I enjoy collecting antique books on public speaking and selling. I found the following quotation to be very powerful.

“Probably the most remarkable product of nature, in its centuries of evolution, is the human mind; and the second wonder of the universe is the communication of the thoughts and feelings of one mind to others by means of the voice in speech and by means of the body in gesticulation. Each man is limited in the position he may assume in the world by the development of his mind.”

The above quotation is from “Effective Public Speaking” by Frederick Robinson, Ph.D., published in 1914 by LaSalle Extension University, Chicago.

The basic idea is equally important today as it was at the beginning of the twentieth century. Sure, we now have the Internet and PowerPoint to help, but they are just tools. How effectively you and I convey our thoughts and feelings will largely determine our success.

The Pause:

The simple pause is your friend, especially when you are communicating in the workplace. Most professional speakers will agree that the pause is a powerful tool for making a presentation memorable.

Three of the several benefits the pause delivers: first, it gives you time to think and “take the temperature” of the people to whom you are speaking. Second, the pause gives your listeners time to absorb important points that you make. And third, the pause helps even a monotone speaker to sound better by breaking things up a bit.

An important point in using the pause, vary the length and do not abuse it. Like many excellent tools of presentation, overuse any tool and it will blow up in your face.

Be Real:

It was 1988, the year I attended my first convention of the National Speakers Association. I was privileged to attend a session on platform skills given by Captain Gerald Coffee, who spent much of the Vietnam War at the “Hanoi Hilton” as a prisoner of war.

In his session he suggested:

1. Make your experience the experience of the audience.

2. Embrace your audience.

3. You must feel the experience you share so deeply, as a sense of responsibility.

4. Share your experience from the window of how it applies to the everyday life of your audience members.

5. Believe you can make a difference.

Make it Funny:

At the 1989 Convention of the National Speakers Association, held in Dallas, I attended a session conducted by the late Robert Henry, a fabulous humorist. Among the many points he made, three resonated strongly with me:

1. “Speak for the one person in the audience for whom I can make a difference.” [While you might be thinking that it is better to present to a crowd, by focusing your message in a single person, your power and passion will be more evident.]

2. “Keep in your mind throughout your presentation that what you want the audience members to be thinking is, ‘I like me better when I’m with you.’” [This powerful mind shift helps you, the speaker, to focus on your audience rather than yourself, there by making your presentation more user-friendly and easier for the audience members to digest.]

3. “If you get knocked down you only lose if you choose to stay down.” [As a presenter, stuff happens; microphones stop working, video cueing goes haywire, noise in adjacent rooms becomes overly distracting, and a plethora of other things can become pitfalls to your presentation, making if less influential to your audience. The secret is to have "B" plans for all of the above and to be in the moment, which will allow you to adjust to whatever situation is thrown your way.]

Get Them Involved:

At the 1990 Convention of the National Speakers Association, held in Atlanta, I attended a session conducted by Robert Pike, Owner of Creative Training Techniques. He shared what he referred to as his 9 dynamite springboard motivators for getting attendees involved in your presentation:

1. Outline an incident; and use “you” rather than “me”

2. Ask for a show of hands

3. Ask a question

4. Make a promise

5. Get them laughing

6. Piggyback on an introduction-comment on a point or use humor

7. Make a provocative statement

8. Use an unusual statistic

9. Use a prop or some other interesting visual aid

Sure, you have heard about most of these ideas before, however, try using a new one the next time you present to a group and keep a watchful eye on the results.

Speaking in public, professionally or on a volunteer basis can be a wonderfully fulfilling experience, enjoy your journey.

A keynote presentation is the attention grabber of most events. It is the first speech delivered and serves the purpose of kicking off the event. It is common tradition for the Christian keynote speaker to present first, but when they present is entirely up to the event coordinator. For some events, the keynote presenter can go last and make more of an impression on the audience. If the speech is given at the beginning of the event, the main purpose is to peak interest by making the listeners want to hear more. Keynote speeches given at the end of an event are meant to keep the event message fresh in the audience members minds long after the event is over. A sound upfront keynote presentation introduces the topic and prepares the audience for following presentations. These presenters make the message understandable and apparent. When effective, the audience will be compelled to hear what the other speakers have to say.

