Shared by ArticleBase.com –> Within BNI (Business Networking International) Indigo Chapter every week a member has to give a ten minute presentation about their business. This article is written with 9 years experience of these presentations, though the fundamentals work for business, education, sales and commercial presentations. BNI Indigo members get training on how to [...]
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Within BNI (Business Networking International) Indigo Chapter every week a member has to give a ten minute presentation about their business. This article is written with 9 years experience of these presentations, though the fundamentals work for business, education, sales and commercial presentations. BNI Indigo members get training on how to make effective sales presentations which is all part of the BNI Indigo ethos of ‘givers gain’.
Presentations are an umbrella term for importing information from one or more people to one or more people. In essence it is that simple. What differentiates a presentation from a conversation is the lack of a two way interaction. For some people this is what makes presentations difficult.
Preparation is the key to a successful presentation. That is taken as read and the point will not be labored here. However with the advent of computers and projection screen technology most people use some sort of aid when presenting which rather than augmenting the presentation, it acts as a barrier between speaker/s and audience.
What we tell people at BNI Indigo is it is YOU doing the presentation and not the computer.
The 5 best tips we have come up to help the BNI Indigo members put their point across are:
1. Non Verbal Communication
If you have ever been to someone’s house when the TV is on you’ll notice everyone will be watching the TV. Even if they hate what is on, they’ll sit there and watch it.
Great! You think. Everyone will be looking at my presentation! This is a double edged sword, yes people will be looking at the screen but they will not be looking at you. Much of our ability to communicate with people comes not from what we say, but our body language and eye contact. This is something you lose when using a large screen and a computer presentation.
If you have been to any weddings, think how bad the Best Man’s speech would have been using a presentation instead of him standing up and talking to the audience. Sure he was probably a bit nervous, but he shared that with you giving some connection between the person and what was being said.
2. Slides as Notes
If you have prepared correctly you should not be using slides as notes. Notes should be kept on index cards and only you should be seeing them. Slides should be used to show key points of information from your own notes.
Information which might not be easy to express verbally will need to be shown on the slide (such as a photo, diagram or chart).
Simply put “What you are saying should explain what is on the screen, what is on the screen should not say what is in your notes.”
3. Multi-tasking
They say that men cannot multi-task. Well unfortunately neither can women when it comes to reading and listening.
Because your audience is naturally drawn to the screen they will be trying to read what you have put up there while trying to listen to what you are saying. This is impossible to do as by definition they will not be concentrating on one or the 100 percent. You might as well have left out half of the information of each, at least that way you would be controlling the bits they were taking in.
Remember to talk about a subject and illustrate it on the presentation, not copy it verbatim or have different information on there.
4. Not Enough Time
Remember that people have a limited concentration span. It is physiological. They only have a finite amount of chemicals in the neurons and they will not fire for ever. A good rule of thumb is 40 minutes. Anything much over this people will get restless, need a drink, want to use the toilet or will simply stop listening.
In essence, keeping it short and to the point is probably one of the hardest skills in presenting. It is also one which most people ignore.
5. Too Much Information
There are two points of contention when writing or presenting. Not enough information and too much information.
If you have ever written an essay for college you will have encountered this issue. At first you think you will not be able to get close to the word limit. After five hours in the library you realize you could write double the word limit.
Distil what you need to say into key points for your notes. Illustrate the points with diagrams. It is possible you can give these diagrams out after the presentation (so people do not need to draw them). The danger of giving them out during the presentation is people will read ahead and will not be listening to what you are saying.
Conclusion
BNI Indigo’s take home message for effective presentations are to engage your audience with a significant amount of information, in a reasonable time frame using simple notes which are augmented by the presentations slides. End the presentation by reviewing key points and having a question and answer session. Sometimes the question and answer sessions give pointers of what to include or remove in the next presentation.
When you have finished the presentation do not be afraid to ask the audience (on a one to one basis) what they thought of it. This feedback makes the audience feel that what they think is important and means you can engage them on personal level. It also allows you to reiterate any “take home” messages (e.g. sales messages).
