5 Tips to Present Like a Pro

Over the last five years, I’ve noticed a dramatic change in the field of presentation
skills. Increasingly, experts support the idea that being a “good enough” speaker is
no longer “good enough.” Mere competency as a speaker is no longer enough to sell
your ideas, bring communities together, or move clients to action.

What are the reasons for this change?  I believe it results from a unique confluence
between popular and business cultures. The private sphere has become more
public, reality shows rule, PowerPoint is the norm, and the idea of individual
“performance” is key. Whatever the reasons, the expectations of ordinary audiences
have risen. It’s no longer good enough to be good enough.

How can presenters overcome these new challenges?

Here are five essential tips to ensure you are better than “just good enough.”

1.  Ensure that you have a good design.

More presentations fail because of poor design than because of poor delivery. In
fact, high quality design actually improves delivery.

Here are the three factors most likely to cause poor design:

* Composing your presentation without an “end in mind.”

* Using PowerPoint to compose your presentation.

* Overlooking your audience’s needs, wants, anxieties, biases, “personality…”

How to avoid these pitfalls:

Always ask yourself: “What do I want to this presentationto achieve?” Many speakers
who want to persuade their audiences compose “information-only” speeches. Guess
what? The audience, in most cases, will NOT fill in the blanks. They will NOT be
moved to action. Learn how to construct the right speech for the job. (I can help –
drop me a line at [email protected].)

PowerPoint is meant to support your message, not to be used as a composing tool.
You must identify your desired outcome(s) and design your presentation to achieve
those. The best tools to do this are a pen and paper, (or Word if you are so inclined.)
Composing on PowerPoint increases the chance that you will deliver an unfocused,
rambling “data-dump.”

Know your audience. Design your presentation to answer the question, “What’s in it
for THEM?”

2. Be fit.

The best presenters, even the “low-key” ones, use a lot of personal energy. If you
feel out of shape, find an activity that strengthens you, speeds up your metabolism,
and gives you stamina. It doesn’t matter what  “size” you are. It does matter how fit
you are.

3.  Remember that presenting is a relationship event, not a performance event.

Above all, effective presenters connect with their audiences. The presentation
becomes a large conversation. Everyone feels more comfortable, even when the
topic is thorny.

How to connect? Greet people individually as they come in the door. Hob-nob at the
refreshment table. Learn people’s names. Make eye contact. Ask questions. Show
empathy.

4. Breathe. Be yourself. Have fun!

This tip is integrally attached to point #3. When we are authentic, we connect
authentically with people. They are more apt to listen to us and receive our
message. When we have enough oxygen to fuel our brains, we don’t forget our
material. We are energized. When we’re having fun, the audience is more receptive.

5. Remember that your internal voice never tells the whole truth.

You’re done with the presentation. You’re privately debriefing the experience inside
your brain.  Some presenters will hear mean-spirited comments–crueler by far than
any comment they might dream of giving someone else. Other presenters hear
overly grandiose feedback, telling them that they did much better than they actually
did.

Many presenters don’t hear much self-feedback at all, since they became oblivious
of their actions and words once they began their presentations (not a good thing.)

How do we discover how effective we actually were?

Elicit feedback from people you trust will tell you the truth. Take their comments
seriously, and then decide what, if any, changes you want to make. Don’t depend
totally on your internal voice.

Approximately 50 million presentations are given every day across the United
States. Since you sometimes give one of those presentations, why not rise beyond
being “just good enough?” Integrate these tips and you’ll present like a pro!

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Article © 2005 Guila Muir and Associates

Linear Thought of the Present Period or Lies of History for $200 Bob

Have you ever thought to yourself when interacting with others in social situations; you know I have heard all this BS before. Indeed it seems that even intelligent people show up at a party and begin discussing; How about those Yankees or How about the weather?

Indeed most of us have nothing against baseball, as it is about as American as Apple Pie and Automobiles. And the 2005 Atlantic Tropical Hurricane Season, certainly changed the weather headlines for months on end, as if it would never stop.

Nevertheless are you simply tired of all the linear thought out there? If so well then it sounds like you are someone who could certainly benefit from higher level dialogue and assist us in bettering the Republic and moving linear thought from flickering cave walls to the masses.

