The Consumer Salon

“Wow, what a fabulous presentation!” they said as they stood up after your speech. “Wow,” they said as they mingled after the event.

You, yes, you … WILL produce an impact.

What will it be?

Can you make it a “wow”?

Of course you can.

And the first step is to understand that it is not a mystery. It is something that you create. “Wow” is not an accidental by-product of a presentation. You create it deliberately.

The first thing to do is to define what it is that you want to create. What exactly is that “wow”? In other words, you need to define:

How will your audience respond to your speech or presentation?

What will they take away with them and remember?
What will they remember of you?

Why will they think “Wow what a fabulous presentation!”?

Start by defining the purpose of your presentation or speech. What do you want its impact to be?

You need to articulate whether you want to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, entertain, shock … You may even want to do several of these things – in different parts of your presentation. But they must not be left to chance or you risk creating “Ho-hum …” rather than “wow!”

Then define the message; the central message of your presentation – what one thing do you want the audience to take away? This message can be called a thesis statement or a theme. It can be given a number of names, but you need to be able to state it in one sentence. That way you will stay focused on that outcome when you are planning

When you have those two things articulated, the things you want people to remember, the impact you want to make; then you can create the structure and the language of your presentation to support them. The whole speech can be organised to reinforce that impact and that message.

The second of the questions was “What do I want them to remember of me?”

Who are you? How will you be remembered after this presentation? Are you professional, poised, articulate? Are you warm, folksy, creative, nurturing? Maybe you want to be seen as ballistic, confronting, no-nonsense, boot camp material. What message will your clothes and your grooming convey? What will your choice of language say about you?

You cannot be someone you are not, when you present, unless you are prepared to be a performer for the entire production. Insincerity will detract from your speech as quickly as a joke in bad taste. But you can present a side of yourself as the highlight – the side you want your audience to remember.

And the most powerful choice you will make is how you get that image to support your message – how you put the two together.

It may be totally supportive, in that the image is unobtrusive; seamlessly part of the message and the complete package – an incredibly effective combination.

Or you may choose to create an edge, a mystique.

Your body language, your facial expression and gestures, your clothes and your grooming all need to work towards the impact you choose to make. And they will contribute as powerfully to the impact you choose to make as a person as they do to the impact you choose for your presentation to make.

This package, this combination of impact, message and image are what people take away from your presentation. They are the wow you create.

But the pivotal word, there, was “choose” – the impact you choose to make, the impact you choose for your presentation to make.

Whatever you may be trying to achieve, don’t let the impact of your presentation be an accident. Right from the beginning, it needs to be part of the planning. When you are visualizing your production, toying with ideas and possibilities and first drafts, make the impact of you as a person and of your performance an integral part of that process. Visualise it and work it into all aspects of your production planning.

Then you have the foundation for creating the “wow” factor.

Bronwyn Ritchie is a speaker, writer, librarian and trainer and she manages Pivotal Points – resources for the times in your life when you pivot – change direction – towards a better you, a better life.

For more tips, articles and courses on creating an impact with your public speaking and presentations, visit http://www.consultpivotal.com/public_speaking.htm

To finally get to the highest paying survey sites all you need to do is use the strengths of forums to your advantage Getting College Pet Sports Apparel and Free Baby Stuff Mayo Clinic is simple. Survey Sites want ALL the information about you accurate and current, read on more about College Pet Sports Apparel. You can make money filling out surveys from any given paid survey sites but they aren’t all created equal so you need to take steps in order to find the best ones. Also see Free Baby Stuff Mayo Clinic. The three above questions are three of the questions that people ask when it comes to paid surveys.

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With such a variety of homeowner’s insurance policies for Nashville Real Estate, it’s a good idea to go over the basics of your needs before purchasing a policy for your new home.

Homeowners insurance will be a requirement if you purchase your new home with a mortgage…because the lender will insist upon it. You will actually have to have the insurance binder at closing. But, even if you’re paying cash, you will want to protect your investment.

