But check it out: This has been one of the best weekends of my life.

I have met DOZENS of amazing people, I’ve learned more than all of the conferences I’ve attended previously to date, and I’ve forged what I believe will be some lasting personal and professional relationships that I am VERY excited about.

And one particular presentation stood out to be, delivered by Wendy Piersall of Sparkplugging.com (formerly eMoms at Home). Some of my favorite quotes from her talk:

“In order for my [business] to grow, I had to grow with it.”

“Get our of your comfort zone. It’s not pretty, but you gotta do it.”

(in response to “I need more time”): “There is no more time. I need more YOU.”

I’ll be discussing the other sessions in more detail at my freelance writing blog Inkthinker next week since this is a blogging conference, but rest assured, I’ll highlight the relevant business info over here so you don’t miss anything. I’ll also be getting more into networking with some specific examples from this event, so stay tuned.

Contents © Copyright 2008 Kristen King

Tags: women and business, women in business, women, woman, business, conference, seminar, annual meeting, blogging, traveling for business, business travel, traveling alone, wendy piersall, sparkplugging, biz chicks rule, kristen king

Post from: EveryJoe

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone: On Going to a Conference in a Strange City All By Yourself

I had MANY challenges this weekend, the largest one being a hoarse voice. When I gave the business presentation tips on Friday, that was one thing I left off discussing. That is, ways to compensate in your presentation if you lose your voice or have a very sore throat. Although there is no way to tell when this will happen, when it does occur, it can be embarassing and costly. When you are a presenter or speaker, you are being paid for acutally speaking and if you cannot do that, you are compromising your agreement with your client. At best, you can refund the money that you were paid, but often the contract may not allow for that clause. There are a  couple of things you can do to avoid this or to try in case you find yourself losing your speaking voice:

• At the first sign of soreness or hoarseness, drink a solution of half and half of hot tea with lemon. Also, take the over-the-counter cold preparation, Airborne. This is good for giving the body a significant, healthy dose of Vitamin C and Zinc, both of which are good for building up the immune system. (This tip was given to me by one of my fellow Toastmasters, June Pritchett, who is a practicing RN). 
• Suck on zinc drops before and after your presentation to help the throat relax while you are talking.
• Sip on room temperature water with lemon before you get up to speak. This helps soothe the throat as well.
• Don’t try to speak unnecessarily before giving your presentation. In other words, chat with folks as less as possible. This can cause the vocal cords to strain and possibly make the irritated voice worse. Try to relax the throat muscles.

I actually did try these things and was quite successful in giving my speech. I did have a bit of hoarseness in the beginning, but was able to make it through the presentation without going completely hoarse. I finally did succumb to the hoarseness later that night at the mixer when we were all networking, eating, dancing and having fun. By then, I had no voice at all, but was full of smiles!

There is no way that you can always know what surprises are in store for you when you are due to give a business presentation. Things just randomly happen in life. However, with a little planning and emergency preparation, you can possibly deal with whatever happens. Just be ready for the unexpected…always.

Finally, I’m starting to get my voice back today.  Go figure!

Post from: EveryJoe

Business Presentations – Part II

Anyone who has ever done a business presentation can attest to how much work and time is involved in preparation. Outside of nervous jitters, you have to be sure that everything is done right. To make it (somewhat) effortless requires adequate and focused preparation.

(drum roll, please)

Ft. Walton Beach, FL!!! I am so-o-o excited about getting one more lazy beach day in that I hope I don’t forget to pack sunscreen! Oh, okay yes, I am also excited about the speaking conference… and the chance to do a presentation in front of my peers. As I prepare to travel to sunny Florida (along with a fellow Toastmaster friend of mine) there are certain business presentations to-do’s I need to double-check to ensure a successful speech. Here are a few helpful tips for you if you will be giving a presentation:

1. Is the presentation material ready? Has the proper research been done? Check for accuracy on research credits, spelling, grammar, etc. Transfer the presentation to index cards OR commit the speech to memory.

2. Ensure that the handouts (if they are being used) are also properly spell-checked and grammar checked. Always make a few extra copies or packets just in case extra participants show up.

3. Rehearse the presentation in front of the mirror or to someone whose judgment you trust.

4. Check, re-check and check again the laptop, software, cables and disks to be sure the PowerPoint presentation is working properly. The possibility of getting the “white screen of death” is always imminent and can always happen at the most inconvenient time…during the speech. Although sometimes this cannot be avoided, have a backup plan just in case. Like the handouts.

5. Prepare and distribute to the audience a feedback questionnaire to help gauge your presentation’s effectiveness. Ask the participants to leave them in their seat or have an assistant take them up.

Business presentations are becoming a standard in the corporate community and everyone from secretaries to CEO’s are speech-giving. Preparing yourself as much as possible will help you tremendously in your presentation. But the most important thing to remember when giving a business presentation is to relax and have fun. I certainly plan to…at the beach! I will be working hard at the conference and a little R & R will be good.

I’ll let you know how my conference goes and how the beach weather was. Everyone, have a great weekend!

Post from: EveryJoe

Business Presentations – Part I