Business Archives | Page 5 of 19

How To Master The Art Of Giving Speeches

For some people, merely thinking about public speaking can cause their palms to sweat. It is one of the most common fears out there. However, there are many ways to overcome your fear and deliver a memorable speech. Here are some useful tips.

#1: DO YOU KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE?

Know the reason why you are asked to talk in a room full of people. Identify your audience. It is important to identify your audience to know what they want or need to take away from your speech. If you are speaking in front of your friends at a wedding, entertain them. If you are speaking in front of your co-workers, inspire them.

#2: HAVE YOU REHEARSED?

Make time to practice your speech. Write down your goals and the content of your speech ahead of time. This will ensure that your muscle memory will work while you deliver your speech. Try practicing despite having different distractions to mimic real-life situations.

#3: WHICH STYLE WORKS FOR YOU?

While others may benefit from having their script memorized, some may perform better with a few notes on a paper. Different events will usually require a different style. Know which style works for you.

#4: HAVE YOU TESTED ALL THE EQUIPMENT?

Nothing is more frustrating than last-minute technical difficulties. Avoid adding more stress to your day by testing all the equipment and audio visual presentations ahead of time. It is best to have backups too.

#5: HOW DID YOU USE YOUR BODY LANGUAGE?

The right physical or non-verbal communication can have a profound impact on how your message is interpreted and received. Be aware of your body language! For instance, you must make eye contact. Face your audience and stand straight. Avoid crossing your arms or putting your hands in your pockets.

#6: DID YOU GRAB ATTENTION?

Grab attention by refraining from starting a speech with what today’s talk is about. Instead, use an interesting anecdote or a shocking statistic to kick things off. Conclude your speech with a summary and a strong statement that your audience will remember.

#7: HAVE YOU TRIED ENJOYING THE EXPERIENCE?

Image credits: unsplash.com

Fake it until you make it. If you look bored, then the audience will think that you not interesting. Exude confidence by adding a little humor (i.e., as long as it is appropriate) and interesting anecdotes. This will help you and your audience relax. Remember to eliminate sentences that does not clearly support your purpose. Remember that it is not about you, it is about your audience.

Sources: 1 & 2

Advantages Of Having Multiple Sources Of Income

Times are tough. Amidst the chaos, who does not have an additional source of income? Side hustles are lifelines in this ever-changing economy. As my full-time position is on halt due to school closures, I exhausted all of my efforts in writing for a couple of websites.

Having multiple income streams allows you to secure your savings in the long run. If you are working full-time as a teacher and are selling cupcakes on Instagram, then you have two income streams. Say you are an investor too! That grows your income streams to three. Not to mention, you may also earn money by selling your stock photos online. That will enable you to generate income from four streams.

As you can imagine, maintaining a day job and running multiple side hustles can be quite overwhelming. Such endeavors require a considerable amount of time, effort, and commitment. However, you cannot deny the benefits of having multiple sources of income!

#1: BROADER SKILL SET

Your multiple streams of income allows you to experience different issues and solutions. It will widen your skill set. Some experiences will call for an analytical mindset, while others will require your creative juices. You have to be able to adjust to the demands of your tasks.

You can develop new skills as a result. Not only can this be extremely gratifying, but they also provide you with an extra layer of security should you apply for a promotion or leave your job.

#2: FINANCIAL SECURITY

It does not take a genius to conclude that leaving your fate in several wheels will expand your chances of winning. Industry wages simply have not caught up with inflation over the years. Even if your job provides you a six-figure paycheck monthly, that goes out the window once you hit retirement age.

Multiple streams of income creates a good safety net. You may also invest some of your extra income to a diverse portfolio.

#3: WIDER NETWORK

Having multiple businesses or positions allows you to meet different people and acquire several partnerships. In the age of social media, opportunities to collaborate with big brands or personalities are as abundant as ever.

Do not underestimate the power of a useful content. You will never know who might be reading, watching, or listening!

#4: BETTER MINDSET

There is a learning curve to all of this. Do not feel bad if you stumble during the initial phases. Your first attempt to sell your items online may not be successful, but you have learned valuable lessons along the way. Use what you learned in digital marketing and e-commerce to provide better consumer services on your second round.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

According to Meir Ezra: “Your income is proportional to your control.” The willpower to control your finances is in your hands. The future is in your hands. Start growing your income today! Chances are, you already have a few ideas tucked away anyway. So, do your research and char potential clients and suppliers. Your bank account will thank you later.

