October 23, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Since founding Daystar Digital Development, Inc., in 2000, I’ve helped many companies establish an effective business website. But in a web 2.0 world, a website is not enough. I now help clients expand from a website to a web presence using social sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. It’s similar to the concept of “Location, Location, Location” in the real estate industry. I position you and your web content where the people are. I help you place your website content in the best web locations–where the traffic is so you can build relationships, trust and grow your business.
I can help you succeed with social media. Here’s how:
Join Us Tues Oct 13 2:30 CST Facebook for Business Webinar
October 8, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 | 3:30 PM EDT
Social Networking Best Practices Webinar:
Facebook For Business – Can You Afford to Ignore 300 Million Users?
With an estimated 300 million users, Facebook is THE most prevalent social networking application in the world! As such, it has become an on line community to reconnect with old friends & colleagues, build marketing campaigns and create critical awareness for your business.
For many individuals, Facebook is providing a human element or in essence a “face” to their professional presence. Our pictures, activity updates, circle of friends, causes we care about, all are helping others get a more holistic view of not only what we do when we work, but who we really are – including that which we find interesting, how we like to play, and those who are around us! For many, it’s a platform to engage and influence, and to share stories or perspectives.
How can Facebook help you? Join us-David Nour, Michelle Cullison and Nhat Pham-on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 3:30 PM Eastern (12:30 PM Pacific) for a look inside Facebook best practices to help extend the value of your on- and off-line business relationships.
>>Click HERE to register for this free webinar
Presentation Skills Teleseminar Series Starts Tomorrow
October 5, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Download Presentation Skills Seminar flyer for more information.
I highly recommend Myra’s program. She is the number one reason I am speaking successfully and for profit today. Take a minute to review her program. Since presentations are so crucial to business success, you won’t want to miss this chance to learn from an expert. —Michele
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Myra says:
I am so happy to share with you a special teleseminar series that I will be hosting, along with talk-show host Monica Pierre, starting next Tuesday (Oct 6) from 4:00 to 5:00 pm CT and continuing at the same time period on Tuesdays Oct 13 and 20.
As you know, I’ve spent the last 25 years helping individuals and organizations develop and articulate their unique messages. Helping hundreds of people find their voice and package their presentations has been extremely rewarding and very enlightening.
I’m often asked “what are the most critical things a person should know/do in order to speak effectively?” Each year, I witness several hundred presentations. There is a real consistency in determining whether a speaker will be exceptional, decent, or just plain bad based on how well they adopt 10 basic principles.
This teleseminar series has been designed around my “10 Absolutes”. I believe, unequivocally, that every presenter can significantly improve his/her performance with the right knowledge, commitment and practice. And those improvements can happen very quickly!
Public speaking has greatly evolved over the last 15 years. Presentation software is now omnipresent (although rarely used to its potential). Multi-media is now easily accessible but underutilized. Audience demands of speakers have changed. They now want crisp, fast-paced, engaging programming. Even technical presentations must now balance a need for concrete information with enough motivation and audience connection to make the message heard, accepted and the new knowledge used. In short, the bar has greatly risen in all areas of presenting.
If someone is relying on principles learned in a college public speaking class 10 years ago, it’s unlikely they are performing anywhere near their potential. I should know. I taught those classes – and still teach them – BUT I also add the “tricks of the trade” that I’ve learned as a professional speaker along with all the new technology and online resources available at our fingertips. Together, it’s a great new way to look at speaking – whether you’re a business development specialist, a non-profit executive, an entrepreneur, a technical expert, or an emerging executive.
If you or some of your colleagues could benefit from some fresh ideas to liven up your programming, join us!! Attached is a flyer for the program and more information and registration can be found at: http://www.FindYourSpice.com/teleseminar . All three one-hour sessions are only $87 AND you get a recording of each session after its completion. That way, you can listen whenever you like – even if you can’t be with us “live” for one of the sessions.
I wish you all the best and thanks for helping us spread the word about this exciting program!
Myra
Myra L. Corrello, PhD
Spice Your Business. Growth strategies designed just for you
Spice Your Career. Knowlege & skills to take you to the top & keep you there
Spice Your Life. Enhance & enrich your personal time and relationships
5721 Magazine Street, #141
New Orleans, LA 70115
Office: (504) 899-8660
Mobile: (504) 453-3466
iPhone: (504) 812-5990
Myra@FindYourSpice.com
www.FindYourSpice.com
SBA 2007 Women in Business Champion of the Year – State of Louisiana
Call today to learn more about our
Presentation Skills training programs
coming in October!
