuals from all economic situations have been forced to make drastic and sometimes devastating cuts in their expenses in a valiant attempt to stay afloat financially. Many individuals who previously considered themselves to be affluent are being forced to rethink their spending habits or face destitution. People simply do not have the money to waste on frivolous expenses these days. Every expense has to be carefully examined to ensure that its usability warrants its costs. Many leisure goods and services are the first items to be cut, as they are the most essential, even if they provide lightness to life. After these types of expenses have been cut, many individuals resort to cutting down on household expenses. This means ensuring that lights are turned off when not in use and eating out less, and buying more cost efficient foods.

People of all income brackets, especially those in middle class and lower income families, have to watch what they
spend so that they continue to live a decent life.

Amidst all these significant cuts, people still want to have their money do the work for them in terms of investment. They want to invest wisely and efficiently so they do not have to worry about their family's financial future. But many individuals still think that the financial services community is to blame for the recent economic downturn. Greedy mortgage brokers sold sub prime loans to clueless poor families who had no chance of paying them back, resulting in a glut of foreclosures. Shady stock brokers sucked all the life from the market in a shameful display of avarice and greed.

So it stands to reason then that individuals who have to watch what they spend will be wary of utilizing the services of a financial services company if they believe that the company will rob them blind.

Thusly, many financial services providers have begun enlisting the services of a highly qualified and fully licensed financial services pr firm. By employing a highly qualified and fully licensed financial services PR firm, financial services companies hope to repair their damaged reputations so that people have faith in the financial sector again. This is the only way the financial sector can hope to combat the mountains of bad press they seemed to have generated in the wake of the financial collapse of 2008. This is why highly qualified and fully licensed financial services PR firms have started to use humanizing stories of financial services employees in the press. This serves a twofold purpose. The first is to put a human face on a somewhat faceless industry. The second is to drive business to a particular financial services company through an increase in the positive press surrounding that company. People will be more willing to part with their hard earned funds if they think that they will get a fair shake in the marketplace and will not be left destitute because they chose to deal with an unscrupulous financial services provider.

A highly qualified and fully licensed financial services pr firm has to uses social media to remain relevant in this day and age. This is the only way to stay current and to reach as many people as possible. If financial services PR firms only do business as usual, they will not get anywhere. Financial services PR firms have to think outside the box in order to be successful.

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Technology public relations help tech companies by protecting their reputations

Social media has revolutionized how individuals of all shapes and sizes, from all difficult walks of life, and from all different economic backgrounds interact with each other. The days of meeting in a room for either social purposes or for an important business meeting. These things, which previously required a certain amount of social interaction, can now be exclusively done over the internet on the computer. This is significantly changing the way humans do business, and leisure activities. Companies are reeling to deal with the changes that this new and exciting technology has made to the social order. It is more important than ever for companies that specializes in either promoting technological advancements, manufacturing these goods, or performing the research necessary to gain the technological knowledge required to make these advancements, to be aware of their public reputation.

If people have a positive view of the way they do business on a daily basis, then these companies will more than likely thrive under these environments. If these types of manufacturing, research, and retail companies are not aware of their reputations, then their businesses will suffer. Many times this will result in a particular tech company going under. The employees will wonder what happened, but any outsider would be able to tell them that it was their lack of a good reputation that ultimately caused their demise.

In order to avoid the death rattle experienced by so many tech companies in the past, many firms are scrambling to protect and safeguard their reputations by hiring a fully competent firm that specializes in the field of technology public relations to help them get what they need.

Reputation is paramount in business today. No other factor plays such a significant role in the success or failure of business of all kinds than reputation does. This is especially true of technology related businesses. People want to know when the buy a good or service from a tech company, they are getting the most bang for their buck. Products that are high tech or require a lot of research before they enter the marketplace are oftentimes expensive, and therefore, it stands to reason that people want to make sure they're getting the most out of their product. That is why they want to become a life long customer of a company that has a long and storied history of providing quality products at reasonable prices. It therefore falls under the purview of a fully competent firm that specializes in the field of technology public relations to convince the general public that their clients, and their clients alone, can provide consumer with a positive experience in the marketplace.

There are many tools in the tool box of a fully competent firm that specializes in the field of technology public relations that can allow them to achieve their business goals. The most often used tool by technology public relations in this day and age is indisputably social media. Social media always technology public relations an unprecedented and unfiltered look into how consumers feel about their clients. Thus, technology public relations firms can plan their efforts according. They can focus on brand recognition if it is deemed to be necessary, or they can play up the innovations their client's have made, making it a highly desirable product. Technology public relations firms also have to ensure to protect their clients against scandal, so that their clients can continue to stay in business for years.

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Focus on Green Public Relations

Among publicizing your company for the success of your product, market share in the field, and skill-set of your employees, there are multiple other facets of your business that deserve attention. One aspect of your business that requires its own public relations firm is green public relations. In the past decade as evidence of global warming increases and people can feel and see the damaging effects that fossil fuels and coal can have on our environment, there has been a huge shift in focus towards Green energies and technologies that people can employ to make the environment more suitable for the future. Those business that do use green technologies deserve recognition by the public for the advanced attention to such an issue, when clearly there are many other competitors who can accomplish the same task for much less money if their technology or methodology is not green.

Therefore companies that do seek green alternatives should invest in green public relations to make their efforts known. Besides the recognition of your company through green public relations, here are some other reasons to promote green public relations:

Positive Effect on Environment. Of course the reason that we want green technology in the first place is for the environment. If your Green Public Relations can show that this goal is important to your company then potential clients will most likely be more willing to invest and work with your company whose ethics are in the right place.

Access to Governmental incentives. If your Green Public Relations make it clear to government officials that you have made cleaner technology a priority, you are likely to receive stipends which leads to the next point…

Lower Operating Costs.

Although at first the new technology may be more expensive, in the long run operating costs will be lower because of stipends, etc.

Healthy Employees. One of the most important things for your company is healthy employees. If your employees are working in an environment that produces a lot of harmful substances as a result of technology that is not green, you can face many difficulties in the future. By installing green technology in your business, you are looking out for the overall well-being of your employees.

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Facts about Public Affairs

By the term Public Affairs, it means the formal offices of the branches of the United States Department of Defense whose function is to handle the media and the issues related to the community. This word is also utilized for many media relations offices that are made by the U.S military for more precise and limited functions. Their offices are employed by enlisted personnel, contract professionals, combination of officers, civilian officials. Their offices also plays main role in eventuality and installed operations. Typically, an officer who is in charge of budgeting, planning, executing and evaluating the effectiveness of public affairs programs and offer advice, counsel and support the commanders and senior staff members leads this office.

These types of affairs deals with the affairs of organizations like MPs, civil servants, clients, shareholders, customers, trade association, business groups, think tanks, union and the media.

Public affair practitioners are associated with stakeholders so that the organizational polices are explained, gives realistic and arithmetical information to support the issues that impact upon the organization's capability to operate successfully. Their work contains the relationship with government, communication, and interaction with media, issue management, corporate, social responsibility information distribution, and strategic communication advice. With the stakeholders, they want to persuade the public policy and sustain a good reputation.

Event Management is the growing sector that gives wide spread exposure, thus, provide them a superior edge as compared to other career.

People are joining this sector as this profession gives the opportunity to earn good amount of money. If the event becomes successful, with the passage of time, the company is able to establish its name all over the world. This type of management is open for both the sector i.e. for public and private sector. Their work is to make and celebrate the event with joy. Once you hire an experienced event manger all your responsibilities are removed from your shoulders as the proficient event manger will take charge of all the work of event and he will perform the duty in an efficient manner. Let it be any type of event birthday, wedding, or sports event, the proficient manger will take care of planning ,organizing and will execute the event properly.

