Staging A Successful Meeting - Meeting Room Check

by Yvon Douran

Allow time for set-up and rehearsal and allow time between sessions to re-set meeting rooms. Book all meeting rooms in 24 hour time blocks. Verify when presenters will arrive and if they need rehearsal time before their scheduled start time.

1. Seating Plan. Are the tables and chairs arranged in the correct manner for the meeting format? Is the size of the room adequate for the number of people who will be in attendance? Are there removable walls and is the room sound proof from adjacent rooms and the foyer? Movable walls are not usually soundproof. A soundproof solution is to run two parallel air walls to create a narrow corridor between them

2. Location of additional chairs. Check that extra chairs are available and easily accessible.

3. Room Temperature Locate the room climate controls (air conditioning/heating). Start with the room cooler than usual, the room will warm-up with more people in the space and once the doors are closed.

4. Teleprompter, translation equipment and Audio-Visual Make sure that all of the equipment needed for the meeting is on-site and ready to go.( Hand-held microphone with stand, lavaliere microphones, white board with markers or projector and screen with laser pointer) Check power capability and power outlets. Are electrical outlets available for plugging in laptop computers? Is there telephone connectivity and is it needed? Internet connectivity? Wireless facility?

5. Podium with light and riser. Check to make sure that these items are available if requested by the speaker or facilitator.

6. Presentation table with water pitcher, drinking glasses, pencils and note pads.

7. Decorations that reinforce the meeting theme and color scheme. Check that all decorations conform to fire regulations.

8. Floral arrangements and plants.

9. Signage Check the location of signage – is it clear and visible?

10. Tape recorder if an audio recording is being made and operator. Depending at the length of the presentation make sure there are adequate supplies/audio tapes to accommodate.

11. Lighting e.g., over head, obscured, variable beam, spotlights, strobe lights, special effects, lights with dimmer switches

12. Position of light switches

13. Is there closed circuit TV ? Is the security adequate?

14. Radio and TV broadcasting, Videotaping?

15. Wheelchair access and space allotment on aisle Careful planning makes for flawless execution and a chance for attendees to get the most out of the sessions they attend.

by YVON DOURAN

3 Ways to Get the Most Entertaining Speaker for Your Corporate Budget

While the economy has been rough all around lately, few people have experienced as many budget reductions as meeting planners. Whether it's money for travel, facilities or catering costs, the situation is the same-planners are asked to make more out of less.

Somewhere in this new sea of corporate frugality, where meeting planners are struggling to find the best bargains for all aspects of a event, lie the mysterious fees and budgets devoted to speakers, musicians, comedians and other entertainers. Finding a 'good deal' for event entertainment can be tough, particularly because there are so many subjective factors that make it hard to compare any one type of entertainer to another. When looking through bios and demo tapes, it's hard to size up respective motivational or inspiration speakers the way you might a more tangible product or service.

Even so, there are steps that event planners can take to get a great keynote speaker for fewer dollars. Below are a few tips that should help you stretch out the entertainment budget for your next corporate event:

Think Big Celebrity Names.

Big names cost big money, so you can't save money by booking big name celebrities, right? It really depends. Hiring well-known celebrity speakers costs a big chunk of cash up front, but it can also be a great way to generate a lot of positive buzz about your event-from your attendees as well as the media. Nothing quite excites people the same way as hearing a talk or having a book signed by one of their favorite TV or business personalities. Savvy event planners can take advantage of this fact by spending big bucks on a top shelf speaker and saving even more by capitalizing on free publicity instead of expensive advertising.

Of course, that strategy only works if you have an event that's large enough to benefit from the increased publicity and attendance that a big name entertainer can bring. What about those planners who have either events or budgets too small to justify the upfront costs of well-known speakers? In that case, you can still save money and get some great entertainment speakers by keeping a few things in mind: Know The Type of Entertainment Your Audience Will Appreciate. Many times, a speaker or entertainer who would not be considered or even well known within the general public can be an icon, or even a hero, to a specific group. For instance, not many people would be familiar with motivational sales speakers. But to the men and women working in his former industry, the speaker might be considered an inspirational superstar.

Keep in mind, though, that it works both ways. A business speaker who seems to be a big draw for one gender or age group doesn't always translate into a home run for another. If you aren't sure if a certain entertainer will be known throughout your audience, take a couple of minutes to find out ahead of time.

Be Specific on What Type of Speaker or Entertain You Need.

One of the greatest things about today's speakers market is that there's something for just about everyone, no matter how specific the need. If you're looking for business speakers on needlepoint techniques in a post-modern global economy-trust me, there's someone out there. So, the real trick is pinpointing exactly what type of speaker or entertainer you need for your occasion. Are you looking for a motivational keynote? A technical expert? Humorous after-dinner entertainer? The more you can answer this question, the easier your search will be. No matter what, just remember that with the thousands of speakers available, a knowledgeable, experienced speaker’s bureau can help you find someone who meets your taste and budget. You just have to be willing to follow these rules and look for a good deal.

Use a Speakers Bureau-a reputable bureau is paid by speakers, so their services won't cost you anything. Plus, with a stable of thousands or celebrities, musicians, comedians and business speakers, they can help you to find someone that meets your needs, budget and schedule. Book a Speaker As Far Ahead As Possible-remember that your speaker might have to travel a great distance to reach your event. By working months in advance you can minimize last second headaches and costs.

Ask for Condensed Demos of Speakers-your bureau can send you a few video highlights of speakers that match your needs. You can usually form a good opinion of the entertainer within a few minutes, so save time by asking for shortened demos.

Be mindful of your timing-Scheduling the best speaker in the world won't do you (or your audience) any good if the audience is tired or bored. Make sure that you schedule your speaker for a time when your audience will be receptive.

Author Info: Matthew Sherwood is an Account Executive with Brooks International Speakers Bureau. You can reach him at 303-825-8700, or at matt@brooksinternational.com.

Using Agendas to Make Your Meetings More Effective

Beverly Wallace of Genzyme Genetics sent in these great tips for planning your meetings. I thank her for the tips and encourage anyone else who wants to share their ideas to email them to me.

How many times have you attended a meeting only to find it had no direction and no agenda? Meeting agendas are very important when you have a lot to cover within a limited time. They also help in keeping the "talkers" under control and on topic.

Email A Proposed Agenda

In order to make your agenda useful, first email a proposed agenda prior to the meeting. Within this email, include a request for any additional agenda items. This works in two ways. First, everyone is prepared to discuss the same topics. Second, no one feels left out of the process

Use Visual Aids to Follow Along

Once the agenda is agreed to, stick with it. Use either a white board or even a computer with a projector to keep track of the agenda as you move through it. This helps keep everyone on the same topic and keeps things moving forward.

Follow Up on the Agenda

Finally, at the close of the meeting, address each of the agenda items with the action items. These should be reviewed at the next meeting to ensure they were followed up on. After all, what is the point of the meeting if no one ever takes action?

Meetings are only as effective as the effort you put into them. Without a plan, they tend to be time wasters and eat away at the moral of your team. Plan the content of the discussions by using an agenda and you will find meetings more focused and a better use of your time.

10 Fundamentals for Effective Meetings

Here are ten fundamental concepts that characterize an effective meeting.

Definition: A meeting is a business activity where select people gather to perform work that requires a team effort.

A meeting, like any business event, succeeds when it is preceded by planning, characterized by focus, governed by structure, and controlled by a budget.

Three things guarantee an unproductive meeting: poor planning, lack of appropriate process, and hostile culture. Effective leaders attend to all of these to create an effective meeting.
Effective meetings require sharing control and making commitments.

Short meetings free people to work on the essential activities that represent the core of their jobs. In contrast, long meetings prevent people from working on critical tasks such as planning, communicating, and learning.

The ultimate goals of every meeting are agreements, decisions, or solutions. Meetings held for other reasons seldom produce anything of value.

Unprepared participants will spend their time in the meeting preparing for the meeting.
It is better to spend a little time preparing for solutions than to spend a lot of time fixing problems.

Meetings are an investment of resources and time that should earn a profit.
A meeting can be led from any chair in the room. And if it's your meeting, you want it to be your chair.

IAF Certified Professional Facilitator and author Steve Kaye works with leaders who want to hold effective meeting. His innovative workshops have informed and inspired people nationwide. His facilitation produces results that people will support. Call 714-528-1300 or visit his web site for over 100 pages of valuable ideas. Sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.stevekaye.com

Planning Versus Scheduling: The Key Difference

Do you know the difference between planning and scheduling? Planning is deciding WHAT needs to be done and scheduling is deciding WHEN to do it. Planning without scheduling is nothing more than listing a lot of things that never get accomplished, and you can't schedule tasks that you haven't decided to do, so the two go hand in hand.

Planning is done with a master list. The master list contains tasks, large and small, short range and long range, in no particular order. Your master list is merely a place to write down all the things you want to do "sometime". It's a general place to keep an inventory of all the things you'd like to complete so you don't have to store them all in your head. Trying to keep your master list in your head is counterproductive, and uses valuable mental energy needlessly. Write it down to get it out of your head, so you can free your mind to focus on more important things.
For scheduling, pull a task from the master list, choose the appropriate time to take action, and schedule it into your calendar. If it is a project or a long-term or complex task, break it into manageable pieces and then schedule each of the pieces into your calendar. By breaking your projects and large tasks into small chunks, you will be able to better estimate how long it will take you to finish, and you won't feel overwhelmed by the size of the task.

Planning and scheduling are both valuable habits to get into, as they keep you on track and focused on both your short term and long term goals.

Monica Ricci is the founder of Catalyst Organizing Solutions in Atlanta, GA. She speaks to groups and companies about the benefits of choosing a simpler life and how to cut the chaos. She is president of the Georgia chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers. Contact Monica at: 770-416-6613 or Monica@CatalystOrganizing.com

9 Essentials for Selecting a Meeting Room

Your meeting or event location can help make or break your success. The location you choose sets the stage and creates the right environment for the action to happen. Budget, of course, plays a major role. Using your own internal conference room saves money, but ask yourself, is it really the right place to meet? In essence, you need to think about a place that minimizes disturbances, offers comfort and convenience, meets your equipment and space needs, and projects the right image.

When it comes time to pick that right location for your meeting, pay attention to the following nine characteristics of the room or rooms you're considering and use the questions as a checklist so that you make the best possible decisions.

1. Space: Will everyone be able to fit comfortably into the room after you set up the chairs, tables, aisles, a stage, or other presentation area, and any audiovisual equipment you need? If you're a novice in this area, definitely ask for advice from your venue contact.

2. Temperature: Does the room have air conditioning or heating? What control do you have during the meeting in case body heat causes temperature to rise uncomfortably? Unfortunately, windows aren't a good substitute for air conditioning because they let in outside noises and distractions along with fresh air (which may not be so fresh). Many large facilities have temperature controls that are centrally located, and you may be hard-pressed to find a happy medium between the Artic and the Sahara in the individual meeting rooms.

3. Lighting: How much control do you have over the room lighting? Can you make the room dark enough for the audience to see images projected on a screen? Can you make it light enough for participants to take notes and not fall asleep?

Ideally, you should be able to control and dim individual lights in the meeting room. If you can't control the lighting, you can arrange to have venue management unscrew specific bulbs ahead of time to achieve the desired effect for your event. This is particularly important for bulbs that shine directly above or onto a screen and wash-out images.

4. Sight lines: Will you be unable to seat participants in any areas of the room because of a column, low ceiling, or other impediment obstructs their view? You can best glean this type of information from a site inspection. You can't rely on room specifications to give you this data. However, if a site visit isn't possible, grill your contact with specific questions so as to avoid any on-site surprises.

5. Potential distractions: What potential distractions make the room a less-than-ideal setting for your meeting? Is the air conditioning too loud? Is the room situated on a busy street? Does noisy foot traffic intrude from the hallway outside? Is the room located adjacent to the kitchen or above a general session auditorium where dress rehearsals may be taking place? Are the walls thick enough to block out distracting noises? How about the sound system - can you hear feedback from one room to another? The only way to know the answers to many of these questions is to test things out.

6. Seating and tables: Does your room have all the tables and chairs you need, or will you have to rent them? Are you required to rent them from the venue, or can you use an outside provider? If the room has any furniture that in inadequate or inappropriate for you meeting, will you have to move it out and store it? Will the venue provide this service free of charge, or is there an additional fee?

To make your life a little easier, get a copy of the blueprints for the room you are using. These will help you immensely to figure out how to arrange seating, the stage, and equipment.
Realize that if you're planning to use the same room for several presenters or meetings, you need to decide the best configuration for all the different presentations. You want to avoid the expense of having the room reconfigured for each separate meeting.

7. Rental time: Be sure you have access to the room early enough to set up and troubleshoot any unanticipated problems before the meeting begins. Build in time for audiovisual technicians, lighting specialists, chair and table suppliers, caterers, and any other service providers to do their thing before attendees arrive. You may also want to give presenters rehearsal time in the room to become familiar and comfortable with their environment, and to run through their presentations in search of potential problems, such as sight lines.

8. Room capacity: Find out about the legal capacity of the room you are renting, and do not exceed it. Also check out all emergency exits, and work them into your planning, being careful not to obstruct them with a stage or seating. Make sure that all the exits are clearly marked and illuminated.

9. Essential items: Find out in advance whether you venue provides the following essential items either free of charge or for an additional fee. Any of the items not included, provided, of course, you need them, ought to become part of your contract

Coverings for any tables you're using, such as tablecloths and/or table skirts.
Notepads and pencils.
Water and glasses for attendees.
Dishes of candy at each table.
A stage and stage props, such as a lectern, , greenery, or an American flag if it's appropriate.
Easels or sign holders and signs to direct attendees to the proper room.
Flip charts or other props for presenters.
Extension cords, power strips, and extra tables for projection equipment.
Extra lighting, should it be necessary.
Audiovisual equipment.

