I am a note taker. I will often go to presentations at the library and takes notes on a presentation. This has provided the additional benefit that I can often post my notes on some of my blogs such as Rock Soup. Well this month at work we received some ‘advance your career’ training. I was reminded that my company hosts a lot of educational material. I thought I would start taking some of these courses and take notes. So thus I’m creating this page: What I’ve learned today, to store my notes. Maybe some of the information will be of interest for you. It will be a lot of information on varous topis. Sharing this becomes a win-win situation where we both learn something new.
Enjoy my entries and hopefully by posting my notes, It’ll motivate me to continue in learning new things and taking more notes. I take notes to remember the information I learned and it provides an opportunity for me to access it later.
Enjoy:
Prepare thoroughly and Know your audience:
Detailed preparation and research are fundamental to a successful speech
Take time to research the audience, the event’s other speakers, contest of the event beforehand
Categories of Receptivity:
*Hostile: disagrees with you.
Use humor or a story to ‘warm them up’
Focus on areas you agree on
Demonstrate our expertise and cite experts
Support statement with solid evidence.
Stress that you’re looking for a win-win outcome.
Identify benefits that they would value.
*Neutral-Understand your position but still needs convincing.
Spell out your proposition’s benefits to listeners
Present just 3 clear, compelling points backed by expert evidence, data and concrete examples.
Use stories, personal experiences, and anecdotes to appeal to their emotions.
Point out any downside of not accepting your proposal.
Discuss the alternatives you’ve considered or you believe others might raise.
*Uninterested. informed about your subject but doesn’t care about it
Grab their attention with a heart-stopping story, headline or fact
Show how the topic affects them.
Support your case with three to five compelling facts backed by expert testimony or statistics.
*Uninformed-lacks information needed to become convinced.
Establish your credibility by showcasing your experience or qualifications.
Keep your presentation simple and straightforward; don’t confused them with complex evaluations.
Create an emotional link by sharing several personal anecdotes.
*Supportive: Already agrees with you
Recharge their enthusiasm with success stories and vivid testimonials.
Help them to anticipate and refute possible arguments from opponents.
Hand out a detailed actions plan with clear deadlines.
*Mixed: contains a cross section of attitudes and views.
Identify listeners whom you most have to win over and who have the most power. Concentrate your efforts on them
Appeal to different subgroups with different messages: for example, snack food commercials promise kids great taste and parent’s nutrition.
Avoid promising everything to everyone.
Decision-making styles:
*Charismatic:
Initially enthralled but bases final decision on balanced info.
May mislead your into thinking you’ve scored an immediate success
-focus discussion on results
-make simple, straightforward arguments.
-use visual aids to demonstrate features and benefits of proposal.
*Skeptic:
Challenges every data point
Decides based on gut feelings
-Establish as much credibility as possible.
-At beginning of meeting invite them to challenge you-indicating you value their ideas and will use them to create the final idea or proposal.
*Follower:
Relies on own or other’s past decision to make choices.
Takes time to decide if accept idea.
Follows lead of bosses or others who are politically important.
-Focus on proven methods such as references and testimonials.
-Understand whom they like to follow or defer to and get their support.
*Controller:
Unemotional and analytical
Abhors uncertainty
Inclined to implement only his or her own ideas
-ensure your argument is sound and well structured.
-identify outcomes of value to them.
Assess decision-making styles:
Observed decisions makers’ behavior in meetings and hallway conversations.
Examine their communications for hints.
If you have little access: learn through news sourness, publish meetings etc.
Appeal to reason:
Reason and emotions play major roles in decision, need to win listener’ minds and their hearts.
Appeal to reason by how you structure your presentation
Provide evidence to back up your proposal
Emphasize benefits
Word usage is important.
Structure your presentation effectively:
Sometimes our audience receptivity will influence your presentation structure.
Subject matter may suggest appropriate structure
Presentation styles may differ depending upon your audience. (receptive/skeptical audience)
Structure types:
*Problem-solution
Describe pressing problem
Solve it by convincing solution
Use this with an uninterested audience or one that is uninformed of the problem.
*Presentation of both sides/refutation:
To win over neutral or hostile audiences, argue both sides.
First presents opponents side which shows you accept validity of their position thus increase their receptivity
Then refute their cause by challenges their evidence and disproving their arguments.
*Cause and Effect:
Discuss the causes underlying a problem.
Show how your idea will remove those causes
Or emphasize the undesirable effects of a problem
Explain how your idea will mitigate those effects.