Brand Experience marketing refers to numerous different things to different people in the advertising industry. Basically, it incorporate brands into the life styles of individuals by adding together value to consumer's experience on brand.

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Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Earn Money from House with Independent Work

You may have heard that you could earn money from house with independent work, it's accurate and it's the brand new way that you may be your own employer.  Freelance work can differ depending on the experiences you've had.  There are writing, data admittance, graphic design, as well as assistant jobs that can be acquired all on the internet.

How You Can Make money using Home

You may be asking yourself the best way to earn money from house? The answer is simple. There are some online sites which are dedicated to aiding individual independent workers within connecting along with contractors who're looking for tasks to be finished.  These contractors are usually business professionals that need short-term or long-term help with a particular facet of their company.  They will quite often utilize independent workers to accomplish their tasks because of reduced overhead along with a lower level of salary than it is always to hire someone personally.

If you are looking in to starting your personal freelance function, here are some from the sites that may best actually match a person with an suitable contractor.  Keep in your mind that a few of these sites may need a membership charge in order to permit you to apply using their posted work and showcased contractors.

Ifreelance.org

Elance.com

Guru.com

ODesk.com

Each of these websites allows the actual contractor to publish their work and the kind of candidate they're looking to fill up their accessible position.  They may narrow down their own requirements in line with the type of expert skills you have, or even the types of evaluations that additional contractors possess given a person.  This can sometimes allow it to be difficult for newbie freelancers in order to land work, but not at all impossible.

These websites also permit the contractor to reveal the particular pay rate that she or he would be prepared to offer a freelance worker should they provide the project chance to them.  With the dpi in mind a person, as  the freelancer, may then decide if you need to apply for the task or not.  Oftentimes you may also create a counteroffer towards the contractor for any higher level of salary if you therefore choose, nevertheless most of the time this doesn't sit nicely with the service provider.

If you are chosen by the service provider for the task they had published these sites offer communication techniques like e-mail as well as chat choices, not to mention the actual contractor may also pay you via their websites.  This means that you realize the job isn't a scam and you're simply going to be paid out for work nicely done.  This function makes it an infinitely more secure method to earn money from house.

Earn Money from House with Your Abilities

Once you find the actual freelance website that you want to utilize you can begin to generate money from home together with your skills.  Take a glance at all the independent skills which can be found at each independent site, you'll first observe that there are some abilities you never might have thought might be useful to other people.  Once you understand that there's a skill you've that can be of worth to certain companies you can create an account that companies can view.

Within this profile you can information about your self, your skills and just how you acquired them, your own education, as well as some function that you have completed in the past.  The concept is to confer with your skills, capabilities, and professionalism and reliability, sort of just like a sales page.  Nevertheless, you never need to make false statements that you can't follow through with.  Once your own profile is actually complete you'll be able to begin trying to find jobs that fit your pursuits and perhaps spend just what you are searching for.

It is during your search for work that you can affect projects which interest you and may make you money.  Building rapport with a service provider can even safe you additional work in the near future, making it easier for you to make money using home to have an ongoing time period.

As you can see, the street to being a professional freelance worker from home isn't as arduous as numerous would believe.  With the right independent site, the best profile, as well as possessing some type of computer abilities you can be moving toward earn money from house that you by no means would have believed possible.

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Scams Guarantee You Will Make money using Home

Let's face the facts, who would not need to earn money at home?  The problem with that's that con artists understand this wish and use which to take benefit of honest women and men who are seeking to make a couple of dollars on the internet.  Their clever ripoffs promise you'll earn money from house if you simply follow their own program or even sign up using their site. The fact is that there are plenty of con artists who seek in order to prey on anybody who is naive and is not conscious of the many methods they have.

Con artists Like to Make money using Home As well

Needless to say, con artists are individuals just like me and also you, and con artists like to make money using home as well.  These men and women make use of their conversation skills as well as appeal to the sentiments of those who need to make a buck.  They guarantee you piles of money, in some way in exchange for your hard earned money in order to help you produce money at home.

In the end, you've sent all of them money and can never listen to them once again. 

The best way to steer clear of these con artists is to comprehend the different types of methods they perform.  The following are only a few of the methods scammers will attempt to attract you along with.

You can make $ 80 each hour!- This particular scam attempts to appeal to your own desire to make cash, if it had been this simple to earn money from house then everybody would be doing the work.  In reality you are able to only be prepared to make a few dollars an hour or so when you work at home.  There are some work that are going to spend a good amount, but it's almost impossible to create $ 80 working from home, if you aren't a fraudster.

Just buy a material package and you will be moving toward making money- People who are working at home may think a little investment is actually feasible for a moment make it back again quickly.  Incorrect! Scammers that are looking you to help to make their projects or come up with their products frequently try to sell yourself on a material package when you deliver a fixed amount of money.  If you signal the money they're asking for you won't see a materials kit and will also be out $ 20 or even potentially much more.

All you have to pay for shipping- This might appear to be a few cents to have an at home cover stuffer, however this particular amount will prove to add up.  Furthermore, think about what they're asking, for somebody to pay for delivery costs by themselves.  Any legitimate service provider, business, or even employer won't ever ask you to invest your own cash to deliver if they earn a living shipping products.

You Don't Need to be a Guru to Earn Money at home

These con artists are intending to go ahead and take money of those that are naive, but you don't need to be a guru to earn money at home.  All you must do is actually arm yourself with the required knowledge to safeguard yourself through those who aim to harm.  Stay from suspicious websites or guarantees that seem as well good to be real, as they most likely are.  Additionally, be sure that you take a look at your possible employer, discover feedback through others who work from home like your self, or examine review websites.

This article is not really intended to frighten you from the potential earnings that can be gained from home.  Rather this serves as a caution that there are a few precautions to become taken before you work on the internet successfully.  Do not really give up hope, with a few time and commitment you are sure to obtain the right work to earn money at home with!

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Business Communications: Every Word Counts=?UTF-8?B?4oCm?=even when you=?UTF-8?B?4oCZ?=re not counting

As a professional communicator I've come to realize that every word counts.  No matter who you are talking to or where you have selected to make your thoughts known, what you say and how you say it will probably matter to someone.

From a social media standpoint, Twitter, the microblogging site, draws attention to the fact that being concise is key.  Communicating via Facebook, or blogging, also help one become a more conversational writer.  These styles are relatively new to the world of public relations – a world that was once ruled by the iron fist of the AP Stylebook, where the formal press release sat high in its throne.

Times, they are a-changin' as the saying goes, but that is no reason to lose sight of what you say, regardless of how you say it.  In everything you do as a business professional, one thing is certain: what you say (and write) should be clear and accurate – everything from a simple tweet to a full annual report.  You're representing yourself, your organization and perhaps your clients, and each communication, verbal or written, reflects upon those entities, even when you least expect it.

For example: an email, tweet or blog post can be shared with multiple unknown parties and what began as a simple conversation of sorts can become the story itself.  Call it a result of the way information is making its way to the masses these days, but even when you may not be counting your every word…every word counts.