THE TRADESHOW COACH30 Saranac AvenueLake Placid, NY 12946Ph: 518-523-1320Fx: 518-523-8755

9 Essentials for Selecting a Meeting Room

Your meeting or event location can help make or break your success. The location you choose sets the stage and creates the right environment for the action to happen. Budget, of course, plays a major role. Using your own internal conference room saves money, but ask yourself, is it really the right place to meet? In essence, you need to think about a place that minimizes disturbances, offers comfort and convenience, meets your equipment and space needs, and projects the right image.

When it comes time to pick that right location for your meeting, pay attention to the following nine characteristics of the room or rooms you're considering and use the questions as a checklist so that you make the best possible decisions.

1. Space: Will everyone be able to fit comfortably into the room after you set up the chairs, tables, aisles, a stage, or other presentation area, and any audiovisual equipment you need? If you're a novice in this area, definitely ask for advice from your venue contact.

2. Temperature: Does the room have air conditioning or heating? What control do you have during the meeting in case body heat causes temperature to rise uncomfortably? Unfortunately, windows aren't a good substitute for air conditioning because they let in outside noises and distractions along with fresh air (which may not be so fresh). Many large facilities have temperature controls that are centrally located, and you may be hard-pressed to find a happy medium between the Artic and the Sahara in the individual meeting rooms.

3. Lighting: How much control do you have over the room lighting? Can you make the room dark enough for the audience to see images projected on a screen? Can you make it light enough for participants to take notes and not fall asleep?

Ideally, you should be able to control and dim individual lights in the meeting room. If you can't control the lighting, you can arrange to have venue management unscrew specific bulbs ahead of time to achieve the desired effect for your event. This is particularly important for bulbs that shine directly above or onto a screen and wash-out images.

4. Sight lines: Will you be unable to seat participants in any areas of the room because of a column, low ceiling, or other impediment obstructs their view? You can best glean this type of information from a site inspection. You can't rely on room specifications to give you this data. However, if a site visit isn't possible, grill your contact with specific questions so as to avoid any on-site surprises.

5. Potential distractions: What potential distractions make the room a less-than-ideal setting for your meeting? Is the air conditioning too loud? Is the room situated on a busy street? Does noisy foot traffic intrude from the hallway outside? Is the room located adjacent to the kitchen or above a general session auditorium where dress rehearsals may be taking place? Are the walls thick enough to block out distracting noises? How about the sound system - can you hear feedback from one room to another? The only way to know the answers to many of these questions is to test things out.

6. Seating and tables: Does your room have all the tables and chairs you need, or will you have to rent them? Are you required to rent them from the venue, or can you use an outside provider? If the room has any furniture that in inadequate or inappropriate for you meeting, will you have to move it out and store it? Will the venue provide this service free of charge, or is there an additional fee?

To make your life a little easier, get a copy of the blueprints for the room you are using. These will help you immensely to figure out how to arrange seating, the stage, and equipment.
Realize that if you're planning to use the same room for several presenters or meetings, you need to decide the best configuration for all the different presentations. You want to avoid the expense of having the room reconfigured for each separate meeting.

7. Rental time: Be sure you have access to the room early enough to set up and troubleshoot any unanticipated problems before the meeting begins. Build in time for audiovisual technicians, lighting specialists, chair and table suppliers, caterers, and any other service providers to do their thing before attendees arrive. You may also want to give presenters rehearsal time in the room to become familiar and comfortable with their environment, and to run through their presentations in search of potential problems, such as sight lines.

8. Room capacity: Find out about the legal capacity of the room you are renting, and do not exceed it. Also check out all emergency exits, and work them into your planning, being careful not to obstruct them with a stage or seating. Make sure that all the exits are clearly marked and illuminated.

9. Essential items: Find out in advance whether you venue provides the following essential items either free of charge or for an additional fee. Any of the items not included, provided, of course, you need them, ought to become part of your contract

Coverings for any tables you're using, such as tablecloths and/or table skirts.
Notepads and pencils.
Water and glasses for attendees.
Dishes of candy at each table.
A stage and stage props, such as a lectern, , greenery, or an American flag if it's appropriate.
Easels or sign holders and signs to direct attendees to the proper room.
Flip charts or other props for presenters.
Extension cords, power strips, and extra tables for projection equipment.
Extra lighting, should it be necessary.
Audiovisual equipment.

THE TRADESHOW COACH30 Saranac AvenueLake Placid, NY 12946Ph: 518-523-1320Fx: 518-523-8755

Ten Tips to Improve the Effectiveness of Your Meetings

By: Patti Hathaway

1. An agenda sent out prior to a meeting is critical! List your meeting objective (i.e. the purpose for the meeting) on the agenda.

2. Write out the preparation you would like the participants to do prior to the meeting. List it as the "Pre-Meeting Preparation". Include in that list the things/items you need participants to bring to the meeting.

3. Invite only those people who can contribute to the meeting. Every person attending a meeting should be able to answer these key questions:

- What is the purpose of this meeting?

- How can I contribute?

4. Avoid "lecture meetings". Is there a more efficient way to distribute certain information instead of calling a meeting?

5. Prepare Action Item Minutes.

6. Get participants actively involved in the meeting: time keeper, leading, facilitating, etc.

7. Have participants attend only for the time they are needed.

8. Are your participants "big picture" or "detail" people? What format should be used in the project team's final report? What kind of meeting minutes will best meet the needs of your participants?

9. Start on time. Set an ending time on the meeting when scheduling the meeting. End on time.

10. Who said "Robert's Rules of Order" increases the effectiveness of meetings? Develop your own "Rules of the Road" to meet your specific group's objectives and needs.

Patti Hathaway is a Certified Speaking Professional and author of 4 books which have sold over 100,000 copies. Known as The CHANGE AGENT , she can be at 1-800-339-0973 or at her web-site: www.thechangeagent.com for information on her speaking services or to receive her free e-mail newsletter.

How to Get the Right Speaker for Your Conference

Organizing a conference can be a complex task. You need to book a suitable venue, organize session times and coffee breaks, decide on a menu, check the audio-visual equipment ... the task sometimes seems endless. It's not surprising that many conference organisers leave it almost too late to add the most important ingredient - the right speaker.Speakers these days come in all shapes, sizes and areas of expertise. Name a topic, and you can find someone to speak on it.
Some speakers are good. Some are brilliant. But some, unfortunately, are not so good.

There's a good deal of money invested in the average conference to make sure it runs smoothly. Naturally, no organizer wants to fall into the trap of booking a "not-so-good" speaker who might undo all the good work.

We'll pause here for a bit of arithmetic. Let's say you have thirty delegates at a session. You may not realize it, but the cost of putting thirty people in a room just to hear a few words is surprisingly high. Try this: thirty executives at one hundred dollars per hour? Yes, three thousand dollars. Imagine then, the cost of putting three hundred in a room for an hour!

If you're spending this kind of money, or even anywhere near it, you need to make sure that you don't blow the whole thing by putting on a speaker who has the delegates nodding into their notebooks after the first three minutes.

To ensure the success of the conference you have worked so hard to put together, your speakers must have impact. Let's get one thing clear right now: the cost of a good speaker is nothing compared to the cost of failing to get the right message across to your delegates. Good speakers motivate people: they help the magic of an idea become reality.

Maybe, up until now, you've spent up big on other aspects of the conference, and economized on the speaker by having some bigwig in the company address the captive audience.
Think hard before you stick to this course. If old Fred has been saying a few words for the past ten years, for a nominal sum (or nothing), to a team who listens out of respect, laziness or loyalty - you might as well burn the money and be done with it. Give speeches miss entirely; install a pool table. Why ask your audience to listen to a speech with no impact?

Impact. Its importance cannot be overrated. Long after the conference is over, people won't remember whether the coffee was hot or cold. But they will remember the message of a speaker with impact.

When choosing a speaker, you need to take into consideration:

- The conference theme/session topic.

- The length of speaking time allocated.

- The time of the presentation.

- The style of the presentation.

- Information about the speaker.

The Topic

One speaker cannot be all things to all people. As the client, you must select the best speaker for your conference theme. If, for instance, the session is about how to increase sales, you've got to restrict your list of possible speakers to those who have the right experience. It is essential that you have a clear objective in mind for the session. Is it your intention that the speaker should be motivational or entertaining? Or is it more important that he or she be able to transmit technical information in a clear an interesting way?

Once you've decided the session time and have committed to the topic, start the process of selecting speakers according to how well they can address your needs. Make sure you give the speaker a strong brief well in advance - perhaps one-to-one over a cup of coffee.

Length of Speaking Time

When you are organizing a conference, keep in mind that people get bored easily. It's essential that you maintain the pace of the session to stop that boredom from setting in. Rarely will you find a speaker talking for longer than sixty minutes. (Rarely will you find an audience who can bear to sit and listen for much longer than that!). If there are no audio-visuals, cut the time to forty-five minutes.

A speaker who runs over time can throw your whole seminar into chaos. To make sure this doesn't happen, lay it on the line right from the start. It is a good idea to hold an introductory session before a conference, and lay down firm ground rules to the session leaders. The rule should be: Start on time, finish on time. Arrange to give your speakers a three-minute warning signal, then a "stop speaking" signal.

The time of speaking

Is the speech to be given in the morning or the afternoon? Keep in mind that your audience can concentrate better in the morning, and sit through longer speeches.

How is the message going to be delivered? Is it going to be a straightforward speech from the podium or might delegates get more out of an audience participation session?

There are several aspects you need to consider when deciding which speakers should be on at which times:

- Speeches containing more technical or challenging material should be on in the morning session.

- Speeches should be shorter as the day progresses. Panels of speakers work well in afternoon sessions, when the attention of the audience is better kept with frequent changes (of activities as well as speakers).

Style and Presentation

You can't always control who will be giving the speeches, particularly in regard to more technical material. It's hard to avoid the odd drone. But, whenever possible, book talented, interesting people so the delegates will leave with an overall impression that the conference was worth coming to.

Your choice of speaker will range from talking heads to those who like total audience participation. You might hear of one speaker who talks a lot and uses only a few slides, and another who relies on talking visuals with only occasional input from herself.

Of course, if you have a big budget, there's limit to what you can do. The budget determines the production (remember Gone With the Wind?) but even with only a little money, there's a lot you can do. The less money you have, the more careful you have to be.

Information About the Speaker

When you're booking speakers, make sure you check the following things:

- Their area of expertise.

- Their presentation style.

- Their track record.

- Their attitudes and values.

Area of Expertise

We have already spoken about the necessity for choosing the right speaker to suit the conference theme and the topic of the session. Take care to choose a speaker whose area of expertise dovetails with the information you want to get across to the conference delegates.

Presentation Style

What effect do you want for a particular session? A light and breezy approach? Inspirational? Witty? Someone who can make difficult and technical concepts clear and interesting?Look at the session time, look at the projected speech length, look at the conference theme. Then, make your choice. Remember it's essential to choose someone who will have the right impact. The best speakers have strong, relevant content wrapped in a great presentation style.

Track Record

Just because a speaker's the new kid on the block doesn't mean that he or she won't deliver the goods. To get the best out of a speaker, you should always try to get references from three people who have used him or her in similar circumstances. Ask prospective speakers to give you the names and addresses of other people who have booked them.

If you're taking a punt on a new speaker, and you haven't been able to get any feedback from other conference organizers, try that person out in a short speech session.

Don't be tempted to spend money on a speaker with a "so-so" reputation. And book early enough to get the most suitable person, not "the-only-one-left-who'll-have-to-do".

Attitudes and Values

Try to ensure that your speakers' attitudes and values mirror those of most of the delegates - and especially the values of the company. If you're espousing ethical business procedures and restraint, it's not a good idea to choose a speaker who's renowned for being a shark. The speakers chosen should be known for attitudes which reflect the conference theme.

Doug Malouf delivers results in the areas of Sales, Customer Service, Management Development and Communication Skills. He is a unique keynote speaker and is universally acknowledged as one of the most involving and imaginative trainers in the world. www.dougspeak.com

Are Your Meetings MINM or JAM?

When people come to your meetings, do they say "this is a meeting I never miss" ( MINM) or do they say "this is just another meeting." (JAM)

Unproductive meetings gobble up an estimated 20% of corporate payrolls, throwing away $420 billion a year. American business people engage in an estimated 11 million meetings every workday. The average American executive spends 17 hours a week in meetings and more than 6 hours preparing. At an average salary of $45,000, more than $18,000 per executive is spent in meetings.

Before you call another meeting, ask yourself: - what's the outcome I want from this meeting? The more people know what "deliverables" should come from the meeting, the more focus you can bring to the conversations. - is there a more effective way of getting the results without a meeting? - who REALLY needs to be involved? - when is the optimum time to have it and what time limit shall I set?

Sounds silly, but agendas make a huge difference. And forget 'old business". Who ever got excited about starting a meeting with "old business"! If it has relevancy to current situations, it is not "old"-it is pressing business.The skills of running an effective meeting can easily be learned. These skills involve gatekeeping (i.e. making sure that one person does not monopolize the meeting), summarizing the points, calling for a decisions, establishing protocols, and keeping discussion on track.

However, there are times when one needs someone else to conduct a meeting. The more emotion that is connected to a meeting, the more complex the issues, the more it behooves you to consider using a facilitator. A wise facilitator creates a setting that makes it "safe" for people to speak their truth. A facilitator creates a process around whatever is the desired outcome of the meeting and can hold people to the task.

When I have been brought in to facilitate, I make it a practice of interviewing the participants beforehand and creating a composite of the various "common threads" of concern. In this fashion, no one person is singled out and the meeting can get down to the important elements.
Likewise, as an external facilitator, I have no political agenda or job security hanging in the balance. Thus, it frees me to focus totally on helping the participants reach their outcome. Time is the most precious commodity we have. Time-wasting meetings constitute the greatest theft of all. Conduct them well and judiciously and you'll hear people say, "We've got to START meeting like this!".

Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE, is an international speaker, author, and seminar leader. Her book "Work for a Living and Still Be Free to Live" is also the title of one of her most popular and upbeat programs on Work/Life Balance. For more information on Eileen and her presentations, please call 949-496-8640 or visit her web site at http://www.eileenmcdargh.com.

Problem Solving Success Tips

By: Jeanne Sawyer

The ability to solve complicated problems quickly is more important than ever in today's slowing economy. From the time we're little kids, we're taught to solve problems by trial and error.
That's fine if the problem is as simple as a burned out light bulb. When the problem is a muddle of business, technical and political problems, we need something that helps us untangle the mess. Unless you're Harry Potter, treating a mess like a burned out light bulb is as effective as wishing for magic. Fortunately, there are alternatives to magic.

Many key concepts in problem solving seem obvious but are often overlooked, causing delays and frustration in getting important problems solved.

Here are some tips and reminders that will help you solve messy problems quickly and easily.
- Define the problem first. Explain what the problem is-what went wrong, what are the symptoms, what is the impact on your business. Write it down. Everyone who reads it should understand what the problem is and why it's important. Caution: describe the problem, not what you will do to fix it.

- Use your time for problems that are truly important. Just because a problem is there doesn't mean you have to solve it. If you ask, "what will happen if I don't solve this problem?" and the answer is, "not much," then turn your attention to something more important.

- Test your assumptions about everything. Check the facts first. Be sure that you and your team understand the problem the same way, and that you have data to confirm that the problem is important. Test the assumptions about proposed solutions to improve the chances your solution will actually solve the problem.

- Measure. The key question to answer is, "How will you know when the problem is solved?" If you don't measure, you won't know for sure. Use measurements to learn and portray the truth-the real truth, not what you wish were true.

- Measure the right things. A common measurement trap is to measure something because it's "interesting." If knowing a measurement won't change anything (e.g., help you make a decision, verify an assumption or prove the problem is solved), then don't waste your time measuring it.

- Use your project management skills. Solving a big problem is a project: you're far more likely to solve it successfully if you treat it like one. That means you'll need to identify tasks, make and adjust assignments, and keep track of what is due when. Be sure to get appropriate management support for your project.

- Look for solution owners rather than problem owners. Everyone participating in the situation owns the problem, like it or not-and nobody likes it. Avoid the finger-pointing trap by looking for solution owners, i.e., the people who can do something to help solve the problem. Helping with a solution is much more fun than being blamed for a problem, so you're more likely to get the response you need.

(C) 2001 Jeanne Sawyer. Reprinted with permission of the author. Jeanne saves her clients money and keeps them off the front pages. Check out her website at http://www.sawyerpartnership.com.

The Power of Planning Ahead

By Jan Jasper

People suffer needlessly by postponing tasks until the last minute. A lot of tasks we race to finish at the 11th hour could be completed with ease if started early enough.

You don't feel the need to start doing your taxes in January-what's the hurry? There's still plenty of time. February and March pass, still no action. By April you spring into a whirl of anxious activity. You scramble to obtain the correct forms. You frantically start gathering your receipts, but because there isn't enough time to find all of them, you miss out on legitimate deductions. You may even be forced to do it all yourself because every CPA is booked. What was unpleasant to begin with has become a much worse ordeal due to procrastination.

Don't Procrastinate -- Plan!

The solution is to do do things before they need to be done. Make the most important task your first task of the week. Then, no matter what problems arise later, the most important thing got done. Also remember that things often take longer than we expect. If a report is due next week, schedule time a few days in advance to prepare it. This way, if more time is needed, you've got it.

We know that working up to the last minute before leaving for the airport is not worth the risk of missing your plane, so we leave for the airport early. The same principle can be applied in other areas. Call the pharmacy to have that prescription refilled before the last pill is gone. Buy an extra battery for your cell phone before it goes dead. Take your clothes in for dry cleaning before every single suit you own is dirty. Whether it's your office printer, your teeth, or your car, taking care of problems as soon as they begin to surface will save you time, money, and anxiety. If you make this a habit you'll be amazed at how much easier life is.

Schedule Appointments With Yourself

You feel some pressure to go in for a check up if your car's making funny noises or you have a toothache. But how about projects with long-term benefits but no immediate pressure? These are the hardest things to start and stay motivated on. The solution is to set arbitrary deadlines, then schedule appointments with yourself to work towards them. That's right, make an appointment with yourself and enter it in your appointment book or software! Then, if someone tries to infringe on this timeslot, say "Sorry, I have a previous commitment." You don't have to tell them that your "previous commitment" is to spend 3 hours quietly working on your new marketing plan.

Appointments also are useful for personal things you keep not getting around to, like exercising or calling your dear friend who moved to another city. You may end up doing it at noon on Friday instead of 3 pm on Wednesday, but if you don't enter it into your schedule, you won't get it done at all!

Jan Jasper has been training busy people to work smarter, not harder, since 1988. She helps clients streamline their procedures, use technology efficiently, and manage task & information overload. Jan is the author of TAKE BACK YOUR TIME: HOW TO REGAIN CONTROL OF WORK, INFORMATION, & TECHNOLOGY (St. Martin's Press). Contact her at www.janjasper.com.

How to Identify Fixers, Bullies, Avoiders and Schmoozers

By: Harry Dennis

I want to thank Morris R. Schectman, a brilliant international change-management consultant, for the content of this month's column. He has been identified as one of the most influential thinkers of this generation. This man is truly "out of the box." Want to try him on for size?
Each of us has acquired amazingly strong and sustaining drives from our childhoods that makes us act in certain ways throughout our entire lives. These are the "familiars." Whether associated with positive or negative consequences, if it is familiar, we'll go for it first before we tackle the unknown and the unfamiliar.

You are probably asking yourself how this applies to a business environment. Well, our "familiar" is who we are. It's the one definable security that people have in an increasingly insecure world.

For example, suppose you have a manager who wants to make people happy, so intensely so, that he or she becomes irritable at the slightest distraction. Or how about the CEO with an obsessive need for struggle and misery, so whenever things are going well he needs to disrupt something?

There are really four types of "familiars" common to the workplace: The Fixer, The Bully, The Avoider, and The Schmoozer. See if you can relate to them.

The FixerTheir familiar is working on causes that appear to be lost and feeling that they tried their very best, but still couldn't do much. Usually, they are asked to try and change people that no one else has had much success with.

Morrie tells the story of Carol, a human resource specialist in a high-tech company, who is sent all over the world working with highly problematic and difficult general managers. These people were made GM's because of their technical skills, but their people skills were sorely lacking.
Unfortunately, Carol is trapped. She does her job well and, as a result, is too valuable to promote. In other words, Carol the excellent "basket case" fixer will probably remain in this role indefinitely-unless she decides to pursue the unfamiliar. Carol must be willing to recognize her quandary, approach her boss and ask for a change.

The AvoiderAvoiders, on the other hand, think they are responsible for everyone else's happiness. In difficult people situations, they have a tough time making the call for some form of direct confrontation.

The BullyBullies beat people up emotionally and physically. Often, they had difficult childhoods, where fear of abandonment issues prevailed. As a result, they reproduce these feelings in the workplace through the use of intimidation and temper tantrums. Bullies need to be managed with "fierce conversation." Only then will they realize that the intensity of their workplace responses is out of proportion.

The SchmoozerSchmoozers create the illusion that they are operating in the perfect world. They pretend that everything is going great. Others around them sense a profound lack of sincerity. The Schmoozer grew up with at least one depressed parent who prevented him or her from enjoying any real happiness. Hence, in the workplace, they fall back on their "familiar", pretending to be on top of the world, while actually feeling like a victim.

What can you do if you feel trapped in one of those four "familiar" archetypes? If you are a manager, would you be willing to share these suggestions with a troubled but otherwise productive employee who might personally benefit from Shechtman's advice? Likewise, if you were an employee, would you share these thoughts with a manager experiencing any or all of these symptoms? Schectman specifically outlines six steps to move into "unfamiliar" and significantly healthier territory:

1. Identify repetitive feelings. There are five feelings that can become repetitive: hurt/pain, joy, fear, sadness, and grief/loss. Dig behind secondary emotions like anger or frustration to discover which of these five feelings are restricting you.

2. Trace the feelings back in time. Start with a recent occurrence that generated a "familiar" feeling and work backwards with it. Recurring feelings usually began very early in our childhood experiences.

3. Express your feelings without blame or forgiveness. The key is to articulate a feeling that has been dormant for years. Techniques for doing this include writing a letter that you never send, visiting a cemetery alone, writing something in a personal journal every day, or sharing your feelings with a significant other.

4. Allow yourself the right to experience sadness and anger. Do this reflectively by thinking of situations that engendered both emotions. Then recreate alternative outcomes for these situations. Make these alternatives your new "familiars."

5. Take increasing risks to break the hold of the "familiar." No one changes overnight. Moving away from our comfortable "familiars," especially in the workplace, requires small increments of change. This is the process of creating new responses to "the same old stuff."

6. Create a new "familiar" that redirects your energy. If someone ever says to you, "it's none of your business," and you reply, "thank you," then you have broken the sound barrier of the "new familiars." And if you don't at all agonize over their remark, you have truly arrived in this new place.

A New Frontier: Creating personal transformations that lead to success.
Copyright 2000, used with permission by the author. Harry S. Dennis III is the president of The Executive Committee in Wisconsin and Michigan. TEC is a professional development group for CEOs, presidents and business owners. He can be reached at 262-821-3340 or at hikduke@aol.com.

Ten Secrets of Super Successful Meeting Planners

Whoever said that being a meeting planner was easy, lied! Rather, it should be classified under the tough and demanding job category. But, along with being tough, it's also fun, exciting, exhilarating, stimulating, and never, never boring. You have the opportunity to go to exotic places, stay in luxurious hotels, and experience life from a totally different angle. Who could ask for anything more? For those of you ready to shoot me at this point, know that I fully understand your pain!

The purpose of this article is to look at ten skills that help make a super successful meeting planner, and how you can take this expertise and use it to enhance the great job you're already doing.

1. Planning and organizing The most common reason shows go wrong lies in the simple fact that not enough time is devoted to adequate planning and preparation. And, many of those shows that are believed to have been successful, are often more by chance than through actual organization. Super successful meeting planners have both a strategic exhibit marketing and tactical plan of action. They then use the following five basic questions as their foundation before making any arrangements:

Where does this meeting fit into our corporate marketing strategy?

Why are we meeting?

What is the purpose of the meeting?

Who should attend the meeting?

What is our budget?

2. Taking care of details So much of putting a meeting together means taking care of the details, and there are usually more of these than you care to think about. Being detail- oriented is a definite plus. The key to so much of an meeting planner's success is having a system that works. Creating checklists is one of the best I know. With the hundreds of pieces that make up the meeting puzzle, the only way to put them together and keep tabs on all the details, is with a checklist. Become a checklist fanatic and consider having a checklist for each checklist. I'm getting dizzy just thinking about it.

3. Practicing savvy marketing A significant part of a successful meeting planner's role involves developing a pre-, at- and post-event plan. Most meeting planners fail to have a plan that encompasses all three areas. Budget is naturally going to play a major role in deciding what and how much promotional activity is possible. Super successful meeting planners know the importance of developing a meaningful theme or message that ties into their strategic marketing plan, and that will guide their promotional decisions. They know and understand their target audience and plan different promotional programs aimed at the different groups they are interested in attracting.

4. Being a team player Super successful meeting planners know exactly how to work together as a team, helping each other out whenever and wherever necessary. They help everyone get acquainted, develop a level of trust, and familiarize and understand each other's strengths. They know what it takes to create an environment of camaraderie where the staff, as a whole pulls out all the stops to succeed and set themselves apart from the competition.

5. Knowing how to manage time Super successful meeting planners have mastered the art of managing their time. They are well organized and have essential information at their fingertips, which means that their work environment is orderly and efficient. They know their priorities, don't over commit themselves, and can differentiate between important and urgent tasks. They are superb delegators and are not afraid to ask for help whenever they need it. And, finally, they don't procrastinate; on the contrary, they practice the "do it now" habit.

6. Negotiating skillfully Skillful and savvy negotiators know exactly what they want. They spend time doing their research so that they know as much as possible about their opponent. They are prepared with strategies and tactics, questions and possible concessions. They are masters at finding alternative ways of talking about, reacting to and solving problems. They use their talents of intuition, flexibility and concern for others to reach an agreement where both sides win. They look to create a feeling of cooperation to build a mutually beneficial working environment.

7. Applying a positive attitude Research successful people and you'll find that having a positive, "can do" attitude ranks high on their list of characteristics. Not only are they positive and upbeat, they surround themselves with naturally positive and successful people. Give it a try and see it their attitude rubs off on you. When you focus on what you can do versus what you can't do, expect to find solutions to your various challenges. Try changing your vocabulary to reflect your optimistic thoughts and feelings, and see what happens. People find you more attractive and want to be around you, especially when you focus and direct your conversation onto the outcomes they want.

8. Evaluating results Any master continuously looks to improve on their performance, and a super successful meeting planner is no different. Create a system to evaluate your results. Ask booth visitors and your for their feedback. Find out what they liked about your booth and general show participation, and what would they like to see improved. In addition, ask yourself what you thought went well and what you would do differently if you had to organize this show again. Chronicle all your data and keep accurate records so that you can refer to them the next time around.

9. Being a perpetual learner We live in an information age and are surrounded by more stuff than we can possibly cope with. However, successful people love it, as they are perpetual learners. They know the pitfalls of relying on what worked in the past as a guide to what will work in the future. That's why they constantly look for new and improved ways of doing things, learning from the masters and staying open and willing to try different approaches.

10. Keeping a sense of humor If you don't laugh you cry and in the exhibit industry there's no lack of situations where it's easy to shed a tear. Keeping a sense of humor will definitely help prevent you getting mad, angry and frustrated with those incompetent and disorganized suppliers. Learn to laugh at their mistakes as well as your own to keep a saner perspective on life. If nothing else, remember that laughing is good for your health and will help reduce your stress and blood pressure levels.