Use this structure for mixed audiences
*Motivational Sequence:
Capture your audience’s attention with a startling statistic, anecdote or joke
Then identify a pressing need.
Explain how your idea satisfies that need.
Help listeners visualize the bright future if they accept proposal.
Tell your audience what actions you want them to take.
Use this structure for supportive audiences.
*how you begin and end presentation is critical. Start by getting your audience’s attention right away with a dynamic opening. Conclude with a call for actions in which you clearly indicate what you want from our listeners.
Provide compelling evidence:
-The real message isn’t what you say. It’s what the other person remembers. – Harry Mills
Evident to support your proposal (testimonials, examples, statistics, and graphic evidence) can further strengthen your persuasiveness.
*Testimonials enhance persuasiveness when they come from sources your audience consider expert and credible.
Ie: reference companies similar to yours who has already adopted a technology you want to use.
Capture people’s attention by turning generalizations into concrete proof. Ie: ex. Of what a proposed new technology can accomplish.
*Statistics become especially effective if yu make them memorable and understandable.
Help people grasp the enormity of large numbers.
Ie: if you were to count a trail one-dollar bills-one every second, 24 hours a day—It will take 32 years. Or Our main competitor processes orders 50% times faster than we do.
*Graphic evidence: slides, flipcharts, videotapes and product samples.
¾ of what people learn they acquire visually.
Chose a medium that‘s appropriate to your message, convey one concept per slide or other visual.
Consider the psychological impact of colors. Red means something different to financial mangers than it does to engineers.
When using charts and table determine the main trends or patters you want to emphasize. And don’t distort or misrepresent information.
Spotlight benefits your listeners value:
Benefits how your idea will help your audience—mostly attract listeners’ attention.
Example:
Features: Benefits
Latest micro-professor Let’s you work faster and use the latest applications
10 gig hard drive Enables you to store more data and access and update it faster
Flat-screen monitor Makes it easier to view more, while occupying less desk
space than traditional monitors
– Each benefit may appeal to listeners on one or two primary levels of motivation.
– A benefit may enable listeners to gain something they don’t’ currently have: Money, time, popularity, possessions or a good reputation.\A benefit may enable listeners to avoid losing something they currently have.
– Research shows that the fear of loss is actually a more powerful motivator than the prospect of gain.
– Think about which benefits your audience would value most and develop a unique value proposition ask
1. What benefits does my proposal provide? What will they gain or avoid losing?
2. What evidence shows that these benefits are real. Are there completing and credible testimonials. Ex: statistics, graphic representations available?
3. What makes my proposal unique? What’s different and unusual about my idea? Why should my audience accept my proposal and not others?
By spotlighting the unique advantages of your opposition, your convince listeners that your idea merits serious consideration.
Winning Your Audience’s Mind by selecting the right words:
Affirmative:
Communicating precisely what you expect to happen
-when you finish that report, we’ll celebrate by going out for pizza.
-don’t “if you finish that report, we’ll celebrate by going out for a pizza.
Assertive:
Presenting your arguments with confidence
-I believe that our project needs additional funding.
-don’t: I would guess that our project needs additional funding.
Acceptance of Responsibility
For your circumstances
-I will be the person who is responsible to phone you
-Don’t: I can’t help you.
Win-win language
That fosters cooperation
-That’s a new approach. Let’s talk it through to see where we end up.
-Not: Maybe you should run some numbers because I don’t see that working.
Phrasing that makes people trust your integrity
-This is a much better deal for you than the previous one.
-Not: to be perfectly honest, I think this del is perfect for you.
Whenever possible and appropriate sprinkle attention-grabbing words such as “eas,” “Free,” “guaranteed,”
Though used a lot they are remarkable tried-and-true in their effectiveness..
By providing the best evidence, spotlighting your proposal’s benefits and selecting the right words you boost your chances of winning listener’s minds.
Appeal to emotions:
Emotions evoking presentations is more memorable, prompt behavior changes.
Use vivid descriptions, metaphors, analogies and stories
Emotional proposals will cloak presenters attempt to influence them.
Win your audience heart.
Vivid descriptions
If want to have workers work at home
-describe them being away from coworkers stopping by to say hi
Metaphors: (imagine way to describe something i.e.: time is money
-for a manager who sees business as war might say “we can’t concede ground”’ “We’re being outflanked”; “We have to defend market share”
-business is partnership = where business works on win win relationships.
