Communication Skills – How to Make a Great Presentation

Giving a presentation has been a harrowing experience for many. In fact, many amazing presenters are extremely nervous before they begin their talk. So if you are one of them we might have the right solution for you. Even the person with the worst stage fright in the world can improve his/her presentation skills. All you have to do is to just relax, be confident and try to connect with your audience. Set your mind to it and you will be impressing your audiences and getting your point across effectively in no time. The following points will help you excel at giving presentations:

1) Do your research: Always sound like an expert on the subject you’re speaking about. Researching the topic as thoroughly as you can is your best bet for making them believe every single word you say.

2) Know your audience: Give a lot of thought to who will be sitting in the front seats of yours to polish your presentation skills. You can figure out a lot on the age group of the people you’ll be presenting to. Keep this in mind as you hone your presentation.

3) Make a plan for your time limit: Nothing in this world can go on and on without any time limitation. Similarly for your presentation too you have to keep time frame in mind. Because if you’ll not take care of the time either you’ll exceed your time limit or there will be a dead time at the end. For this practice at home with a watch. The best way is this only.

4) Be a tech savvy: Technology, nowadays, is the fastest thing that is happening. So, why not make use of it in your presentations, too? Instead of just speaking and speaking, you can make use of electronic gadgets in your talk. Use of projectors, slides will help you to enhance your points and also to engage your audiences. Thus, try to make use of this beautiful gift given to us by science.

5) Practice: This is the most important point to be taken into account in order to improve your presentation skills. Practicing in front of the mirror, with friends will help you to gain confidence in speaking and you’ll have great command on the subject. Practice hard to make yourself comfortable with the topic. And also it is said that “practice makes a man perfect.”

In short, if you really want to improve just consider the above points. You’ll surely overcome the fear and will be a much more confident person. Just remember one thing that if you have decided and if you have the will then no one on this world can stop you from achieving your dream. So good luck at it!

Christmas Presents For Your Boyfriend – What Does He Want?

I have some exciting news for you: after reading this article you will know how to select a great present for your boyfriend this Christmas. Interested?

Picture this, it’s the end of August, and some women (young and old) are already thinking about Christmas and all the shopping woes that come with it. You will need to buy presents for your families, your friends, your co-workers (yes, and your boss), and even the hairdresser.

… Oops, what about the boyfriend? Have you decided what you will get him in 2013?

As I’m sure you know, it’s never too early to start shopping… and stressing. Let me provide you with some tips that I think will help. And the best part, these tips come from someone who knows… yes, a guy. Here are my ideas to narrow down your search so you can actually create a list of things you think your boyfriend will want.

Imagine if you even came up with one idea under each of the following:

Hobbies

What have you seen your guy do to relax? What does he talk about (doesn’t include work or even you) that gets him all excited? He’s giving you tips into that male brain of his and very likely giving you hints about those things he likes to do and therefore would like to get.

Guys like to relax and have fun (I know, it’s childish sometimes) but why not help him enjoy his down time? The ideas are many: sports accessories, video games.

Toys

Sometimes jokingly used, it’s still worth noting that anything goofy or unusual is still a safe bet. I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “small things amuse small minds”? Well, it’s true, and sometimes we all need those things just to relax and take our minds off this complex world we live in.

What I really like about the variety of “toys” out there is that these make great stocking stuffers and therefore easy to hide from prying eyes. They’re also great if you’ve only been dating for a short time and are looking for something that says “fun but not overly committed but would like to be”.

Work or School

Depending on what your guy does for work, or even if he’s in school, there are tons of options available to you to find something that makes these more manageable for your boyfriend. Trust me, guys think in terms of efficiencies and if you’ve helped him with this then it will be appreciated (meaning more time for you, too).

Electronics

Here’s an easy one that gives you a gazillion options; from laptops to game players to phones and even… ready, I’m going to use two words in the same sentence about guys… buy your boyfriend accessories!

That’s right, there are so many gadgets and things as well as covers and cables that your choices here are almost endless. This is extremely beneficial to you if you’ve bought him the “big-ticket item” previously and now you want to jazz it up or even make it better.

Sports

I wanted to list this one separately even though it’s touched on above. What else do guys talk about, cheer about, and even place wagers on? Sports, of course! If they have a favorite local team you could look at purchasing a one-game or a seasons-pass for him. Whether you include one for you or one of his buddies is up to you.

If there is not a local team then perhaps you can buy him a pay-per-view event and either you two can snuggle up close to watch it or he could invite his buddies over (I recommend the latter). It should be easy finding out which he prefers, just listen the next time you’re out with him and his friends.

Because you’ve heard this directly from the horse’s mouth, a guy, you know that these suggestions are legitimate. If you’re still not sure, ask other male acquaintances or male family members; they will agree with me.

By following these time-proven suggestions you will narrow down your search for that perfect Christmas present for your boyfriend this year. And what a relief going into the holiday season to be ahead of your girlfriends-with-boyfriends. Happy shopping!

Negotiation Tips to Increase Your Salary

So, you have been working for the same company or organization for some time. You have not received a raise and you know you are worth more than what you make. What should you do? You may want to think about some negotiation tips that you can implement to help you out.

Negotiation tactics can be very helpful if you are using them appropriately. In fact, your employer probably uses negotiation tricks from time to time when they are doing business. The more you use them the better you will become. If you want a higher pay then you can always start with this negotiation tip.

Try to let your employer know that you are looking at other job offers. You should never reveal any salary information when you do this. You should also avoid this bargaining trick if you do not have any other jobs in the wing. But, if you do have some other offers you may want to discuss this with your employer. Let him or her know that you would like to stay where you are but you would like some incentives to make that decision.

Always do your research before you try to employ any negotiation tactics. It is very important to be able to go to your employer with facts. If you are underpaid then you can discuss this. Keep in mind that you need to have facts from your area and you should have facts that are reputable. This is often very easy to find if you spend a little bit of time on the internet.

Another negotiation trick that you can try would be related to other compensation packages that your current employer may be able to offer you. If you are not confident that your employer is able to give you a raise in your salary then you should identify a few other bonuses or compensation methods that would make your stay more comfortable.

You have to know how to negotiate if you want any efforts on your part to be successful. Never try to sound condescending or as if you do not need your job. Simply state the facts and know how to play the game. You have to remember that, most likely, the reason your boss is in his or her position is because they have some questionable negotiation tricks up their sleeve. Therefore, you have to know what you are doing if you want to be successful.

In the end, you should never be afraid to ask for what you want. Just make sure that you are stating it appropriately with the facts to back yourself up. Always stop and listen to what your employer is saying to you. You may learn something that will help you improve your negotiation tactics if you stop talking and listen.

Good luck!

Martin Collins