Christian Keynote Speakers – Characteristics That Make This Presentation Type Unique

Christian keynote speakers usually begin their speech with an inspiring quote. These quotes get the audience members attention and have a larger impact than general statements. After attention is grabbed, the speaker describes the event, explains why it is being held, and introduces the host. They then go on to go over the events importance both presently and for the future. Examples and relevant stories may be used to keep the audience members attention. Humor is commonly added to lighten the mood. This removes the feeling of being lectured and keeps the event fun. Every speaker must involve the audience for absolute success. Keynote presenters cannot be effective unless they keep everyone engaged in the presentation. They accomplish this by asking questions, initiating audience discussions, and feeding off the individual member’s responses. Processes such as these prevent boredom. Losing the listeners interest can be devastating. When selecting these speakers for an event, be sure they can maintain the listeners focus throughout the entire presentation.

Traits of an Exceptional Opening Christian Keynote Speaker

Creativity, originality, and the ability to improvise are all very important qualities of these presenters. Consistently using old examples and relating them to the current topic can create boredom. A speaker that can improvise will have a better chance at keeping the audience’s attention. Every individual will not immediately jump on board and support the message being conveyed. It takes a skilled professional to meet this criticism head on. This ability can turn even the most headstrong critic into a follower. If the topic involves some sort of problem resolution, the presenter must be able to offer believable and credible solutions to these issues. Gatherings that have specific dilemmas may require keynote presenters with specific expertise. This needs to be kept in mind when you are selecting the event speakers. Great keynote speeches create a platform for other speakers to build from. They create a sense of team work, collaboration, and involvement. Try to find a presenter that uses stimulating statements, reliable references, and witty remarks. These professionals have multiple skills that can be used to get whatever results you are seeking.

Wedding favors can be decorations for the wedding, just as much as the centerpieces, flowers, and table linens are. Wedding favors are a way to say thank you to your guests attending your wedding, so the presentation and display of them as well as the favor itself should reflect you style. Let’s discuss some unique ideas on how to present your wedding favors at your reception.

If you wedding favors do not come in deluxe packaging, spice up your favors with some pretty favor packaging. Beautiful wrapping in gift boxes, pretty paper and personalized labels or tags will give your favors a custom look. This is a great idea for weddings with a special color theme, you can purchase any wedding favor you want and with some custom wrapping, make it match your colors.

Personalize your wedding favors. Make your wedding favors more personal by engraving, attaching personalized ribbon, or add a handwritten note to your favors. Adding a small note of thanks will give your favors an added personal touch. If your handwriting is not the best, enlist the help of a friend or calligrapher.

Make your wedding favors multi-functional. Attach a tag or label with your guests’ names and table numbers and place them near the entrance to serve as escort cards as well as wedding favors. There are many place card frames which serve to display place cards as well as provide your guests a miniature photo frame for their wallet sized photos.

A popular idea for centerpieces is the breakaway centerpiece, where guests remove an element of the centerpiece and take it home. Using pretty boxes, you can stack and create a beautiful centerpiece using just your favors. At the end of the evening, guests each take a favor.

If you rather not just have favors stacked as a centerpiece, you can gather several vases or candles together to serve as a centerpiece decoration and have each guest take one piece of the centerpiece home.

Another popular idea is to dress up each place setting with a wedding favor. If you are having assigned seating you can place placecard holders with each guests’ name at their setting. Likewise you can place candy, candles, tealights, or any other favor directly on the setting to make sure each guest receives a favor. Many favors are decorative and will add color and sparkle to your tables.

If your tables appear crowded with flowers, table settings and food, you can also hang your favors from the back of each chair. Not only is this a creative way to display your wedding favors, it will add color to each chair. Using a pretty bag with handles or with ribbon, you can hang them from each chair.

Place a basket or a table near the exit of the reception with your wedding favors on it. Make a pretty table card thanking your guests for attending and alerting them to take a favor before they leave. Note though, some attending may take more than one, so plan on purchasing extras if you plan on displaying your favors this way.

If you are having a winter themed wedding, purchase small trees to use as centerpieces and decorate them by hanging small wedding favors from their branches. If your wedding isn’t during the winter you could purchase topiaries or other seasonal trees and still hang items from them.