Reference other companies success such as “ABC’s sales have increased 18% since acc. Mgrs. Collaborate with sales team.
Analogies: comparison include like or as.
Lets you relate a new idea to one that’s already familiar to your audience.
Analogies engender feelings of familiarity which people fine reassuring.
Analogies with humor work well: ben franklin said “fish and visitors start to smell in three days.
Stories:
-The Golden rule of Persuasion–listen to others as you would have them listen to you -*Harry mills
-Stories grab listeners attention with riveting plots and characters audiences can relate to
-Simplify complex ideas and make them concrete
-Evoke powerful emotions among listeners.
-Stay in your audience’s mind long after the facts have been forgotten.
-One business had a bunch of employees loyal to the town. He talked about competitors not survived and him wanting the co. to provide made at home products.
Overcoming Resistance:
Understanding opponents’ position and then present benefits of your idea in term of things they value.
-Identify resisters’ interest and respond with their input in mind.
Understand resisters’ emotion
-fear that your idea threatens them in some way.
-they may have preconceived ideas that need to be responded to.
Consider why person may object.
Listen to opponents concerns
-by listening you shows you value them and their concerns and when they see you understand them they’re more likely to be open minded.
-paraphrase what they said to confirm you understand and show you’re listening.
When you ask if you interpreted what they said correctly and they say yes, it enables them to b e more receptive to your idea.
– Clarify the issues by identifying their primary concerns.
-I.e.: As I understand it, you have two main concerns the first is *** is that correct?
Ensure consistent verbal and nonverbal messages:
-check body language, tone, that they reconfirm your message.
-posture upright, gestures assertive; gaze direct, voice to be heard but not too much
-many people will practice their body reactions when practicing their presentation.
Present resisters viewpoints before your own.
-If you expect resistance prepare a two sided argument theirs and ours.
-Acknowledge resisters arguments first, will disarm them.
-Deprive them of object and they will be more open to discussion.
-Present your argument showing how your idea provides a more powerful solution than opponents.
-If possible show how you’ve incorporated resister’ ideas, interests, values and concerns into your solution.
Conscious and unconscious Responses:
If in a conscious mode, he/she might respond thoughtfully to a proposal, weight and pros and cons with logic and content of the message.
Unconscious mode used due to time limits or motivation so spend less time processing info.
-make decision based more on instinct than reason.
-Resort to persuasion triggers, or mental shortcuts,
-ex Joe accepts sues idea over George because he likes sue and she once did him a favor.
Seven Persuasion Triggers: (Use a mixed of these seven triggers for better success.)
Contrast
-“I didn’t have 3000 pairs of shoes. I only had 1060” – Imelda Marcos
-when making decision, people will look for a benchmark to base their decision on.
-Marketing manager candidate may ask for $89K and is more desirable than one asking $110K
-Start by creating a benchmark to ‘anchor’ the judgments of the person you need to persuade.
-Salespeople may show most expensive item in a product line this makes a mispriced item seem much more affordable.
Liking:
-Flattery will get you anywhere – Jane Russell
-people tend to accept the ideas of people they like.
-Like arises when people feel liked by another person and when they share something in common.
-Presentations at home sell more if the guests have a fondness for the home host.
-Create bonds with peers, supervisors 7 direct reports by informally discovering common interest i.e.: whitewater rafting, alma mater, love of cooking.
-Show like for others by expressing genuine compliments and making positive statements about their ideas, solutions, abilities, and qualities.
Reciprocity:
-people feel urge to repay favors in kind.
-when fundraisers enclose a small give in an envelope to potential donors the volume of donations increases markedly.
-Give before you ask.
-lending a coworker for a few days might pay off when asking for support on an important project.
-Look for solutions that meet other’s interests and needs as well as your own.
Social Proof:
-Others will follow another person’s led if what they are advocating is popular, standard practice, or part of a trend.
-People who come from different cultures usually start with a persuasion handicap.
-Make a connection between self/your co. to people/organization your audience admires.
-Use peer power to influence horizontally, not vertically.
-have a respecting employee who likes your idea to speak up for it in a team meeting
Commitment and consistency
-People will likely to embrace a proposal if they made a voluntary, public and written commitment to do so.
-92% of apartment complex who signed petition support a recreation center later donated money
-make others commitments voluntary, public, and documented.
-to persuade employee to submit reports on time, link commitment to timely reporting to the person’s values (mention its benefits for team spirit) Get that understanding in writing (a memo). Make the commitment public (mentioned your colleague’s agreement with the memo.