BNI Indigo is the North West’s Premier BNI Chapter and provides Training for all its’ members on many aspects of business networking. Get in touch now to find out how we could help you. www.Bniindigo.com
Ben Maffin is a member of BNI Indigo. BNI Indigo is the North West’s Premier Networking organization catering for all sectors of business and commerce. BNI Indigo provides training and support for its members in all areas of business skills. Get in touch with BNI Indigo now to help move your business forwards. Bniindigo.com
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Shared by ArticleBase.com –> For anyone considering joining BNI …. or new to their business networking organization … here’s some tips. You know …. nobody wants to know about your business if they don’t know you. At BNI or anywhere. Just follow the BNI training to the letter and you should do fine. That’s the [...]
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For anyone considering joining BNI …. or new to their business networking organization … here’s some tips.
You know …. nobody wants to know about your business if they don’t know you. At BNI or anywhere.
Just follow the BNI training to the letter and you should do fine. That’s the benefit of BNI over many other networks – they have a system and a process and they measure it. Brilliant!
Since BNI is all about referrals, you must get to know each of the members and what their business is about. And vice versa.
It’s less about being “friends” (although you may certainly make some in your group) than it is about thinking of the members as your “sales team” …. and you are on their “sales teams” too.
What would you want to know about the people on your “sales team”? What would you want them to know about you? And also about your business so they could refer you with confidence?
You’ll learn how to do that when you take your MSP training after you join.
Keep these in mind ……
- Practice your 60 second educational. Map out 50 weeks worth of lessons.
- Make sure each week you tell something new about what you do.
- Take your MSP as soon as possible.
Remember ……
1) The members are not your target audience. Do not try and sell them as clients.
2) Do not try and get them to become sales agents for you. They will get you referrals for people who need your product/service.
3) Get referrals for others. Remember ….. “Givers Gain”.
Not just in BNI, but in any situation when networking with others… it’s a good rule of thumb to make initial conversations about THEM. Asking what you can help them with (not for your business, for referring folks YOU know in your network to help them).
Again, no one in your BNI group should be seen as a potential client/customer. It’s at least 3-4 people deep from them, that you want to reach. You do this by building rapport. Doing a Dance Card (where you set up a coffee chat or lunch break with another member to get to know them) is a recommended way to achieve rapport with other chapter/group members and is practiced widely at the BNI meetings.
For more insight you should listen to the interview with the founder of BNI Ivan Misner at bnipodcast.com.
The interview has some great info on how to make it easy for network partners to be able to refer even a difficult-to-refer business.
Also remember this ….. you are only allowed to miss a few meetings and then you are ousted from the group. This is not done to be cruel. It is to demonstrate to the members of the group that this organization is serious about business networking. It requires commitment. Also, the money that you spend to become a member of BNI is not refunded to you if you are ousted. Once again, BNI is about serious business networking.
Their mantra is the “Givers Gain”, and if that is in the forefront of your thought process, you will succeed. Actually, that goes for everything in life, not just BNI!
Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications …. and author ofBroadband Nation. Michael also authors Small Business Resources Cafe with resources, tools, tips, & insights for small businesses. The Cafe is always open. So …. grab a cup of Joe & sit awhile!
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Shared by ArticleBase.com –> Social commerce is basically a version of electronic commerce that utilizes social media and online media to create a social interaction with contributions from users, to connect and streamline the buying and selling of products online. Consumer reviews are generally more trusted than reviews that come from manufacturers, as they appear [...]
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Social commerce is basically a version of electronic commerce that utilizes social media and online media to create a social interaction with contributions from users, to connect and streamline the buying and selling of products online. Consumer reviews are generally more trusted than reviews that come from manufacturers, as they appear less biased. By coupling consumer viewpoints with e-commerce, a new social network is created, allowing for the consumer to review different viewpoints and present their own on a given commerce website.
Social commerce is a concept developed originally by David Biesel to accentuate user-generated advertising on e-commerce sites. Then Steve Rubel introduced mutual e-commerce tools which allowed users to be advised by trusted resources and other users to find products and services and then buy them as needed. The term “social commerce” was actually coined by Yahoo! In 2005 to describe user-generated pick lists and user ratings and content-sharing of product descriptions and ad information regarding online purchasing.
Customer ratings and reviews drive social commerce by optimizing social media in online shopping. This created collaborative networks for online vendors, allowing for a virtually limitless breadth of online purchasing options.