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Many medical offices use healthcare public relations to help maintain a sterling reputation

In today's ever- changing world, people want something that they can cling to. Some people seek the comfort of a close friend, or in the warm embrace of family member. Some individuals use religion as a way to cope with the many curveballs that this life can throw at any given time. At the heart of the matter is the idea that connectedness is what life is all about. Quite simply put, together we can achieve great things. It is this same spirit of togetherness and a one-ness of purpose that drives many hopeful and bright young individuals to join the medical profession. If a particular person is a hermit and loathes the very sight of another human being, let alone talking to that person, or worse yet having to interact with that person, then it is certainly safe to assume that the hermit will not want to become a doctor. This is the case because in order to save lives, you have to believe that lives are in fact worth saving, otherwise there would not be a point to all the years of hard work and study that is necessary to become a medical professional.

So once an individual decides that he or she wants to foster a sense of community by serving that community in a medical manner, it stands to reason that he or she will do whatever is in his or her considerable power to protect their practice. This is partially self serving, as the material and financial benefits to entering the medical professional profession are well documented. But what is really at stake is the ability to continue to be able to practice medicine. IF a doctor's livelihood is threatened by outside forces, then so is his or her ability to help others.

This is why many modern and forward thinking medical offices and private practices have begun enlisting the services of a healthcare public relations firm to help them manage how their practice is perceived by the general public.

This is incredibly important work, because if the healthcare public relations company does do a good job, and the reputation of the medical office starts to falter, good people will be put out of work, and worse yet some poor, sorry souls will not be able to get the medical treatment they deserve. Thus, it is absolutely necessary for a medical office to hire a healthcare public relations firm so they can continue to put their sights on what really matters, which is the health and well being of their patients. Healthcare public relations firms allow doctors the freedom to perform their required tasks without fear of reprisal.

With the rise of medical malpractice lawsuits in recent years, medical professionals have rightly sought to go by the book, so to speak, in an attempt to protect themselves from frivolous lawsuits down the road, should one of their patients meet an unfortunate and untimely demises. This can be a scary proposition for any medical practitioner, but it can be fatal if too many former patients file medical malpractice claims. It is the job of any reputable healthcare public relations firm to try and keep information about malpractice lawsuits away from prying eyes. Instead, the healthcare public relations firm should do everything in its power to ensure that the reputation of their clients remain intact, if it is not possible to improve them, making it easier for doctors to practice their craft.

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Competing with Silicon Valley- A Case for High Tech Public Relations -Anna Martinelli

These days, "Silicon Valley" is essentially a metonym for the high tech industry. Silicon Valley plays home to Facebook and Google, receives an annual outpouring of talent and ideas from Stanford University, and accounts for 1/3 of US venture capital investment.  How can any region ever hope to compete with this behemoth of brilliant minds, tenacious drive, and constant innovation? It definitely won't be easy and I'm not sure whether it will even be possible. But high tech public relations must certainly play a central role in any effort to rival Silicon Valley's ownership of the high technology sector. High tech public relations services delivered to individual startups in offer any region an opportunity to distinguish itself as a high technology hub. This article will outline the possible components of a high tech public relations campaign that aims to draw attention to a single startup.

In a situation like this, a high tech public relations campaign would likely start with branding.

Silicon Valley's dominion within the high tech world is reinforced by the collective image of its startups. Silicon Valley startups are full of young, quirky, easy-going nerds. "Coolness" flows from techies to their products in a way that consumers really notice. A startup's high tech public relations campaign must cultivate this kind of image, for youth and trendiness are inseparable from high tech success.

High tech public relations professionals must analyze a startup's potential audiences and figure out how to reach them.

In most cases, this audience is predominantly made up of young people. Thus, a great way to promote a new high tech product is executing phased launches at universities. High tech public relations professionals can figure out which schools to target and develop messages that will best reach the student body. Members of that student body can be used as spokespeople to continue promoting the product at their university and even extend to outside markets.

Social media is an obvious component to a high tech public relations campaign. Any new technology product must be extremely visible on social media channels and high tech public relations professionals can work to develop dynamic communities around those platforms. Promotion on Facebook or Twitter can help build a new product's reputation and cause information to spread like wildfire. A social media presence also encourages feedback from target audiences, which can be very useful to high tech public relations specialists.

Who knows- A collection of high tech public relations campaigns like this might actually give rise to a new Silicon Valley. By imitating what Silicon Valley does well and working to develop products that are superior, even startups with the smallest beginnings have a shot at emerging as a high tech industry leaders.

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Sunday, August 28, 2011

Visual Storytelling: An Instant Checklist

Visual storytelling, visual communication is a hot topic in presentation skills training. With more and more professionals looking for tips and tricks. Use this 6-point cheat sheet to get ahead.

Anyone can become immediately better at visual storytelling, when armed with a short checklist. Knowing what to do as well as common pitfalls to avoid helps new presenters tell visual stories in style.

Use visual storytelling to generate ideas, build ideas, develop story flow, connect with teams, and present to audiences. While there is much to learn about producing images that truly connect with your audience, use these simple tips to get started.

1. Generate Ideas

You've captured ideas, doodling on the back of an envelope. Now, do the same thing as you invent. Use this method to build a robust collection of ideas.

Go even further and do this with a group or team.

2. Explain A Concept

A lot of concepts, processes and systems are complicated. That's why your visual story must be simple.

3. Present With Impact

Show and tell your solution. Show a picture…tell a story. Draw an example, add details on the spot. Adjust your visual diagram with input from your clients. See, this is the fast way to build real-time interaction.

4. Organize In A Snap

Tracking information and flow of discussion can be awkward—especially if you are relying exclusively on words.

But with pictures, diagrams and icons, a whole new world opens up.

Strengthen your visual storytelling muscle by listening to talks, presentations, and conversations—organizing information in buckets.

5. Collaborate Creatively

More and more teams enjoy using visual storytelling to solve problems, trouble shoot, and invent solutions. Whether you are part of a project team, sales team, or senior leadership team, make use of visual storytelling to build a powerful creative interactions.

6. Sequence Strategically

Thinking strategically in business requires focus, creativity and logic. One of the skills that makes this possible is the ability to sequence information. Working visually makes it much easier to experiment with the order, progression and flow of ideas.

This is very valuable for project planning, strategic planning, and business development.

If you've been noticing the trend towards visual storytelling, now you understand why. It is the perfect solution to discover ideas, explore solutions and work with outrageous productivity across teams.

Much of the discussion about visual communication gets focused on tools. What's the perfect tool for the job? Is it built for individual and team use? Is it built for network ease and sharing?

While many tools exist and new ones are being developed, I have one personal favorite. You're going to laugh. It's a marker. I guess there's just something so easy, familiar and down-to-earth about a plain black marker.

It's convenient. It's cost effective. It works on paper. There are similar models for whiteboards, dry erase boards and flip charts. Just about everyone has one or can get a hold of one.

I know. Call me old fashioned. I just like the way it writes. I like the way drawings look. And I have a strong preference for the fact that it's not slick, fancy or special.

The point here is: there are very exciting trends in technology. And these enable distance teams to work together with increasing ease. But even if you don't have access to a high-tech tool, you can use visual storytelling in your business.

In my experience, often the simplest tools are best. When you pick up a pencil or marker and draw a sketch for an important client… a special moment happens. You're not trying to impress him or her. You're using an everyday tool to share an innovative idea.

That's memorable. That's different. That stands out as exceptional. You've just learned a hidden secret about presentation storytelling…simple tools are exceptional.

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Capture, Share and Collaborate With Visual Communication

Looking to capture and develop ideas with your team, partners and creative people around the world? Visual communication is key. Get the low-down here with 5 powerful tips for powerful collaboration.

Since early cave paintings, visual communication and visual storytelling have been central to how people connect. The early cave drawings show a record, told in pictures and words. Even across the distance of time, it's easy to imagine early hunters telling their tales by firelight.

