Professional development

7 tips for hosting a teleconference

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How to host a teleconference

A teleconference I attended on Friday reminded me of what it takes to run such a meeting smoothly. The next time you need to host a teleconference, keep these tips in mind.

how to host a teleconference, teleconference call1. Send out the agenda. Release it far enough in advance that attendees can study it and add to it. Many times you’ll have openings in the meeting. By getting the agenda out early, you give attendees the chance to create presentations. They also have time to think about how they will react to and vote on matters that require their input.

2. Discuss protocol and ground rules at the beginning. These can include: keep your phone muted when not speaking (and how that is done); identify yourself before speaking; how comments are offered, votes taken; and so forth.

3. Choose someone to take the minutes. Done prior to the meeting. In some organizations the Secretary performs this function, but it could be anybody suited to the role.

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7 principles to guide your business to success

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How to be more successful

If you want to be successful, the old saying goes, find a successful person and do what he or she does. You can learn from successful businesses and programs, as well.

In the early 1990s NASA embarked on a bold, new era. Under Dan Goldin, the agency charted a course for more but less-expensive missions. His mantra, “faster-better-cheaper,” became the agency’s as well.

become succesful

His vision was first realized in the Pathfinder project. NASA successfully put the mini-rover Sojourner on Mars on July 4, 1997,  just 44 months after conception. (The latest rover, Curiosity, is scheduled to land on Mars on August 5.)

In 1998, Flight System Manager Brian Muirhead collaborated with business coach Brian Pritchett to write “The Mars Pathfinder Approach to Faster-Better-Cheaper.” (You can purchase a copy from Amazon via the button at right.)  In it Muirhead and Pritchett discuss the 13 lessons learned from that amazing program. Of those, I found 7 to be particularly noteworthy. Each includes a quote from the book and my interpretation.

As the authors write, these lessons “serve as living proof that ‘faster-better-cheaper’ works in deep space as well as it does on Earth.”

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8 more tips for a successful presentation

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How to give a successful presentation

Public speaking is fun, and it can be very rewarding with the proper preparation. The following presentation tips will ensure a successful presentation next time.

how to give presentations

1. Prepare well. Even if you’ve given this presentation before, start from scratch. Establish a goal or objective for your presentation. What do you want your audience to know or do at the conclusion of your presentation? Use that to develop an outline. The outline will keep you focused on your objective.

Do your research. Could be online, off-line; maybe even include some interviews. The more effort you put in, the more effective your presentation will be.

2. Develop a checklist of your needs. You’ll include the usual items (laptop and projector, for example), but don’t forget a marker and/or pointer, your reading glasses, and other details. Don’t rely on memory. It’s too easy to forget those things.

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Additional tips for attending business networking events

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More tips for your business networking

In an earlier column, I discussed some of the fundamentals of participating in a business networking event. Recent networking events reminded me of some additional steps you can take to ensure the event is a success for you and the others.

Invite others into your conversation. During one event I was seated at a table with three other networkers. As I left to get a soda, I noticed another attendee standing off by herself. I approached her and invited her to join us.

You recall those times when you stood by yourself, and how happy you were when someone approached to chat. Now it’s your turn. At various times during the meeting, glance around the room. Do you see another attendee standing by himself or herself? Approach and introduce yourself. It’s the professional thing to do, and it just may open the door to a business relationship. 

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8 steps to ensure more success in sales

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Want to know how to be more successful in sales? This column should help.

I had the pleasure recently of attending a seminar by Dave Behr. Dave, a 17-year veteran of Competitive Edge Seminars (one of Tom Hopkins’ firms), filled his 60-minute session with some of the best sales advice I’ve heard in a long time.

Scribbling madly, I managed to take some great notes from that presentation. Here are my 8 tips to help you become more successful in sales. Some may be familiar, others are new. All are valuable sales techniques.

1. Put the 80/20 Rule to work for you. Knowing that 20% of what we do makes 80% of the difference, concentrate on that 20% portion. “It comes down to activity,” Dave says. Several ways to become more successful: Make more sales calls, prospect more efficiently (for example, targeting higher quality prospects), or both.

Dave cautions against getting too aggressive with your new activities. Incorporate them over time. If you try to do too much in a short time span, you’ll become frustrated and stop.

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