A company will develop a profile of products and services offered and of the manufacturer they use. This will then attract responses from consumers and vendors alike. From this, the company can expand their database to include new manufacturers interested in selling on the company site and consumers who are doing business with the site will then have feedback posted on the added manufacturers. By keeping track of all these activities, the company may then expand their advertorial base for the manufacturers’ products which are sold on the company site. A list of partners is then available in one source and the social commerce grows from there.
Company profiles are available immediately at the website and a consumer has no need to spend additional research time to determine the proper resource, as so many are available at one website along with customer reviews of each manufacturer listed. This word of mouth approach is generally well-trusted and influences a consumer’s decision to use or not use a particular company. At a social commerce website, the consumer has access to many different companies and information regarding those companies. User recommendations and referrals, ratings and reviews, social shopping tools, and social media optimization make a site that generates its own business and attracts new manufacturers to be included in this beautiful symphony of social commerce.
A social commerce site offers posting of company profiles that are both possible competitors as well as viable partners with which to work in helping a business to succeed. It cuts out the need for shopping around. As the site, grows it becomes a one-stop spot to review many potential clients and offers the opportunity for expansion of not only the social commerce site but for the consumers and businesses who routinely access the site. It is the perfect method for consumer and business transactions to take place.
Visit www.tradesparq.com for the latest tools and opportunities to connect with a global web of social commerce, trading partners and products
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Shared by ArticleBase.com –> Not being able to properly manage your time is one thing, but it’s another to go through life trying to find the answer to your problems unsuccessfully. What many do not realize is that it is simply impossible to get everything done in one day. This is precisely why prioritization is [...]
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Not being able to properly manage your time is one thing, but it’s another to go through life trying to find the answer to your problems unsuccessfully. What many do not realize is that it is simply impossible to get everything done in one day. This is precisely why prioritization is a terrific time management solution.
The simple way to look at it is take the most important tasks and complete them first and push the others off to tomorrow. But how do you know which are the most important? There will be special cases where prioritization tools will be needed in order to efficiently analyze the tasks at hand.
The first tool that can help you find a time management solution is paired comparison analysis. This is most useful when decision criteria are vague or inconsistent. What this will help you do is compare each item on a list with other items on the list individually. This way you can narrow it down to which tasks is most important simply by deciding on a case by case basis.
Grid analysis is another effective prioritization tool that will help you prioritize a list of tasks where a number of different factors must be taken into consideration. You can plot out all of the factors that must be thought out and rate the task based on each factor. By the end you will have an idea of what is most important.
The urgent/important matrix asks you to think about whether or not each task is truly urgent. Although it may seem as if every task is urgent, many times it can be put off until tomorrow or later in the afternoon. You have to think about what the consequences will be if you push the task aside for now to focus on other things. If the consequences really are not that severe, it probably is not too urgent.
The final prioritization tool that can help you find a time management solution is known as the action priority matrix. This is a simple diagram technique that will have you plot the value of the task against the effort it will consume. In doing so, you should quickly be able to see what is going to give you the greatest rewards in the shortest possible time while others will have little reward whatsoever.
Prioritization is huge when considering time management. Because there is not enough time in the day to complete everything, you need to determine what must be completed now and what can hold off until later. http://www.effectivetimemanagement.net/ Time Management Guides. We review the most effective solutions to improve your time management
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Shared by ArticleBase.com –> I wanted to explain the importance our thoughts play in our lives, in terms of the way we can manifest success and happiness to ourselves. I am reasonably confident that you would be aware that we need to guard our thoughts, and be very clear in what we want. Why is [...]
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I wanted to explain the importance our thoughts play in our lives, in terms of the way we can manifest success and happiness to ourselves. I am reasonably confident that you would be aware that we need to guard our thoughts, and be very clear in what we want. Why is this so? I place the question here, to help you be clear in your mind, so that you can get to work, today on manifesting all you want in your life, starting today.