Full replacement coverage is always a wise choice. This will pay you the cost of replacing your belongings…instead of paying their depreciated value. And don’t forget to carefully consider your deductible, which is the amount of money that will come out of your pocket before the insurance kicks in. A higher deductible means lower premiums (the cost of the insurance)…but also more money out of your pocket in the event of a claim. A deductible of $1,000 or more should significantly lower your insurance premiums.

Most insurance companies will give a discount if you also insure your automobiles with them…so be sure to ask your insurance agent about this.

When purchasing a home in Nashville Real Estate – be sure to investigate whether the property is in a flood zone. This will require additional flood insurance. Most mortgage companies will require a flood certification before closing.

Additional liability insurance is recommended if you have a swimming pool. Valuables are another consideration if you need more coverage than the basic policy offers.

And lastly…remember to use insurance wisely! It’s not a good idea to file for small claims. Insurance policies are designed for considerable losses…and filing too many small claims will most likely increase your premiums…and in some cases cause a cancellation of your policy.

online poker is a game, and as with any game like casino games, there is an offense and a defense. And as with most games, offense gets all the attention, while the defense does all the work. In poker online, the big, gutsy calls and monster hands get all the attention, but it’s the players who protect their chips and survive until the final table that make it into the money. If you have the cards, feel free to put your chips at risk, but when you’re waiting for you hand, it’s a good idea to protect your stack.

Here are a few ways to do so.

1.Just fold you hand. It’s that easy. Know your cards-the hands you want to play, what position to play them in, and which players you want to play them against. If you get a hand that doesn’t fit with your game plan, fold it. Those blinds you throw away on “hunches” add up.

2. Speaking of blinds, stealing some blinds every now and then is a great way to stay in the game. A few safe bluffs against chronic folders will keep your stack from dwindling away. If you can steal a pot per round, you can actually play poker perpetually.

Dialogue is a very temperamental animal. If you don’t get it right, you risk spoiling an entire story.

I spend a lot of time eavesdropping on other people’s conversations – and make no apology for it. Take the time to sit in your favourite coffee shop, or better yet, go to the mall. Pick out some interesting looking people and …. listen in! Seriously.

This is not something to do for five or ten minutes. You need to sit and listen intently for as long as possible. I generally order a nice long drink – of hot chocolate! – then take it all in. Usually over a period of an hour or so.

Take note of the way unsuspecting victims – er, people – speak with each other, and also the way they talk to people of other age groups. More often than not, it will differ greatly.

Notice how the forty-something mother of three uses a totally different language to the forty-something professional sitting not far away. And the nineteen year old male, along with his late-teen friends, will have a language all of their own.

People of varying occupations will speak in another ‘language’ too. For instance, lawyers will use legal terminology, whereas police officers have their special lingo.

Don’t let your hairdresser character speak like a police officer, and don’t let your office girl talk like an animal trainer, or a mechanic, and so on. Each occupation, and each character, needs to have their own unique language, just as teenagers do.

This is called ‘talking the talk” and needs to be spot-on to ensure credibility with your stories.

Each one of your characters should be instantly recognisable simply from the words or phrases they use.

Your teenager might say:

“Man, that is sooo cool!”

Whereas a young mother would probably say:

“That’s great!”

A lot of writers get very confused between ‘dialogue’ and ‘internal thoughts’. Let me simplify the concepts for you.

Dialogue is where the character is actually speaking. “Boy it was hot today!” But ‘internal thoughts’ are what the character is thinking. For example: ‘Could it get any hotter?’ These internal thoughts are generally shown in a story – in the published form – as italics.

Your story would thus read as: “Boy it was hot today!” Joe wiped the sweat from his forehead. Could it get any hotter?

When writing dialogue, think seriously about who is speaking, and what ‘language’ they would use. Make sure internal thoughts are also in the language of the character. Getting it wrong could mean the difference between getting published or not.