THE TRADESHOW COACH30 Saranac AvenueLake Placid, NY 12946Ph: 518-523-1320Fx: 518-523-8755susan@thetradeshowcoach.com

Tips for Powerful Negotiating

Rather than offer a typical textbook primer on the topic of negotiations, I will rely upon the multi- faceted experiences of our TEC members who have negotiated everything from union and employment contracts to the sale of their businesses.

There are some well-traveled rules of the road that, if followed, will help you avoid the peril of negotiation potholes. First, during a negotiation, discipline yourself to ask "what" rather than "why" type questions. The latter always provoke an emotional response, something that you want to avoidlike the flu during a negotiation episode.

Second, keep in mind that in any negotiation, there is always a better "deal" than was apparent at the outset. This requires patience and flexibility on your part. It requires thinking about how to "enlarge" the pie, rather than "divide" the pie.

Third, a good negotiation experience begins with education, then negotiation and concludes with agreement. You can't do it the other way around, but that's typically the approach taken. The Florida vote count is a case in point. The two parties each held steadfastly to their position as winners, andthen educated the media regarding their respective interpretation of appropriate legal mandates. All this did was to polarize the opposition and lead to new attempts to educate.
Fourth, the most important tool you have available to you in a negotiation is the use of questioning, and to the extent that you can make this personal-about you-it's even better. Why? Because as your opponent responds, if they disagree, they will have to reject you. Most of us don't relish rejectinganother person, but have little difficulty rejecting ideas or "issues."
Fifth, obey these rules of negotiation strategy:

The person who speaks first sets the tone for the negotiations. The person who asks the most questions determines the content and direction of the negotiations. Never argue. People always do things in negotiations for their reasons, not yours. The party that listens the most is, by far, the best negotiator.

Here's a fact. Most negotiations that fail do so because of negative emotions and ego. How can you prevent going there? Well, a practical rule of thumb (teachers know this by heart) is to spend at least three hours preparing for each real hour in negotiations. In other words, if you can stateyour opponent's position more clearly than they can, you are on your way to winning the negotiation.

Other negotiation tidbits, in no certain order:

Focus on what's right, not who's right. Talk facts.

" Dumb" is smart (i.e. "hello," sorry I'm slow).

Never negotiate with yourself. Let time work on your side-don't be pushed by time.

Remember, if you don't do anything, you sweeten the pot.

There are three major conditions surrounding most negotiations that can be anticipated in advance. First, it is important to recognize that terms can vary all over the board. Second, negotiations are always around a perceived scarce resource (i.e., is this to or against your advantage?). And third,keep in mind that each party has more to gain by negotiating than by not doing so.

Finally, let me put my old, dusty psychological hat. People throw out "anchors" during a negotiation. These are invisible points in space so to speak. These points deal with assumptions being made, perceptions at the moment, and so on. They are things to hang onto, whether realistic or not. If yousense an anchor, you can disarm it by gently breaking it free. In short, get real human, and this usually works to break an anchoring stalemate.

Let me conclude by summarizing the three major conceptual tools you have to work with before a negotiation and going through one. First, information (the 3 to 1 rule). Second, time. And third, the climate you establish and maintain during the negotiation process.

I love the old story about a guy who was robbing someone at gunpoint in the middle of a downtown parking lot." He said, "Mister, I have a gun pointing at you in my pocket and I know you don't have one in your pocket pointing at me. Mister, I have 5 seconds to complete this transaction and I know you are on my time right now. And Mister, if you don't hand over your wallet right now, I can't guarantee you that you will have an opportunity to negotiate about anything again."

Copyright 2001, article used with permission of the author. Harry S. Dennis III is the president of The Executive Committee in Wisconsin and Michigan. TEC is a professional development group for CEOs, presidents and business owners. He can be reached at 262-821-3340 or at hikduke@aol.com.

How to Negotiate Effectively

Negotiation is a fact of life. Little children learn about it early. You did, too. Were you effective? Are you now? Do you want to improve your abilities? Feel better about both the outcome and yourself when negotiating? You can.

Effective negotiation is not a contest of wills to determine who has the most power. It is not a game in which each party seeks to best the other. No contest. No games. But, there are rules! Rules that make the dialogue respectful and the outcomes fair.

In Getting to Yes, Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, Roger Fisher and William Ury of the Harvard Negotiation Project tell us that there are four main keys to successful negotiation:

1. People - Separate the people from the issues. There is no need to personalize the issues with remarks about the person on the other side of the table. Stick to the issues. Recognize that there is emotion and investment on both sides and be prepared to listen well. You know what Steven Covey says, 'Seek first to understand, then, to be understood'. Be soft on people and hard on issues. This way you can keep the relationship AND a mutually satisfying outcome.

2. Interests -Focus on the interests of the other, rather than the position. Behind each position lies compatible as well as conflicting interests. For example, when negotiating a raise, a wise person acknowledges that the interests of the company are to be progressive while making a profit. The wise boss acknowledges the interests of the employee to accelerate on his/her career path while making a contribution to the company and supporting his/her lifestyle or family. Negotiations do not take place in a vacuum. Each person has a real life going on, with real needs and interests.

3. Options - Work with the other party to generate a variety of options from which to create a solution. Brainstorm possibilities without judgment or comment. You'd be surprised how many good ideas can surface when this is allowed to occur. Make no decisions until you've exhausted your list of possibilities. Then, look for areas of agreement. Where are your interests shared? Where are the interests a good fit? Explore options that are of low cost to you and high value to the other party and vice versa.

4. Criteria - It is imperative to negotiate within mutually agreed-upon standards of fairness. Otherwise, negotiating can turn to street-fighting! These criteria may range from current market value to procedures for resolving conflict. They will allow you to create an equitable solution while keeping your relationship intact. Want proof? Try it at home!

Negotiating fairly builds trust. Demonstrations of power erode it. Before beginning to negotiate decide on the ground rules and stick to them. You are setting the standard for future conversations as well. Remember, you teach people how to treat you in two ways: you know, set and enforce your boundaries, and, you demonstrate your values in the ways you treat others.
Bargaining and maintaining strong positions are best left for those fun holiday moments when you do not really care whether or not the street vendor sells you that black velvet painting. In the business world, those tactics may bring you short-term results, however, the long-term damage to the relationships involved may be irreparable. Remember, wherever there is a winner, there must be a loser. Hard-nosed bargaining usually leaves both sides exhausted, resentful and dissatisfied. You may know this from bitter experience. You'll especially relate to this if you were on the losing end!

Before entering into a dialogue of negotiation, be clear about the outcome you prefer. Be able to express this preference well with supporting statements that will make sense to your partner. Be prepared to listen more, or, at least, as much as you speak. Listen for common interests and possible options. Know what you are willing to give as well as what you would like to receive.
When you are focused this way, you will get more of what you want more often while winning friends and influencing people. What a compelling reason for integrating the rules into your next negotiation!

Rhoberta Shaler, PhD -- Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Trainer -- Improving Workplace Relationships, Building & Strengthening Teams, Managing Conflict & Anger -- www.SpeakingAboutWork.com.

The Most Powerful Negotiation Weapon

One negotiating tool is so powerful that a thorough understanding of its use can catapult your negotiating skill and success to the top. Using it can transform mediocre results into unqualified successes. So few people use it effectively, it is unlikely your customer or supplier will recognize it or use it against you. Although the skill takes some effort, practice and is not a natural one for most people, you can learn to use it in just a few hours. Unfortunately, there are few, if any, formal courses of instruction in colleges or management training curriculums for this skill. As essential as it is, you must learn it and practice it yourself.

The Weapon

The powerful negotiating weapon is the skill of listening. "That's all," you say, "just listening?" Yes, but look what it can do for you. Listening intently to the person you are negotiating with can: 1) reveal their true interests; 2) give you the alternatives you need to offer them to close the deal; 3) provide feedback on what you have presented or offered so far; 4) tell you what else you can ask for; 5) let you know what the competition is doing; 6) reinforce the personal relationship with the person you are negotiating with; 7) let you confirm the other party's understanding of your side; 8) make the other person feel good about the deal; 9) let you control the negotiation; 10) build credibility. All this and more-just from listening.

Power: The Ammunition

We all know knowledge is power. Having power on your side in a negotiation can make the difference whether you get what you want. How else can you get so much information from those who negotiate with you? Can you get the data you need any easier? It would take weeks, months or even years of research or investigation to uncover the facts-facts you need-that you can grasp in a few minutes of listening. Not only do you get the information you need, you get it quickly and economically. Let's look at what you need and how you get it.

What You Need: Loading the Weapon

Following the Target Negotiation system (where you prepare, ask for what you want and trade-off concessions), you need to know as much, or more, about the business alternatives of the other side as your own. Never assume their choices or needs are the same as yours. Or, that they value the same benefits as you do.

Specifically, you should identify the real reasons the other side wants to make a deal-not just what they say, but their underlying wants. Most people you negotiate with don't always start negotiations by revealing the issues they consider critical. Besides their business and financial wants, you must discover their personal needs. Are they looking for recognition, understanding, or do they just want someone to listen to them?

Without knowing their business, financial and personal wants and needs, you will be unprepared to negotiate. You will not be able to suggest mutually beneficial solutions, nor be able to offer the right benefits. You may try to, as the expression goes, sell them oranges when they want apples.
You also will want to know which concessions to ask for and which you can offer that will work. Having this information will give you the edge you need-power to negotiate-to get what you want.

How You Get It: Firing the Weapon

Having the most powerful weapon on the battlefield is of no value if you don't know how to load it or use it. To use your listening skills and, for that matter, your speaking skills, to your advantage, the first rule is to listen. Keep quiet long enough for the other person to talk about their business. You don't learn anything when you are talking. Ask open-ended questions (ones that cannot be answered by a yes or no) about the persons' business. You may want to ask about new products or services, plans or current problems. When the other person answers, encourage them to expand their answer. Inquire, "How is that going to work?" Or add, "What else are you looking for or planning?" The harmless request "Tell me more..." also encourages them to share their thoughts with you. Once started, most people like to talk about their business, their job, or themselves. Remember, that is what they are thinking about most of the time.

What will surprise you is how much people will tell you, if you have the patience to listen. Keep the conversation focused on them. Incidentally, when you need to describe any benefits of doing business with you or your company, do so in terms of what the other person receives, not what you get. For example, don't say, "This contract is the biggest one our company has." Instead you might share the fact that "your company is getting the lowest unit cost we offer."

Besides talking about business issues you have two other procedures to follow to use the listening weapon. Listen for personal needs and for the type of communication the person prefers. Personal needs may include recognition ("my boss will really notice me if this deal closes"), security ("my job will be protected if I get the best price") or esteem ("the other people in my department will appreciate what I got for them"). You need to fill the personal needs the other side has, as well as the business requirements.

They may favor different communication styles. You may encounter a person who just wants the cold, hard facts, to one who wants to "feel" they have the best deal, to one who wants to "see" how the deal works. Use the means of communication they seek to close the deal. For example, if they want to see how it will work, show them charts, graphs, pictures and other visual evidence of the benefits they will receive. Listening for what is important to your customer or supplier is the best way, and the easiest way, to prepare for your negotiation. Offer them what they are looking for--not what you think they need. Use the same approach to find your best method of communication.

Double Hit

You will hit the target twice with one shot if you use the listening weapon properly. You will know what to offer and how to present the offer, but you also get a bonus. By listening and having the other person know you are listening, you will build the personal relationship necessary to keep communications as effective as possible.

Let them know you are listening by occasionally asking, "Let me see if I understand you correctly," and then repeat your version of what they told you. This confirmation process proves: 1) you listened to them and 2) you really do know what they want. Knowing that you listened to them builds their trust and your credibility. So, the relationship prospers.

Avoid Backfires

Be careful of backfires. Just as the listening weapon will ensure your victory, it can also, when used more effectively by the other side than by you, ensure they will gain the most power. When you are negotiating or meeting anytime, be careful you don't reveal that you "have to close this deal in two weeks or lose $1.5 million in guarantees," or that you have to "finish by 5 PM to catch a plane," or other confidential information that will give the other side the advantage. Make sure your technical and administrative people don't speak too freely, either. The weapon shoots wherever you point it. Don't let it backfire on you.

Now you know what the most powerful weapon is and how to use it. While your competition attempts to hammer home their ideas of what your customer or supplier wants, you can glide through the deal and close it. Listen and win.

"Deal-Maker" Bernard Zick, a top Business Growth Expert, has spoken to over 250,000 top leaders in America. His expertise is widely recognized, and he is considered a master negotiator. You can contact "Deal-Maker" Zick at www.zick.com. His best-selling book is The Negotiating Paradox by Skyward Publishing--www.skywardpublishing.com.

How to Create a Seminar from Scratch

1. Create your seminar intuitively:

A topic title was assigned to me by the meeting planner. It was within my field of expertise. And I had no seminar outline that would fit this group. So, I had to work from scratch.

Relying on my understanding of the meeting planner's intentions, I mused, entered a reverie-like state, and dreamed about designing a knock their socks off program. Came out of the dream state gazing at my research library, pulled out this book and that one, started fashioning a framework.

Enraptured by the concept that was coming into being I turned to my research files, was drawn to various folders that, sure enough, held meaningful data. Furiously fleshing out the seminar I wiped off the perspiration, paused, closed my eyes, returned to a reverie state . . . and breathed.
Stories and illustrations started coming to me, point-provers I scrawled in where they were needed. My desk was a sea of paper now. Finally I keyed in my notes, drafted the Learning Guide and found myself with a new seminar I could sell (in generic form) again and again. And . . . it all started with the state.

First I had the dream. Then the dream had me. Hooked, I had to complete the design of the seminar. It took slightly over 2 weeks of intensive activity to develop a new 3-hour seminar. That is the exact process as I lived it . . . and you can do it, too.