I would also like to emphasis that action, as well as immediacy is important. It’s like the saying that we should not put off for tomorrow, what can be done today. As soon as we put something off, even till just the next day,. We are mentally telling ourselves that the action is not important. To use an extreme example, if a person was having a heart attack, would you say that you will get to that tomorrow? I think not. In a similar manner here, unless you really need to wait, treat each task as important to ensure you are maximizing your results from your efforts. I am not suggesting you should turn around like a panicked lunatic, but be determined to do as much as possible. It is a habit that can be learned like any other. You will also be amazed at the extra amount that you can do, once you get the habit up and running.
Now, having explained that, my next point is to treat each task like a long lost love. Before you stop and ask if I am alright, let me explain. Imagine a man, who runs across fields and performs seemingly miraculous tasks, to be with his love, or to protect a special women. I think you get my point. When you are fired up, like a man in desperate love for a woman, who is prepared to do anything, you will understand the emotion and desire I am referring to. Fire yourself up with desire to see results and accomplish tasks that you know you need to do. I remember a time when I was determined to paint my new home. I started at six in the morning and worked through the whole day till around midnight, and then did it all again the next day. I ate little, and just worked, because I was fired up to do the task.
In a similar manner, feel a passion and desire as well as enjoyment to get your day’s duties done. If you can also treat them as something you really love and need to do now. This simple adjustment will massively increase your productivity and results as well.
In addition to the above, always be thinking of the results you desire. To explain this in another way, think of sports people who mentally visualise their win, just before their sport begins. An athlete or golfer will think first, and picture every move and result desired. Do the same thing for your actions, and note the difference.
This information is not new. However, my hope is that my explanation has helped you to be motivated to move to your next logical level of success upward. Picturing and thinking about your desired good, almost to the exclusion of other things will massively concentrate your focus, and desire to succeed.
There are secrets of thinking to substantially master fears & phobias. It is about the way that you think, and train your mind to solve problems, and face challenges.Your personal thinking methods will make all the difference. It is about your mind, and what you can achieve with it. Bob Proctor’s system, that I have been using regularly has been a great help to me.
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Shared by ArticleBase.com –> What have you always longed for? To lose weight, have more money, to live somewhere else or in a different time, to be a championship golfer, to have children, to be a writer? The list of possibilities is endless. There are so very many opportunities presented to us in this Universe [...]
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What have you always longed for? To lose weight, have more money, to live somewhere else or in a different time, to be a championship golfer, to have children, to be a writer? The list of possibilities is endless. There are so very many opportunities presented to us in this Universe and thus many choices which we have to make.
Almost all of the things which we wish for are indeed possible, other than such things as wishing that one could sprout wings and fly or change the parents who bore us. We know that many of the things we wish for are possible and yet still feel that they are out of our reach; in our minds we make what is possible seem to be impossible. We don’t believe that we can do it, or we do not feel that it is meant to be, or we do not think that the effort is worth it.
If the latter is the case, then you do not long for whatever it is quite enough. When weighing up desire versus effort, your desire falls short. What can you do to increase that desire? Or another question which you might ask is what is stopping you from wanting it enough? Some people may assume that the hurdle to be overcome is laziness; but that is really too easy an answer. When you look beneath the surface you will usually find that a lack of self belief, a lack of confidence, is what is preventing the person from making the requisite effort. That is the real truth behind the mask of laziness.
I know a person who tells a wonderful tale about going fishing. He decided to go fly fishing with his father in law. He got all of the gear, and totally looked the part and everything went well with their first few fishing expeditions together. Then one day he decided to go fishing alone. Wearing all his new gear and carrying all of the best equipment, he settled down beside the lake. A few casts later, he caught a fish and reeled it in. So far so good!
But he didn’t know quite how to get the fish off the hook. He noticed some young lads nearby and called to them, asking them to get the fish off for him and pretending that the job was “beneath him” instead of explaining that he didn’t know where to start! You will notice that his lack of confidence even stopped him from trying to work out what to do. He wasn’t lazy and nor was he arrogant, although this was how he appeared; he didn’t actually like the idea of getting the fish off the hook and he lacked the confidence to try.
The fact is that if you want something enough in life you will get it, so long as you have the confidence to try. Confidence is what makes your wishes come true. Yes, there are other elements which serve to add to the overall equation; luck is a very welcome commodity too. But confidence is a central theme to success in absolutely everything in life.
Roseanna Leaton, specialist in confidence hypnosis mp3s.