How to Un-Fan a Page on Facebook
October 4, 2009 | 1 Comment
On Facebook, you can become a fan of a business page. However, you may want to bow out at a later date. Here’s how:
- Visit the business page.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the left hand column.
- You will see a link that says: Remove me from fans. See figure 1 below.
Figure 1-Screenshot from facebook fan page
To learn more about social media, sign up for social media bootcamp!
Meeting Planners Q & A about Facebook
September 28, 2009 | Leave a Comment
On Tuesday, August 25, 2009, Plan Your Meetings, sponsored a webinar, hosted by David Nour with Michelle Cullison and Nhat Pham. These questions were asked by the meeting planners:
1. Can a group created by an individual be moved to a public business page?
Moving from a group to a company page is a manual process. Create the page and then invite all group members to become a Fan of the new page. Some Group admins put a deadline on the move and close the group. You may also provide some new content on the page as an incentive to make the move.
2. How are people using Facebook to find potential partners/vendors?
You may find vendors/partners using the advanced search page on Facebook. It allows you to search for people, pages and groups by keywords. You can get to the advanced search page by typing search in the Search field. (Currently, there isn’t a link to advanced search on the menu.)
Another great way to find potential partners and vendors is groups. Join industry specific groups where your partners and vendors are spending time. Need to find the groups, search for them with the advanced search page.
Are they searching like on Google? Yes. Business pages on Facebook are public so googling the company name and the term facebook as search words is a good way to see if a potential vendor has a facebook presence.
How does Facebook rank pages when a search is done?
Facebook doesn’t disclose how it ranks pages on its search results page. However, this page about the new Facebook Search may be helpful to you: http://www.facebook.com/help.php?page=923
3. I get feeds on my home page from groups/pages that I am member/fan of, what do we need to do as a company to get our updates to post to our friends pages?
4. Can you create an event for a Cause FB account?
A cause is an FB application. Anyone with an FB profile may create an event.
5. What is the difference between a group and a fan page – benefits of both?
Groups gather people around a topic of discussion and can be a good place for collaboration. FB fan or business pages are like personal profiles but for businesses. They have all the power of personal profiles including the ability to publish a lot of company info, install apps, communicate with and build a fan base.
6. Is it advisable to keep a “personal” Facebook page versus a “professional” page?
Having both kinds of presence on Facebook is important. You develop business relationships personally using your personal profile and as a brand using your (professional) company page.
7. If you post a blog to the notes section how do your friends see it?
Under the Settings menu, Choose Application Settings and then Notes under the Wall tab click on: Allow Notes to publish to Streams.
8. I am the director of communication for a small trade association – we have created a group on Facebook – so are you saying we should create a profile – if so, for me or for biz? How would you do this?
Groups are good for collaboration but do not have as many features a public profiles (business pages) have. As an association, you could benefit from the added features that public profiles have. To create a public profile for your association, go to Facebook.com and click this link: Create a Page for a celebrity, band or business. Having a personal and a business presence on Facebook is helpful as business relationships can be formed personally and organizationally.
9. How can Facebook give an incentive travel company an edge on the competition? Create a content-rich public profile for your company on Facebook Business pages. Make it a page that adds value to your audience and includes links to your website and industry specific keywords for Google. Invite your target audience to become fans. Engage your audience in conversation.
10. I’m looking for a job – any suggestions on how to use Facebook for that? Many times job leads come through the people you know. Make sure you’ve entered all your education and work history info in your personal profile. Communicate confidence and the value you bring to employers in your status updates. Do communicate that you are looking for opportunity. Don’t convey desperation in your updates.
11. How can you use Facebook for education/learning?
12. How can my company keep negative comments off our Twitter account? Controlling negative comments is a common concern across social networking platforms. Some of the blogging/microblogging tools allow you to turn off commenting but then you’ve shut down communication with the exact audience you want to build relationship with. Responding positively to the negative comments may indeed give you an opportunity to build repo ire with your audience and show how you are handling the issues that occur. Google the words “Transparency in blogging” to learn more about how companies are dealing with negative comments in the blogosphere.
13. How secure is Facebook?
I will talk about 3 common ways that FB accounts are compromised and how to prevent it from happening to you.
- Phishing: Do not give you account information to someone who claims to be an FB rep via email. FB will not ask you to update your account info via email ever.
