Wednesday, December 28, 2011

How to remember more of what you hear or see

The next time you sit in a boring presentation, lecture or meeting, try some of these techniques to help you get more out of the experience.

1. Repeat the fact in your mind. Imagine you are saying them.
2. Visualize the facts or situation. Pretend you see them on a movie or computer screen.
3. Ask yourself questions about the information. Think of ones that begin with "wh", such as who, what, when, etc.Try to answer them by the end of the talk.
4. Write out 5 important words used in the concept. Using the first letter of each word, come up with a sentence to help you remember them all.
5. If someone is trying to persuade the group, think about why this action is being recommended. Who or what benfits from this course of action?

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Unsatisfied: What to do when the customer service is unsatisfactory

What do you do when you have a problem with a device or service and want the company to correct it?

Take these four steps: Read your warranty carefully to know what it covers. Then contact the customer service department with a clear description of the problem and supporting documentation, such as the warranty and sales receipt. Explain how you would like the problem to be resolved. Get the representative's name or number. Write down this information, the date and time you spoke to her and the suggested resolution of the problem. If she promised someone would call you back by a certain time, write that down too.

If there is no customer service rep, contact the department supervisor or headquarters with the same information. Write down what they say.

If you have difficulty speaking or hearing clearly, often customer service is available online.

If you are still unhappy, go up the chain of command. Each time, write down the person's name to whom you spoke, the time and date, what the other person offered to do, and the results.

It takes less effort to appease an unhappy customer than to get a new one, and an unhappy customer lets many others know about poor service.

Provide the facts and let the company help you get the problem resolved!

Great speech makes business sense. Business Speech Improvement provides intensive coaching in verbal skills, through e-books and in-person training.

Monday, December 26, 2011

Top 5 Tips to Improve Your Speech

Top 5 Tips to Improve Your Speech
"Speech" means different things to people. So, the tips below try to cover a variety of needs.
5. When meeting strangers at a party or conference, think about what you have in common with them, and come up with a statement plus a question ahead of time. For example, "This is a great party! How do you know (the host)?" or "What do you do for the organization?"
4. If you give presentations, remember that you have just 30 seconds to capture your audience's attention. Use startling statistics, a surprising fact or a 2-3 sentence story to start your talk. Then say your name.
3. If you have a strong accent that impedes clear communication, speak slower and keep paper nearby to write any words that your listener does not understand.
2. When your speech is not understood, use a synonym, such as "excellent" for "very good".
1. To help you persuade others, remember the acronym WIIFM, "what's in it for me". Why should someone do what you want done? Will it save frustration or money, increase productivity or make it easier to meet goals?

For more great tips, check out Business Speech Improvement's economical e-books! Business Speech Improvement also provides intensive coaching.