These days, visual storytelling is equally critical. More and more teams rely on hands-on tools such as flip charts, dry erase boards, and whiteboards. These tools are relatively easy to use, yet many professionals struggle with the skills.

In working with thousands of business executives, I've helped people gain confidence and comfort with visual communication.

Funny enough, many of today's current fans at one time firmly believed they had zero artistic ability. ("I cannot draw a straight line" is a common comment.

Last week, I trained a group of new sales reps. They're excited and on fire about the new skills they have to capture a sales conversation at a whiteboard. Here are 5 tips that helped them succeed. Just remember: if they can do it…you can do it.

1.   Capture what people say

The fastest way to engage your audience? Write their words down on the whiteboard or flip chart. Of course, you don't have to capture each and every single word. Focus on the key words that capture their idea in a short, succinct statement.

2.

  Write first…draw second

You already know how to write. So, capture the key words first, and then draw to amplify the meaning. This helps buy you a bit of time to connect the concept with an appropriate graphic.

Practicing in a hands-on class, participants learn how to record real-time conversation at a rapid rate. If you are getting ready to use this skill in front of clients, be sure to allow plenty of time for fast-paced rehearsals.

3.   Use visual frameworks

As you've probably seen, most business whtieboards are a mess. They are often a haphazard blend of words, scribbles and poor sketches.

This doesn't look professional, interesting or structured. To move past the blur of 'stuff on a whiteboard' you must use structured frameworks.

Some of the frameworks you already know: a timeline, a list, or a grid. In a presentation skills training, you'll discover a treasure chest of ways to organize information for visual impact.

This is the 'secret sauce' that most people never touch. With this knowledge your whiteboards will 'pop' and people will 'get' your story, filled with excitement.

4.   Practice lettering for credibility

As my young sales reps found out, there's more to lettering than meets the eye. Let's face it. It has probably been many years since you picked up a marker and worked on your penmanship.

Well, maybe you didn't need it for PowerPoint. Buy you definitely need it to be credible and professional at a whiteboard. If your lettering is illegible, and people laugh at your chicken scratch…take note.

Illegible lettering is not a good idea. If people can't read what you write, they won't understand the value of what you're selling. Also, busy decision makers may assume that you don't care about your writing…and therefore don't care enough about your sales, service or product. Ouch.

5.   Practice your content

Tempting as it is to learn thousands of icons, don't forget your day job. Learning to communicate visually is deeply rooted in your topic, content and presentation focus.

That's why it is essential to practice visuals tied closely to your content. Do this first.

See, it's not so rough. That's how ambitious new sales professionals get started…and how they become pros. Of course, if you're serious about using visual communication, take a laser-focused training. With online presentation skills training, learning these skills is easier and faster than ever before.

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Connect With Confidence: Sales Communication Training

Are you preparing an important sales pitch? Are you searching for the best data, current statistics and impressive quotes? Find out how the 5 most important secrets to make a great impression.

Whether you are connecting with clients or prospects, your success depends on how you communicate. More and more sales professionals know that communication is the key ingredient of success. In fact, sales communication training is growing by leaps and bounds. The reason why? Sales norms, sales standards, and sales practices have changed.

Gone are the days of the plaid suit. Gone are the days of the talk-as-fast-as-you-can and never listen. Gone. Good-bye.

If your organization wants to escape outdated modes of selling, act fast. It's time to boost confidence with communication training. Here are 5 tips to get the ball rolling in the right direction.

1. Ask More Than Answer

There's no simpler way to start communicating…and stop pitching. Ask more questions. Ask about facts, figures, experiences and feelings. Ask about history and culture. Ask about trends and patterns.

Ask your clients and prospects to show you what's important in their world.

See…it's not all about your product and services. In fact, it's much more about getting into their worldview.

2. Get Curious

As tempting as it is to jump in and solve every problem, don't. Get curious. This means, continue Tip 1. Ask more questions. Ask why. Ask how. Ask why again.

Focus on extracting their real experiences, problems and frustrations.

The more you get curious, the more you'll see the real picture. And it won't be a partial, tip of the iceberg view. It will be a deep, powerful and insightful understanding of their needs—and the ideal solutions.

3. Shift Focus

Keep going. This is where the rubber meets the road. Shift your focus from "I" to "You."

In classic terms, this is also where the shift happens between features and benefits. But so many people struggle with this and continue to mush them together, that this is an easier way to get to the core.

If you are talking about things that matter to you, your organization or your product and services, you are speaking in "I" terms. More often than not, you're focusing on features.

If you are speaking to things that matter most to your customer, you are addressing "You" terms. This is the secret side door to speak to benefits.

Seriously. Thousands of expert sales professionals continue to mix this up. Take the shortcut through the side door. Shift things that have a "You" focus.

4. Listen

The lost and ancient art. There's a lot to learn about listening. It is not just waiting until the other person finishes. It is not forming smart responses while the other person talks. It is not jumping in at rapid-fire speed to look intelligent.

Listening is more than that. Practice the art of listening. Truly listen. Listen to what your client is saying…and not saying. Listen to the emotions underscoring different phrases. Listen to what he or she is saying with their body language.

If you want to improve your sales communication skills, focus on listening. Working with an executive coach is the quickest way to build these skills. You'll get personal attention, skills practice, and situational exercises to get better at listening.

5. Add Value

Communication is more than filling space. It's about adding value. As you get more insights into your clients and prospective clients, think long and hard about adding value.

Look outside the bounds of printed materials, case studies and whitepapers. Think about what your client would truly value. Keep asking this question and you'll jump start creative answers—that will give you a competitive edge.

Oh. One more thing.

While your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife is not on your sales team…you can use each of these tips at home. Who knew that sales communication training could lead to happier relationships?

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A firm that specializes in the field of consumer healthcare PR can help medical practitioners

Doctors have it rough in these rough economic times. Their pay is still through the roof, so that is certainly a bonus to joining the medical profession. None the less, there is more red tape associated with performing medicine these days and there has been in the past. Doctors have to deal with hospital administrators, stingy health insurance companies, and the dwindling bank accounts of their patients when deciding what course of action to take. They have to weigh the risk versus the reward of any particular course of treatment, and have the price tag ready so that their patients can make informed choices that will hopefully result in a healthy and happy life, while at the same time ensuring that their financial situation is not damaged beyond repair.

The sweeping legislation that serves to help the common effect is slowly taking shape, and doctors and medical practitioners of all kinds are worried about the impending legislation effects on their bottom lines.

This may seem slightly selfish, but it is only natural that people look out for their own self interests. This does not mean, however, that all doctors, surgeons, nurses, and medical practitioners are only in it for the money, so to speak. It just means that they want to ensure that they will be able to provide quality health care to their patients and be able to support their own families and have a nice life.

In the midst of all this considerable turmoil, many medical practitioners, hailing from all fifty states in the Union, and with various staff sizes ranging from one person practice to large hundred employee medical conglomerates, have started to employ the services of a fully qualified firm that specializes in the field of consumer healthcare pr.

These medical offices undertake the considerable expense of retaining a fully qualified firm that specializes in the field of consumer healthcare PR because they believe, rightly so, that the reputation of a particular medical entity is the premier factor in deciding whether or not to become a lifelong customer of said medical entity. Only the medical offices with the highest caliber of service make it in the long run. These highly desirable medical practices and offices often have stellar reputations that make it easier to retain long term clients and to get new business. It is in service of this goal that a fully qualified firm that specializes in the field of consumer healthcare PR operates. A fully qualified firm that specializes in the field of consumer healthcare PR has to perform at the top of their game in order to ensure that the interests of their clients are protected so they can continue to provide the necessary medical services for all who should require them.