- Hacking via email access. You can reduce your chances of having your account hacked by using a password on your FB account that is DIFFERENT than the password on the email account that you have associated with your FB account. If a hacker gets your FB password and it is the same as your email password, they can then take over your email account that manages your FB account and lock you out of your account.
- Applications are another door hackers use to compromise your account. Facebook is an open development platform meaning applications can be submitted by anyone. One way to reduce your vulnerability is by installing only verified applications. Read more about verified apps here: http://developers.facebook.com/news.php?blog=1&story=247
14. Looking to extend company community aspects while differentiating content on Facebook so it is not a duplication of efforts. With this type of strategy, you will need to communicate what type of content will be unique in the FB arena. I saw a site that week that gives tips on their FB page that they do not post anywhere else.
And, if the company doesn’t have a blog where interaction occurs, then of course, the FB page can be the place for customers to provide feedback and enter discussions with you. Open up your FB page wall for community interaction.
15. How do you get over the legal hump within a corporation to allow use of Facebook for the company and employees? Developing a policy and making sure all parties understand the rules is key to social networking success in a corporate setting. Here is a GREAT site, the Social Media Blog Council, to use a resource in the process of policy development: http://www.socialmedia.org/
16. As a non-profit with few resources, how do we figure out what the best use of Facebook for our situation is? If you have a small budget for education, invest that in learning social media strategy. Then, perhaps you can utilize volunteers or college students for implementation. The leaders must understand WHAT the goals are and who the audience is on these social sites. Social Media Strategy programs are offered by David Nour, Nhat Pham and Michelle Cullison.
17. How do you keep you personal Facebook and business Facebook separate? I don’t want to personally become a fan of a vendor but want to professionally become a fan. Only people (personal profiles) can become fans of pages. However, you can tag another page as Favorite page of your Business page. Go to the Vendor page on FB that you want to support as a business. Then, click the Add to MyPage’s Favorites and select your business page from the list. You won’t be a fan but you will be showing support business to business.
18. What’s the quickest way to add value to the lives of those we contact with in Facebook and to monetize opportunities for all parties involved? To add value, think about what tip you can give your audience today that will help them in business. Monetizing many times comes when a client trusts your business enough to close the deal, buy the product. What can you say today to build trust in your product or service?
19. What is the balance between being effective at promoting events vs. spending all of your time on social media sites?
It is best to determine 2 things before you login to social sites:
1. How much time do I have to give to this social media session?
2. What specifically do I need to accomplish when I login?
I would suggest allowing time to create the event in the FB events app and promoting it on your page and to your targeted friends list. You may also promote the event to select groups on FB that have the targeted audience on FB.
20. How do you show the value and utility of Facebook and social media when executive management doesn’t even understand social media? Case studies are really helpful to show what others are doing that is working. Mashable.com is a good site for breaking info on social media and web 2.0. Here is an article that highlights some big business success stories that you may want to share with your executive management: http://mashable.com/2009/02/06/social-media-smartest-brands/
21. Facebook comes across as a social site – how do you make messages more “business like”? In your status updates, answer questions like these, “What would add value to my audience today? What can I share that will help them professionally?
22. How do I get folks to register for my online training?
You may want to familiarize yourself with FB events. Another great way to get the word out on FB about products and services is to join groups with members who are in your target audience. Start discussions in the FB groups and offer the group members free pre-training teleseminars or webinars so you add value first and then plug the training on the call. You wouldn’t want to join a group and then start selling your training services.
23. How can I advertise my business on FB but not have it so “In Your Face” to my friends. You may want to consider a paid FB ad. You can get significant exposure for $30 a month. Or, segment your friends using Friend Lists and send targeted advertising messages to select groups. However, remember that social networking culture is somewhat averse to advertising. Try soft marketing value add messages that also include links to learn more about a product or service.
24. To me, Facebook is merely a social tool. I want to be convinced of it’s usefulness as a business tool. I’ll give you 3 reasons:
First is location, location, location. Facebook allows you to put your business where the traffic is flowing. There are many people you can touch in FB that will never come to your website. Secondly, google loves high traffic sites and a link to your website from within FB increases your findability on google and other search engines. Finally, on FB pages you are allowed the chance to have people build a relationship with your company or brand.
When You Tune Out, You Lose Out
August 3, 2009 | Leave a Comment
When I ask participants in my leadership development programs to list the qualities and characteristics of an outstanding leader, they always list “good listener” in the top ten.
As a team member, leader, manager, (or “wanna be”), one of the most important skills you can develop is your ability to listen effectively. Often we’re so busy barking out directions, delegating, and giving instructions, we don’t think about taking the time to listen to what another person is trying to tell us.
