May 10, 2008
Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 10:15 pm
Don’t try to be the Internet Invisible Man (or woman). Many people hate the idea of having their photo on the Internet, even if it is just on their own work at home business website, but you can’t tick the no publicity box if you want to run a successful Internet business. Some people shy away from the idea of having their photo freely available online because they don’t want to give away their age or gender or they don’t think they are attractive enough.
When I first started working at my Internet home based business I wanted to be anonymous and hope that people would think they were dealing with a man or, better still, a corporation. It seemed that Internet business ownership was so dominated by young men that there was no place for a middle-aged granny, especially one who was an Internet newbie. I just wanted to hide! Many of the people who were ahead of me in building a home Internet business seemed so much more interesting. I would read their biographical details and feel very dull in comparison. I felt totally overshadowed by people like the college students who invent a multi-million dollar websites and became rich before they reach the age of twenty. I didn’t have a glamorous lifestyle to show off. I wasn’t an overnight success at anything. I wasn’t a genius. After a while it sank in that the overnight success stories are the exception. Most people who work on the Internet are like me - just “ordinary” people and, by being ordinary, I am living proof that you don’t need special advantages to have your own work at home Internet business.
Perhaps it should have been obvious from the start, but it took me a while to realise that I had no choice but to appear as myself because I could not be honest and hide my identity at the same time. My grandmother often used to say “Speak the truth and shame the devil” and I have never forgotten that, so honesty won this battle. The Internet is a big place and it has room for all kinds of people. Whoever you are, you have experiences to share. If you are an older person, you might find that more senior people will be inclined to deal with you rather than with people young enough to be their children or grandkids. Equally, you might find your customers are young people who respect their grandma. If you are a youngster, you might do well with your contemporaries. It all depends upon the people you meet. There is no right or wrong persona, be yourself. - You can’t please all the people…
The final fear to overcome when thinking about putting your photo on the Internet for your home based business website, is that you are not good looking or just don’t photograph well. There is no need to worry about not appearing attractive. If you have trouble getting over this, just spend a bit of time surfing websites and keep a score of how many website owners look movie star gorgeous, how many are above average, how many are ordinary, how many would scare you on a dark night etc. You can do a similar experiment at your local bookstore by checking out the author photos on dust jackets. There will be fewer in the gorgeous category than any other, trust me. Anyway, people have different ideas of what is attractive. You might visit a website and think “Agh, it’s that crazy looking woman with the staring eyes!” while another person visiting the same site will think “Ah, it’s that nice looking lady that reminds me of cousin Debbie.”
If you don’t make it to the ranks of the gorgeous, you can always take comfort in the idea that if you were too glamorous, you might frighten away “ordinary” people. The way other people will see you is not something you can calculate, you are yourself, it’s pointless to waste energy trying to represent yourself as something you are not. Having your photo on your home based business website will allow people to feel that they know you and that is the first step to building a relationship with your potential customers.
“Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart ” - Kahlil Gibran.
Elaine Currie has a Work At Home Directory
http://www.huntingvenus.com
Full of Ideas, Programme Reviews, Articles, Tips and Free Resources for everyone who wants to work at home.
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For once, I am going to endorse procrastination. When it comes
to worrying, you should put it off. Do everything you like to
avoid worrying. Worries don’t help us; and in fact, they make
many bad situations worse. On top of that, most of what we worry
about never comes to pass.
On the other hand, putting off tasks that will help us advance,
right now, is an epidemic. There is a health maintenance
disaster on the horizon when most of the western world does not
want to engage in exercise. Therefore, the habit of
procrastination should be purged as soon as possible.
Here are a few things that will help you “stay on track” toward
your goals, live for the moment, and leave most of your worries
behind.
You should design a specific and detailed plan, of our future.
Your plan should have an exact step-by-step formula with time
lines. Cover every possible detail and research it.
Your written goals should be reviewed daily. This is a healthy
process, and people who write goals down have a much better
chance at success. Don’t talk, or think, in terms of “some day.”
Meditate and visualize yourself attaining success. Take the time
to quiet your mind and focus on your dreams. You should do this
every day to keep your vision alive. You could do this in the
morning, or the evening, when you can make time for yourself.
You should exercise regularly to increase endorphins and rid
your body of toxins. This will change your entire mindset for
the best. If you are new to exercise, walking is the best place
to start. Walking alone is a great program for overall health.
Drinking water, and getting a massage, are two more ways to
flush toxins from your body. Getting a massage is truly living
in the moment and gives you an appreciation for the finer things
in life. Massage could also be a form of bonding with your
“significant other.”
Learn to laugh, watch a comedy, and lighten your spirits. Some
of us take ourselves far too seriously. In order to live for the
moment, we all have to put serious feelings aside and learn to
enjoy life.
Posture is important while sitting, standing, walking, eating,
or anything else. A slouched body posture is bad for all forms
of health. Always sit up, or stand up, straight whenever you
think about it. Poor posture is usually a reflection of poor
self-esteem, so get rid of a slumping posture right now. Make
changes to your goal setting plans when you have to. Nothing is
“carved in stone,” and if you see a collision course with
disaster, make an adjustment as soon as you can.
