When buyers look at a home, they see it from a perspective different to what you, as a seller, would have of your own home. Showing them an empty house leaves them with too much to imagine and the possibilities are endless. Showing them a home with warm and cozy furniture will have their imaginations set running.

Using home staging to sell your home will have the buyer looking around and envisioning their furniture, pictures, etc…in your home. If your home is packed full of your own belongings, the buyer will not be able to see this picture in their mind. Try to put yourself into the buyer’s shoes and see what they see, just like it is your first time in the house.

Statistics shows that home sellers using home staging are selling their homes faster and receiving a better profit than other homes on the market. Staged homes look better and feel better to the prospective buyer. Staged homes sell for quite a bit more money than non-staged homes. When you see a photo of a staged home on the internet or in print, the photo is inviting and welcoming, which can help in your overall selling ability.

Home staging is so beneficial in selling your home that with just a few quick steps you will be creating a dream home for the buyer that they can not resist. You will find that your home will sell faster, sell for more and the new owners will be excited and pleased with their purchase.

They will blow smoke up your butt with compliments too, almost to the point of out right lying to you. Next they will tell you that you will be part of a select team of people, carefully chosen; again so what. Actually what they should have said is that you are part of a group of people gullible enough to fall for joining their team.

If for some reason you have an objection they will counter that objection and boomerang you like an old fashioned sales pitch, typical used car salesmen scum I tell you. Then they will agree with you, even when they do not believe it or are such socio-pathological liar that they cannot believe it.

If you are a writer you need to tell these people to take a hike and tell them that you do not work for free and tell them point-blank what you think of their little games. Additionally, if they try to tell you that you are unprofessional for being blunt, tell them that you would rather be unprofessional than a lying scum like them. Show them the door. Consider all this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

These and other common qualifier used in colloquial speech weaken writing, making it trite and commonplace. Although these words have a place in writing, they should not be used for emphasis. They should be used for their genuine meaning and not as a crutch in place of a more meaningful and stronger word.

Use the word ‘very’ sparingly and seldom. Its overuse, both in writing and speaking, should be avoided as much as possible. There are better words to use.

Strunk and White, in The Elements of Style, say that these mundane qualifiers are like leeches that suck the blood of words. They even say we are ‘pretty’ sure to violate that rule, and they do so with tongue in cheek.

Every writer should check his composition for these qualifiers and make the necessary changes. This is always a part of re-writing and revising. Remember that good writing is precise and exact, avoiding the trite and mundane.

Charles O. Goulet has a BA in history and a BEd in English literature so he writes historical novels, most based on Canadian history.
He may be contacted at:

E-mail: go1c@telusplanet.net

Website: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/go1c

Blog: http://go1c.blogspot.com

Did you ever mistake the body lotion tube for the toothpaste a sleepy morning? No? Good, it’s not the best way to start the day.

This might be an awkward approach if you’re aiming at the problem of choosing literature, but frankly, haven’t you too picked the ‘wrong’ book by a random grab at the bookshop or at the library? The book you put away with a sigh after three chapters.

It might have been the perfect choice for someone else. One of my friends reads nothing but books about religious history. I tried one. Though I don’t mind the subject, I had a feeling of pedaling a bicycle with a leaking tire. You know how that is, you want to get as far as possible before the tire is empty, but you know that if you speed up, it leaks faster.

The first impression of a book is the cover, so the eye leads us to the next step – the time consuming intellectual process. At the rare occasions when we have the time, we would like to read full chapters from some books at the bookstore. The problem is we would feel like shoplifters if we did. Besides, the book dealer would fear that the book might look used if too many pages have been turned. Not everyone is careful. This is where Internet enters the scene.

Alone with our computer we can spend days reading free chapters. And the people who provide the service are happy if we do. The opportunity to form an opinion gives us a freedom that older generations of book readers could only dream of. And when we eventually have found the book we want to read, we can still ask our local retailer to order it for us.

Except for being a door opener, Internet is the perfect instrument for digging deeper down into the literature world. Those of us who are in the habit of roaming around the web with this purpose know that there are many ways of introducing the stories. One concept is extensive samples including long summaries, free chapters, excerpts and facts. This is what I like best, so – naturally – it’s the way my books are introduced.

Thank you for taking your time to read these lines.

If you want an example, please visit http://www.albertlorenonline.com/ONAfree.htm

I feel strongly that if we want to be powerful communicators and leave a lasting impression with everyone with whom we come into contact, we need to seize the day and use all of our presentation skills from morning to night and during every interaction. Following are some of the ways to add that pizzazz!

Check the vitality level of your voice. Practice vocal variety in everyday situations. Listen to the phone messages you have left on your home phone and voice mails. Work on those messages if you need to add some oomph. When we exhibit enthusiasm and energy in our messages — whether they are on our systems or we are leaving a message on someone else’s system — we are saying that we care about that other person.