Cheryl Wright is an award-winning Australian author and freelance journalist. In addition to an array of other projects, she is the owner of the Writer2Writer.com website and the Writer to Writer monthly ezine for writers. She is also the author of a series of ebooks for writers. Her romantic suspense novel “Saving Emma” was released January 2005 by Whiskey Creek Press. Check out Cheryl’s website: http://www.cheryl-wright.com

The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters:

The Hero’s Journey:

• Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

• Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

• Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

The Hero’s Journey is also a study of repeating patterns in successful stories and screenplays. It is compelling that screenwriters have a higher probability of producing quality work when they mirror the recurring patterns found in successful screenplays.

The Hero’s Journey is also a study of conventions. Before screenwriters can decide whether to accept or reject the conventions, they must appreciate their purpose and value.

Consider this:

• Titanic (1997) grossed over $600,000,000 – uses the Hero’s Journey as a template.

• Star Wars (1977) grossed over $460,000,000 – uses the Hero’s Journey as a template.

• Shrek 2 (2004) grossed over $436,000,000 – uses the Hero’s Journey as a template.

• ET (1982) grossed over $434,000,000 – uses the Hero’s Journey as a template.

• Spiderman (2002) grossed over $432,000,000 – uses the Hero’s Journey as a template.

• Out of Africa (1985), Terms of Endearment (1983), Dances with Wolves (1990), Gladiator (2000) – All Academy Award Winners Best Film are based on the Hero’s Journey.

• Anti-hero stories (Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990) etc) are all based on the Hero’s Journey.

• Heroine’s Journey stories (Million Dollar Baby (2004), Out of Africa (1980) etc) are all based on the Hero’s Journey.

Elizabethtown (2005) and Silence of the Lambs (1991)

As an example, two very different stories have been briefly deconstructed: Elizabethtown (2005) and Silence of the Lambs (1991):

Elizabethtown (2005)

Fade In: starts strong (communicates salient information immediately): shoes recalled.

Introduce Hero (Drew Baylor) in his Ordinary World, which he is unwelcome in. Tangible representation of the Ordinary World (Ellen).

Foreshadow of the Journey: we meet Drew’s family around the table.

Back-story of Hero: Drew in the World of the Shoe.

Supernatural Aid pushes hero out of his Ordinary World (meeting with Phil).

Development of Inner Challenge: Drew’s suicide attempt in his apartment; what to do now that he is a failure.

Call to Adventure by the Herald (his sister): Drew’s Dad is dead.

Preparing to cross into the First Threshold with allies (sister and mother): in the airport.

First Threshold and meeting the Romantic Challenge: Drew meets Claire in the aircraft.

Allies encourage the journey: Claire draws a map.

References to the inner and outer challenge: Drew references that he was fired; Claire realises Drew’s father is dead.

Back-story of the Outer Challenge: Drew when he was young and with his father. Reminder of the Inner Challenge: that he is a failure / lost $1b.

Magical gift: Claire gives Drew his wings, the directions and her number.

Physical Separation: exit 60-B.

Resistance to the Transformation: difficulty getting to Elizabethtown.

A New World: entering Elizabethtown.

Meeting the Mentor (Jesse, his cousin).

Mentor shows the hero around the World of the Transformation and the Creatures within: Jesse introduces Drew to everyone.

Polarization: they want a burial and Drew is thinking about cremation; he’s from “California.”

Meeting the Creatures of this World: the congregation.

Trial [passive]: Meeting his father lying in a coffin; lessons: “if you move around a little bit, you’ll see different aspects.” The word is “whimsical.”

Trial [passive]: Meeting the relatives and familiarising himself with the family.

Trial [proactive]; Drew saves Samson in the car.
Celebration at the passing of the trials: Drew is congratulated in the house.

Mentor’s challenge: Jesse admonished by his father; “you can’t be buddies with your own son.”

References to the Outer Challenge; Mentor’s back-story and capabilities: Lynard Skynard sequence.

Foreshadow of the break from the Old Self and preparing to Seize of the Sword: Drew calls everyone, including Claire.

Pulled Backwards to the Old Self and Forwards to the New Self: Heather, Ellen and Claire all on the phone simultaneously.