P.S. Would you like to build your confidence? Grab a free hypnotherapy mp3 from my website.
Grab a free hypnosis mp3 from http://www.RoseannaLeaton.com and view her library of hypnosis mp3 downloads and hypnosis confidence mp3s.
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Shared by ArticleBase.com –> Inspirational Leaders Take Bold Action by Michael D. Hume, M.S. The election’s over, and big changes are coming, for better or worse. Changes to tax rates and to health care are likely. And the Federal Reserve today announced “quantitative easing” moves that will bring even more changes to the global economy. [...]
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Inspirational Leaders Take Bold Action
by Michael D. Hume, M.S.
The election’s over, and big changes are coming, for better or worse. Changes to tax rates and to health care are likely. And the Federal Reserve today announced “quantitative easing” moves that will bring even more changes to the global economy. Whatever your situation is today, it’s likely to be different a year from now.
It could be a lot worse. If the U.S. tax cuts expire, and if the Fed’s moves cause inflation to skyrocket (as many experts believe they will), we could be looking at a global depression that makes the 1930s look like the salad days.
But it could be better, too. Some experts say the various changes to the global political-economic landscape will create a fifty trillion dollar transfer of wealth. And, like in the 1930s, though life will get tough for the vast majority of people, some informed people will get rich.
It’s time for inspirational leadership. Don’t wait for others to take care of you… and don’t wait to see if the changes will just pass you by. To prepare, think about undetaking these three bold actions.
First, consider starting an internet business. You can do it with a surprisingly low investment of time, energy, and money. If you are able to hook up with a good online community, you’ll find there’s support out there to help you start and build a business even if you don’t know a thing about it. More importantly, you’ll have a “job,” or (better yet) an income stream, that’s more in your own control. You can’t be laid off from your own internet business. And the harder you work, the more you’ll be rewarded for taking responsibility for your own income.
Second, you need to get busy getting into shape. It may not last forever, but it’s now probable that we will see a time during which quality medical care will not be available at any price. Health care reform sounds good when it’s heralded as “ensuring everyone has access to health care.” I’d be all for that! But when the “reform” actually destroys the economic underpinnings of the medical industry (let alone the broader economy), it means new medical devices and new medicines will not be created – there just won’t be any incentive (or money) to undertake the expensive research needed. And who’s going to want to go to medical school when doctors will be paid far less than are people who work far fewer hours and have much less responsibility? So double down on the five daily health habits I call “The NEWSS:” Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sleep, and Supplements. The best health plan is to be in good enough shape to avoid needing medical care.
Finally, study the markets, the trends, and the global economy. You will need information that, for various reasons, has not been made available to you in the media or in your academic pursuits. Do your own research, and you’ll discover how the global conspiracy against your money works… and what you can do about it.
The ancient proverb goes “May you live in interesting times.” Well, we do. In the coming months, it may look like a curse… but let’s make it a blessing instead.
Michael Hume is a speaker, writer, and consultant specializing in helping people maximize their potential and enjoy inspiring lives. As part of his inspirational leadership mission, he coaches executives and leaders in growing their personal sense of well-being through wealth creation and management, along with personal vitality.Those with an entrepreneurial spirit who want to make money “one less thing to worry about” can learn more about working with Michael at http://oneyearplan.net/michaeldhumeAnyone wanting to jump-start their vitality can browse through the best (and most travel-friendly) nutraceuticals on the market at http://shop.enivausa.com/239824Michael and his wife, Kathryn, divide their time between homes in California and Colorado. They are very proud of their offspring, who grew up to include a homemaker, a rock star, a service talent, and a television expert. Two grandchildren also warm their hearts! Visit Michael’s web site at http://michaelhume.net
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Shared by ArticleBase.com –> An action plan template is a means of developing a pathway to achieve a specific goal. Physical templates can be purchased or located on the Internet. Most a composed of Excel spreadsheets where you enter interim steps to achieve a particular goal. Step 1: The Plan The first step to building [...]
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An action plan template is a means of developing a pathway to achieve a specific goal. Physical templates can be purchased or located on the Internet. Most a composed of Excel spreadsheets where you enter interim steps to achieve a particular goal.