It is the important to work on our in person telephone delivery. There are whole courses and workshops to address this skill for those who usually answer the phone, but everyone needs to pay attention to this necessary presentation skill. The person on the other end of the transmission can hear a smile. They can also note if you are in a rush to cut them off, or disinterested in what they are saying.

Eliminate filler words and phrases from you daily presentations. I spend a great deal of time listening to National Public Radio, and am always amazed at how many intelligent people who are interviewed by the hosts use a plethora of filler words — for example, um, ah, ur, you know, whatever, and on and on. When we are speaking in public, we pay special attention to eliminating these words and phrases, but do we avoid them in everyday speaking? These dreaded words weaken our messages and rob us of our credibility.

Practice brevity, or saying what you have to say in as few words as possible. Each of us has experienced the frustration of having someone, either in person or over the phone, talk on and on infinitum. You feel like saying, “Just get to your point. What is it you are trying to say?” If we work on picking our words carefully and being brief, we will be known for being articulate and a clear thinker. Never, never be boring.

If you consider your everyday interactions to be opportunities for working on your presentation skills, you will not only become a more polished speaker with pizzazz, you will also strengthen your relationships with the others in your life!

Chris King is a professional speaker, storyteller, writer, website creator / designer, free agent, and fitness instructor. You will find her powerful presentations website at http://www.powerfulpresentations.net and her business website at http://www.creativekeys.biz.

Public speaking may still be the number one fear but it’s not just speaking that scares people. Many speakers are afraid of what can go wrong-once they’re already on the platform. Sooner or later you’ll come face-to-face with Murphy. So your best offense is a good defense.

Anticipate Problems-Step one to ensuring a successful presentation is to anticipate what could go wrong. What’s your worst nightmare? Technology failure? Travel delay? Bad weather? You forgot your presentation? You didn’t pack your shoes? Identify everything that could possibly go wrong.

Have an Action Plan-Once you identify the roadblocks come up with a contingency plan. Your approach may be different from another speaker’s. Decide the right course of action for you in each situation. Plan for the worst.

Travel glitches-Never check your presentation materials. Carry them with you. Send an email attachment of your presentation to the meeting planner so that you always have another copy on file. Choose a back-up speaker to take your place in case of an emergency-preferably somebody who is nearby. The show must go on even if you never arrive. You will preserve your reputation if you can supply the names of substitute speakers.

Caught with your pants down-One woman was giving a speech behind the lectern when suddenly her half slip fell to her ankles. She didn’t know what to do so with great aplomb she stepped out of it and kept talking. Recently, I arrived at my destination on a Sunday night only to discover that I forgot my shoes. In a panic, I asked the hotel clerk for the nearest store. Only the local K Mart was open. Luckily I found one pair of black shoes in my size for only $6.00! I made a joke about it to the class which broke the ice. A $6.00 pair of shoes from KMart was a lot better than showing up in sneakers.

Nothing is set up-Arrive early. Get to the room hours before your speech. Don’t assume that it will be set to your specifications. Get the number of the AV person and test ALL equipment. Practice your speech in the presentation room one hour before the meeting to get the feel and the flow of the space. Prior to arriving have your techie talk to their techie. Not all systems are compatible.

Wrong audience/wrong message-This shouldn’t happen if you did your homework. When the message isn’t going over well be willing to dialogue with the group. Don’t continue the slide show as rehearsed. Become a facilitator. Ask questions and engage in a discussion instead. You’ll gain new information and may be able to salvage the presentation.

Unexpected emergencies-It may be a fire drill, an accident, or construction noise. Be flexible and creative. During a keynote to a large audience there was a fire drill. The speaker led the audience out to the parking lot and while they were waiting, he stood on a car and continued his speech. He didn ‘t miss a beat.

Expect the unexpected. Think creatively, take action, prepare for the worst. Don’t let Murphy’s Law get the best of you. Copyright Diane DiResta 2003. All rights reserved.

For more tips send your questions to diane@diresta.com

Diane DiResta is President of DiResta Communications,Inc. a New York City communication skills consultancy and is the author of the amazon.com best selling Knockout Presentations. Contact: http://www.diresta.com

I staged an event at Washington National Airport where I had a huge 450-pound man and a very small man (three feet eleven inches) dressed as chauffeurs. They were waiting at the gate for a man from Japan arriving for his first visit to the United States.

To take the comical juxtaposition one step further, the small man was holding a gigantic sign with the Japanese man’s name on it and the extra large man was holding a similar sign, except it was about the size of a business card. Believe me, we had the attention of everyone in the gate area. What a visual!

Now let’s look at two specialized types of juxtaposition: oxymoron and pleonasm.