A fully qualified firm that specializes in the field of consumer healthcare pr should work tirelessly behind the scenes, never hogging the spotlight, but only coming into the light when the situation requires it. By fully deploying all the ordinates in the arsenal of a fully qualified firm that specializes in the field of consumer healthcare PR, medical practitioners will be able to sleep soundly at night with the knowledge that their interests are being jealously guard. They know that their reputations are secure, and thus, they can be relatively assured that their profit margin will increase, thus ensuring that they can stay business for many years to come and can go about their business of helping people.

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Thursday, August 25, 2011

14 Reasons Why Audiences Will Love You

Many sales professionals and business executives dread speaking in public. If you feel annoyed or irritated when participants ask a question…here are 14 new ways to respond.

When planning a presentation, most presenters think about one thing. What they will say. They worry and sweat about what to say, how to say it, what slides to show, and what to whiteboard. But the one thing many sales professionals resist thinking about is: what questions will the audience have?

If you shift your attention to the questions your audience has, an entirely new perspective opens up. It's a transformative moment—when you discover that the thing you've been resisting is the very thing you've been searching for.

When you welcome questions from your audience, your audience will love you.

Here are 14 reasons why audience questions are your new best friends.
  1. Participants have opinions. They like to be heard. Asking a question is the easiest way to express an opinion. 
  2. Individuals who ask questions are engaged and interacting. This is exactly what you want to achieve when presenting.
  3. Spontaneous interaction such as drawing, sketching or showing a simple solution at the whiteboard adds depth to a planned presentation.
  4. Some people will never ask a question. But when one person in the audience asks, most likely other people have the same question rolling around in their brain. By inviting questions, you're including all the shy introverts in the room.
  5. Questions are intimate. A real time conversation that takes place adds an immediacy and personal quality to the presentation.
  6. People feel special when they participate in lively discussion. They know that this wasn't planned or canned.
  7.  People talk to each other about questions and answers. This kind of buzz builds connection and strengthens relationships.
  8. People feel safe to ask seemingly 'stupid' questions. When you invite open discussions without judgment, people are more likely to reveal what they don't know.
  9. Participants are able to speak from their own experiences. If you don't know the answer, ask the audience to share their stories.
  10. Audiences enjoy seeing real-time interaction. A joke, a story, or an anecdote add fun and humor to serious topics.
  11. People enjoy contributing and adding value. By sharing questions, answers and interaction, a spirit of collaboration and interaction is strengthened.
  12. Real time interaction is not dominated by technology. Human connection requires intelligent conversation, free from the confines of any one technology.
  13. Questions surface key concerns. The audience gives valuable information in the form of questions. This shapes the flow of dialogue—in any one presentation. And it shapes how future presentations will be developed.
  14. New opportunities emerge. Assumptions about what the audience knows, needs or wants are clarified.

Still feel that questions are the worst bit of your big presentation? No doubt, you're seeing the value and importance of encouraging questions from your audience.

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What is Biodegrading?

Whenever you hear about the sad state of the earth, you are always given a few hints and tips to help do your part to save the environment.  You are told to use biodegradable products, drive your car less, reuse common items like water bottles and grocery bags, and recycle anything you can whenever you can.  Most of these tips are easy to understand, but some people may not be perfectly clear on what it means to use biodegradable products. The confusion about biodegradable products stems from a lack of understanding about what biodegrading really is.  If you had a clear understanding of biodegrading, it would be easy to differentiate between what is a biodegradable product and what is not.  Luckily for most people, many biodegradable products are labeled as such, making it easy to know which product to buy.  But there are many biodegradable products that are not labeled, that you might pass up simply because you don't realize they are biodegradable.  So, what exactly is biodegrading, and is the hype about using biodegradable products really warranted?  In lay mans terms, biodegrading is simply a fancy way of saying that everything returns to its natural state.  If a product is truly biodegradable, then over time the material will break down into its most simple components, and then those components will be absorbed by the environment.  As you can see, in this case, earth returns to earth, keeping things going and healthy for much longer. Another benefit to biodegradable products is the fact that over time, as the components are broken down and returned to the environment, space is opened up.  There is a very large concern about how quickly all the landfills are filling up. Pretty soon there will be no more space for our garbage, because it will be full of garbage. If most of the things that were put into the landfills were biodegradable, eventually the majority of the items taking up space in the landfills would return to the earth, providing more room in the landfills.  Since every landfill disrupts the environment and results in toxins being released into the atmosphere, anything we can do to eliminate the need for more landfills is a huge step in the right direction.  Using biodegradable products is one easy way that you can help the environment, and if everyone did their part, the earth would thank us.
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Consumer healthcare public relations firms can help medical practices remain financially viable

The past three years have been exceptionally difficult for the economy of the United States of America. The financial collapse of 2008 has proven itself to be a nasty thorn in the side of the American economy, the effects of which are still being felt to this very day. No other event has had such a negative impact on the American economy since the Great Depression. While the memory of bread lines and rampant unemployment may seem like something from a dream, the spectre of financial ruin still looms ominously on the horizon. With the bank bailout, the federal government of the United States took an unprecedented step in ensuring that the economy can continue to function as it once did, allowing every single individual to seek out the American dream, and have a reasonable chance at success.

In the wake of the near collapse of the global banking system, the current administration enacted a series of reforms aimed at revolutionizing how average Americans gets medical treatment.

Sweeping legislation was passed, promising an overhaul of every state funded medical enterprise. This understandably, made many insurance companies, drug companies, and even independent medical practitions worrysome. The medical community was split between groups that wanted more individuals to have access to medical services and groups who were worried that the federal government would overextend itself by taking additional expenditures which could theoretically collapse the budget.

Admist all the these changes, medical practitioners have kept their noses firmly fixed to the grindstone in an attempt to whether the storm. But burying one's head in the groud is not an adequate solution to challenging and intricate problems. This is precisely the reason why so many medical practitioners, private practices, and large health care providers have enlisted the services of a company that works in the highly specialized field of consumer healthcare public relations to help them keep their bottom lines in working condition, so that they can continue to provide necessary medical treatments to those who need it at a manageable cost.

A company that works in the highly specialized field of consumer healthcare public relations can provide a number of helpful ways in which a medical practice can streamline its operations, thus maximizing profitiabiility, while at the same time ensuring that expenditures do not get out of control. A company that works in the highly specialized field of consumer healthcare public relations can do this by essentially improving the reputation of ther client. This may not seem like a big deal, when in fact it can make or break a medical office. This happens to be the case because if people start to think that a particular medical practice is incapable of providing high quality services at an affordable rate, then they will take their business elsewhere. This is obviously unacceptable, and it falls under the purview of a company that works in the highly specialized field of consumer healthcare public relations to combat this to their last breath.

Medical practitioners do not want to have to worry about running a business. They just want to focus on practicing medicine. A company that works in the highly specialized field of consumer healthcare public relations can help them to this end by making their reputation so impeachable that business can't help but thrive. Any company that traffics in the dicey realm of consumer healthcare public relations is bound to run into a hurdle or two, but they can overcome them.