By becoming a better listener, you will increase your own productivity, as well as that of your team. You will improve your ability to influence, persuade, and negotiate. What’s more, you’ll avoid conflict and misunderstandings and be able to resolve problems with customers, co-workers, and bosses – all necessary for workplace success.
Clearly, listening is a skill that we can all benefit from improving. You probably spend more time using your listening skills than any other kind of skill. Like other skills, listening takes practice.Who knows? Improving your listening skills may even enhance your personal relationships! All I know is that when you tune out, you lose out!
MINDSET: Sharing The Value of What You Offer By Tiffanie Z. Lyon, MBA
May 12, 2009 | Leave a Comment
It’s important to realize that what you are actually selling is not necessarily a product, a service or an idea, but “THE BENEFIT” the other person will gain from investing in your offering and the ULTIMATE RESULT they will experience. By doing so, you will naturally be more persuasive and have positive influence. Think about this: Almost everything we sell offers one or more of these 5 general benefits:
• Make money
• Save money
• Save time
• Offer convenience
• Provide peace of mind/security
Which ones do your product or service address?
With that in mind, let’s do an exercise to dig deeper into this concept and really help you understand what you are selling. It will make it a lot easier to get excited and share with others. Enthusiasm sells!
Create a three-column chart. In the left column, list the core products and services you offer. Then in the middle column, list the first benefit or outcome a customer would receive after they invest in each of your products/services. Don’t contemplate too long; just write the first thing that comes to mind. Now, as you look at those benefits or outcomes for each service ask yourself, “so what?”, “what does that mean to the customer?”, “what is the ultimate benefit or end state of that?” Take it one step further.
Here’s an example:
Service: Life or Business Coaching
Benefit/Outcome: Clearly defined values and set of goals
Ultimate Results/End State: SUCCESS! Achieving personal, professional and financial goals and faster than you could on your own!
The far right column is what you are selling! THAT’S what people buy. It’s not just a service or a widget, but you are selling that intangible end state, ultimate result. Can you see how easy it is to get excited about selling what you offer when you focus on and demonstrate the ultimate value to your prospective buyer? So, instead of trying to sell the left column, shift your mindset and focus on selling the right column. Combine that with excitement and you’ve crossed the mindset hurdle to sales.
Customize Your Presentation for Any Audience (Part 3 of 3), by Myra Corrello, PhD
November 27, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Here are three final ways to create greater connection with each audience you address:1. Appeal to their common values. Research shows we often assume we share more values that we actually do. However, in almost any audience, you can identify a few commonly-shared values. For example, audience age can be an effective indicator. If you are speaking to an audience comprised primarily of senior citizens, your persuasiveness could be enhanced by appealing to their sense of patriotism and sacrifice. For baby boomers, examples and illustrations that emphasize individual achievement can be effective. A Generation X audience will find your argument more convincing if you appeal to their value of life balance and flexibility. An organization’s stated mission and values statements are also great sources for incorporating common values. Pay particular attention to unique phrases and metaphors used by the organization to describe itself and its activities. These can be great additions to your presentation.
2. Create a common bond. What personal experience can you share that helps them feel connected to you? Audiences want to feel you are one of them. On the surface, I seem like an unlikely source for relating to an audience of construction contractors. It would be easy for them to question my ability to understand them and their specific issues. That perception changes immediately with my opening story. I explain how I first learned sound business principles growing up in my family’s contracting business. I take them through the key lessons I learned through years of home-based training. I create credibility with them. We then share a bond. They become more receptive to my message. Audiences have a keen interest in understanding your motives. They make character and credibility judgments based on what they learn about you. Sharing appropriate personal information can help them form the image you wish to portray. Remember, it’s all about them. Self-disclose when it’s justifiable. Just stay focused to meeting their needs.
3. Incorporate quotes from their founders and historical milestones. All organizations have a history full of stories, rituals, and other relics that are passed down through generations of members as a means of perpetuating its values, accomplishments, and uniqueness. Showing respect for the organization by incorporating these cherished organizational relics into your presentation helps to reinforce what makes them great.
Regardless who you’re speaking to, you can be sure they like special treatment. It only takes a small amount of creativity and research to give them a unique, timely, relevant message. Think of it as a special hand-written note for each one.
What can you do differently with your next presentation to show your audience you really care about them?