How To Be More Productive During Quarantine

With the beaming light from my phone and a distinct “ding”, I received a message from my friend. She was up until the wee hours to finish her Interior Design plates. She asked my professional advice regarding the root of her need to procrastinate.

Productivity is premium at this time. It is usually expressed as a ratio of input to output. You may illustrate it as the number of products produced per working hour. Given the cost of the working hours, productivity can also measure the efficiency of a business.

Productivity matters because there is so much that needs to get done in a day. In most business models, profitability is a function of productivity, price, and volume. Interestingly, productivity can be seen as subjective. You define how productive you are. Often, there is a gap between reality and perceived productivity. Combat this by following these tips.

1. SET BITE-SIZED TASKS
2. FOCUS THEN PAUSE
3. KNOW WHY YOU PROCRASTINATE
4. BE PRESENT
5. ALLOW YOURSELF TO FAIL

#1: SET BITE-SIZED TASKS

You do not have to finish everything in one consumption. For instance, I have taken the Google Digital Garage Digital Marketing course for three days. Initially, I have the choice to finish everything in one day or to follow the rhythm of my pacing. I chose the latter. It is healthier that way!

Create a schedule for tasks that need to be completed and break these down into tiny parts. Segmentation allows you to celebrate the completion of each task. This boosts your confidence and helps increase your motivation to continue on.

#2: FOCUS THEN PAUSE

Create a schedule following a specific time-slot to guide your work from home. Focus for periods spanning from 90 to 120 minutes. Then, pause and walk within your flat or nearby. This will help you refresh your mind.

You may also indulge yourself in distractions. It does not hurt to play a game for 10 to 20 minutes. Do the things you were told not to do at the workplace. You deserve this short break. Afterwards, go back to the task at hand.

#3: KNOW WHY YOU PROCRASTINATE

Going back to my friend, I analyzed her need to procrastinate. In her case, it is because she is a perfectionist. She feels the pressure of designing her plates right to get the approval of her supervisor. People envision outcomes so outstanding that their expectations become more intimidating than inspirational.

“Perfectionists aren’t people who do something perfectly. Perfectionists are people who fantasize about doing something perfectly.” – Mr. John Perry, a Philosophy Professor at Stanford University

For entrepreneurs who hold accountability for everything, procrastination is a problem. It usually happens when they have no experience or are not familiar with the topic at hand. Knowing why you procrastinate is the first step!

#4: BE PRESENT

Oh, mindfulness! I have completed 11 days of my mindfulness meditation journey. In my path, I realized that being present is a great way to be productive.

A mindful person knows how to differentiate what is “important” and what is “urgent”. Knowing these labels can help you prioritize certain tasks. Moreover, you will be able to lessen the time spent on unimportant tasks.

#5: ALLOW YOURSELF TO FAIL

Productivity does not equate to perfection! Allow yourself to abandon the plan for the day. Sometimes, things do not go the way you want it to. With the uncertainty knocking in our doors, it is helpful to focus on the progress and allow yourself to fail once in a while.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Technology can either help or distract you. Does it mean that you will quit using it entirely? Of course not! Allow your brain to move from one task to another whenever it pleases. After all, the circuit breaker period is teaching us the importance of slowing down and focusing on what is important.

Sources: 1 & 2

5 Praiseworthy Qualities Of A Leader

Leaders shape our communities, organizations, and nations. The global pandemic that occupies our lives now has shown some of the best and worst practices of leaders across the world. We need good leaders to guide us and to help us make large-scale decisions that will influence the quality of our lives.

That being said, here are some of the most commendable qualities that a number of leaders have.

#1: RESILIENCE

“People are afraid, and when people are afraid, when their pie is shrinking, they look for somebody to hate. They look for somebody to blame. And a real leader speaks to anxiety and to fear and allays those fears, assuages anxiety.”

-Henry Louis Gates, former leader of the African and American Research Institute at Harvard University

As you embrace the huge responsibility of leading a pack, you will encounter different adversities a long the way. It is up to you to become resourceful in solving each problem that comes your way. A resilient leader is a person who sees failures as temporary setbacks, which they can recover from. Pliant like a bamboo, a resilient leader stands still in the test of time.