2. Communicate authentically:

What you are, sir, speaks so loudly that I can hardly hear what you say. (Emerson)
Your essential seminar communication is your essence. It is your unwritten message for your world, for the universe of lives you touch. Why did everyone love Rosita Perez? Before she said a word audiences saw her glow. They felt the love she radiated. That was her essence. What is yours?

Some speakers are masterful technicians. They know their topic inside out, backward and forward. They can answer just about any question on their specialty. It stops there. There are no core values. There is no soul, no ethos.

Years ago there was a great platform performer/Broadway actor. He played lead roles in 2 classics I saw. These shows delighted audiences for years. He had a grand voice. Impressive bearing. Superb timing. He was a masterful technician. Yet, and this is the tragic part, he had no life outside the platform.

Today, by his own arrangement, Zero Mostel is buried in an unmarked grave in a New York borough. Why do I report this? To share this view with you: We who are privileged to stand before audiences are to be more than fine technicians. More than experts at our art form. Aware of our impact, of the accountability that goes with that impact, accountability that follows us as surely as the shadow follows the form, we are to be models of what we advocate.

We are to share more than our expertise and our stories. We are to share our essence, our state of being, our true Selves. We are to touch the core of each person present. To leave them with a vivid and positive experience they can never forget. An experience of a subliminal message, an unspoken message, a wordless communication.

You see, people rarely show up to get your information. They come to experience you.

© Burt Dubin. Burt Dubin is author of "The Speaking Success System," an unusually effective mentoring program to help speakers reach their career goals faster. Get your complimentary 7 part e-course on how to succeed faster as a paid speaker plus Burt’s Speaking Biz Strategies Letter at: <http://www.burtdubin.com/bonus.html> Contact Burt at: (928) 753-7546 or 1-800-321-1225 Fax:(928) 753-7554 e-mail Burt at: burtdubin@citlink.net

Become an Effective Meeting Leader

We have all attended meetings that were boring, mindless, and profoundly ineffective. Yet, we do not have to just sit and stew in them. Rather, as a participant, and certainly as a leader, we can impact meetings to be more focused, creative and productive. You've set the stage for an effective meeting with a clear and goal oriented agenda. Now it's time to get down to the business of running the meeting An effective leader just doesn't chair a meeting but makes sure that the meeting is kept on purpose and on track. Here are some hints to improve communication and to influence meeting behavior.

Introductions.

If people don't know each other, allow participants about 30 seconds to introduce themselves to the group. You can also have a quick progress update to allow everyone air time in the beginning of the meeting.

Ground Rules.

Have participants agree on ground rules, or expectations for this particular meeting. These simple rules of the road, not only set the standards, but also are gentle reminders to those who are taking a different road or direction. Some examples are: "One conversation at a time," or "We will come to consensus on these particular issues," or "What is said in this room, stays in this room."

Parking Lot.

When a non-agenda issue threatens to take over the discussion, stop the meeting and write, with permission from the group, this new issue on a wall chart called unfinished business. By doing this you acknowledge the item but don't address it immediately. Parking lot issues are discussed at the end of the meeting or at a later date.

Questions.

To structure an orderly discussion of each agenda item, ask questions that address these facets of an issue: What are the facts? What are the pros and the cons? What other options are there? Where should the decision be made...at the committee level or by the entire group? What might be the next steps?

Breaks.

People work better for longer periods of time when they are able to take short breaks, no longer than 5 or 10 minutes. Breaks are a good time to get feedback on the progress of the meeting or talk with people who have been antagonistic, disruptive, or unusually silent. It's better to take a break, take the pulse, and regroup then to doggedly push on despite a sense that the meeting is getting out of hand.

Dialogue Control Skills.

We all have been in meetings with certain people who get our blood pressure to rise or just make us feel what a waste of time. Here are some of those people and hints on how you can maintain focus, respect, and order without coming across as a dictator or inept leader.

Non-Stop Nora:

Nora often begins on the agenda item, but then gets sidetracked on some other topic and is off and running. You think there is no really good way to tell her she's off base and wasting everyone's time without embarrassing her. There is "no really good way" unless you have an agenda. With an agenda it' simple. You say: "Nora, that's a good point you're making, but right now we're discussing agenda point two. I see that Joe wants to make a comment" Or, "That really deals with agenda item four. Can you hold that thought and we'll get back to you." You've been frank but you haven't zapped anyone publicly.

Silent Sam:

On the opposite side is Sam, who is present because he can make a valuable contribution. It's just that he doesn't talk either because he's shy, frightened or intimidated. Be very careful how you draw him out. Avoid putting him on the spot with a direct question. as: "What do you think, Sam?" You're much wiser to phrase it as: "Sam, as a department head, you've had experience with this. What suggestions can you make? Would you like to make them now or perhaps think about it?" This technique lets Sam make the decision on whether or not he wishes to talk and when. The "Sams" of the world may need some extra effort but it's vitally important that the contribute to decisions that can have an impact on departmental or team performance.

Obstinate Ollie:

Ollie is a compulsive arguer. If someone suggests "eight" he will counter with "No, I believe it should be 12." Don't take it personally. Perhaps, he just likes to be a devil's advocate. Let Ollie have his say, but then ask for the group's opinion. Someone usually will respond and get the meeting back on track. As leader, try not to get into the fray, but let the group handle the situation.

With advanced planning, careful preparation of an agenda, and effective facilitation, meetings can be a valuable business activity.

Marcia Zidle of Savvy InsightsTM brings together people, ideas, and technology to develop smart organizations and improve their teaming, problem-solving, and partnering capabilities. Contact her at marcia@savvyinsights.com.

Who's On First? Clean Up Your Communication!

By: Anne M. Obarksi

I love classic humor! There are so many examples to choose from but one of my favorite comic duos was Abbott and Costello. They were probably best known for their routine called "Who's on first?"

The routine begins with the simple explanation of a baseball game. The frustration begins when Costello doesn't understand that when he asks, "Who's on first" and Abbott replies, "Who", that "Who" is the players last name. Costello keeps asking the question because he doesn't think Abbott understands what he is asking. This goes on until he decides if he can't find out the players' name on first he will ask, "Who is on second?" Costello replies, "No, Who is on first", "What" is on second", meaning that "What" is the players last name that just happens to be on second base. Whew, this is confusing just writing it! The conversation just gets funnier the longer Abbott tries to explain it and it turns into a classic disaster in communication skills.

I am sure you have been in a similar position when you have tried to explain something that you think is very simple to grasp and the other person just doesn't get it.

With the hectic schedules most of us lead, it is not surprising that daily there is bound to be a part of one conversation that we either misunderstand or miss altogether. Those missing pieces cause wasted time, energy, and resources trying to repair the snag in the communication.
Cement your communication techniques so those important facts don't fall through the cracks. Just as you can't find the necessary information on the Internet without those all important "www's", try using the following "w's" to avoid costly communication errors.

What! What is the information? Focus on clarity and brevity in both written and verbal communication. Most people scan the written word and those who are listening to the spoken word do so inefficiently.

That is why important communication should be delivered in at least two methods.
Combine the methods of phone, face-to-face, email, fax and mail to make sure that the information is received. Never assume one type will suffice.

Who! Who receives the information? Make sure that as many people that need to know important information, do! With as busy as employees are, it is critically important that they are updated frequently. Keep as many of your staff in the information loop as possible. There is nothing more frustrating than talking to an employee on the phone regarding an important project or deadline and that person hasn't a clue what you are talking about.

When! When is the deadline? How often do you have a specific "window" that you must work within to finish a project? When time is of the essence, it is important to know how much time you have to successfully complete each step of that project. When there is a delay because of miscommunication, everything comes to a standstill. Time is wasted, clients become frustrated and sometimes the quality of the work is sacrificed. Follow the wisdom of my son's band teacher; early is on time, on time is late!

Who, what and when are mandatory keys of good communication skills. When the communication process breaks down, clients often question the professionalism of a company. It also makes the client feel non-important.

Recently, I had called a local restaurant to reserve their meeting room for a seminar for a client. I spoke to the manager about three day's prior to the seminar date and he said I could reserve the room from 11:30 Am. to 4:00 p.m. On the day of the meeting, as usual, I arrived ahead of time to make sure everything was set up properly.

I walked in to find the room a total disaster. The tables were scattered around the room, floor was covered with crumbs and there was a smoldering cigarette in an ashtray on one of the tables along with miscellaneous papers and pens.

The manager came in and asked me who I was! I introduced myself and the look on my face must have said it all! He said he didn't remember my reservation or me but would get someone on cleaning the room right away.

He walked out of the room and proceeded to yell over the banister of the restaurant to one of the employees to get his "butt up here". I overheard him scolding the employee in which he said he was tired of finding things scheduled without him knowing about it.

The manager grabbed a vacuum cleaner and was flying around that meeting room while the other employee was wiping off the tables. As I started moving the tables the way I wanted them for my meeting, the manager said, "Now I remember, you have a meeting with six women, right?" "And what are you speaking about?" he said. I said, "It's a leadership session." "Oh", he said, "I speak on that too!"

It was all I could do to keep my comments to myself!This was the perfect example of poor leadership skills that transferred into miscommunication, misunderstanding and as for me, a lost customer with lots of contacts!

When you know the answers regarding who, what and when, as you communicate, you'll avoid asking the old "who's on first" question!

Anne M. Obarski is the "Eye on Retail Performance". She is an author, professional speaker, retail consultant and Executive Director of Merchandise Concepts. Anne works with companies who are performance, profit and people focused and she helps leaders see their businesses through their customers' eyes. Anne's mystery shoppers have secretly "snooped" over 2000 stores searching for excellence in customer service. Reach Anne at www.merchandiseconcepts.com or anne@merchandiseconcepts.com

How To Rivet The Attention Of Any Audience

By: Susan Berkley

A boring speaker isn't just tedious for the audience. It's embarrassing for the speaker. If you've ever suspected you might be putting people to sleep, fear not. You don't need an elaborate bag of gimmicks to liven up your talks. All you need is a little more liveliness in your voice.
While working as a broadcaster and voice-over artist, I have discovered that the quickest and easiest way to liven up your voice is to liven up your body language.

With body language in mind, let's explore three easy ways to become a more energetic, natural communicator.

1. POSTURE

Sit up straight, or even stand, when speaking on the phone. If you habitually slump in your chair, I guarantee that the tone of your voice is going to sound slumped and the people you call may find it hard to concentrate on what you are saying. Why? Because there is no energy in your voice to capture their interest.

2. GESTURE

Even though you cannot see them, successful radio personalities use their bodies to express themselves, consciously or not. They speak with their hands. Their body language is fluid and alive--just as it was when you were a child. Next time you are on the phone, pretend you are "on-the-air." Notice how energetic gestures add life to your voice. Try using a telephone headset so your hands can stay free and relaxed while you speak. You don't have to look like you are conducting an orchestra. A few expressive hand gestures will do.

3. FACIAL EXPRESSION

Do people frequently ask you what's wrong even when you feel as though you are smiling and happy inside? If so, you are probably a "secret smiler." Secret smilers tend to look intense and may scowl when they are concentrating. If you are in this group your voice may tend to flatten and sound monotonous to others. By developing a greater range of facial expression, you'll develop a more interesting and captivating voice. Here's a great exercise to try. You will need a TV, a hand mirror, and a friend:

Step One: Turn on the TV news channel

Step Two: Watch a few news stories keeping your face relaxed and neutral.

Step Three: Look in the mirror. Pretend you are mute and have to express the feeling of each story to an imaginary third person. Do this with facial expression only.

Step Four: Repeat step three looking at your friend. Can they identify the emotion?

From "The Voice Coach" ezine by Susan Berkley. Copyright 2003, reprintedwith permission. For a free subscription visit http://www.greatvoice.com.Susan Berkley is a professional speaker and international communicationsexpert. She is a top voiceover artist and author of "Speak to Influence:How to Unlock the Hidden Power of Your Voice, " available at bookstores orfrom The Great Voice Company at 800-333-8108

The Power of the Pause

When you don't know what to do, what should you do? Pause and smile.

Imagine that you are speaking to a crowded room of eager listeners. Suddenly your mind goes blank - you forget what you just said, and what comes next. If you speak in public this will happen to you. You've seen it happen to others, they stammer and sputter and even apologize. What should you do? "Remain calm, look at your audience, pause and smile." recommends Peter Urs Bender, Canada's Presentation Guru and author of the Canadian best Seller, Secrets of Power Presentations. "If you panic you will lose your thoughts. When you smile, you look confident and your brain will get back on track."

"When negotiating with your suppliers or customers the strongest thing you can say is - nothing." coaches Nellie Vieira of Negotiation Resource International, (NRI). "It is so unnerving to the other party that they concede - just to get you talking." The North Vietnamese used this tactic in the Paris peace negotiations. The North Vietnamese kept nodding and smiling. The frustrated Americans gave away the farm.

Life is hectic. "If you can not rest you can not endure", counsels Eli Bay, founder of the Relaxation Response Institute. "It is important to break out of the activity cycle of work and listen to your body. Smiling, even a weak smile, releases endorphins that make you feel better."Charles de Gaulle stated, "Silence is the ultimate weapon of power".
Remember that when you need to be powerful. (pause).

(C) George Torok delivers keynote speeches, training and consultation on Presentation Skills, Creative Problem Solving and Personal Marketing. He hosts the weekly radio show Business in Motion. To help develop your people you can call George at 800-304-1861. For more information visit www.Torok.com. and http://www.speechcoachforexecutives.com/

10 Tips To Cope With Negative Emotions At Work

It's a fact of life - if you want to succeed in business, you need to know how to interact and communicate effectively with your employees, business partners, vendors, prospects, and customers. As a small business owner, this might involve rapid shifting from one type of language to another. For example, how you'd explain your expectations to your employees might be different than how you'd convey these to your business partner or potential client.

As we all know, sometimes language breaks down, and communication grinds to a halt. This can leave the owner feeling irritable, angry, frustrated... and with a desire to vent to his/her employees or staff.

While there may be instances that such sharing would be appropriate or helpful, there are many instances where this is not the case, and venting anyway may result in a significant loss of credibility and respect from key employees and contacts.

