Become a Master of Public Speaking

Public speaking becomes part of daily life when you run a successful business. Whether you are addressing employees, pitching a new product, being paid to speak at an event, or even recording a video of yourself; speaking to a crowd can be daunting, no matter how much experience you have. There are ways to improve your public speaking skills, and practice is important, but there’s more to public speaking than just rehearsing and memorizing. Want to get better at public speaking? Use these tips and see how your speeches improve.

Movement and Posture

Body language often says more than speech can. Used correctly, body language can punctuate your speech and portray expertise. If you are speaking at a podium, some of the rules will be different than they would be for a speaker without, but the most important guidelines are the same.

• Stand up straight (this will not only how improve you look, but how you speak as well).
• Avoid making any wild gestures; but don’t be afraid to use your hands to emphasize where it feels natural.
• If you are using a podium don’t lean on it, and if you aren’t, don’t just stand still. Shift your weight, walk around (sparingly), and use the space you have. Be mindful and keep your movements natural and deliberate.

Avoid Technical Jargon (Keep It Simple)

You are the expert on your topic, and though your audience may be familiar, they are here to listen to you and glean your knowledge. Avoid terms that are too technical, but don’t speak down to your audience. The key to a successful speech is taking information that is high level, and sharing it in a way that can reach the general public’s understanding.

Embrace Stress

It’s perfectly fine to be nervous. Public speaking isn’t something that comes naturally to many. In fact, it’s cited as one of the top fears for Americans. Stress and anxiety can be difficult to overcome, but the extra energy you have coming from a place of panic can easily be used to get excited and bring energy to your presentation. You have the power to reinterpret the signs of nervousness and change them into excitement.

Be Thoughtful With Facts

Even if you are an expert on what you will be speaking about, when planning to do an extended presentation you will have done some research into your topic. Make sure the facts you are saying are truthful, stated in a way that is clear and easy to understand, and remember to cite your sources. Giving credit where credit is due will not only keep you from plagiarism, but expand your personal credibility as well.

Avoid Upspeak

Generally a trend associated with female speakers, all speakers should try to avoid upspeak, or the tendency of vocally ending a sentence or word on a higher pitch than the rest of the sentence. This can make your statements come across as questions, which can break down your credibility. This video shows an example of upspeak (in this example it is called uptalk), versus speaking without it.

Reiterate Your Main Point

Your speech is about a certain topic, so the obvious first step is to state your main point. What may not be so obvious is the idea of revisiting that main point and restating it at the end of your speech. And if there are questions afterwards, come back to that main point again before completely wrapping up.  This leaves your audience with a clear understanding of what you are trying to say to them, and allows them to recall each point you brought up within the right context.

Slow Down

Don’t rush. Speak at an easy conversational level that gets your information across without speeding through and confusing your audience. It is easy to get wrapped up in excitement, but take a deep breath and make sure your words are clear, deliberate, and spoken at a level (of both speed and volume) that isn’t overwhelming for your listeners.

Build Drama

Pauses build anticipation and tension. Building drama and suspense keeps your listeners engaged in what you are saying. Pausing where it feels natural also allows you to catch your breath, figure out what to say next and get organized. It‘s unnatural to talk without any breaks, so to calm yourself down and also to make your speech seem effortless; as well as interesting and well thought out; a correctly timed pause is an excellent tool.

The best way to learn is to do, so go out and speak. Try out these tips and see how your audience responds to what you are saying. Who knows? You may even start to enjoy your presentations now!

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Why Email Marketing Shouldn’t Be Forgotten

Since the beginning of the internet, email has been one of the top ways we communicate. Regardless of the inception of chat apps, texting, and social media, email usage consistently grows each year. Despite these statistics, email marketing isn’t the main focus of many businesses, which is a shame for many reasons. With email marketing you can grow your business easily. Not convinced? Check out these reasons why email marketing should be a part of your marketing and sales strategies.

Mobile

Email can be accessed in a number of ways, and with at least half of US cellphone users accessing their email on their phones along with the ability for email to be accessed on tablets and other mobile devices, email can reach customers on a much larger scale that incurs less cost than SMS marketing.

Coupons and Bargain Hunters

Sending special offers and coupons to customers through email can cause a hesitant buyer to go through with a purchase. Driving engagement with customers is one of the most effective ways that email drives sales. Free shipping, and “buy one, get one” offers are shown to be the most attractive to customers, and with these offers you can increase conversion even within time constraints.

Versatility

Because email marketing is such a customizable marketing tool, it is extremely easy to not only use it for multiple purposes but also to combine it with the rest of your marketing tactics. Creating an integrated marketing strategy with email is one of the easiest ways to maintain the strength of your marketing efforts.