-If getting a commitment is hard, start small. You can later turn a small commitment into a large one.
Authority:
Authority comes from a combination of position and its associated credentials.
-Your authority over a drug co. is enhanced if you possess medical knowledge as well as bus.
-appropriate clothes and other trappings of authority can increase chances of a successful persuasion.
-One who power dresses improves odds of success.
-make sure those you persuade are aware of the source of your authority with appropriate dress.
Scarcity:
-The advantage of emotions is that they lead us astray -Oscar Wilde
-When something is scare such as info. Opportunities or resources people value it more.
-wholesale beef buyers were told they were the only one who received info on a possible beef shortage. Orders jumped 600%
-Capture key decision makers’ attention by saying something like. ‘I just got this info today. It won’t be distributed until next week.
-Be sure the info you have is truly exclusive; otherwise it could hinder your credibility.
What is audience self-persuasion?
Visualization
-help audience visualize the potential benefits of their proposals.
-1 group given sales presentation on cable. 2nt groups visual good TV
Questioning:
– Questions get audience into dialog about proposals.
-questions are one of the most effective goals.
-people like feeling their input is of interest and fear of judgment if they don’t answer.
-question can control content, pace, tone and direction
-You determine the issues do-and don’t get discussed.
Disturbing Questions:
-Questions get at the heart of listeners greatest concerns/ problems
-how much time does your staff spend looking for lost packages?
Leading Questions:
-Influence how your listeners interpret facts and what they remember
-Help plant specific info in your listeners’ minds.
-Do you see an instant-replay button?
Rhetorical questions:
-You give the answer after you ask the question.
-Helps push listener into accepting a clearly defined proposition.
-Best to use them as you’re summarizing your presentation or argument
-We all know that the order-processing errors have increased in the last two quarters. How else can we eliminate them if we don’t overhaul the way we improves orders?
Active listening:
-reflecting back and summarizing the content and emotions in your audience’s responses.
-reflecting shows you’ve heard and understood the other person.
Reflect content:
-paraphrase factual details you’re hearing. I.e.: sounds like
-reflect emotions:
-seems like you’re feeling bored and frustrated.
Summarize.
-redirect conversation that has wandered off track; sum up what you’ve heard so far.
-I’m concerned that we’ve gone off on a tangent, lets me see if I can touch on the main points we’ve covered.
-summarizing is most effective when
-Emotion has began clouding the issue
-you feel your views aren’t being appreciated or understood.
-you believe its time to conclude an argument
-You’ve reached an agreement and want to ensure that you and the other party share the same understand of the deal
Steps for reading your audience quickly retype notes.
1. Scan the surrounding environment.
Browse the audience; look for general patterns in people’s appearance and behavior. What is the overall mood of the gathering? What’s going on in the background that may be influencing your audience members?
For example, are there many distractions?
2. Identify key traits you want to read.
Focus on the person or individuals you want to read. Mentally draw up a list of several key traits you want to observe in those audience members.
For example, do you want to gain a sense of your listeners’ energy levels, ability to focus on your message, and openness to new ideas? Do you want to gauge their emotional state and confidence levels?
3. Interpret behaviors.
Bring the key traits you identified in Step 2 into sharper focus. Examine the behaviors associated with those traits in minute detail.
For instance, to detect readiness to hear your message, observe whether your audience members are making eye contact with you, showing lively facial expressions, and nodding in agreement. To detect boredom or indifference, watch for blank stares, heads held in the palm of the hand, finger or foot tapping, and doodling. To detect openness, look for unfolded arms, warm smiles, leaning forward, and open palms.
4. Test your assumptions.
Look for ways to test your assumptions about the traits you observed in Step 3.
For example, don’t assume too quickly that leaning forward always signifies openness. For some individuals, that particular posture may mean they’re having trouble hearing you. In this case, you might test your assumptions by asking, “Can everyone hear me okay?” And whereas drooping eyes or limited eye contact may indicate boredom in some people, those same behaviors may reveal fatigue in others—especially if you’re presenting your case after lunch or first thing in the morning.
The key is to think about a range of possible meanings behind the behaviors you’re observing and test your conclusions to ensure that you’re reading your audience as accurately as possible.
Tips for keeping your message simple
• Use concrete language that is clear and to the point. As much as possible, avoid abstract, ambiguous, and wordy language. For example, it is more effective to say, “Sales dropped 10% this year” rather than “At certain points in the year, sales numbers were up, then they were down, causing an overall negative impact on forecasted numbers.”