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Energy companies are prone to scandal, so that=?UTF-8?B?4oCZ?=s why they often employ an energy PR firm

In light of many manmade disasters, that have served to undermine the public's trust in the good nature of energy companies, it should come as no surprise to learn that many consumers the world over, especially in the United States of America, have started to think less of energy companies. Many people look at energy companies like they are personally responsible for all the evil in the world. And the sad fact of the matter is that sometimes, they are responsible for terrible things. One example of this is the oil spill of the coast of the south eastern United States. This tremendously bad oil spill has had numerous repercussions for the wildlife, as well as the local economy. The main component of the economy of this region was tourism, so the spill has effectively rendered many tourist supported business on the brink of financial collapse.

This is of course to say nothing about the incredible impact the spill had on the local ecosystem. Scientists estimated that hundreds of species have been displaced, causing irreparable damage.

This is an extreme example, but it serves as fair warning of what can happen when bad press goes unchecked. There is no way to spin a positive light on an oil spill. But that does not mean it is impossible to lessen the blow, so to speaking. This is why so many energy companies the world over employ a highly specialized and fully qualified energy PR firm to help them avoid scandal. Public relations is an intricate and complex enterprise, so it takes a skilled and steady hand to try and navigate it successfully. Many energy companies have tried to keep their energy PR in house, by employing a public relations wing or something similar.

But nine times out of ten, this proves to be a futile gesture, as these companies soon realize that they need to go with an energy PR firm that has the experience and the skill set necessary to combat the many different kinds of bad press that they can generate in the course of their daily business.

Thankfully, there are a number of tools available to the highly specialized and fully qualified energy PR firm to help them achieve their goal of promoting their clients' reputations. One of the most commonly used tools in the modern age is the internet, and more specifically social media. Traditionally marketing and advertising techniques have gotten increasingly expensive, often to the point of becoming prohibitively so. Therefore, many energy PR firms who have to work on a budget have started using social media to get their message across. This can be highly advantageous for energy PR firms because they can tailor their message for a specific group of people and can get a specific response. The usual sixty or ninety second spot does not give the purchaser enough time to explain in detail all the many positive attributes of a particular energy company. This is why so many firms that specialize in energy PR have started to employ social media as a major component of their attack plan.

So once an energy PR firm has done its job effectively, their own reputations have been increased. Therefore, it is in both parties best interest to work together in service of a common goal. This is why many energy PR firms and their clients have long and prosperous relationships: everybody wins when they band together in pursuit of the same goal.

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Win awards! A classic Green IT PR strategy - Anna Martinelli

These days, it's cool to be green. While this is great for the environment, it makes it tricky to design a Green IT PR campaign that truly distinguishes any single Green IT firm within a crowd of tree-huggers. There is however, one Green IT PR strategy that never seems to fail. And that's winning awards. Let's take a look at a few of today's best award-winning opportunities within the Green IT PR world.

The premier Green IT PR award-winning opportunity is most likely the International Green Awards. Winning an International Green Award is great for a firm's Green IT PR because this event has become an established event on the global sustainable business-calendar. Since 2005, the International Green Awards have expanded significantly and accumulated a great deal of notoriety.  A considerable following has developed among sustainability professionals, CEO's, Marketing Directors, Business Editors, and CSR Directors from all around the world.

Last year, over 500 organizations participated and prestigious past winners include Nokia, Marks & Spencer, Toyota and the China Environmental Protection Foundation. A Green IT PR campaign that results in an International Green Award truly establishes a Green IT firm as a global leader in sustainability.

Next, we have Green IT Magazine's Green IT Awards. Each year, these awards are given to companies and organizations that make exceptional contributions to the IT industry's environmental performance. This represents a great Green IT PR opportunity because winners are also featured in Green IT Magazine, which has become a prominent industry outlet.

The Green IT Awards offer a unique chance for industry promotion, for the event is one of the only Green Awards platforms that limit its scope to the IT industry.

The Green Dot Awards also warrant consideration by Green IT PR firms, but for slightly different reasons. The Green Dot Awards' Green IT PR power draws largely from their celebrity promotion. The Green Dot Awards event is hosted by Jagron Boise Thomas of Discovery Channel's Planet Green and attended by other environmental program hosts and winners from all around the world. Unsurprisingly, this distinguished crowd attracts a great deal of press. Any Green IT PR effort to promote a client through this avenue should mirror the Green Dot Awards focus on innovation.

These three Awards represent only a few opportunities that can occupy a central space in any solid Green IT PR campaign. As the green movement grows, additional award-winning opportunities are sure to emerge. Green IT PR firms must be aware of this and remain constantly on the look-out.

Kevin Waddel is a free lance writer. To get more information about Public relations, Public Relations New York, New York city public relations, Green IT PR, PR, NYC Public Relations Firms, Financial Services Relations in New York visit http://www.makovsky.com

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How to Maximize Local PR

Whereas I'm a big believer in going national if you have a strong story, there is a lot to be said for regional and local PR coverage. If you live in a major media city such as Los Angeles or New York, local media placement can be challenging because in a sense many of the outlets in those cities offer a more national slant; plus, simply because of the sheer numbers in those cities, the competition is fierce.  But, even in major cities, if you shift your focus from the primary outlets and concentrate on the smaller more community based newspapers and magazines you can launch a local-oriented campaign.

Keep in mind what interests local media are local stories.  You need to understand their audience and their needs.  Their focus is community based.  For example if you are based in or you were born in Boise, Idaho and you're pitching the local newspapers or TV stations, your tie to that city is your lead.  If you were pitching the Today Show or Time magazine, where you're from or where you were born is generally incidental, unless it directly impacts the story.

Reference local events and/or partner when possible.  When putting on your own event, use local resources.  Pick a person or a brand that is well recognized in the community.  If there is a local cause you can get involved with, do so.  Connect with causes and charities that directly impact the area.

If you have a personal story that has a local slant to it, use it.  Maybe a story as to how you built your business, or a story about how your product, service or company helped transform the life of someone else who lives in the community.  The media loves transformational stories, so offer them one with a strong local hook.

Study the local media outlets.  Research the types of stories they do, the style they use as well as their tone and approach.  You want to pitch towards their needs.  The more you study and learn about your local media outlets, the better prepared you'll be to pitch them stories they can use.

Remember to tie in holiday oriented stories and pitches.  Do something fun or different or interesting.  Give it some thought.  Don't just stick to the main holidays; remember St.

Patrick's Day or even April Fools Day.  But always give your pitch a local slant.  Remember you're drilling down, pitching narrow, not wide.

And don't forget to amplify and magnify your local media coverage using social media. Whenever you get a newspaper or magazine story, or a segment on local TV, make sure and place links to those media hits on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media sites.  And guess what, by posting your story on the internet; you've now turned that local story into a national and even international story.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

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7 Steps To Unstoppable Public Speaking Success

Many professionals, academicians and business owners know the hard facts: confidence in public speaking boosts your career. Follow these 7-steps for unstoppable success in front of every audience.

Many smart people make foolish choices when it comes to public speaking. Instead of taking a presentation skills training, they rely on habits gathered over many years to prepare an effective presentation.

If presenting and public speaking is part of your daily work life, it pays to invest in presentation skills training. You'll learn key strategies to feel confident, centered and on top of your game—in front of any audience.

Whether you plan on taking an online course in presentation skills or attend a seminar in public speaking, knowing the key steps to success is critical. Use this short overview to plan your steps to unstoppable rewards.

Step 1. Master Your Attitude

If you're repeating 'I hate presenting' like a religious mantra, guess what's going to happen? You will hate presenting!

It's only natural that our attitudes are shaped by what we think, say and do repeatedly. Instead of polishing negative views about presenting, look for ways to welcome the opportunity.