Investment

A recent study found that 85% of US retailers consider email marketing one of the most effective ways to reach customers. With the ability to reach gigantic numbers of customers for a very low price, matched with the effectiveness of this tactic, it’s no wonder that businesses feel that email marketing is worth so much. If doing email blitzes on your own sounds daunting, there are many tools that you can use to develop a highly effective email campaign. These are some of the top resources on the market.

1. MailChimp
2. Constant Contact
3. HubSpot

How have you used email marketing to grow your business? Do you have tools to make it easier? Let me know in comments!

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Adding Entrepreneurial Aspects To Your Business

Entrepreneurs are business owners that are not tied to their service or product, but rather, innovation in and of itself. If you are a business owner that is looking for a breakthrough in your business here are some entrepreneurial traits to add to your roster.

Experiment 
Arguably the most important characteristic for an entrepreneur is innovation. Being able to take calculated risks, and being willing to work through the consequences with positive outcomes as well as setbacks is a cornerstone for progress.

Equal Footing
One of the best ways to foster inclusion and a positive company culture is through a simple and easy to maneuver company structure. A looser organization style encourages independence and builds clout between seniority levels. Forgo the rigid company hierarchy for a system that allows employees to feel important, valued and well supported.

Subtle Selling
Everyone is a salesperson. All employees from top to bottom should be so deeply committed to the business’ products or services and be singing its praises if and when given the opportunity. It’s essentially free commercials and endorsements.  

Give Equity
Ownership adds a new layer of participation for employees that is often overlooked by many business owners. Giving equity incentives is an amazing way to create clout and trust, adding a deeper sense of responsibility and investment.

Trust
Properly trained employees by virtue should have the ability to make decisions regarding their work. Micromanagement and lack of trust can very quickly deteriorate relationships in the workplace. Set your employees for success and then give them the opportunities to grow and learn at their own pace.

Communication
Open door policies are one of the pillars of successful entrepreneurial endeavors. Set an example for giving and receiving feedback with positive communication styles.

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Video for Social Media

Video is heralded as one of the top types of content you can post on social media. Video, when done right, increases engagement, reach and has a higher chance of going viral because of that. Video can say more than a single image or text post, so it’s no wonder that it is becoming more and more important to the everyday marketer’s strategy.

Types of Video

Interactive

Interactive video gives users the chance to participate in the narrative. With clickthrough options that give you as the viewer the option to choose your own path (think build-your-own adventure novels) these gamified videos are highly engaging, actionable, and great for demonstrating products, services, or events. Deloitte’s “Will You Fit Into Deloitte” video is a broad recruitment video that helps a viewer understand if they are suited to the company, and is an example of how interactive video can be used.

360 Degree

360 degree videos are getting their own type of fame on Facebook right now. These videos allow users to click around and explore a 360 degree view of whatever the video is about. From exploring the ocean to promote preserving coral reefs, to realtors hosting 360 degree tours of different available properties, 360 degree video can do more with less time than video has previously allowed. A great example is The Economist’s 360 degree tour of the Palau coral reefs.

Product Demo

If your business has a tangible product to sell, product demos can not only function as another type of user manual, but can also make the product more attractive to a larger audience when the viewers see it in use. This IKEA video demonstrates how to install and assemble their Maskros lamp.

Narrative

Narrative video tells a story, and usually tries to trigger an emotional response. This type of video is usually seen in commercials, used to persuade customers that a certain product or service can do what the commercial shows, for example this love story told by an Extra Gum commercial:

Live

Periscope, Facebook Live, SnapStories, Instagram Live; the list goes on and on. Live video is becoming a standard for content creation. One of the most enticing parts of live video for social media is that it is inherently social. Rather than crafting a video to perfection you are inviting the audience to see a firsthand look into what you are doing. Great from streaming events, speeches, announcements and more, live video is what many are calling the biggest content marketing trend of 2017.

Bonus: Viral Video

Going viral is a goal for any brand looking to make a splash with their content, but there is no way to predict what the next big viral sensation will be. In 2016 there were the Apple music ads with Taylor Swift and Drake, Pokemon Go and the Chewbacca Mom video. Each of these is vastly different than the others, so how can you guarantee your content will go viral? The short answer is that you can’t, but you can work to create unique and engaging content that will connect with a larger audience and increase the reach of your post. So how will your business use video for social media?

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TED Talks: The Best of TED for Business, Tech, Marketing and More

Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. If you talk about what you believe, you will attract those who believe what you believe.”

Elizabeth Gilbert: Your Elusive Creative Genius

“I think it’s better if we encourage our great creative minds to live.”

Richard St. John: 8 Secrets of Success

“TEDsters do have fun working. And they work hard. I figured, they’re not workaholics. They’re workafrolics.”