So, what are some effective ways to manage emotions in the work place environment?

1. Good self-care is the best medicine. An employer who tends to his/her own physical, emotional and mental needs, regularly, is going to be more adept at managing negative or hostile emotions at work. Start with adequate sleep, good nutrition, and regular exercise.

2. Know what anger and frustration feels like to you - both in your head and in your body. Sometimes, we can get really "cut off" from our feelings and act rashly without knowing why. Spend some time knowing what anger feels like to you, and where you notice it in your body.

3. Take a 10-minute walk. When you desire to "vent", excuse yourself from the office and take a brisk 10-minute walk around the parking lot or neighborhood. This will clear your mind and may save you from losing your temper.

4. Vent to a mentor, coach, or trusted colleague. The act of sharing your frustration and fears will calm you down. These people can support you and help you move forward.

5. Ask, "What am I afraid of?" Most often, anger or frustration appears when one of our fears has been activated. By going directly for the source of your feelings, you may be able to short-circuit them.

6. Make an exhaustive "do not want" list. In this list, you write down everything you do NOT want in the situation such as "to look foolish", "to be unprepared", etc. Once you write this all down - ALL OF IT- you will clear your mind and be ready to generate productive solutions.

7. Distract yourself. Sometimes, getting your mind off the upsetting subject is enough to calm you down. Consider closing your door and playing computer games or something equally mindless (but absorbing). Shifting your focus will shift your attitude.

8. Ask, "What's working about this situation?" This tip comes from Kurt Wright's book, "Breaking the Rules", and suggests that we all can manage stress better if we start looking at "what's working" rather than "what's wrong". Many times, communication breakdowns or glitches can show you where better systems need to be created and placed and ultimately, will enhance the viability of your organization.

9. Take an action. Sometimes, when one piece of the business plan isn't moving, it may mean that another part is ready to be acted upon. Rather than feeling annoyed and frustrated, transform that energy into positive movement forward, where you can.

10. Make a strong request. If you would like something to be different, start the process of making it so. Contact key people, letting them know that you'd like to work on the impasse, and make your needs and those of your business known. Sometimes, just communicating about your desires in the form of an appropriate request can move situations along.

Regular use of these tips will help you stay well balanced & happy as your business grows and flourishes. Try them and see!

(C) 2003. Dr. Rachna D. Jain. All Rights in All Media Reserved.Dr. Rachna D. Jain is a sales and marketing coach and Director of Operations for SalesCoachTraining.com. Sign up for her free email newsletter, "Sales & Marketing Secrets" at sams-subscribe@salesandmarketingcoa ch.com. To learn more or to contact Dr. Jain directly, please visit www.SalesandMarketingCoach.com.

Top 7 Reasons People Burnout

These days, there isn't one person I know who doesn't deal with the feeling of being overwhelmed at least once a day. We all have too much to do. However, these feelings add up. Sooner or later, the body is taking so much stress and frustration that it declares, "Time Out!" Unfortunately, this time out tends to show up in our health (how many colds have you had this year?), in our patience level with our family, friends and the traffic, and in a decrease in the enjoyment of our work. To deal with this "burnout," we often numb out in order to cope with the flood of negative feelings. We may feel less pain, but we also lose our ability to have a deep experience of joy in any part of our lives.

You may have read tips in the past describing what you should do. Instead, here's some advice for WHAT NOT TO DO, then what to do instead.

The Top 7 Ways You Can Drain Your Energy At Work...And How You Can Choose to Stay Living While You're Alive

1. Focus on what you can't control.

When you focus on what you can't control, like the work styles of others, the economy, and the personality of your children, you have little energy left to create. Focus instead only on what you can control, like taking care of yourself, meeting the goals that excite you, and discovering what you can delegate.

2. Hold on too tightly to what you thought would happen.

Clinging to your expectations blocks out possibilities. We all have pictures of what we thought our careers and lives would look like at a certain point. Then life intervenes but we don't change the picture, setting us up for frustration and disappointment. Taking what you have today, draw a new vision for your future. Then choose to fine tune your vision on a regular basis.

3. Don't ask for help.

What a burden having to know and do everything for yourself. Asking for help doesn't make you look weak. It's a strength knowing how to best use your resources.

4. Listen to your brain.

The brain was designed to protect us, so it is often on the lookout for the worst possible scenarios so there are no surprises. Don't let your brain speak so loud that you don't see all your options.

5. Take yourself seriously.

Taking your work seriously is admirable. Taking yourself seriously is a joke. Woody Allen said, "Comedy is tragedy plus time." If you're going to laugh someday anyway, why not start now?

6. Forget to say thank you.

Be grateful for what you overlook. You'll be amazed at how much of what is going on around you is good. Thank the cashier in the grocery store for working quickly. Thank the post office for having enough clerks during rush hour. Thank your muscles for being healthy when you are painfully exercising. Shift your energy to gratitude, even humor, and you'll lighten up your load.

7. Give up.

You've spent years creating the habits that so efficiently drain you. Becoming someone new takes time. Look at your new vision every day. The difficulties matter less when you have somewhere to go.

Additional techniques found in Capture the Rapture: How to Step out of Your Head and Leap into Life by Marcia Reynolds, Executive Coach and Leadership consultant with expertise in emotional intelligence and personal effectiveness. For more information on Marcia's business, and free reports and surveys, visit her website at www.covisioning.com.

Putting the Little Things You Do in Order

By: Jeff Davidson

This article provides suggestions for organizing the items in your life, which in turn will make time seem to slow down.

When you don't feel in control of your time, everything in your life may seem as if it's running together into one big blur. An easy way to regain control is through examining the key compartments of your life one at a time.

Examine your desk and what needs to be there, then your entire office, then where you live, your car, and other important areas of your life. Here are some suggestions as to what can be merged and purged in the five areas mentioned above:

What else can you do at your desk to win back control of your time? Here are some examples: Do you have a file fold­er, a notebook or a magazine box holder where you keep all travel related materials? This might include booklets on hotel and air fares, brochures, your frequent flyer num­bers, perhaps your passport, numbers of taxicabs, buses, and other transportation services, and vacation club folders.

I maintain such a file. I keep each of the key phone numbers and membership numbers in one long file on my hard disk, and I also keep a printout in a small point size carefully concealed in my traveling appointment calendar. By merging all travel related data and information into a one hand list, wherever I am, day or night, I have the information I need at my fingertips.
If you're worried that someone might come upon your list, you can always code it so that the first one or two digits are bogus. I've maintained such a list for more than 12 years now and no one has ever gotten a hold of it. The power and efficiency it gives me is awesome. Whether I'm at an airport, in the back of a taxi, at a hotel or phone booth, I have all the phone numbers, membership numbers, card numbers, codes--everything I need to efficiently stay in motion. This is a fabulous time saver.

You can undertake the same type of exercise in merging and purging items at your desk when it comes to key service providers, records related to your automobile, insurance forms and policies, banking information, and other key subject matters. In all cases, it takes a little time to merge and purge what you've retained to get it into a streamlined, highly useable form. Once you do, watch out-- your efficiency level is going to soar. Others will marvel at your ability to stay on top of things. Most importantly, you'll have freed-up time to tackle the other mounting challenges you face.

The same maneuvers can be undertaken around your office. What can be consolidated, reduced, eliminated, relocated, or donated? Is your office configuration serving you best? Do you need to move things, knowing what you now know, so that you're more efficient throughout the course of the day? Can hardcopy items be scanned to see if they're now on disk and you no longer need the hardcopy? If you have four stacking trays, can you reduce the number to three? Do you even need an in-basket anymore?

At home, if you maintain a desk or any type of home office, reapply all of the above and go a step further. Could you use a 31-day tickler file in your home desk as well as one in your office? If you use scheduling software at work, do you need to update your system at home?

Can you consolidate family related records so that you are in greater control? All of Johnny's documents related to grade school enrollment, immunization, early school dismissal policy, and summer camp could be put in the same three-ring binder. If you belong to an apartment association, a neighborhood group community, a swimming pool, tennis association, or clubhouse, these items could be grouped together. All records related to your car, including purchase documents, registration and tax information, copies of inspections passed, repair records, and special installations such as a CD player and stereo speakers could also fit into one file.
Note: It's better to keep your car records in your home office if that's where you make phone calls and payments concerning your car. You can always keep a backup of much of the documentation recently discussed buried someplace deep in your car's trunk.

Your car is an important area of your life and, based on what may have accumulated, requires merging and purging as well. Can you get all of your credit cards, library cards, and the like into a secondary wallet to be hidden someplace in the car? I do this, rather than carrying a wallet with 25 different cards in it. Why? Because at any given moment the only cards I actually need are my driver's license, one ATM card, and one credit card.

Anytime I might use one of the other cards, I'm usually with my car. Thus, by safely stashing the cards I would only use with my car someplace within the car, I free myself from carrying all of them. This has several time saving advantages. One, you're less likely to lose a majority of your cards if you lose your wallet. Two, it's far easier to find your license, major credit card, and ATM card if they are the only ones you carry in your wallet. As a safeguard you might want to photocopy all of your credit cards and library cards, and keep a backup sheet at home and hidden your car.

I find it to be a great time saver to have all of my maps in one place, within my reach while driving; for example, I use the side pockets built into the driver's side and passenger's side front doors. You may use your glove compartment, a compartment between your two front seats, or whatever space you have. Essentials, such as car registration and proof of ownership, stay snug at the bottom of my glove compartment.

An easy way to organize lots of little items is to use individual envelopes, or small, clear, plastic sandwich bags, or zip-lock baggies. This enables you to see through to what's inside, and keeps the items dry and together.

Half the trouble with staying in control of your time in life is staying in control of your possessions. There's so much you have to keep tabs on, it could almost be a full-time job. If you're willing, however, to occasionally kill one Saturday morn­ing getting these systems into place, you'll find that the pay­offs come over and over again.

Jeff Davidson, MBA, CMC, is a popular conference speaker and author of 28 books, including Breathing Space (Feb 2000). For books, videos, cassettes, or presentations, visit http://www.BreathingSpace.com, FAX (919) 932-9982, or call (919) 932-1996.

Pressure

Recently, I had an employee who quit because the job had too much pressure. Since then, I have tried to understand his position better. Why was he laying awake at night thinking about his job? Why did pressure drive him off to greener pastures where presumably, there would be less pressure? Why does pressure or fear of failing drive people away.

First, I looked at his position. His job was to process the outbound shipments here at RentQuick. To my mind, processing outbound shipments is an easy job since you have total control. You only need to put the right labels on the right units to be delivered on the right days.

Where was the pressure? No one was yelling at him. The job is quietly handled without any real time stress. In fact, the only pressure I could locate is the fear of failure. He was worried that shipping the wrong thing to the wrong place would get him into trouble.

Meeting planners face this all the time. How many of you have lay awake at night worried that the property selected was wrong for the event, or that you mistakenly planned for a dinner of 200 when it was really 250? Pressure comes from feeling like you are about to fail or that you missed something.

Dealing with pressure is the key to success in any meeting planner's life. Here is how it works. The pressure we all feel is really our gut telling us we screwed up. You know that feeling. You feel it when you leave the house for vacation and fear that you left the iron on or something.
When that feeling hits, you need to feed it so it will go away. Feeding that anxiety is as simple as double checking your own work. For the vacation, it means going around the house and making sure everything is off. For a shipping manager, it means double-checking each order to ensure it is correct. And for a meeting planner, it means reviewing every detail to be sure it is correctly planned for.

Meeting planners also need to have contingency plans. If there is a problem, fine. Now, how do you fix it so your customer is properly served? We do this all the time at RentQuick. Problems come up and there is a solution out there somewhere. Focusing on the failure doesn't help until the problem is solved. Then you go back and review what went wrong.

Everything you and we do is based on cause and effect. Every problem had a cause. A great way to eliminate the pressure you feel is to identify the source of your problems and change your actions before they cause problems.

Everyday

Somebody once asked the industrialist Walter P. Chrysler why he was so successful. He replied, "My success has been largely a matter of luck; but, I find that the harder I work, the luckier I get."The most obvious things in life don't come quickly to some. That's why they are known as "late bloomers." But even for many high achievers, the intuitive nature of what they do eludes them.

For instance today, I was walking in the park and began thinking about why some people are very successful at what they do. I began to picture artists, politicians, writers, sports figures and others who excel.

My karate instructor is the best fighter I have ever known. He teaches even professional athletes, like hockey players, how to improve their physical and mental skills. He's not rich or famous, but he can kick anybody's butt. He really understands fighting and how it works because he studies it. He not only studies it, he practices it. And he does both every day.

In my early twenties, a boyhood friend mentioned to me that he had a great concern about having financial security for his future. He built a multi-million-dollar company and retired at the age of 50. He wasn't lucky. In fact, his net worth dropped by millions before he finally sold out. He just worked hard at his goal every day, until it was achieved. He didn't get side tracked. He didn't try lots of new things. He simply focused on building security until it was a reality.
It may seem amazing that this most obvious of principles is so difficult to grasp. Willie Sutton, the famous bank robber of the early 20th century, was once asked why he robbed banks. Willie's reply was, "Because that's where the money is!"

The goals of your life aren't achieved by only dreaming. Many people will tell you they are "writing" a book, but when you ask how far they have gotten on it, they say, "Well, I'm not actually writing. It's just an idea I've had to write about for a long time."

My kids are very happy. Every day they set out to play and have fun. They are very successful at it. In fact, their mother and I spend lots of our time helping them enjoy the achievement of this goal. This kind of support comes natural because humans enjoy the success of others and gain hope from it. That's why sports fans are so enthusiastic.

If you want to be a writer, you should write something every day, even if it is a letter to someone. Job, the Old Testament complainer, said, "Those things I have feared worst, have come upon me." If you fear life, it will overtake you. It's karma. That's how many people live their lives. They wait for the worst to happen and eventually it does. It is because achieving the worst becomes their goal.