#2: TRANSPARENCY

“Great leaders have the uncanny ability of not letting rumors spread by being open and transparent and embracing solutions not problems. If an employee is frustrated with customer, they make you put that negative energy into coming up with a solution. If coworkers have a rift, rather than nurturing the gossip the leader makes you get over it and fix the issue.”

-Kevin Sides, CMO of ShipMonk

Nothing will make people more agreeable or less defensive than you being humble when admitting your own mistakes. Having reasonable and stable personal and professional relationships relies on you taking the responsibility for your own actions. You must be transparent, especially when it comes to your mistakes. A transparent leader acknowledges his or her actions and apologizes whenever necessary.

#3: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE (EQ)

“If you are tuned out of your own emotions, you will be poor at reading them in other people.”

-Daniel Goleman, renowned author and science journalist

Your IQ can only secure you the position, your EQ will let you thrive. Emotional intelligence helps you boost your self-awareness, self-control, motivation, empathy, and social skills. It is finding the balance within yourself and the chemistry in others. A leader with a high EQ can relate to his or her employees more and can solve the obstacles without emotional roadblocks.

#4: EMPATHY

“Empathy not only allows great leaders to understand their employees and their customers better, but it also is known to enhance pro-social (aka helping) behaviors. Because of this, empathy enables leaders to address issues faster and with more precision, and it makes them more flexible to respond to an ever-changing business environment.”

-Jeff Kear, founder of Planning Pod

Empathy is part of the EQ. It is the ability to put yourself in another person’s shoe (idiomatically speaking). Empathy is correlated with job performance. People who show more empathy towards others are viewed to be better leaders. Fortunately, empathy can be learned and cultivated in the workplace. It is up to you to transform your environment.

#5: RESPECT

“Respect is how to treat everyone, not just those you want to impress.”

-Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group

Treating people with respect is one of the most important things that a leader can do. Respect will ease the tensions, help solve conflicts, create trusts, and improve efficiency. After all, respect begets respect.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

While successful leaders may exhibit these qualities to varying degrees, all good leaders reap the advantages of these characteristics.

Sources: 1 & 2

How To React To Poor Customer Service

It is common sense to think that good customer service goes hand-in-hand with success. More than ever, customers have formed higher expectations due to the comparisons they see online. Should a customer be disappointed, he or she will make sure that the entire Internet knows about it. Releasing your frustrations online may not be the best way. Reducing your frustrations in a healthy manner is.

Having a bad customer service experience can feel like enduring an unresolved loop. The unpleasant encounter can leave all these negative emotions for a duration of time. If you cannot handle these experiences through processing or re-direction, you are bound to linger onto these negative emotions.

Do not let your negative emotions of frustrations and disappointments consume you, follow these coping suggestions.

TALK TO THE MANAGER

As a paying customer, you are expected to be treated with respect and deference. Customer service agents are paid to actively listen to your queries and to expedite the purchasing process. You may seek the help of the manager, if the customer service agent cannot meet your requests or constantly answers with: “I am not authorized to do that.”

No matter how negative you feel, you have no right to blame everything to the company. Talk to the manager about what happened and how the event broke down. Highlight what you think a fair compensation looks like.

DETERMINE WHAT YOU WANT

Ask yourself honestly: do you want them to be punished or to learn? There are different ways to communicate what you want such as writing a complaint or speaking to the manager. However, there is another route that you can take. You can humanize the situation by understanding the other person’s point of view. Think of reasons why the employee is treating you this way.

Perhaps, your request cannot be given without bending the company’s rules. Is the employee is enduring a bad day or a horrible boss? Nonetheless, it requires compassion and empathy for the other person. These traits may not be practiced by everyone. It is so hard to give empathy when you are fueled by negative emotions and a goal to punish the other person. As hard as it may seem, please try.

FIND AN OUTLET

I have been in your situation multiple times. Recently, I had my armpits waxed. The personnel burnt my skin and said that she cannot get some of my armpit hair. It sucks to pay for a service that I did not enjoy. Moreover, I opt to endure the painful alternative of plucking. I have two options: to scream at the personnel or to politely leave the establishment. I chose the latter. Why? It is Christmastime – a season of generosity and love. I would rather put aloe vera on my skin than have her get reprimanded by her boss.

I found a way to validate my unwanted emotions without harming anyone. I told my significant other and my friends about the event. It is best to find someone who can give you his or her meaningful opinions and make you feel that your voice is heard. You cannot get that with a heated online post!

Sources: 1 & 2

Search the site