If you have children in your wedding party, you can assign the flower girl and ring bearer to go to each table with a basket of wedding favors. Make sure you tell the children to hand out one favor to each guest.

During dessert, you could also have a waiter serve wedding favors with coffee and cake. Make sure you give the wait staff instructions on how to distribute your wedding favors, one per guest or one per couple.

Yes, the thrill of the new neighbors, the fresh meat on the block. This occasion always seems to call for some sort of party. And as it should be, its a time of celebration and joy. New people have moved to your area, and now its time to welcome them. And yes, you do have to bring house warming presents, and no, you can’t just give them anything off the shelf.

Do you want to be known as the neighbor who gives bad gifts? Or known as the one who’s gift will always be the best one in the bunch? Yes, exactly, the best one of the bunch.

While your neighbors are going to be bringing things like:

- wine
- cookware
- fruit baskets
- and even candles

You for one want to be remembered, you want to be the good neighbor, you want to top everything anyone could possibly bring.

Well, the only way to truly do that is to get something unique, something unexpected, something they will cherish for as long as they live. And nothing says that more than a unique, one of a kind Alpaca Silver Serving Tray.

Do you know why this screams unique, and unforgettable?

It has to do with the fact that these are usually made one of a kind. Meaning, they are hand crafted, and will never be the same twice. This is a gift that can not never be parted with, for it is irreplaceable.

Now, every time they serve food, or show it off, your name is going to come up, and only pride will be in their voices, pride at being your friend, and getting such a unique and valuable gift.

So instead of being like everyone else, and getting them the traditional house warming presents, you had better get them something unique, and precious like an Alpaca Silver Serving Tray. The charm will last forever, and so will your new found friendship.

One method of deciding or not a firm should accept an investment project is to determine the net present value of the project. The net present value (NPV) of a project is equal to the present value of the expected stream of net cash flows from the project, discounted at the firm’s cost of capital, minus the initial cost of the project. The value of the firm will increase if the NPV of the project is positive and decline if the NPV is negative. Thus, the firm should undertake the project if the net present value is positive and reject proposals whose values are negative. This method is considered the best, as it takes into account, the initial investment, and cost of capital and cash inflow over a period.

One of the most important and difficult aspects of capital budgeting is the estimation of the net cash flow from the project. It is the difference between cash receipts and cash payments over the life of a project. Projected cash flow statement is an important criterion for banks to decide on sanctioning medium and long-term loans to prospective clients. Since cash receipts and expenditures occur in the future, a great deal of uncertainty is involved in their estimation. Some general guidelines are to be followed while estimating cash flows. First; cash flows should be measured on an incremental basis. That is, measurement of the firm’s cash flows with and without the project must be ascertained. Any increase in expenditure or reduction in the receipts of other divisions of the firm resulting from the adoption of a given project must be considered.

Second thing is that, net cash inflow must be estimated on an after-tax basis, using the firm’s marginal tax rate.Third, as a non-cash expense, depreciation affects the firm’s cash flow only through its effect on taxes. The initial investment to add a new product line may include the cost of purchasing and installing new equipment, reorganizing the firm’s production process, providing additional working capital for inventory and accounts receivable and so on. The monetary flows generated by this kind of investment include, the incremental sales revenue form the project, salvage value of the equipment at the end of its economic life, if any and recovery of working capital at the end of the project. The outflow will be in the form of taxes, fixed costs and incremental variable costs.

Another method of determining the acceptance rate of a project proposal is internal rate of return method (IRR).This is nothing but the discount rate that equates the present value of the net cash flow from the project to the initial cost of the project. The firm should undertake a project if the IRR on the project exceeds or is equal to the marginal cost of capital.

More techniques are available for evaluating the feasibility of investment proposals, like, capital rationing, profitability index, pay back period and others. It is always a good thing to analyze the rate of return on investment before the start of the project. If it happens to be satisfactory, then the firm can take a step forward to finalize the proposal. The cost of capital climbs up when the investment return declines, and the firm is subjected to undue pressures of mounting interest rates and capital depletions.

