fdelurmnsa.info

The pressure was on, each candidate striving to deliver the knock-out punch that would leave a lasting impression, swaying undecided voters. Two evenly matched candidates, this debate felt like a tug-of-war… one moment one candidate winning until the rebuttal, when his opponent would take the lead.

While I thought Obama was closer to his second-debate performance than Romney was to his first round win, all in all I’d say it was a draw. Why? Quite different in their styles, both men projected the confidence, credibility and connection that is critical to presidential leadership.

While you may be expecting a critique discussing why a “draw”, I’d like to take this opportunity to share five lessons from the 3rd debate that you can use immediately to step up the quality of your next presentation.

Presidential Lessons Learned

• Watch your Posture. Did you notice that from the moment the two candidates sat down they were locked, loaded and ready for action? What did they do that communicated this message? Quite simply it was their posture. Rather than sitting back comfortably in their chairs both men leaned slightly forward with their arms resting on the table top. Their posture alone said energized and engaged. Take-a-way: If seated when presenting, always lean slightly forward, back straight and shoulders relaxed and squared. If you sit back and get too comfortable you can look like a disinterested sack of potatoes NOT a leader.

• Stay Engaged. In previous debates, both Obama and Biden didn’t always appear to be listening when their opponent were speaking. Sometimes they looked disinterested, distracted or at times dismissive. But all that changed, this time both candidates turned their head, looked at their opponent and appeared to be listening when the other was speaking. Take-a-way: Whenever there are multiple presenters, always look at and listen to the person who is speaking. This level of engagement says a lot about your character.

• Create Interest. Romney’s response to the first question started with a salutation. In the previous two debates, both candidates included a greeting with their opening remarks. However, last night when it was Obama’s turn, he skipped the salutation and jumped right into answering the question. Take-a-way: An audience prefers if you skip the greeting and find an interesting way to both grab their attention and introduce the content of your remarks / presentation. Be careful not to default to a salutation to get you started.

• Solicit Feedback. It was clear that both candidates had been skillfully coached on their presentation style. This was most evident with Obama improving both his messaging and delivery with each debate. Take-a-way: Benefit from the feedback of others. Don’t count on your judgment alone to determine the effectiveness of your presentation. Solicit feedback, gathering differing perspectives about what works and what to change. Ask trusted colleagues to consider: If this was your presentation and you had only 15 minutes to make any changes, what would you change?”

• Ask for the Sale. For the first time, both men gave thoughtful consideration to their closing remarks and concluded by asking to be your next president. Take-a-way: The conclusion is your final opportunity to leave a lasting impression that moves your listeners to action. Be sure you know what you want your listeners to do and ask for it.

Implementing these lessons learned in your next presentation are sure to make you a winner!

Today Father’s Day is celebrated in more than 50 countries all over the world on the third Sunday of June. In 2010 the third Sunday of June and thus Father’s Day will be on the 20th. This holiday is similar with Mother’s Day only that it is (obviously) for fathers. We used to make gifts for our mothers every year on Mother’s Day. Why not search for Fathers Day presents as well?

Fathers Day presents can be anything you think will make your dad really happy. Is your dad an avid reader? Then buy him a book you are sure he will really like. Does your dad like electronics or IT devices? If you have the money you could buy him a new tablet PC or anything else you know he would love. We can give you dozens of gift ideas for Father’s Day but the best idea for you may be to ignore all our ideas and create a creative and original gift on your own. The best Father’s Day presents are definitely the ones you create on your own from your heart.

However, if you still cannot really find something interesting to create we may try to help you. A good idea would be to simply make a search on the internet for “father’s day gift ideas”. You will find loads of ideas for you and will then be able to choose a gift that will be appropriate for your dad.

Is your dad very fond of gadgets? If so you are lucky. There are dozens of things you could buy for him. If he is fond of his camera and likes taking pictures you could buy your dad a camera case and let him experiment with underwater photos. Does your father prefer the comfort of Apple products? Look for Apple accessories and you will eventually find exactly what you think your father would want. If your father loves sports think of buying him equipment from his favorite team.

While the gift is truly important your father will surely appreciate a personal visit from you. Even if you have a very busy schedule (which you probably do have) you should make time to visit your dad and remember the good old times. Have a nice time on Father’s Day.

What is data? How does it impact a negotiation. How do you gather it? Data is the meat of preparation. Negotiators should take the time to fully prepare. If they do this, often as not they will be better prepared than the other person. As a result, they will likely control the conversation and its outcome.

Data is any information available about a given topic, person, commodity or situation. Having the discipline to gather, assess and use this data makes the difference between negotiating and begging. Preparedness is the key to a successful negotiation.

Data is readily available in the information age. Computers, data bases, the Internet. newspaper archives, public libraries, even company historians all have a wealth of raw data. Knowing where to look and how to search are excellent tools to develop to help you be a better negotiator.

Computers and the Internet are great tools when searching for data that is in the public domain. This type of information may be available at the library, newspaper archives, from a title company, or off the Internet. It is difficult to refute hard data. That is why it is worth the extra effort to gather. It is also important to know what facts can be used against you. When you conduct fact-based research, be alert for related information that may be used against you. The search for data should be broad-based and inclusive. Being properly prepared takes away the element of surprise at the moment of confrontation.

When you are investigating the person or persons you will be confronting seek the counsel of others who know the person, study previous negotiation results with the person or his company, casually discuss the person with his peers. Never miss an opportunity to discuss him with his secretary or assistant. Often a little casual conversation will reveal reams of valuable information about how his day is going, his travel schedule and even pressures around the office. In days of old secretaries were guardians at the door. Today the roles have changed and that former loyalty may be lacking.

With a little sleuthing, there are usually some valuable insights available. As with data-based research, cast a wide net and collect as much information about the other person’s interests, nature, and reputation as possible. You can use this collective pool of data to talk about his hobbies and interests to build a relationship or use it to be on the alert for his known stylistic tactics.