You may not be able to implement all of these changes at once.
That’s not a problem; but if you add them to your lifestyle
gradually, you will enjoy your life and leave your worries
behind.
© Copyright 2005 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
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Some speakers say, “I could never use humor in my speech; I just don’t feel comfortable with it.” I believe that anyone can use humor and that it is a valuable tool in speaking. Appropriate humor relaxes an audience and makes it feel more comfortable with you as the speaker; humor can bring attention to the point you are making; and humor will help the audience better remember your point. It can break down barriers so that the audience is more receptive to your ideas.
First, let me make it easy for you to use humor. The best and most comfortable place to find humor for a speech is from your own personal experience. Think back on an embarrassing moment that you might have thought not funny at the time. Now that you can laugh at the experience, you understand the old adage “Humor is simply tragedy separated by time and space.” Or think of a conversation that was funny. Remember the punch line and use it in your speech. Probably the least risky use of humor is a cartoon. The cartoon is separate from you and if people don’t laugh, you don’t feel responsible. (Be sure to secure permission to use it.) You’re not trying to be a comedian; you just want to make it easy for people to pay attention and to help them remember your point.
Here are some suggestions on using humor to make your next speech have more impact.
1. Make sure the humor is funny to you. If you don’t laugh or smile at the cartoon, joke, pun, one-liner, story, or other forms of humor, then you certainly cannot expect an audience to do so. A key to using humor is only using humor that makes you laugh or smile.
2. Before using humor in your speech, try it out with small groups of people. Do they seem to enjoy it? Even if your experimental group does not laugh or smile initially, don’t give up on the humor, because the problem might be in the way you are delivering the joke or quip. I often use this line in talking about the importance of listening. “We are
geared to a talk society. Someone said, ‘The only reason we listen is so we can talk next!’” When I first tried that line, people did not smile; but I worked on the timing so that I paused and smiled after “listen” and that seemed to work. I was rushing through the punch line and did not give people time to be prepared for the humorous part. It took practice to get comfortable with the piece of humor. Only use humor in a speech after you are comfortable telling it from memory and have tested it.
3. Make sure the humor relates to the point you are making. Do not use humor that is simply there to make the audience laugh. The humor should tie in with some aspect of your speech. For example, I tell about my experience of getting braces at age 46 and how difficult it was for me to get used to the wires and rubber bands in my mouth. After I tell the story I make the point that you may have not had the braces problem I had, but we all have challenges in communicating well, and what we want to look at today are ways of making it easier for us to be more effective in speaking. The audience enjoys the story but also remembers the point that I’m making. If you don’t tie your humor to your presentation, the audience may like the humor, but will wonder what point you are attempting to make.
4. Begin with something short. A starting point might be to summarize a cartoon and give the caption as your humor. A thought-provoking yet clever line about a point you are making is another way to get started. For example, when I talk about creativity and getting out of your comfort zone, a line I found that worked well was, “Orville Wright did not have a pilot’s license.” In your reading, look for lines that make you smile; consider how they might be used in your next speech. Be careful about launching into a long humorous story–audiences are quick to forgive a single line that may not be funny, but they do not have much patience with a long anecdote that isn’t worth the time. So start out with brief bits of humor.
5. When possible, choose humor that comes from people you interact with. You do not have to worry about people having heard it before, and you will feel more comfortable with what has happened to you. Find such experiences by looking for a humorous line or situation. For example, I was making a bank deposit recently at a drive-in window. When I asked to make a second deposit, the teller said solemnly, “I’m sorry, sir, but you’ll have to go around the bank a second time to make a second deposit.” We both laughed and I may have a line to work into a speech. If you have small children, listen for something they say that might be funny to an audience as well. Art Linkletter made a great living on the notion that “Kids say the darndest things.”
6. Don’t preview by saying, “Let me tell you a funny story.” Let the audience decide for themselves. Look pleasant and smile as you launch into your funny line, but if no one smiles or laughs then just move on as though you meant for it to be serious. This approach takes the pressure off as you relate the humor. Remember you are not a comedian entertaining the audience; you are a serious speaker seeking to help the audience remember and pay attention by using humor as a tool.
Humor is simply another way of making a point with your audience, and it can help you be a more effective speaker. Look at humor as a tool in improving your speech in the manner of attention devices, smooth transitions, and solid structure. Remember, “A smile is a curve that straightens out a lot of things.”
Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is a professor of speech communication at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Kentucky. He works with organizations that want to speak and listen more effectively to increase personal and professional performance. He can be reached at 800-727-6520 or visit
http://www.sboyd.com for free articles and resources to improve your communication skills.
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Sports event tickets can be very difficult to find in the big
apple. once play offs begin if you were not ahead of the game
chances are you are not going. If you do want to go you will be
spending big money. World Series tickets in new York often reach
5000 dollars per seat.
In order to get your sports event tickets at face value simply
be ready to call the second they go on sale. You may have to be
patient through an hour or more of busy signals, but in the end
you will get good seating for a hard to get venue at a fair face
value price.
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