Would you rather discuss other things? Do you ancient studies fascinating, do you ever wonder if all the history we have been taught and everything we know is wrong and we are doomed to repeat even if we study it because we are studying nothing more than re-written purported falsehood by the victors of that past period?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-Your-Knowledge-of-History-Correct?&id=233411

If we have all be sold a bill of goods on history then we need not discuss the past. If everyone in the present is stuck in linear thought, then why bother discussing anything but the future road ahead? Too philosophical for you; I see, well then; How about those Yankees do you think the weather will hold out for next weeks game? Think on this in 2006.

What Is the New USCIS Provisional Waiver (601A) for Unlawfully Present Immigrants?

New Rule on Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers of Inadmissibility for Certain Immediate Relatives finally announced

Recently, the Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced the final posting of a rule that has for long been under speculation and long awaited. The new rule is a much welcome relief for those US citizens who are separated from their relatives during the time taken for approval of their citizenship status. The new law, on Unlawful Presence Waivers of Inadmissibility reduces much of the time that U.S. citizens spent separated from their immediate families, whether it is their parents, spouse or children who are still in the process of obtaining immigrant visas and becoming lawful citizens of America.

This is a follow up on, the proposed rule that was initiated on April 2, 2012, as declared by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This rule tries to amend its previous regulations and allow certain immediate relatives of U.S. citizens who are physically present in the United States to request provisional unlawful presence waivers before they have to depart from the United States for the processing of their immigrant visa applications.

Under the previous law, even the most immediate relatives of U.S. citizens were not eligible to adjust status in the United States and become lawful permanent residents. They had to leave the U.S. and obtain an immigrant visa abroad, which was rather stressful on them since the period for waiting for processing could be as long as 2 years too! It also stated that those individuals who had accrued more than six months of unlawful presence during their stay in the United States must obtain a waiver to overcome the unlawful presence inadmissibility bar before they could come back to the United States after leaving to obtain an immigrant visa. A totally unjustified waiver process had specified that immediate relatives could not file a waiver application until they had appeared for an immigrant visa interview abroad.

This final rule of Unlawful Presence Waivers of Inadmissibility clarifies amendments on the previous rule as well as other provisions within the regulations. The new rule implies, the following-

The new Unlawful Presence Waivers of Inadmissibility waiver process specifies that immediate relatives must still depart the United States for the consular immigrant visa process.
The new rule however grants these individuals, the license to apply for a provisional unlawful presence waiver before they depart the United States for attending immigrant visa interviews in their countries of origin.
In order to be able to obtain a provisional unlawful presence waiver, the applicant must have the following-

Be inadmissible only on account of an unlawful presence.
Must be an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen,
Must show that the denial of the waiver would result in extreme hardship to the U.S. citizen, in some way.
By forming this new law, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) hopes that these changes will help in reducing the length of time in which U.S. citizens are separated from their immediate relatives who are engaged in consular processing outside the US. It is also believed that this new process will reduce the degree of interchange between the USCIS and the U.S. Department of State (DOS) helping establish better efficiency for both the waiver applicants as well as the U.S. government.

As a part of the unlawful presence waiver, the USCIS will publish a new form, termed as Form I-601A. This application for a Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver will be specifically for individuals to use when they are applying for a provisional unlawful presence waiver under the new procedure. Those who have filed the Form I-601A must notify the Department of State’s National Visa Center about their willingness to seek a provisional waiver from USCIS body. The entire process will come into effect from March 4, 2013 onwards.

There are of course clauses that those who apply for the unlawful presence waiver must follow.The new rule makes it clear that the filing or approval of a provisional unlawful presence waiver application cannot do the following-

Confer any legal status on the individual.
Protect any alien from being placed in removal proceedings or being removed from the US in accordance with current DHS policies governing the initiation of removal proceedings and the subsequent use of prosecutorial discretion, as and when deemed necessary.
The law does not protect against the accrual of additional periods of unlawful presence.
It does not authorize an alien to enter the US without securing appropriate entry documents or a visa.
The unlawful presence waiver will not convey any interim benefits like that of parole, or employment authorization.
For those of you who are looking for a good immigration lawyer,it is recommended that you consult a lawyer who will guide you through the entire process well and advice you how best to go about it. For this you might want to contact, the well experienced lawyers from the Shah Peerally Group.