Elon Musk: The Mind Behind Tesla, SpaceX, SolarCity …

“Through most of our life, we get through life by reasoning by analogy, which essentially means copying what other people do with slight variations. And you have to do that. Otherwise, mentally, you wouldn’t be able to get through the day. But when you want to do something new, you have to apply the physics approach. Physics is really figuring out how to discover new things that are counterintuitive, like quantum mechanics. It’s really counterintuitive. So I think that’s an important thing to do, and then also to really pay attention to negative feedback, and solicit it, particularly from friends. This may sound like simple advice, but hardly anyone does that, and it’s incredibly helpful.”

Tony Robbins: Why We Do What We Do

“My invitation to you is: explore your web, the web in here — the needs, the beliefs, the emotions that are controlling you, for two reasons: so there’s more of you to give, and achieve, too, but I mean give,because that’s what’s going to fill you up. And secondly, so you can appreciate — not just understand, that’s intellectual, that’s the mind, but appreciate what’s driving other people. It’s the only way our world’s going to change.”

David Carson: Design and Discovery

” ‘Don’t mistake legibility for communication.’ Just because something’s legible doesn’t means it communicates. More importantly, it doesn’t mean it communicates the right thing. So, what is the message sent before somebody actually gets into the material?”

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MONEY MISTAKES TO AVOID PART 2

Like we mentioned in part one, learning now to navigate the pitfalls of money management can be difficult. Here is the second part of money mistakes to avoid to secure your financial future!

EMERGENCY FUND.

According to CNN Money, 60% of Americans don’t have enough in savings to cover a surprise bill of $500 to $1000.  This is a bit alarming. Emergency funds make your life better by keeping you prepared and giving peace of mind. They also keep you out of the credit-debt payoff-rack up credit again-spin cycle.  Emergency funds make you feel more secure and financially empowered. Get an emergency fund. Even if it is just $1k to start, it will go a long way.

CREDIT CARDS DEBT

Even if you have a small emergency fund, it can be hard to resist the siren call of lucrative credit card reward points, travel points, and cash back. Many begin trying to leverage these cards without really knowing how to use them effectively. Only a handful of Americans have never battled credit card debt, which can be scary given that many also contend with many other types of debt especially student loans. Common habits are overspending, going on luxurious vacations, or using the card to fund an emergency. Research your cards, talk to a financial advisor and if nothing else, make sure to make all payments on time.

LIFESTYLE INFLATION

The hardest battle to fight is lifestyle inflation. You shouldn’t have to eat cereal and steal toilet paper from work forever. But it gets very exciting, very quickly when your standard of living goes up. Don’t give in too much. Lest you could wind up living paycheck to paycheck. Create a budget and try to live within your means.

EMOTIONAL MONEY DECISIONS

Of all the mistakes on the list, this is arguably one of the hardest to avoid because money is inherently emotional. And even if you’re normally great with money, nobody is perfect. Whether you move in with someone you won’t wind up with for the long haul, follow a significant other to a new city, go back to school, take a job that pays less because you think it will land you someplace better: these are all emotional money decisions. Risks. Sometimes these payoff, and sometimes they don’t. But these emotional money decisions are often the ones that teach us most about who we are, where we want to go, and what kind of life we want to lead. This in and of itself can be really beautiful, so live prudently when you can, but also go with your heart sometimes. Money be damned.

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MONEY MISTAKES TO AVOID PART 1

Managing money can often times have just as large, if not a larger impact on your life than the amount of money you make. Here are some money mistakes to avoid in order to keep your finances on track.

NEVER NEGOTIATING SALARY

Salary.com reports that 62% of people rarely or never negotiate their salary. The numbers get higher when you look at factors like race, gender, age and income level as well. The largest fears being the lack of negotiating skills, fear of losing a job offer and general unpleasantness of asking for more money. It’s daunting. Great times to bring up salary are during the hiring process, and then at annual reviews. But this salary will set the salary bar for all future negotiations. It is that serious. It’s never too late to start negotiating.

LIVING WITHOUT A BUDGET

Americans don’t get hip to the idea of a budget until later on in the life when it comes time to save up for something important, like a house, wedding, trip to Europe. etc. Many millennials also forgo budgeting because a record number of them are still living at home with mom and dad who are footing a large amount of the bills. Budgets are important for staying on track with your spending so that you’re A. only spending on what fulfills you most and B. contributing to your financial goals. No budget = higher susceptibility for making further financial mistakes… like more debt, and less money for retirement.

NOT CONTRIBUTING TO RETIREMENT

This is tough. I hesitate to call it a financial mistake and instead prefer to refer to it as a financial circumstance. Retirement saving is often seen as a luxury by multiple age groups. Millennials often are drowning in student loans, while Boomers have mortgages and other obligations. In this survey conducted by the Indexed Annuity Leadership Council in March and April of 2015, 37% percent have no money set aside, and those who do save have little, with 18% having less than $5k in the accounts. The earlier you start the higher the impact on future saving. Do what you can, when you can. Start small, and make sure to utilize any and all retirement benefits your employer gives.

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