Opening a Presentation

Most airplane difficulties occur at two critical points: take-off and landing. The same is often true of presentations. A strong opening will create additional confidence and is an opportunity to make an immediate positive first impression.

Key Points

• Get favourable attention quickly
• Lead naturally into your presentation
• Build goodwill
• Create points of agreement

Techniques

• Use an exhibit
• Dramatise your ideas
• Get participation
• Cite points of agreement or common ground

Avoid the apology. "How often we all have heard speakers begin by calling the attention of the audience to their lack of preparation or lack of ability. If you are not prepared, the audience will probably discover it without your assistance." -- Dale Carnegie

www.london.dalecarnegie.com

Sticking to your New Year's Resolutions

Statistically the 12th of January is the most common day of the year to give up on your New Year’s resolution. That’s the day of the year that most people give up …. !

So how did you do on yours? Have the running shoes gone back in the cupboard, was the draw of chocolate just too strong, is the pillow so comfortable that getting up half an hour earlier every day has already gone out the window.

What about those career goals …. Are you still making those extra sales calls? Are you taking the time to get to know colleagues and clients better? Are you still pushing forward with making your career what you want it to be in 2010?

I hope you are!

For anyone who’s already fallen off the wagon, don’t worry it’s never to late to get started again and for those still going, congratulations! I’d like to share a little secret with you to help you keep going on those goals. Our founder, Dale Carnegie, called it ‘The Little Known Secret of Success’ ….. it’s a magical thing called enthusiasm. It’s all well and good to talk about enthusiasm …. We’ve all heard about it but how do we find it? Well here are a few simple tips that I’ve seen people put into practice while training with us that will help keep you on track:

1.Focus all your energy on the outcome not the task.

2.Find one thing about your resolution that you like and focus on that.

3.If you don’t like anything about it pretend that you do ….. I’m serious it works! We can train our minds into liking something… try it!

4.If you have given up … put that in the past. Focus on how good it will feel once you get started again.

Enthusiasm is a powerful influence ….. We have a saying in our business ‘If you act enthusiastic, you’ll be enthusiastic.’ It’s cheesy but it works!

Give it a go …. What’s the worst that could happen?

I wish you every success in your goals for 2010.

David Anderson
Managing Director

www.London.dalecarnegie.com

Oh no it's snowing again.......

Over the past couple of weeks we have had a lot of snow and the excitement we first experienced has started to wear off. The snow has caused no end of problems, whether it’s not being able to travel to work, being marooned in your home or losing control of your car on the ice. We have a love hate relationship with the snow, we love to play in it but it can also cause us a lot of stress and worry.

When it snows it snows and there is nothing you can do about it, so the trick is to overcome the worry it causes and just enjoy it:

• Live in “day-tight compartments” – don’t fret about whether it will snow tomorrow or not, just enjoy the day you are in. Deal with the snow tomorrow when and if it comes – you have no control over the weather.
• Ask yourself ‘What is the worst that can possibly happen?” – if your train is delayed by the snow don’t shout at the driver just accept it, the worst that can happen is that you will be late and a lot of other people will probably be in the same boat.
  
• Cooperate with the inevitable – The weather forecasters have predicted snow, so don’t moan about it but prepare yourself for it. Wrap up warm and get out your snow boots!

Remember that worrying and stressing about things too much can affect your health, think about how much anxiety the snow is really worth......I would say not much, it only comes around about once a year and just think that whatever it stops you doing one day you can always do the next. So next time it snows or something else happens that you begin to worry and stress about, just remember the principles above, overcome your worry and find something to be happy about, such as how beautiful the snow can look when it first falls!

Sophie Whittall
Markerting & Admin Co-ordinator

www.london.dalecarnegie.com

New Year, New Goal!

It's that time again when we start a fresh year full of resolutions - some of which we stick to and others....well....they seemed like such a good idea when you sat there and made them!!!

It's tradition to make a New Years resolution and common ones are going on a diet, promising ourselves to get fit, to visit relatives you haven't seen in ages, or maybe learn a new language.

However, why do we not always achieve or fulfil our resolutions? Do we start off well and then lose momentum? Well why not turn it into a goal and see how you do then. Goals can be immediate, intermediate and long-range. Achieving day-to-day goals (immediate goals) contribute to the achievement of intermediate and long range goals. So develop SMART goals:

S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Attainable
R - Relevant
T - Time-specific

Don't forget to review your progress as you go along.....you will be amazed at how motivating it can be realising that you are half way to running that marathon, or to that dream dress you've had your eye on for ages.

Good luck and remember, you can make goals at any time of the year, it doesn't just have to be 1st Jan!

Today is a day in the only life you are ever going to have. Make the most of today. Get interested. Get busy. Reach a goal. Shake yourself awake. let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you. Make your business prosper today. - Dale Carnegie

Helen Mills
Financial Controller
www.london.dalecarnegie.com