Step 2. Define Your Aims

What is your intention and purpose in giving a presentation? Are you hoping to gain more confidence through experience? Do you know what the audience is looking for? Are you clear on what you would like to achieve as an outcome.

By defining your goals before you plan your presentation, you'll be better equipped to build your message to achieve your desired outcome.

Step 3. Select Your Content

Selection is one of the toughest parts of presenting. There's always a lot to say on a topic that is near and dear to your heart. When faced with a time limit of 30 or 60 minutes, you must make tough decisions.

While you're selecting your precise content, consider how to engage each audience for maximum impact. This will often help you choose what to leave in and what to leave out for another presentation.

Step 4. Choose Media and Technology

When planning your presentation, consider the available technology, media and fit for the environment. If you're presenting over lunch, look for ways to interact with your audience that doesn't require dimming lights and relying on slides.

Organize your presentation to work no matter what happens. If all technology fails, can you speak without your slides? If the room is changed and the set up you planned must be altered, be unflappable. Have an alternate Plan B or Plan C to shift into.

Step 5. Structure Interaction

Plan, prepare and rehearse how to engage your audience. Prepare for planned and impromptu questions. Practice for potential challenges and make sure that you can respond with calm poise and a good sense of humor.

One of the best ways to practice your skill in interaction is with a tough-minded peer. Ask him or her to challenge your delivery. When you can respond precisely without getting impatient, judgmental or upset, then you're ready to go.

Step 6. Prepare For The Unexpected

Every professional public speaker knows that Murphy's Law is true. "Whatever can go wrong…will go wrong." The only question is: When?

If you prepare for the unexpected, you'll be much more likely to be able to roll with the punches and keep your cool when it happens.

Step 7. Ask For and Listen To Feedback

Ask peers, clients and prospects for feedback. Ask your team. Ask your boss. Ask people who don't know your topic. Ask an objective and skilled presentation coach.

The more you ask for feedback, the more you'll learn. Remember to use the other half of the equation. Listen to what people tell you. A shocking number of professionals ask for feedback, but then argue with what they hear. Keep an open mind and an open attitude when people point out what you could do more of…and what you could improve.

By taking a precise step-by-step approach to presentation skills, you can build your confidence and ace your presentation—to any audience.

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Master The Uncertainty Of Presentations

Why try to fool ourselves? Presenting to a group is fraught with uncertainty. If you want to know exactly what will happen at every moment, you'd be better off hiding in the closet. Here's the secret for feeling confident in every situation…

In spite of extreme risks and rampant uncertainty, giving presentations and speaking in public are a part of every professional's life. Certainly as you progress in your career, you can expect to give more presentations. And each public speaking event is likely to present more challenges and more uncertainties than the last one.

What's the best way to cope with the unknowns?

Hmmm…does pushing the variables under the rug work?

Nope.

Let's see.

How about sneaking out the side door and letting someone else deal with butterflies and nervous jitters?

Not if you want to rise to the top.

Face the facts. The best coping strategy is not ignorance. Or avoidance. Yet, many professionals use these strategies when it comes to presenting and speaking to groups.

There is an alternative.

Learn and use a systematic approach to build remarkable presentations. Follow a simple plan to produce exciting and engaging talks. The big mistake that many subject matter experts make is: heading into a presentation without a systematic process.

No wonder the alternatives of hiding or avoiding look so attractive.

Just about everything that works well in business is a system.

You have a system for strategic planning, project management, and sales efforts. Why wouldn't you have an equally thought through system for presenting?

The only reason that consistently pops up for NOT having a presentation system is: assigning 'presentations' into a category of 'unimportant.'

If one believes that presenting is not a valuable use of time, then it would make sense to not have a system for doing it.

But that's just foolish. One 5-minute presentation in front of the right people could do a whole lot more for your career than 5 years behind a desk. You could get a promotion, seal a deal, or get funding for your dream project. One presentation could unlock doors that would never be touched if you remain hidden deep in research.

Just last week I coached a woman who was struggling with this very issue. She had so many ideas for her 1-hour talk, that she could have easily written a 700-page book. Without a proven process, she spent hours dissecting ideas, jumping from one topic to the next.

In a short time together, we whittled down the massive volume to a few key concepts and a single theme. Instead of tearing her hair out, she was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

"This process was incredibly helpful! I never could have done it without you."

Presenting in public can be scary and daunting. There are unknowns and risks. People may sit in stony silence. Participants may ask uncomfortable questions. Problems may emerge that you aren't sure how to answer.

But with a solid system to plan your story, share your ideas, and guide interaction…you will feel ready to take on the unknown. Interested in building your confidence and growing your presentation skills?

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The Power Of Projecting Confidence and Credibility

Do you present and speak in public with confidence and project credibility? The way a professional delivers a message has a dramatic affect on the outcome. Discover the top secrets for maximum impact.

 

If you project authentic confidence, it comes through in all ways. Your attitude, demeanor, body language, style and tone all reflect your internal state. Your inner alignment shines forth and is immediately obvious to all who are listening. This comes through in any media: in face-to-face settings, virtual communications, and video.

 

If you are projecting authority, but not really feeling it inside, this comes through as well. Participants in your audience will recognize that there is something missing. It may not be obvious instantly. But even a highly polished presence does not always carry the full conviction and authority that you desire.

 

According to academic research, a full 93% of what audiences perceive as confidence depends on body language and vocal quality. Imagine. That only leaves 7% of your impression relying on the content of your presentation.

 

By the way, this drives some people really nuts. In one training class, some people stormed out of the room, they were so perturbed by these statistics. They just couldn't let in that the verbal content of their talk was not 'all they needed' to show their research.

 

However, since you're reading still reading this and haven't left the room, my hunch is you're ready to accept the facts. This does not in any way diminish the importance of those 7%. You still need to verify facts, polish words, and carefully build your message.

 

Yet, we all have limited time. When preparing for a presentation, wouldn't it make sense to balance preparation time in parallel with the outcomes? If 93% of your message depends on body language and vocal quality, it stands to reason that preparation, practice and performance should be similarly weighted.

 

You and I know that's not the case. Nine times out of ten, professionals, subject matter experts, sales staff and senior executives do the opposite. We often invest 93% on the content. We obsess over punctuation and spelling. We get snagged on finding the perfect word. We worry and torment ourselves searching for dramatic flow of ideas.

 

The challenge is many of these habits are not new. If you are at a part of your career where you've been at this for some time, your habits for preparing for a presentation have been acquired over time. If you are just starting out, you have habits from school that also may reinforce a focus on content over delivery.

 

It can take years to cultivate poor presentation habits. The good new is—it can take just a few days and precise feedback to change them. Often, working one-on-one with a presentation coach is the best investment of time and energy for busy professionals. A presentation coach, especially one who works virtually, enables you to upgrade your presentation habits to be highly functional.

 

If just one of the people in your audience recognizes your vision, and is inspired, motivated and engaged, your investment has paid off in multiples.

 

Ready to grow your presentation skills for maximum impact? If you are in a position to communicate ideas, express business visions, and influence public opinions, this investment in your habits and skills will be paid back a hundred times over or more.

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Shattering The 5 Most Dangerous Presentation Myths

Are you a natural at public speaking? Not every professional starts out with innate talent. But instead of denying yourself the benefits of charismatic speaking…it pays to shatter the 5 most dangerous myths about presenting.

 

Anybody can learn effective presentation skills. The very first step is to find an effective training program to show you the exact system for success. Learning new presentation skills is one of the best investments you will ever make in your career.