• Avoid technical jargon. People who use complicated terms as a means to impress others often come across as pretentious. Jargon also has a tendency to confuse audiences. Use simple, commonly understood words instead.
• Make every word count. Avoid redundancy; for example, “Our company has been very successful and profitable this year” (profitable is successful) or “The new office building is showy and ostentatious” (ostentatious means showy).
• Draw conclusions. Don’t make your audience members guess your message. Help them arrive at the correct conclusions.
Tips for speaking with confidence
• Vary your speaking pace to suit your purpose. Speaking fast helps you excite and energize your audience, while a slow pace creates a mood of anticipation. For most of your presentation, the best pace would be slow enough for listeners to follow but quick enough to sustain their interest.
• Use a low pitch to project authority. Many people interpret a low-pitched voice as authoritative and influential. Likewise, completing a sentence with a downward inflection (a lowering of pitch) communicates confidence and certainty.
• Control loudness. Speak loudly enough to be heard but not so loudly as to irritate or offend listeners. To dramatize a moment, try lowering the volume of your voice. Stress important words and phrases with a bit more loudness.
• Sharpen your articulation. Clear, crisply articulated words and phrases convey confidence and competence. Such language is also easy to follow.
• Use pauses for impact. A correctly timed pause can help you emphasize information and create a desired mood in your audience. It can also alert your audience to pay attention to a special point. The key is to pause just before the point you want to emphasize—for example, “Our sales increased . . . twenty-five percent this year.” Count “one, two, three” to yourself while pausing, and maintain eye contact with your listeners during the pause.
Tips for using body language
• Face your audience squarely. Show interest by looking directly at your audience. Stay relaxed, and be expressive. Tilt your head slightly to one side, arch your eyebrows, and nod intermittently to show you understand or agree. Smile to project warmth and confidence and to establish rapport.
• Assume an open posture. Convey openness and receptivity by unbuttoning your jacket, sitting forward in your chair, and moving closer to your audience. Ensure that your hands are visible and unclenched. When standing or walking before an audience, adopt an upright stance with relaxed arm movements. Move around any barriers that stand between you and your audience, such as desks or lecterns.
• Match body language to message. Ensure that your facial expressions, gestures, and posture match your message. For example, to if you are trying to convey openness to others’ ideas, avoid crossing your arms and leaning away from your audience.
• Maintain eye contact. Communicate interest and empathy by looking your listeners in the eye. Blink normally and adopt an open gaze rather than a narrow-eyed stare.
• Touch. In many business and social settings, a handshake is the safest and most positive way to convey friendliness and warmth. Keep your handshake firm and brief. As much as possible, ensure that your hand is dry and warm before shaking hands with others.
• Relax. Adopt a comfortable, relaxed, yet attentive pose to let your audience know you’re ready to listen. But don’t be so relaxed that you slouch—you’ll appear bored. And avoid fidgeting and other random movements; they communicate impatience, boredom, and nervousness.
Tips for using statistics
• Use credible sources. Make your statistics credible by citing reputable, authoritative, unbiased sources.
• Interpret statistics accurately. For example, many people use “mean,” “median,” and “mode” to convey “average.” But the three words actually signify different things. The mean, for example, should be used to convey the arithmetical average; at a company that has 10 employees and a total payroll of $1,000,000, the mean, or average, salary is $100,000 ($1,000,000 divided by 10). Mode and median have different mathematical meanings and are calculated differently.
• Round off numbers. Most people find it much easier to visualize and remember “3 million” than “3,168,758,” or “about 30%” than “31.69%.”
• Use comparisons. Compare one statistic with another to heighten its impact. For example, “The speed of the supersonic jet is 2,000 miles per hour; a snail moves at .005 miles per hour. The jet’s velocity is 400,000 times that of the snail.”
• Avoid loaded words. Most audiences become suspicious when persuaders use “loaded” words—such as “an incredible two-thirds”—to interpret statistics. Use more subtle language to emphasize numbers; for example, “more than two-thirds,” “nearly seven out of ten,” and “more than two out of three.”
Tips for using visual aids
• Match the visual aid to your message. The purpose of using graphics is to communicate information about your proposal, not to dazzle your audience. For example, if you’re pitching a no-frills product to a prospective client, use a simple, straightforward graphic instead of a fancy slide show. Or, if you want to involve your audience in seeing a calculation unfold, consider using a flipchart or chalkboard.