Step 1: The Plan
The first step to building an action plan template is to outline the final goal. Write down you final objective including the time to completion and cost of the project. Next break down the path to that goal in several consecutive steps. Assign a cost and time to each of these steps. Take not if multiple steps can be completed at the same time of one step must preclude another.
Step 2: The Assignments
Your next step is to assign your tasks to the member in your group. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of each individual as try to assign tasks that are most suited to each member of the group. Include a clear outline of the task itself and the final goal of the task. Include a time frame and deadline as well as the maximum cost of this task. For each of these tasks also include a sequential set of steps that should be followed to complete the task.
Step 3: The Meeting
Now that you have developed a plan and set tasks for each group member it is time to get everyone together. At this meeting you will outline the overall goal of the assignment. You will also dole out the tasks. All team members must be aware of what others in the group are doing to complete the goal. Therefore it is very important to make sure everyone understands what their role is as well as the roles of their peers.
Step 4: Tracking
Now that the tasks are being completed, the next step in the action plan template is monitoring each task. You want to know where each team member is in their task and their expected timeline to completion. You might find a step you expected to move along quickly is actually taking a bit longer than expected. Be prepared to alter timelines and reprioritize tasks in response to delayed goals and unexpected roadblocks.
Step 5: Final Assessment
Once the goal has been completed go back through your action plan template. Take special note of where tasks took longer than expected. Evaluate your members’ performances and notate particular strengths and weaknesses so you will have a better idea of who to assign to future tasks. Evaluate your own overall performance and ask for your groups’ feedback as to what went right and what could be improved upon.
Victor Ghebre is the editor of http://www.settinggoals101.com where you get practical tips and information on goal setting, motivation, leadership and more.
Visit http://www.settinggoals101.com/action-plan-template.html to learn how
to set yourself up for success and get free tips on how to effectively
use your action plan template.
Don’t miss your FREE set of goal setting forms at:
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Shared by ArticleBase.com –> Whether you’re an article ghost writer, an online business owner or any other type of person who works for themselves, you’re going to experience a number of challenges along the way. One of the reasons you want to work for yourself is to get your boss off your back. You want [...]
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Whether you’re an article ghost writer, an online business owner or any other type of person who works for themselves, you’re going to experience a number of challenges along the way. One of the reasons you want to work for yourself is to get your boss off your back. You want the freedom to do things your own way on your own schedule. The downside of this is that you find it hard to get things done without that nagging boss breathing down your neck!
This is especially true for writers; we’re all naturally procrastinators by heart. It goes with that artistic sensibility that writers have. It’s just tough to get on task and stay on task until the job is done.
Every Successful Person Sets Goals
If you ask any successful person how they achieved their level of success, they’ll tell you that it’s all about setting goals. Why is it that you need that goal to get things done? Goals give you a time frame for the completion of tasks, but they also do much more than that. These other benefits may be what really get the job done.
You Don’t Give Up With A Goal In Mind
One of the reasons goals lead to success is that they keep us from quitting. When you’re meandering along and working when you feel like it with no end in mind, it’s easy to give up when things get tough. When you’ve got a goal that you’re pursuing, it makes it much harder to throw in the towel.
Goals Keep You Focused On The Task At Hand
Are you one of those people with a hundred different things going on RIGHT NOW? We internet people tend to be like that. Maybe it’s the nature of the internet, which keeps sending you in all different directions at once. Setting a goal helps you stay on one task until it’s done. It keeps you from wandering off into tangents when you know that you’ve got something to complete.
How Do You Make Goal Setting Work For You?
It all sounds great, but if you’re not a big goal setter, how do you go about doing it? There are lots of strategies. One is to set small goals and work in increments. You can also take a big goal and break it up into “milestones.” Achieving one of these milestones gives you the confidence to make it to the next one. Whenever you set a goal, you should also have a “plan of attack” that shows step-by-step how to make it happen. Start small at first, and work your way up to bigger and better things. It worked for me, and I turned myself from a grade-A slacker to an online business owner in just months.
I write your content so you don’t have to >> www.gregscottwrites.com. I’ve got hundreds of satisfied customers under my belt. This article is copyright 2010 by Greg Scott.  Anyone may use this article as long as all links in the article and resource box stay active and the article is not altered in any way.
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