 

Many professionals rely on their presentation skills to share ideas, give advice, present opinions, and demonstrate values. Presentation skills training enables people to stand out in a crowd, whether at a conference, in a team, or in front of an important client.

 

To be extremely effective, it pays to first shatter the 5 most dangerous myths about presenting.

 

Myth 1: Charismatic Speakers Are Born That Way

Sure, there are professionals who have a natural talent or are blessed with the ability to speak passionately. However, the majority of public speakers, politicians, and people in the public eye did not start out as talented presenters. They learned their skills with training, coaching and rehearsal.

 

Truth: If they can do it, you can do it. Presentation skills can be learned with step-by-step training.

 

Myth 2: Presentation Skills Training Is Expensive

Yes, this myth used to be true. And in many circles, this myth continues because there are many experts who will happily charge you a fortune for training. But that's not your only alternative.

 

Truth: There are many new alternatives including online, on demand presentation skills training. The best options are those where you can pay as you go, learn as fast as you want, and focus on specific skills based on your own interests.

 

Myth 3: Presentation Coaching Is Time Consuming

When busy executives want to improve, they opt for individual coaching. The myth is that this is both time intensive and expensive. Fortunately, today there are more affordable alternatives.

 

Truth: Virtual presentation coaching is a low-cost way to rapidly improve skills. If just one tip increases productivity in planning and presenting effectively, the cost of coaching will be paid back a hundred times over.

 

Myth 4: You Should Expect Pain and Suffering

Improving skills can be tough. But the myth about tedious exercises, painful rehearsals is pure rubbish.

 

Truth: To win at presenting, it pays to have some fun. Make sure your learning experience is fun. After all, if you have fun learning new skills, you're going to have fun using them.

 

Myth 5: Some Presentations Are Essentially Boring

A lot of people believe this myth. Participants often come to a presentation skills training with this myth forming their core beliefs. While some topics present challenges, test our creativity, and demand our persistence, it is important to shatter this myth.

 

Truth: There are no boring topics. Only boring presenters.

 

Ouch. But what about accounting, technical details, tax code, and mandatory procedures? Sorry. Any topic can be made exciting, if you put your imagination into it.

 

Wherever you are in your career, bust these myths. Challenge and shatter common myths about presenting. Myths get in your way and stop you from taking a direct, focused path to your greatest success.

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The Optimistic Approach to Criticism from Business Relationships

When I was just starting out in my career some years ago, after an all-day training program for professional speakers, I approached the main presenter to give her some advice on her speaking style – constructive criticism that I thought would help her for her next presentation. I waited for a few others to end their after-talk chatting and then approached her. But instead of waiting for a comfortable moment after a rapport had been established, I started right in with my feedback.

The speaker was overwhelmed in the most negative fashion you can imagine and became defensive. She retorted, "How do you know that? Did you check with others?" indicating clearly that she was offended. Here she was, after a day of presenting, at her most vulnerable moment, and I "attacked" her with what she saw as criticism, whether it was constructive or not. She was meeting with the officers of the organization next, and I could just imagine her annoyance spilling over into their conversation as she billed me as the most insensitive dolt, destructive and spiteful.

I myself was devastated. What was intended as helpful and supportive was received as aggressive and tactless. And now my standing in the organization (I was newly elected to the board) was tentative to say the least. I could just see myself being ostracized from the group I had hoped to become an integral part of. I could handle this situation as either a pessimist or an optimist.

Here's the pessimist version: I truly am an insensitive dolt. I took it upon myself to "attack" someone at her most vulnerable moment. How could I be so stupid! This event will change things forever. I'll never make my way back into the good graces of this group to which I aspired to be an integral part.

This will affect my entire professional career. Every aspect of my career is tinged by this from now on and forever.

Here's the optimist version: I offered constructive criticism that no one else had the guts to offer. This feedback will make her good presentation even better in the future. She deserves to hear what will help her. I would want that if I were in her shoes. She took offense to it. Somehow she may not be as secure as I thought in terms of getting such feedback. I misjudged that aspect of her personality. Had I taken more time to develop a personal rapport with her, she definitely would have been more receptive and appreciative. I'm responsible for communicating effectively, though not responsible for her feelings. This is a lesson in the necessity for good rapport before giving potentially hurtful feedback. I won't forget that.

So, was I personally responsible? Absolutely, and so was the other party, making this a two-way proposition. Was the effect permanent and pervasive? Not at all, as I took charge of the situation to rectify the understanding of all those involved that my intent was benign. I took responsibility for my timing and pointed out what I learned about the importance of gaining rapport before offering constructive criticism. This theory of optimism is only as good as its application to a down-to-earth, thorny problem.

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The Credit Card Debt on Debt Negotiation

I want to sit a while along with understand the amounts for this trouble and ways to do the job our own strategy by means of this. We will be certain everybody right out of your five reading this posting could have or possibly looking at a good debt dilemma. Quoting the findings posted because of the United states Our lawmakers Mutual Economic Board statement around May possibly 2010, its discovered that the up to Drive 09, the patron credit card in the All of us handled Dollars 950 billion dollars, this has been just about completely was made up of the cardboard debt. Additional section that document highlights, and that is much more mind boggling, is that often just about 14% in the functional income at the disposal of the customer during Individuals was applied to pay for debts over the last 1 fourth of year 2009. The following probably would you have to be in many houses.

As being the recession impacts an increasing number of day-to-day lives. The career promote gets to be more problematic, secure money will be a problem and then the payment terms agreed upon becomes a condition in nearly all dwellings, that can be attempting and keep afloat. To the telltale family homes your debt negotiation definitely conveys certain delight as well as relief.

The relationship is severe in a very most the citizenry that are within the threat to get broke because of growing bank loan burden along with downsizing means to settle the money with time. Major in these lending options usually are charge card personal loans that have been utilized to purchase amenities for the family members believing the problem would certainly strengthen in most many months and individuals would be able to pay back it in the original.

Because finish have not occurred as you expected, lots of people have realized that it is hard to repay a financial loans on the list of taken alongside their own credit cards. It has already been checked out and also a legitimate way of Consumer credit card debt settlement can be imagined to guarantee the with money is not capable receive assistance in their normal process potentially they are in a position to repay the complete amount of money inside a various transaction structure loan or even fork out portion of he / she mortgage loan which in turn be the principal is certainly saved by way of a delayed program. The credit card debt will begin ordinarily between consumer along with the negotiator and locate away will be most effective manner in which the expenses are usually taken care of so that you can create the required extra adequate to repay a stable level which were reduced versus authentic total but on which any person in debt might not exactly defaulting.

In the event the in-house deliberations are over then your person while using negotiator or perhaps the person in debt on its own can certainly technique the financing corporations. There are tons connected with opportunities which might be discovered after a personal debt pay out, the moment, the actual lender is totally persuaded for the severity of your predicament as well as legitimateness on the person. The choices consist of alteration from the rates of interest, changes while in the additional fees that is certainly billed and also a minimized overall steadiness on occasion. You'll find reducing organizations which often talk with the banks often so therefore appreciate great union and also have faith in when using the standard bank representatives; thus they might be capable of getting your borrower an extension cord on the consumer credit or perhaps altered way of personal loan repayment.

For this reason, it's essential to get rid of your own self-consciousness and also pick-up the iphone on either a traditional bank official or an unsecured debt negotiator, so that you can have a seat and have a one on one chat. What on earth is advantageous to not overlook during a Debt negotiation is both the get-togethers engaged usually are achieved positive results; it is every bit possibly not you the financial institution wants to have the money back. If your customer files for chapter 13 the income could be difficult to find for the financial institution.

 
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