• Convey one idea per visual aid. If you cram too many concepts onto one slide or diagram, you’ll overwhelm your audience.
• Keep the number of visual aids to a minimum. Don’t present more than one slide or overhead every two minutes. A 20-minute presentation should therefore contain no more than 10 slides.
• Keep text to a minimum. Graphic depictions of information are much more memorable than blocks of text or bulleted lists. Keep any text brief and straightforward. Use short, uncomplicated words. Use no more than six lines per visual and six words per line.
• Check text readability. Make sure visual aids are readable at a distance and in a darkened room. Avoid using many different typefaces on one graphic.
• Don’t talk to your visual aids. Look at your audience while explaining a chart, diagram, or graphic.
• Use colors thoughtfully. Use just two different colors of text, with one consistent background color that shows up in all your visual aids. Select colors that create positive feelings for different audiences. For example, while red may have negative associations for accountants because it represents losses, the color may have positive associations for health-care professionals who interpret red as a sign of vitality.
• Create persuasive charts. Whether you’re using pie, line, bar, or scatter charts, make the chart’s message the title of the visual aid—for example, “Number of New Hires” or “ABC Has Smallest Market Share.” Select the appropriate type of chart for your purpose. For instance, use pie charts to show percentages, bar charts to compare the sizes of items in a particular group (e.g., sales for six different textile companies), and line charts (or graphs) to depict trends over time.
Social Networking:
1. used to develop careers, 2. business communication and target marketing or 3. Promote their organizations products and services. It usually generates quick responses Allows for communication on a one-to-one basis. Allows focused two-way communication, fast responses.
How notify users of updates: 1. use a micro blogging service to notify contacts 2. Start a user group to inform customers.
How promote self to new clients: 1. ensure your profiles include a link to your website. 2. Joint groups set up by companies who use your type of services.
Best practices for using social networking: 1. Familiarize yourself with rules for speaking on an organization’s behalf. 2. Ensure you know what the content is considered confidential.
Examples of how business can use social networking: 1. answer customer queries in real tie. 2. Update customers about new products.
Risks to an organization:
A. employee post an offer of defective products at a reduced price = organization is at risk of violating consumer project requirements.
b. employee post a notice about a new product but accidently included a picture of old product = the organization is at risk of damaging its brand image.
c. Employee post a political opinion on asocial networking site = Organization is at risk of alienating its customer base.
d. Employee makes defamatory comments about a competitor’s CEO in a blog = Organization is at risk of publishing harmful content during E-discovery.
Code of conduct should cover three areas .1. Speaking on behalf of the organization, private information 3. Criticism of the organization.
Best practices for social networking: 1. learn rules and what type of content to share. 2. Familiarize yourself with social networking tools.
Social Networking: 1. allows communication on one-to-one basis. 2. Generates quick responses.
Facebook features:
-wall: place to post and received messages, pictures, vides or other attachments.
-Pokes: used to get another person’s attention
-Status: telling your contacts what you are involved with
-News Feeds: Pulls info from user’s friends into it. (Status update or new photos.
-Likes: shows agree or enjoy content of other user.
Facebook: -#word that links a post @user name will let you direct a message to a specific user. RT: used when retweeting
Linked in: is a professional network: can maintain professional contacts; when move you can notify linked in and people will see your current location; look for potential new opportunities. People can look for you in linked in, and groups let you access advice in experts, or search feature to search for info.
Google +: Identify service, used as web site or Mobil application
-hangouts = group of 10 people to do video chats.
-circles = create groups on a specific topic
-instant upload (via android) can update photos into a private album
-sparks= interface to main Google search engine. Featured interests will track topics that are hot.
+1: lets you show your appreciation.
Huddle+ use instant messages via mobile phone
In the stream: can get updates of friends
Xing= shows how each member is linked to every member, anti spam, popular in Germany etc.
SharePoint: web site that offers central resource to share documents and enhanced social features.
-Dynamic activity updates: monitors content you publisher track and combines into newsfeed
-knowledge mining: enables you to list your abilities and skills so other people can find you by your expertise.
-Improved profile pages: profile page basic info and company organize chart, & content your tracking
-Tags and notes: can add notes to a page that can be shared to other users
-Enhanced picture library: central storage area can be available to another application.
IBM Louts Connections: access people and content from any IBM software i.e.: content manger, louts notes or IBM sametime.