Years ago, my Mother asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I told her I wanted another Ginny doll. She said, “But dear, you’ve already got several Ginny dolls. You don’t need another one.” End of story: I didn’t get another Ginny doll for my birthday. I don’t remember now what I got but I do remember that I didn’t get what I wanted.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not bashing my Mother. She did what she thought best for the daughter she loved. And I certainly did celebrate birthdays with presents I did want. But a true present-for kids and for adults-is something they want or a wonderful surprise that you know they’ll love. Something a child needs but doesn’t necessarily want (like socks) isn’t a present.

Seven Do’s and Don’ts for Choosing Children’s Toys

1. Get them what they want if you can afford it and it doesn’t contradict your values. Make sure your kids know which toys are off limits because of your family values.
2. Get them what they want even when they have lots of that toy.
3. Get them what they want even if you think the toy is silly or ugly.
4. Don’t give them everything they want-that’s called over-indulgence. Find out what they want most. What they want least.
5. Don’t give them what you loved as a child unless you know it’s something they want.
6. If your children want something you can’t afford, tell them up front that you can’t afford it.
7. If you have several children close in age and are choosing one big present, make sure each child gets a small present that’s just for them.

Now sit back and enjoy birthdays, Christmas, or Hanukkah with your kids and grandkids. Make believe with the dolls, build things with Legos, and laugh along with the silly toys. Just remember to take a couple of videos of all the fun. Kids (and their parents and grandparents too) love watching old family videos. Now there’s a great present for everyone.

It’s Christmas time again! You will be really busy sorting out presents for all your family and friends. But don’t forget your faithful friend who has been by your side all year, giving you such pleasure and happiness. Surely your dog deserve a Christmas present too!

Luckily the choice of Christmas presents for dogs is so much better these days than it has been in the past. You, and your dog, no longer have to put up with the choice of either a new bone or a bag of biscuits! Now you can indulge in wonderful designer dog clothes, fantastic dog accessories and adorable puppy toys and treats!

Christmas Clothes for Your Dog

Everyone loves to get a new outfit for Christmas and your dog is no exception! How about a new designer T-Shirt. These are available in a variety of plain colours, but what about a special T-Shirt for Christmas? We have some amazing dog Tees with Christmas slogans. Check out the Glitzy Reindeer T-shirt or the ‘Santa’s Little Helper’ in bright red! If you would like something cheeky how about ‘Talk to the Paw’ or ‘Does my Bum Look Big in This?’ They are sure to bring a smile to everyone’s face during the festive holiday.

Hoodies and Knitwear for dogs have really taken off and are wonderfully warm and comfortable for your pooch in the cold winter weather. Dog hoodies can be tough and rugged for the ‘boys’ like the camouflage hoodie or pretty in pink for the ‘girls’! The modern knitwear available for dogs is just adorable. Warm and cosy cable knits and delicate flower motifs will make sure your dog has lots of hugs at Christmas!

A dog coat is a great present for any pooch, big or small, and there are so many designs around you are sure to find the best one for your dog. Maybe a pac-a-mac or a parka, or maybe you fancy something sophisticated like a dog tooth check!

Dog Accessories for your Christmas Pooch

There are some lovely accessories that would make great presents for your dog and they don’t have to cost the earth! A new dog tag or pendant can smarten up your pooch and add a bit of sparkle during the festive season. Silver and diamante are all the rage in dog fashion and bone or paw shapes make an ideal tag. Hair clips for little dogs with big hair are always popular and make a great stocking filler! Maybe it’s time for a whole new look with a new collar and lead set; we have so many designer dog collars and leads to choose from you are bound to find the right one for you and your friend.

Wonderful Toys for Your Dog’s Best Christmas

Of course if your dog could talk he would ask Santa for a new toy! Every dog enjoys a good game and a new toy is just so exciting. Does your pooch like a nice cuddly toy or something with a squeak? Maybe a bit of both, so check out our squeaky soft toys. Or perhaps your dog is the outside sort who loves to chase and fetch. Perhaps a ‘fling ball’ toy or a ‘fetch’ bone would be the best present for your dog.

Whatever happens don’t forget your furry friend this Christmas and get him the present of his dreams!

When you hit the stage with that ‘latest and greatest’ trick, remember that it is not about the trick. The key is in the presentation of the trick. As I was watching on of my friends do his show, I looked at Rocco and remember thinking, he has this audience in the palm of his hands and he is working his whole stage show from a briefcase.

