What comes after college applications?

Many high school seniors and their parents are rejoicing now that their college applications are done. Then the parents start to think about what skills and knowledge their children still need to learn to be successful in college, such as time and money management, tips on doing laundry and making friends, even on how to lengthen a paper - but the students don't want to listen now. Portable Parent (www.portableparent.com) is a wonderful solution to this problem.

Portable Parent is a unique online e-book. Parents download it, add their own insights to selected chapters, and upload it on their children's computers. When the students need the information - even at 1 AM, it's waiting for them, and they keep their treasured independence! Parents, meanwhile, can relax knowing the information is waiting for their children.

Wrapping Paper Alternative

The amount of waste generated by wrapping paper is immense. Instead of using it, one alternative is to wrap gifts in something useful, such as towels (new dish towels for small or kitchen items, bath or face towels for larger items).

Always Late?

Many people are habitually late to meetings and appointments. It can be a sign of poor "executive function" skills. "Executive function" means having the ability to plan and implement (or "execute") actions. People with ADHD, Asperger's Syndrome or who have had right-sided strokes or head trauma (from accidents) may have poor skills in this. Other people can, as well.

Regardless of the cause of the problem, others may interpret habitual lateness as disrespect for their time. It's as if the person with habitual lateness does not care about anyone else's time but his own. "Only my own time is important" is what the person seems be saying. In fact, the person is often totally unaware of the impact he is having on others; he never considers the fact that his lateness has any impact on others.

Ways to address it include showing the person (often in writing) how the lateness affected others,
and helping the person plan his schedule appropriately.

Hate Making "Small Talk"?

At this time of year, many people go to holiday parties where they hide nervously among the potted plants, wish the floor would swallow them up or that they could go home instantly.
One reason is that they are unskilled in making small talk.

In the e-book "Small Talk:Connecting with Others" (www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com/ebooks.htm),
readers learn strategies to make connections and how to plan ahead to have ways to start conversations. Basically, people like to talk to others who are like them in some way, and we all have things in common.

What's your worst fear about going to parties and talking to strangers?

Talking too fast?

A surprising number of people say that they speak too quickly, and often don't know how to slow down. They say they can often speak slower when reading a simple sentence, such as "Bob ate an apple." In an e-book called How to Speak Slower in Six Simple Steps, readers learn that it is easier to speak slower when the topic is not interesting to them. For example, people who don't care about horses or parakeets could talk about how to ride a horse, or care for a parakeet. Then start talking about things that are slightly more interesting, at a slow rate. (The e-book can be found at www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com/ebooks.htm.)

Some people only speak quickly when they are nervous, such as when giving a speech. They should remember that when giving a speech, what counts is not the amount of information that flows out of the speaker's mouth. What counts is how much information sticks in the listener's mind. Speaking too fast, particularly on complicated material or to audiences of children or seniors, is a big mistake. Speaking slowly gets the point across more efficiently.

If a fast rate of speech is new, people should see a physician. Sometimes a fast rate is the first sign of some neurological issues, such as Parkinson's. Life-long fast speech when both calm and nervous can also be a sign of a communicative disorder, called cluttering. This and other speech disorders are diagnosed and treated by speech-language pathologists.

In most cases, though, fast speech can be slowed down. The e-book is a great way to start.

Positive Impressions in Two Ways in Retail Stores

Two chains new in the area are using excellent techniques to create positive impressions on customers.

One technique, used by the new MacAuthority, is to know other nearby stores who carry related products that customers may ask for, which MacAuthority does not carry. The staff at MacAuthority appears very knowledgeable about products when they can do that. Another new store, EarthFare, promotes a positive experience by offering many food samples and encouraging customers to try these items. Obviously they want customers to stay longer in the store, and buy some new items. Whether through referrals, enthusiastic smiles, pleasant smells and wonderful tastes, or generally appearing eager - not just barely willing - to serve the customers, these stores are using some effective strategies to create positive impressions!

Parent of a high school senior?

Soon the college and scholarship applications will be done, and then comes the thought: does my child know enough about non-academics to do well in college? For example, does he know about time management, money management issues such as credit cards and phishing, finding cheap travel fares, doing laundry and more? While some high school seniors will listen to this advice, most won't.

One way to get around seniors' "I know it all attitude" is to write the information down for them to read when they are ready, and to put it on a computer so it doesn't weigh anything when it's time to go to college. Then, at 3 AM if they need to know something, the information is waiting! But who wants to write a book? Fortunately, it's already done and waiting on the web, at www.portableparent.com. There are even sections where parents with Windows on their computers can add their own tidbits of widom. "Instant information, with a parent's insight, available 24/7!"

Trouble with American English Pronunciation?

Newcomers to the USA, whether they are here with H1B visas or other reasons, often struggle with pronunciation, culture and language skills. Many learned British English, which has many differences in grammar, vocabulary, intonation and pronunciation from American English. My Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals seminars often discuss some of these differences. For example, the British may pronounce "schedule" as "shedule", while Americans say
"skedule". The British may say the noun "progress" as "progress" (with a long "o" sound), while Americans say "prahgress". For those who want to change their pronunciation patterns, the next open enrollment Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals seminar will be January 10 - 12, 2010; a few spaces are still open at www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com/class3.htm.

Can't Get Up Early in the Morning?

Many people have difficulty getting up early in the morning for classes or work. They have an alarm clock but ignore it or don't hear it. A wonderful solution is an innovative product called a ShakeAwake. This is an alarm clock that you strap on your leg and it vibrates - strongly - to wake you up. It's designed for people with hearing loss, but it works wonderfully for people who hear (but maybe don't want to listen)! ShakeAwake can be gotten from www.devices4less.com, and is terrific!