Oxymoron

Warren S. Blumenfeld, Ph.D., in his book Pretty Ugly states, ‘I {passively tried} to warn you oxymorons had {almost absolutely} no socially redeeming quality except that they make people {smile out loud} and are addictive.’ His first book on the subject was called Jumbo Shrimp.

According to Dr. Blumenfeld, ;An oxymoron is two concepts {usually two words} that do not go together, but are used together. It is a bringing together of contradictory expressions.’ Terms like ‘old news,’ ‘extensive briefing,’ ‘direct circumvention’ and ‘random order’ are oxymorons. Also concepts like ‘an advanced state of decline’ and ‘expecting a surprise’ are oxymorons.

Pleonasm

Combinations like ‘frozen ice,’ ’sharp point,’ ‘killed dead,’ ’sandy beach,’ ‘young child,’ ‘positive praise,’ and ‘angry rage’ are pleonasms.

Here are some ways you can use comical juxtaposition in a business world public speaking engagement:

* Use a large copy of your company logo or company name on a slide or overhead, or in a drawing on your flipchart. Next to it, place extremely small logos or company names of your competitors. Use this as a greeting slide to a meeting or let it pop up as a slide or overhead at a strategic point in your presentation. You could draw an outline of a large duck around your company logo and little duckling outlines around the competition. You could say: ‘Our company was born to lead and the others were meant to follow.’

* Use an oxymoron in conjunction with a simile to drive home the point that something is a little out of kilter. You could say, ‘Acme Co. claims that its market share is increasing, yet their sales are down while everyone elses’ are up. It’s just like a Jumbo Shrimp. It just doesn’t make sense.’

* Invite a tall person and a short person on stage when you call for audience participation. If you are considerably shorter than the tall person say, ‘I don’t want you to talk down to me.’ If you are considerably taller than the short person say, ‘I don’t want you to feel like I’m talking down to you.’ (be careful that the person you get on stage is not overly sensitive about their height.)

Copyright © 1998 – 2005 Advanced Public Speaking Institute

Tom Antion provides entertaining speeches and educational seminars. He is the ultimate entrepreneur, having owned many businesses BEFORE graduating college. Tom is the author of the best selling presentation skills book “Wake ‘em Up Business Presentations” and “Click: The Ultimate Guide to Electronic Marketing.” It is important to Tom that his knowledge be not only absorbed, but enjoyed. This is why he delivers his speeches laced with great humor and hysterical jokes. Tom has addressed more than 87 different industries and is thoroughly committed to his clients’ needs. http://www.antion.com

Advanced Public Speaking Institute
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Contact: cmckinney@public-speaking.org
http://www.GreatPublicSpeaking.com

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The Hero’s Journey is often seen as a Quest – and as such some analysts find it hard to slot into genres like the romantic comedy.

But romantic comedies all follow a similar pattern and that pattern fits with the Hero’s Journey.

For example, in both Annie Hall (1977) and When Harry Met Sally (1989), Boy Meets Girl, Boy Loses Girl, Boy Wins Girl Back (or not).

Briefly, using When Harry Met Sally (1989):

Call to Adventure: can they remain friends without having sex.

Refusal: Sally doesn’t want to know.

Physical Separation: They go on a date. But not a date date.

Transformation: They become friends.

Seizing the Sword: They sleep together.

Refusal: Sally doesn’t answer Harry’s calls.

etc…

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and FREE 17 stage sample and other story structure templates can be found at http://managing-creativity.com/.

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

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You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.
Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://managing-creativity.com/.

Keyloggers, as it is clear from the name of the program, log keystrokes –but that’s not all. They capture everything the user is doing — keystrokes, mouse clicks, files opened and closed, sites visited. A little more sophisticated programs of this kind also capture text from windows and make screenshots (record everything displayed on the screen) – so the information is captured even if the user doesn’t type anything, just opens the views the file. When unsuspecting users visit malicious sites, various nasty applications are downloaded and executed on their computers. Unfortunately, more and more often these applications contain keyloggers–software programs for intercepting data. Data loggers, key loggers are just a few programs which harvest info from your computer. Winclear is the only program created specially to auto remove such spywares. If you have checked all the computers used to access your account with only an anti virus software we strongly recommend you use a software that specifically checks for Spyware and keyloggers. That is why every computer owner needs winclear.

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Have you run a complete virus scan of all computers used to access your account with updated anti-virus software? You should also check your computer for Spyware and Trojan keyloggers. Some people mistakenly assume that anti-virus software protects them from keyloggers and Spyware. Most anti-virus software does not adequately check for keyloggers and Spyware. Winclear is the only software which is capable of removing keylogger programs. For those with multiple logins this can be convenient and time saving. Winclear has been the industry leader in fighting keyloggers for the last 8 years.

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