Myra
Helping Individuals and Organizations Increase Their Image, Influence, and Impact
MyraCorrello.com
Customize Your Presentation for Any Audience (Part 2 of 3), by Myra Corrello, PhD
October 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Here are three more tips to help you connect with any audience:
- Use statistical analogies that are special to them. Effectively conveying statistics is often a challenging necessity. Most of us don’t process statistical data as easy as more conceptual information. Often, it’s hard to grasp the magnitude of what the statistics are supposed to convey. Your goal should be to look for measures your audience are very familiar with and then use those numbers as comparisons to the new data you’re presenting. For example, when I speak about the geographic devastation of Hurricane Katrina, I often compare the square mileage of the audience’s county or state (a size they’re very familiar with) to the total square mileage of the hurricane’s devastation. Often, the comparison is over 100 times the familiar comparison level. That catches attention. Especially if it is portrayed as a graphic. There are numerous websites full of interesting statistics that can be used for this type of comparison. Be creative!
- Tell a story and feature one of their referent leaders as the main character. One of the most effective ways to increase your presentation effectiveness is by crafting a great story that incorporates your key messages. Professional speakers rely heavily on signature stories as the cornerstone of their presentation – beautifully blending together ideas and emotions. A great story connects with your audience on emotional, personal, and intellectual levels. Increase the impact of the story by personalizing it to each new audience. Find a good sport within the organization that everyone knows and likes. Make that person the “star” of your story. Your meeting host will be a great source for identifying an ideal target. This is an especially effective technique if the story is slightly humorous. Just make sure to keep the story respectful and in good taste.
- Feature an item from the morning paper. Community news creates an instant common bond. Even better when you creatively weave it into your key points. If your presentation is in a different locality, you will score big points as an outsider for the extra effort to meet them on their turf. A local sports victory, a school recognition, or a new cultural attraction can be a great source of community pride. Find a way to give them kudos for their community accomplishment while reinforcing a key message in your presentation.
Using familiar statistics, a popular co-worker, or an item from the morning paper can make your presentation feel fresh and updated. What other techniques have you used to give your presentation a more customized touch?
Myra
Helping Individuals and Organizations Increase Their Image, Influence, and Impact
MyraCorrello.com
Customize Your Presentation for Any Audience (Pt 1 of 3), by Myra Corrello, PhD
September 18, 2008 | 1 Comment
You’re sorting through the mail and you spot an envelope containing a hand-written address — yours. That envelope immediately moves to the top of the stack. Inside, a hand-written note. Someone who has taken the time to create a message just for you. It’s a special but rare occurrence in this day of mass communication. So much of the communication we receive is “one size fits all”. But customizing your communication does not have to be difficult. With the widespread availability of the internet, customized information abounds that can be added to your message to make it very special to its recipient. Even though you may be called upon to deliver the same general presentation to many audiences, you can create truly meaningful messages for each audience by incorporating some easy customizing tips.
- Conduct pre-presentation informational interviews to identify your audience’s hot issues. Any great presentation starts with a thorough needs assessment. What must be covered? What do they care about? What’s worrying them? What do they already know? Talk to people who offer different perspectives on the topic. If your audience is diverse, talk to a sampling of individuals that represent those diverse perspectives. Audience members from different organizational levels and different departments will have different views. To help you make the final choices in content, remember to place a high priority on the needs and desires of the decision maker who is ultimately responsible for your presence. Make sure your content choices will satisfy the boss. When choosing content for any presentation, always ask yourself: 1. Is this content new to this audience or is it something I can present in a new way? 2. Is this content relevant and interesting to this audience or can I find a way to make it relevant or interesting to this audience? These two questions should be your litmus test. If you can’t answer both questions affirmatively, look for different content.
- Use their images in your materials. We all know the powerful impact of visuals. Pictures, as the old saying goes, can save us thousands of words. Audiences are delighted when they see themselves on the “big screen.” Adding their candid staff photographs, their products, and their logos to your electronic visuals and handouts is a thoughtful way to demonstrate this is their program. With the wide availability of digital graphics and photographs, it has never been easier to import these custom touches into your presentation. Definitely check the organization’s website as a starting point but also befriend the organization’s internal communications representative. If you do conduct a pre-presentation visit to the organization, take your camera and gather images as well as information.
Playing detective before your presentation can produce all kinds of unexpected treasures. It just takes an effort to ask the right questions of the right people. Taking the extra time to also add thoughtful, entertaining, and engaging visuals can really add polish to your program. What are some creative ways you’ve customized your presentations for a new audience?
Myra
Helping Individuals and Organizations Increase Their Image, Influence, and Impact
MyraCorrello.com