-Lets you access social data from any location. Make it easier to get info from other users.
Forums: online discussions, files (file sharing) wicki + group database activities = gather info to obtain a goal.
Social networking used by professional business in three ways
-career development: can build up and maintain contacts. Online profile & provide résumé. When you update (like proving tips) it will go to the pages of your contacts. (Be careful what you say on social network as others will see and judge you by It. message log are kept.
-business communication: provide new channels for customers,
-targeting marketing: advertise by interest marked into people’s profiles. For advertising use clear language, selective phrases that match person’s interests, provide visual (relevant) image. Popular ads are featured more often.
Groups are a good way to find target. Join in their discussion,
If get a lot of calls on a product = add a discussion board to your company’s fan page.
Targeting advertising. 1. Create advertising base on interest of user profiles 2. Establish a group based on your company’s product.
Learn rules about types of content you should avoid discussion of your company
Social networking 1. Viral advertising campaigns and growth of customer bases 2. Customer relationships management
If company wants to get suggestions for an upgrade 1. Add a relevant discussion board to your fan page 2. Create an interest group.
How advertise jobs: Jon a micro blogging service and use it to advertise available positions, 2. search profiles for potential employees with the required skills.
Social network good 1. Target advertising at specific interest groups. 2. Easily connect with potential customers.
Living off your paycheck
(notes from a seminar I attended at work) Presenter is Jeff
– Some companies provide work life assistance (for employee and family)
– Define meat verses gravy = need to determine what is really necessary and what is just a want.
– Spend less than you earn
-Latte factor = Normal daily events such as getting coffee doesn’t seem to add up financially, but a lot of little things you do that add up to be meaningful amount of money. Little changes in your life is the first place to look
– see where to cut back
– Budgets are like diets = maybe find a middle ground i.e. maybe visits Starbucks only two times a week.
– Every decision you make takes you one step closer or away from wealth
– Every time you make a purchase ask yourself is this really important. (Small steps lead to big behavior)
– Twenty-one day rule can change your behavior. Some people call it muscle memory. Athletes do a lot of practice to body gets used to the behavior. 100 more hits of golf ball.
– Brown bagging lunch a couple times a week.
– Maybe chose a store brand produce over name product.
– You income is not your net worth. Your financial net worth of assess – your liabilities.
– write down one specific goal within the next 24 hours after hearing this.
– involve the family in the goal. High school kids needs to know to help pull the weigh for college education.
-mint.com = might be a budget web site. or the mint?
– Goal setting is critical in money management.
1. You need to know where you are going.
2. Need to have very specific goals dollar amounts and dates etc.
3. This helps you determine in advance what counts as a real emergency and what might constitute as a want.
– The psychology of money
1. What does money mean to you?
2. What do you need to do to change your behavior?
3. Experience from your youth and family will influence your current attitude toward money.
– do your personal balance sheet. Banks accounts, 401K and financial statements, car, and home etc. metals and put on a piece of paper (maybe store later for funeral info with accounts info. Have in a place for your inheritors or family to access when necessary.
1. Gather liabilities
2. Do assess that is the most liquid.
3. Short term liabilities that are due short term.
4. If you set financial goals you need to know what are you are right now.
– Goal setting:
1. People find a secure retirement is the most important to them.
2. Other goals may include a savings such as an emergency fund of about 3-6 months of expenses to live.
3. Need to build up emergency fund as quickly as you can and some prioritize it over retirement.
4. Some will save up for a home or to get a more stable car.
5. Need to write a goal and put down the time line. New car in xx time, education $$ for kids at xx time.
6. Think of planned savings as buckets hat need to be filled up.
7. The list will help you to determine when you can comprise because you see your gals and what is not necessary.
8. Let’s you determine what is achievable and not.
– Most important thing = pay yourself first.
1. Book: automatic millionaire by David Bock.
2. Set money out of paycheck before you see it so that it goes to you needs such as 401 K but can do other
3. Another way for pay yourself is to transfer money to savings from check before you see the check.
-retirement
1. % of average salary that people can retire on.
2. You need 70%80% of your annual income.
3. This will influence what kind of lifestyle you plan to live.
4. Will your house be paid off or have other such bills.
5. a lot of concern for health care costs
6. What do you want your retirement to look like, where live, how live, travel, hobbies (expensive)
7. If you save money over a long period of time 10% of salary you’re more likely to have necessary funding for 70 of current salary.