If you want to succeed at something positive, you must think about it, focus on it and practice every day to accomplish it. The pianist Pataruski said, "If I go one day without practicing, I notice it. If I go two days, my critics notice. If I go three days, everybody notices."
Even if you don't end up rich and famous, you can have a rewarding life. A life of achievement is simply this: setting goals and achieving them. To achieve your goals you must work on them every day. Only then will you experience the fulfillment and joy of accomplishment. It is this joy that makes life meaningful.

Many famous artists, business people, athletes and civic leaders throughout history were miserable when they weren't working. When they would experience temporary interruptions in their ability to practice, many committed suicide or turned to substance abuse to escape the pain of not being productive. Notoriety and fortune were not even enough to sustain them.

You must pursue your dreams actively, every day. To be physically fit, you must exercise every day. To accumulate wealth, you must put a little away every day. It's the methodical that wins the race.You must think about what you want and find a way to accomplish a small part of it each day. If you want to love your kids, you must make contact with them every day. It doesn't matter where you are or whether you're with them. You need to let them know you love them every day. Focus on what you can do rather than on what is not possible.

Whatever goals you want to achieve, remember this: every day, think about them; every day, work on them. Little by little you will find that the fulfillment of accomplishing them is as rewarding as the result itself. You will find this to be true, every day.


Thomas Fee tomfee@procentral.com

At RentQuick.com, not only do we offer projector and computer rentals, but we also try to provide helpful hints that you can apply for use with your presentations. For example the following article can provide you with some minor tips for improving yourself everyday. Please continue to browse our site for more on our computer rentals, projector rentals and other presentation needs that we have available.

Traveling Without Fear

By: Catherine Comer and Lavon Swaim


There is nothing worse than becoming ill or encountering safety problems when traveling away from home. Many women travelers are vulnerable to assaults, purse snatches, and sexual harassment, in addition to the numerous travelers ailments that can affect those who are unprepared. Knowing how to plan for and travel with safety and health in mind could mean the difference between a rewarding travel experience and disaster. With over forty million American women expected to travel this year, there has never been a better time to learn how to protect yourself while traveling. Learning and practicing good health and safety habits, can give you the confidence to experience the delights of travel without fear. Consider the following tips before taking your next trip.


Research your destination:



Learn how to find out as much information as possible about your destination before traveling. Look for ways to keep yourself and your belongings safe. Get brochures and maps of the surrounding area and know what to expect when you arrive. For example, avoid arriving at your destination late at night, especially if you have to find ground transportation to a hotel.


Choose Transportation Wisely:



Using reputable transportation providers is imperative!. It is important that you choose transportation providers carefully. Check airline safety websites before traveling and look on airport websites for sanctioned taxi and ground transportation providers before you go.


Staying Safe in Hotels:



When checking in, register under your last name and first initial. If possible ask the agent to give you your room number discreetly so that others cannot overhear. If you are traveling alone, ask the hotel agent for an escort to your room. Do not be afraid to ask about the safety of the guestroom such as; are there sprinklers in the room, is the room centrally located near high trafficked areas on the second to fourth floor, and is there a deadbolt lock on the door?


Make Personal Safety a Lifestyle:



One of the keys to practicing good safety habits without fear is to think of yourself as a confident traveling woman, not a potential target. This will help project an image that you are self-assured and may actually draw less attention from someone who may be searching for a victim. Practice safety habits such as locking your doors and keeping your hand on your purse at all times.


Carrying Money Safely:



What many travelers do not realize is that professional thieves know how to identify tourists. Once they target you as a tourist, they will search for ways to separate you from your valuables. Many people become careless while making a transaction by leaving their purse gaping open or set aside. Keep an eye on your money, credit cards and passport at all times. We recommend that you always carry your valuables in various places such as a money belt, and an inside zippered pocket, with only those necessary items needed for the day in your purse.


Dress Conservatively While Traveling:



In many foreign countries, American women can often be identified because they are very open and friendly and dress more casually than local women. This can make a woman stand out as a tourist and a target for purse snatching and sexual harassment. Review your itinerary for the day and dress accordingly and conservatively. Drawing as little attention to yourself as possible will help you fit in with the local population thus reducing your risk of being targeted as a visitor.


Pack Wisely:



Choose luggage with pull out handles and pack lightly! Learn how to choose travel wear that can be mixed and matched for a variety of looks and layered for weather changes. Choose travel size bottles of shampoos, etc. When it comes to taking jewelry with you our advice is, Leave it at home! Wearing expensive jewelry can make you a target to potential thieves.


Staying Healthy While Traveling:



When traveling, drink plenty of bottled water to keep your system hydrated. Whether traveling by air, car, train, or bus, get up and move around frequently to increase circulation. Eat healthy, light meals and get plenty of rest. Make sure you take a first aid kit and sun protection when traveling. If taking prescription medication, take extra in case of prolonged stays.


Know What To Do In Case Of Emergency:



Before you go, know what your insurance will and will not cover. If traveling to a foreign country, know how to get help if you need it. If traveling with a medical condition, ask your doctor for a description of your condition to carry with you. Purchase travelers insurance that protects you against trip cancellation penalties, travel interruptions and delays, emergency medical expenses, lost baggage and more. Read policies carefully to understand the procedures of filing claims.


Veteran travelers and authors Catherine Comer and Lavon Swaim present workshops and seminars to women of all ages, teaching them how to travel with health and safety in mind. Their Traveling Without Fear workshop is popular with corporations, associations, travel clubs, and women's groups.

Cleaning Off Your Desk

By: Jan Jasper

Cleaning off your desk can actually interfere with efficiency. It's far more important to have a good system for getting your work done than it is to have a clean desk.

"Handle each piece of paper only once" is bad advice. But DO make a decision or take an action each time you handle a paper.

Avoid binders: If you don't have time to file, where will you find the time to hole-punch?

Sticky notes are useful planning tools. Used properly, they are a helpful adjunct to your appointment book, and are very useful when mapping out steps towards a goal.

The typical corporate employee sends and gets 201 electronic messages a day and is interrupted as often as every 10 minutes. To be productive, you need times when you can work without interruption. Establish "communication-free times" when you don't answer the phone or respond to e-mail. This is most effective if done department-wide--or even company- wide.

Filing alphabetically is rarely a good idea. You're better off filing by category or purpose--placing related items together, regardless of where they fall in the alphabet.

If you want to fit a new activity into your life, you must first take something out. Decide what NOT to do. Cross low-impact tasks off your to-do list.

Daily planning is not enough. Many crises can be prevented by planning months ahead. As soon as you decide to do a project, think through the steps, then "pencil in" each one in your appointment book. This turns your appointment book into a planning tool, rather than just a place to record daily minutia.

The way to clear your desktop without losing track of current work is to create Action Files for works-in- progress. As a back-up, note important deadlines in your planner. This conquers the "out of sight, out of mind" worry.

To get maximum benefit from your information management software, use it to its fullest! Stop making notes on paper--type it into your computer instead.

It's easy if you place the phone right next to your computer and use a telephone headset. You'll save hours upon hours every week by eliminating paper!

Leaving a voice mail message is often more efficient than sending an e-mail. Not only is it faster, but recipients who are away from the office will get a voice mail message faster. E-mail is best for non- urgent communications or when you must keep a detailed record of what was discussed.
Filing tip: Never file a newsletter intact. Note any events you plan to attend in your appointment book, tear out useful articles and file them by topic, then throw away the rest of the newsletter.
Jan Jasper has been training busy people to work smarter, not harder since 1988. She helps clients streamline their procedures, use technology efficiently, and manage task & information overload. Jan is the author of Take Back Your Time: How to Regain Control of Work, Information, & Technology (St. Martin's Press). www.janjasper.com.

5 Tips to Manage and Organize E-Mail

How do you focus on your urgent e-mail and organize the rest for your review? Think about how you handle your paper mail. You probably sort your paper mail quickly before you read it to figure out what to look at first, what to read later, and what to throw away. Here are some similar ways to automatically process and prioritize your electronic mail for better and faster results:

(Although the following tips refer to Microsoft Outlook, many of these features are similar to those found in other mail systems. For specific how-to steps, and more e-mail and Outlook tips, visit The Software Pro website.)

1. Color Code to Identify Key Messages

Color code priority messages to quickly identify e- mail from your most important contacts such as management, staff, or team members. To apply colors in Microsoft Outlook, highlight a message from a contact, choose Tools > Organize, select the option Using Colors and pick how you want to color- code your incoming messages from the specific contact.

2. Streamline with Categories and Folders

Stop using your Inbox as a reference system filled with messages that don't require an immediate action. To further organize your messages, create categories and folders with useful labels such as Team Members, Projects, Personal, and others. The Categories feature in Microsoft Outlook, for instance, helps to organize and view active messages into groups within your Inbox. Create and use e-mail folders to store messages that you have already handled and wish to keep for history or folders for e- mail that contains informational reading and general reference.

Note that folders and categories sort in alphabetical order which is not likely to place your priority items at the top. Adding a letter or number at the beginning of a label, such as a-Team Members and b- Projects, will sort these towards the top of your Inbox.

3. Filter with Rules

Rules are instructions or filters that automatically categorize, organize, and prioritize messages based on conditions that you set. As new messages are received in Microsoft Outlook, right-click on the message and left click on the command Create a Rule to apply a category or move the message to a folder. If all you do is apply rules, you may be able to get through e-mail in half the time it took before.

4. Learn Easy Navigation

Stop wasting time by moving in and out of each message and start applying simple navigation tricks. In Microsoft Outlook, for instance, you can move in your Inbox with the up or down arrow key to select a message. Then press [Enter] to open the message. To move to the next message directly from the current e-mail, look for toolbar buttons with arrows or press [Ctrl] + > for the next message and [Ctrl] + < for the previous e-mail. Press [Esc] to close the active message.

5. Sort to Find Messages

To quickly sort your e-mail messages, click once on a column heading for the new order you want such as sender, subject or date. For instance, to sort messages by the sender, click once on the Sender heading. By clicking twice on a column heading, the sort order changes from ascending (A-Z) order to descending (Z-A) order. By the way, the abbreviations RE and FW in the Subject line are ignored when you sort messages alphabetically by subject.
Implementing these ideas for overcoming e-mail overload can help you become more productive and free you from your Inbox.

Dawn Bjork Buzbee is The Software Pro and a certified Microsoft Office Expert and Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor. Dawn shares smart and easy ways to effectively use software and technology through her work as a speaker, trainer, and consultant. Visit http://www.SoftwarePro.com for great Microsoft Office software tips and tricks or to contact Dawn.

Pros and Cons of Pilots and Other PDAs

By: Jan Jasper

People who use Personal Digital Assistants, (PDAs) such as the Palm Pilot or Handspring Visor can duplicate and update (synchronize, or "synch" for short) the records in their desktop or laptop computer with the PDA. Sometimes the necessary utility program is included with the PDA; there also are 3rd-party products available. Either way, generally you'll put your PDA in a docking cradle which attaches via cable to your big computer. Or some machines use an electronic beam. The goal is to make sure your records are kept up to date in both machines.

It's Not Risk-Free

But the reality is not always that simple. If you "synch" from the powerful desktop computer's software to the handheld device, all your data may not survive the process. As amazing and handy as PDAs are, they do have limits. PDAs run pared-down software programs (for example, the PDA version of Microsoft Outlook is Pocket Outlook). If you're converting to an altogether different software application during the synching process (from Goldmine to Pilot, for example), some of your data may not display in the PDA because exactly corresponding fields may not exist in both programs.

So, to be safe, spend some time testing. Synch your appointments, task list, phone book, and any related notes from your desktop computer to your PDA, then synch back in the other direction, and compare the two files very carefully. How many details of your contact or appointment program in your desktop computer translate fully to the handheld? If pieces are missing, can you work around it? If you attached lengthy notes to a person or appointment entry, check that the notes were duplicated completely in the PDA. If some information does not transfer to the PDA and you're aware of that fact, it may not be a problem, but you need to know.

Different Strokes for Different Folks

The folks who are most acutely aware of the limitations of PDAs tend to be power users who are accustomed to a serious contact management program (such as Goldmine) and later begin using a PDA. But if your first attempt to get organized electronically involves a PDA, its limitations probably won't bother you. There is no one "right" way, other than whatever works for you.

Play It Safe - Don't Risk Your Data

If when you perform the above test the results were not 100% reliable, but you still want to carry your phone numbers and appointments with you, the best solution is this: Use your desktop (or laptop) computer for your primary database, and use the PDA only as a "dumb terminal." That is, "synch" only from your main computer to the PDA. Don't synch from the PDA back to the main computer ; this avoids the risk of overwriting your primary data files with the PDA's abbreviated version.

Jan Jasper has been training busy people to work smarter, not harder, since 1988. She helps clients streamline their procedures, use technology efficiently, and manage task & information overload. Jan is the author of TAKE BACK YOUR TIME: HOW TO REGAIN CONTROL OF WORK, INFORMATION, & TECHNOLOGY (St. Martin's Press). Contact her at www.janjasper.com.

The Most Powerful Negotiation Weapon

One negotiating tool is so powerful that a thorough understanding of its use can catapult your negotiating skill and success to the top. Using it can transform mediocre results into unqualified successes. So few people use it effectively, it is unlikely your customer or supplier will recognize it or use it against you. Although the skill takes some effort, practice and is not a natural one for most people, you can learn to use it in just a few hours. Unfortunately, there are few, if any, formal courses of instruction in colleges or management training curriculums for this skill. As essential as it is, you must learn it and practice it yourself.

The Weapon

The powerful negotiating weapon is the skill of listening. "That's all," you say, "just listening?" Yes, but look what it can do for you. Listening intently to the person you are negotiating with can: 1) reveal their true interests; 2) give you the alternatives you need to offer them to close the deal; 3) provide feedback on what you have presented or offered so far; 4) tell you what else you can ask for; 5) let you know what the competition is doing; 6) reinforce the personal relationship with the person you are negotiating with; 7) let you confirm the other party's understanding of your side; 8) make the other person feel good about the deal; 9) let you control the negotiation; 10) build credibility. All this and more-just from listening.

