January 23, 2006 at 9:01 pm
· Filed under WriteThings
* Have something interesting to say.
* Cut the sales pitch.
* Focus on entertaining.
* Understand the audience.
* Overdress.
* Don’t denigrate the competition.
* Tell stories.
* Pre-circulate with the audience.
* Speak at the start of an event.
* Ask for a small room.
* Practice and speak all the time.
thro “Let the Good Times Roll(Guy Kawasaki)”:http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/01/how_to_get_a_st.html
Back in Office, I remember those sessions on “Presentation Skills” and “Communication Skills”. I took off these:
* The initial 2-minute is the crux. This is the time where the audience starts to judge the person on the Podium and viceversa. So do something to impress.
* Introduce yourself to the extent that it creates confidence in the audience, so that they’ll listen to u.
* Understand the wants of the people who have come in. Their Experience/work/culture/know-how… etc.
* Breaking the Ice barrier. Crack a Joke. Ask a Question! Hence bring in the audience closer.
* Stand with confidence. Let the sternum face the roof and you face the audience in the middle of the crowd.
* Smile overwhelmingly! No hesitations. Show-off your teeth. Let it sparkle in the lights.
* Interrupt to break monotony. Sing a song. Give a Quote. Draw a Cartoon.
* Read the Body Language of the audience, take feedback and React.
* Modulate the voice. Chirp! When you tell a bird’s story. Squeak when it is Rat’s. Bring in that Liveliness.
* Ask closed ended questions. “Isn’t it?”, “Are you listening?”
* Never loose the eye-contact with the audience. Even If u want to pick a pen from the Back Stage or while you write on the white board.
* Practice! Practice! Practise!… Practice!… Until you perfect.
I need no a “Standing Ovation” but a “Sitting Applause”.
January 21, 2006 at 7:48 pm
· Filed under WriteThings
* They break your working day into small, incoherent pieces on a schedule incompatible with the natural breaks in your flow
* They are normally all about words and abstract concepts, not real things (like a piece of code or a screen of design)
* They usually contain an abysmal low amount of information conveyed per minute
* They often contain at least one moron that inevitably get his turn to waste everyone’s time with nonsense
* They drift off subject easier than a rear-wheel driven Chicago cab in heavy snow
* They frequently have agendas so vague nobody is really sure what its about
* They require thorough preparation that people rarely do anyway
thro: “37Signals (Meetings considered harmful)”:http://37signals.com/svn/archives2/meetings_considered_harmful.php
*My Version*:
* Let the meetings be brief.
* Let the attendees come on Time.
* May someone minute it and share it.
* Let it start & end well within the work hours.
* Let the knowledgeble people speak.
* Let there be no training in meetings.
* Let there not be blabber/silence/chit-chat/monologue.
*Update*: “You still want meetings. Here’s how to make them useful! (37Signals)”:http://37signals.com/svn/archives2/you_still_want_meetings_heres_how_to_make_them_useful.php - New from 37Signals
January 16, 2006 at 4:25 pm
· Filed under WriteThings
These are the requirements of a DVD player for an Indian Home, specially if you are buying it off from US:
A Configurable Signal System. Let it support both NTSC & PAL composite outputs. Many old Indian TVs know only PAL.
Need not give 5.1/6.1/7.1 outputs. A good receiver (which can be seperate) can handle the decoding part.
If it plays MP3, let it support ID3 tags also.
Need not support WMA.
Let it support 220V/60Hz power input.
Progressive Output is luxurious to have.
Let it have a All-Region hack.
May it play home made DVDs.
Support for DivX will be an added advantage.
Digital Audio-Out in Coax and Optical is a must.
I did not do research on the features. Reading only the user reviews, I blindly went on to purchase Panasonic DVD S29S. Now enjoying for that blunder. You may not repeat.
PS: In case if there are more to-haves or not-to-haves, please respond.