What was Rocco’s secret? What does he do to win every magic contest he enters? What does he do to win award after award? What does he do to get standing ovations during every show? I did not have to ask him, I already knew his secret. Did he practice? Yes, but that was not the key. You see, it was in his flawless presentation.

Everything that was done had a reason to be done. Every line that was delivered was delivered in such a way that it hit a chord with the audience and led into the next line or movement. Rocco is one of the most unique artists I have ever seen.

Once you get to this point when you can take an item and do something with it – perhaps a movement or a joke or even a wordless action – once you can do this using only presentation, the tricks you do become unimportant. Forget the newest trick, forget the move that you must do day in and day out for thirty years to get flawless so you can use it – all this is wonderful and enjoyable. If you want to do that for your skill sets fine. If you want to knock an audience dead however, use your skills in presentation.

It does not matter if you use death defying escapes or huge stage props or do your whole forty five minute stage show from a small brief case. If you make presentation your friend and relate to each audience member on a personal level, you have it made.

If you are looking for new tools of the trade, that is great. Just remember to keep that old friend and tool called presentation sharp. With this tool, with this mindset, with this skill of presentation you will be able to lead any audience in any part of the world anywhere you want to take them.

Next time when you are watching your favorite television show or artist or magician, watch them use the are of presentation.

Public speaking is only as difficult as you allow it to be. Unfortunately, many people make it more difficult than it is because their fear or their nervousness is in control. If such is the case with you, then you should consider changing your approach so that you have the upper hand over your nervousness.

Personally, I love nervousness. That adrenaline rush helps me be more dynamic and allows for my passion and enthusiasm to be seen and heard. And, because I am in control of it, my audiences have no idea that I am nervous. They neither see it nor do they hear it in my voice.

By implement the following 5 steps into your presentation, you will discover that you are able to focus on your delivery and not on your fear:

1. Treat your audience as if you were having a conversation in your living room. Imagine your speech or presentation as being one side of the conversation and your audience’s reaction to you, the other. If you can visualize yourself standing at the lectern, at the head of the conference table, or in the front of the room in this manner, you will feel much more confident.
2. Speak to your audience with express, not only in the tonal variety of your voice but also your facial expression and your body language. Standing perfectly still with no physical or aural expression is a quick means of putting your audience to sleep.
3. Know your material inside and out. This means practicing it out loud several days (if not weeks) in advance of your scheduled date. Reading it over in your mind is not practice. Only fools treat their material in that manner.
4. Breathe with the support of your diaphragm. It is the best means of controlling nervousness you have. It is free; it is healthy; and, it will put an end to your breathlessness.
5. Believe in yourself. If you approach your audience believing that you cannot do it, how successful do you think you will be? Do not aim for perfection. Strive to do the best job that you can do by incorporating the above 4 methods into your delivery. If you can accomplish that, then you will succeed.

Public speaking does not have to be your greatest fear. If you want to take control of your nervousness and actually allow it to work for you, I guarantee that these social, emotional, intellectual, physical, and spiritual components are all that you need to deliver a dynamic speech or presentation.

If you’re not a household name in your industry and you’re about to give a presentation, you might find yourself spending the first part of your speech convincing the audience that you’re worth listening to.

As you gain the audience’s trust throughout the session they will pay closer attention to what you have to say, however the first part of your presentation might be lost on those who were playing with their cell phones instead of listening.

If your audience don’t know much about you when you start talking they might not mistrust you, however you might have to prove yourself to them before you can deliver the message of your presentation.

You could of course start by talking about your credentials and why you are worth listening to. However, a better and faster way to do this is to ask someone to present and introduce you, you use a moderator. This should be a person whom your audience already trusts, that way the people listening won’t have to take your word for it; instead they will be hearing that you are an expert in your area from someone they already trust.

In order to get the most out of this you can ask the person presenting you if you can write your presentation yourself. This way you have total control over what is said about you and can deliver the message you want.
As a result of a well thought through introduction, you will find the audience more tuned to you and your goals will be easier to achieve.

Though this tip will help you get the start you need, you shouldn’t forget that you still have to make sure you have a well developed presentation and that you are prepared to deliver it.