Power The Ammunition

We all know knowledge is power. Having power on your side in a negotiation can make the difference whether you get what you want. How else can you get so much information from those who negotiate with you? Can you get the data you need any easier? It would take weeks, months or even years of research or investigation to uncover the facts-facts you need-that you can grasp in a few minutes of listening. Not only do you get the information you need, you get it quickly and economically. Let's look at what you need and how you get it.

What You Need Loading the Weapon

Following the Target Negotiation system (where you prepare, ask for what you want and trade-off concessions), you need to know as much, or more, about the business alternatives of the other side as your own. Never assume their choices or needs are the same as yours. Or, that they value the same benefits as you do.

Specifically, you should identify the real reasons the other side wants to make a deal-not just what they say, but their underlying wants. Most people you negotiate with don't always start negotiations by revealing the issues they consider critical. Besides their business and financial wants, you must discover their personal needs. Are they looking for recognition, understanding, or do they just want someone to listen to them?

Without knowing their business, financial and personal wants and needs, you will be unprepared to negotiate. You will not be able to suggest mutually beneficial solutions, nor be able to offer the right benefits. You may try to, as the expression goes, sell them oranges when they want apples.
You also will want to know which concessions to ask for and which you can offer that will work. Having this information will give you the edge you need-power to negotiate-to get what you want.

How You Get It Firing the Weapon

Having the most powerful weapon on the battlefield is of no value if you don't know how to load it or use it. To use your listening skills and, for that matter, your speaking skills, to your advantage, the first rule is to listen. Keep quiet long enough for the other person to talk about their business. You don't learn anything when you are talking. Ask open-ended questions (ones that cannot be answered by a yes or no) about the persons' business. You may want to ask about new products or services, plans or current problems. When the other person answers, encourage them to expand their answer. Inquire, "How is that going to work?" Or add, "What else are you looking for or planning?" The harmless request "Tell me more..." also encourages them to share their thoughts with you. Once started, most people like to talk about their business, their job, or themselves. Remember, that is what they are thinking about most of the time.

What will surprise you is how much people will tell you, if you have the patience to listen. Keep the conversation focused on them. Incidentally, when you need to describe any benefits of doing business with you or your company, do so in terms of what the other person receives, not what you get. For example, don't say, "This contract is the biggest one our company has." Instead you might share the fact that "your company is getting the lowest unit cost we offer."

Besides talking about business issues you have two other procedures to follow to use the listening weapon. Listen for personal needs and for the type of communication the person prefers. Personal needs may include recognition ("my boss will really notice me if this deal closes"), security ("my job will be protected if I get the best price") or esteem ("the other people in my department will appreciate what I got for them"). You need to fill the personal needs the other side has, as well as the business requirements.

They may favor different communication styles. You may encounter a person who just wants the cold, hard facts, to one who wants to "feel" they have the best deal, to one who wants to "see" how the deal works. Use the means of communication they seek to close the deal. For example, if they want to see how it will work, show them charts, graphs, pictures and other visual evidence of the benefits they will receive. Listening for what is important to your customer or supplier is the best way, and the easiest way, to prepare for your negotiation. Offer them what they are looking for--not what you think they need. Use the same approach to find your best method of communication.

Double Hit

You will hit the target twice with one shot if you use the listening weapon properly. You will know what to offer and how to present the offer, but you also get a bonus. By listening and having the other person know you are listening, you will build the personal relationship necessary to keep communications as effective as possible.

Let them know you are listening by occasionally asking, "Let me see if I understand you correctly," and then repeat your version of what they told you. This confirmation process proves: 1) you listened to them and 2) you really do know what they want. Knowing that you listened to them builds their trust and your credibility. So, the relationship prospers.

Avoid Backfires

Be careful of backfires. Just as the listening weapon will ensure your victory, it can also, when used more effectively by the other side than by you, ensure they will gain the most power. When you are negotiating or meeting anytime, be careful you don't reveal that you "have to close this deal in two weeks or lose $1.5 million in guarantees," or that you have to "finish by 5 PM to catch a plane," or other confidential information that will give the other side the advantage. Make sure your technical and administrative people don't speak too freely, either. The weapon shoots wherever you point it. Don't let it backfire on you.

Now you know what the most powerful weapon is and how to use it. While your competition attempts to hammer home their ideas of what your customer or supplier wants, you can glide through the deal and close it. Listen and win.

"Deal-Maker" Bernard Zick, a top Business Growth Expert, has spoken to over 250,000 top leaders in America. His expertise is widely recognized, and he is considered a master negotiator. You can contact "Deal-Maker" Zick at www.zick.com. His best-selling book is The Negotiating Paradox by Skyward Publishing--www.skywardpublishing.com.

Freeing Up Your Work Week

This article explains how to begin leaving work on time while remaining just as productive as when you stay late.

To avoid chasing the clock forever, an individual must leave work on time by making a dynamic bargain with himself. When you've made the conscious decision to leave on time on Tuesday, and have struck the dynamic bargain with yourself, the small stuff magically drops off. You focus on bigger, more crucial tasks or responsibilities. On the first Tuesday, and certainly by the second or third, you begin to benefit from a system of self-reinforcement, because the rewards you enjoy (leaving the office on time, actually having an evening free of work-related thoughts) are so enticing that you structure your work day to achieve this reward.

When you add Thursdays, then Mondays, and then Wednesdays to the process, you begin to reclaim your entire work week. A marvelous cycle is initiated. You actually:

• leave the work place with zest,
• have energy to pursue your non-work life,
• sleep better,
• arrive at work more rested,
• are far more productive.
  

Leaving On Time Whenever You Want

How does it all start? Declare that the following Tuesday will be an eight or nine hour workday--nothing more. Leave on time that day feeling good about what you've accomplished. That's it--no grandiose plan, no long-term commitment, no radical change, and hardly any pain.
Recall how long you've been in your profession, and that you will be for a lengthy run. On no particular day, and at no particular hour, are you rooted to your desk. You're a professional. You've gotten the job done previously, and you'll get it done now. Feel free to go!

During the day you've decided you're going to leave on time, if it becomes obvious that you have more to do than you can get done that day (and when won't that happen?), etch out exactly what you're going to begin the next morning. This will reduce and ultimately eliminate any anxiety or guilt. After all, you have a life, don't you?

Let everyone in your office know that you're leaving at five. Announce to people, "I've got to be out of here at five today." No one will resent you for leaving on time. People tend to support one another's goal when that goal has been announced. In summary, here's what you can do on that first Tuesday, or any other day, to leave on time you when choose to:

1. Announce to everyone that you have a personal commitment at 5:30 that evening. If you have a child, you could say that your child is in need of important parental assistance. Schedule something for 5:30.

2. Mark on your calendar that you'll be leaving at five.

3. Get a good night's rest the night before.

4. Eat a light lunch.

5. Strike a dynamic bargain with yourself at the start of the day, in late morning, in early afternoon, and in late afternoon.

6. Regard any intrusion or upset as merely part of the workday.

7. After striking the dynamic bargain with yourself, don't be tempted to add on more items at the last minute.

8. Envision how you'll feel when you leave right at closing time (this is no reason for you to be staring at the clock for the last 45 minutes).

9. Late in the afternoon, ask a co-worker to walk you out at closing time.

While it may seem like there's too much involved to ensure that you leave the work place on time, if you only engage in two or three of the steps above, you'll still find the reinforcement you need. This is intentionally simple: the more you have to do and remember, the less you'll do and the less you'll remember. Your only assignment: to leave work on time.

Jeff Davidson, MBA, CMC, is a popular conference speaker and author of 28 books, including Breathing Space (Feb 2000). For books, videos, cassettes, or presentations, visit http://www.BreathingSpace.com, FAX (919) 932-9982, or call (919) 932-1996.

Holiday Time Management Tips

If you no longer enjoy the holidays, it's time to re-think. Who says you have to spend weeks in a frenzy of shopping, visiting, baking, buying, sending cards to people you scarcely know because they sent you one last year, buying outfits you'll only wear once, gift wrapping, holiday concerts, then returning unwanted gifts?

When you rush from one activity to another, no wonder you don't enjoy it. For many people, the holidays means spending precious vacation time meeting endless obligations, hours waiting in airports, spending money for things they can't afford, and beginning the New Year mentally and financially depleted. Why not take back the holidays and celebrate in more enjoyable ways?
The point of the holidays is to relax with your friends and family. Every meal doesn't have to be elaborate. Hold a potluck instead of doing all the cooking yourself. A variant on this is to collaborate on holiday baking. A group of friends or neighbors plan together, each bakes a large amount of a particular cookie or pie and shares it with the group. Everyone ends up with a variety of treats with a fraction of the effort because each makes only one recipe.
Planning get-togethers is easy with an internet-based invitation service such as evite.com, which lets you quickly send invitations to a group of people, send directions, and receive their RSVPs via e-mail.

Prepare for snafus: If you're flying and must take a connecting flight to reach your destination, don't schedule so tightly that if your first flight is late you miss your connection. Waiting time at the airport can be spent reading, catching up on your correspondence, or phoning your greetings to people you know are alone at this time of year-don't forget those who have no family to visit! Save time and aggravation at the airport by mailing your wrapped gifts in advance and avoiding the long line at baggage check.

About those gifts-the easiest way is to shop way in advance. If, in July, you see something your daughter would love, buy it then. By December all your gifts are bought, all you have to do is wrap them. Catalogs are great time-savers for holiday shopping. Ask your spouse and kids to look through their favorite catalogs and sign their names by items they want. This not only spares you having to fight the holiday crowds at the mall, but everybody gets what they want so there's nothing to exchange later. A variant on catalog shopping is to buy your gifts on the Internet.

If you do shop in the stores just before the holiday, take advantage of stores' gift-wrapping services. For those hard-to-please people on your list, how about getting them a gift certificate?
When will you find time to stamp, address, and mail out dozens of holiday greeting cards? Frankly, few people enjoy sending them, and the recipient's brief pleasure is outweighed by feeling obligated to send you a card in return. So just skip the cards. Many people will be relieved --it lets them off the hook so you'll get far fewer cards next year. For people you really want to acknowledge, send them a card at Thanksgiving-people get far fewer cards then so your card will truly be appreciated.

Plan to return a day or two before you go back to work. This gives you time to shop for groceries, do the laundry, deal with the mail, etc. This way you begin the New Year rested, not harried.

Jan Jasper has been training busy people to work smarter, not harder, since 1988. She helps clients streamline their procedures, use technology efficiently, and manage task & information overload. Jan is the author of TAKE BACK YOUR TIME: HOW TO REGAIN CONTROL OF WORK, INFORMATION, & TECHNOLOGY (St. Martin's Press). Contact her at www.janjasper.com.

Four Steps to Freedom From Paper Clutter

By: Monica Ricci

Information is power. But unless you can find the information you need at the moment you need it, you're powerless.

Consider all the books, magazines and articles you save. You may be saving them "to get around to reading", or if you've read them, you are afraid to throw them away "just in case" you'll need to access the information again. They pile up higher and higher and if you have a system of organizing your saved information so you can locate it when you need it, great! If not, the following questions will give you some perspective on it and will help you part with a lot of it:

1. What good is information if it is lost in piles? Either organize it into a good workable system or toss it out.

2. Could you find the same information at the library or on the internet? If so, feel confident tossing it out.

3. Does the information you save quickly become outdated? If so, you're wasting your space by saving old publications or articles. Rely on the internet for the most current versions.

4. Will you ever really get around to reading all the things you save to read? And if you don't, will it really matter in the grand scheme of things where you can find information in an instant on the net? If no, toss it out.

Ask yourself these four questions the next time you catch yourself stacking a magazine on a pile "to read later." You'll never have to deal with the big pile-up again.

Monica Ricci is the founder of Catalyst Organizing Solutions in Atlanta, GA. She speaks to groups and companies about the benefits of choosing a simpler life and how to cut the chaos. She is president of the Georgia chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers. Contact Monica at: 770-416-6613 or Monica@CatalystOrganizing.com

A Secret to Find Time When You're Overwhelmed

By: Rita Emmett

"I have so much to do, I just can't do everything. I don't even know where to start." Sound familiar? Most people occasionally battle the habit of PROCRASTINATION -- putting off something you really want or need to do. And in spite of how terrific you are at setting goals, procrastination can sabotage your personal and professional life.

Have you ever said "I'll clean the garage when I have a whole Saturday free." or "I'll tackle that paper clutter on my desk when I have an uninterrupted chunk of time."? But we'll NEVER have a whole free Saturday or uninterrupted chunk of time, will we?
If you wait until you GET the time to do something, it will never happen. Nobody gives us time. ("Here's a big ol' bucket of time for you.") We've got to MAKE time for those things you want and need to do.

Here are five steps to take the STING out of feeling overwhelmed, and together they form a simple yet powerful strategy to help you make time for what is important to you.

S - Select just one thing to do.
T - Time yourself. Set the kitchen timer for one hour and go for it
I - Ignore everything else while the timer is ticking
N - No breaks until your hour is up.
G - Give yourself a reward when the timer dings.

When your hour is up and you give yourself that reward, you might find that what you've been putting off for months took you only 23 minutes to accomplish.
Or if it's a giant task, often the momentum is there and you want to continue. And you'll have discovered one of the secrets of blasting away the procrastination habit: you didn't put off the whole project, you simply put off getting started.
Rita Emmett, author of THE PROCRASTINATOR'S HANDBOOK and THE PROCRASTINATING CHILD: A HANDBOOK FOR ADULTS TO HELP CHILDREN STOP PUTTING THINGS OFF, is a professional speaker who presents Keynotes and Seminars nationwide. Her CLUTTER-BUSTING HANDBOOK will be published next April. Rita's web site: RitaEmmett.com Her email is: Rita@RitaEmmett.com