8. If you start later, you need to be more aggressive in starting for retirement.
9. No matter what your financial status is right now, you can start working toward your goals today. Just need to be more aggressive.
– What is your Credit range?
1. Three credit scores.
2. Go to www.annaulcreditreport.com to find out your credit. By law you are entirle4d to a free report each year.
3. If is not freeannualcreditreprot.com you don’t have to pay for credit monitoring unless you are vulnerable.
4. if you’re about to apply for a credit items than get all three at once so you can make sure you’re documented correctly.
5. If you’re not purchasing an item then otherwise get the every 4 months. That way you can monitor every 3 times a year.
6. If you want to get credit score. You’ll have to pay for it.
7. Credit score comes from?
A. payment history is the single most important of score (do you pay your bills on time) 235% of report.
b. Pay bill on time and your score will improve.
C. your debt ration = if have credit score for 10K and had 5K amount. You have a 50 ration. Get it under as low as quickly as possible.
D. long term goal is to get debt ration down to 0.
E. carrying credit card balances is money down the drain.
F. pay off debts as quickly as possible. If pay off credit card at 12% ratio that 12$ money doesn’t’ get used up to pay the credit card.
G. when pay off card don’t cancel the card. Use card about 3 times a year and pay off as quickly as possible.
H. if you have a credit card for a long time, that longevity is also a good sign.
I. credit cards is a tool. = (you control the card it not c control you mg)
j. Your credit card (large balances) is a good indication of the status of your financial healthy
-meat verses gravy
1. Meat core budget, the necessary purchases. Goal: keep it to 70% of your salary. Thus Set 10% to retirement and other necessary buckets.
2. Many people live until 90 years old.
3. Cash set aside for emergency fund and savings account
4. The last 10% is the gravy that is the fun stuff. =vacation and toys.
From pennies you get broken or get rich.
6. Need to set up a budget.
7. Bring up bank statement and credit card accounts and put items in categories to see where past money is spent.
8. For one month is to literally document every penny you spent. For gum, drinks etc. that will help you understand where the money is going to. This helps you see if you’re shopping wisely.
9. Look at your instance and call your agent. Is there a way I can save on this policy? For insurance it might be to raise your deductibles on the different on collision or take away collision insurance.
10. Call up every bill and ask how can I save on this bill that I’m spending you. may offer a small discount
11. Call up cable and see if remove certain channels.
12. Every $5 you save in one area can be redirected to buckets.
13. Think of ways to save money like turning off lights.
14. Ordering out eating out less frequent. Do it less often but maybe do it with friends.
15. Gift giving habits = started a Pollyanna program and family only gives one gift for the holidays instead of to everyone and put dollar limit.
16. Go to library for free movies or books instead of buying movies, or books
Additional financial info gained through the Q&A session:
– how long does it take to be financial secure:
– Don’t ignore your goals just because it can’t be accomplish quickly. Time can solve issues.
– Change your budget around you will find in a year or two your sitatuo9n will feel different. Start getting positive endorphins.
– If pay off one credit card you can use that money for another place and the progress builds.
– Bad credit score starts when people don’t pay their bills.
– cca to determine in bankruptcy
– Teach kids to save by showing them.
– Creating a budget there are tons of online budget resources.
– Priority: pay off credit cards and emergency fund first? If high interest credit cards pay off credit cards or if low do half and half.
– How establish a credit. check out a secured credit card (you put money set aside)
– Many debt consolidators often don’t work in your favor.
– Pay off credit card with the lowest balance and use the money for the next debt.
– 401K don’t take money out of 401. 401 should be a mix between stocks and bonds. Look at fund choices and modify against t ones that are not performing.
– you have a multi decade funding
– 401 = gets tax reduction.
– Roth= you don’t get a tax reduction is you don’t get taxed later. Do a wroth.
– Reverse mortgage = some bad reputation. There are some better products coming up. Look at very carefully.
– Scavenger collectors with closed accounts. = make a call to CCA.
– Find a financial planner = look for a fee only financial planner. Don’t choose one from the provider. A lot of people can work with an unbiased counselor for a couple of hours. Garrett Planning Network = would be a good source for hourly financial help. Go to their web site.
– For a partner who is doesn’t like a budget = just select a specific goal and see how much it cost and just discuss that specific goal.
– Some people earn money through a collectable (rentals) but they can be very unstable.
– Store cards= it’s a way how people get 3 Credit cards to 6. People will often pay more money because they take a long time to pay.