Break from the Old Self: Ellen says Goodbye.
Journey to the Sword: Drew and Claire on the phone.

Seizing the Sword: Drew wrests the Champagne from Chuck.

Rebirth through Death: Claire offers to “let Drew go.”

Reward: Claire and Drew meet by the Roadside.

Allies confront limitations: Hollie takes tap, comedy, cooking lessons etc. Claire doesn’t go to Hawaii.

Warnings about the Atonement: Hollie warns Drew about Bill Banyon.

Preparing for the Atonement: Buying the cremation vase.

Second Thoughts: Claire and Drew think about being just friends.

Atonement with the Father:: Drew confronts his uncle et al and makes a decision about the cremation.

Reference to the mentor’s challenge: Jesse is ignored and admonished.

Apotheosis: Rusty’s Learning to Listen video. Mentor’s challenge overcome: “thank you for taking an interest in Jesse.”

Ultimate Boon: “feels good doesn’t it. I can see Mitch now, so proud, in that blue suit.”

Refusal: Drew tries to stop the cremation.

Magic Flight: Drew prepares to leave.

Rescue from Without: Drew meets Claire and sleeps with her.

Crossing the Return Threshold; confronting and overcoming the
Inner Challenge: Drew chases Claire and tells her about his failure. She doesn’t care. References to the Outer and Romantic Challenges.

Master of the Two Worlds: Hollie wins over both sides of the family with her tap and comedy. Convergence aided by Mentor (Jesse’s tribute).

Tangible representation of the New Order: the burial to appease the Kentucky family.

Freedom to Live. Drew goes on the road trip with his father’s ashes [the trip they always meant to go on] and comes to terms with his death (conquest of the Outer Challenge). Finally seizes Claire (conquest of the Romantic Challenge).

Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Introduce Hero and Capabilities [Clarice tackling the FBI assault course].

Herald brings the Call to Adventure [Jack Crawford sends Clarice to visit Lecter (her Supernatural Aid)].

Threshold Guardian [Dr Chiltern obstructs Clarice's visit to Lecter].

Refusal [Lecter refuses to help].

Overcoming Refusal [Lecter's cell mate is rude and causes Lecter to help Clarice by way of apology]. Lecter sends Clarice to the First Threshold [the garage].

Physical Separation / Belly of the Whale [Lecter says he'll help Clarice catch Buffalo Bill].

Antagonism developed [Buffalo Bill kidnaps senator's daughter].

Transformation / Road of Trials x 3 [Clarice controls the police officers; analyses the dead body in Clay County ; learns about the cocoon].

Resistance to the Meeting with the Oracle [Dr Chiltern obstructs Clarice from seeing Lecter before he is moved].

Journey to the Sword [Lecter journeys to meet the Senator].

Seizing the Sword [Clarice gets the info she needs, which Lecter has written in the case files; Clarice learns the significance of Silence of the Lambs].

Rebirth through Death [Lecter escapes and kills].

Reward [Clarice knows Lecter will not come after her].

Atonement with the Father [Clarice learns that Buffalo Bill can only covet what he sees].

Apotheosis [he's making a skin suit].

Ultimate Boon [Crawford has (allegedly) found Buffalo Bill].

Refusal [Crawford tells Clarice not to come to Chicago but go to Belvedere instead].

Magic Flight [Senator's daughter attempts to escape].

Rescue from Without {Clarice directed toward Mrs Lipman].

Crossing the Return Threshold [Clarice enters buffalo Bills House].

Master of the Two Worlds [Clarice and Buffalo Bill gun battle].

Freedom to Live [medals, graduation, Lecter confirms he has no plans to call on Clarice].

Learn more…

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

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/

Have you ever been confused about when to use “a” and “an” before words beginning with “h”? You’re not alone. Some of the most famous people in the world don’t use the rules properly. Here’s what the style guides say:

Prentice Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage (2003) says that “a” is used before consonant SOUNDS, not just consonants. Use “an” when the word following it starts with a vowel or an unsounded “h.”

The Gregg Reference Manual, Ninth Edition, concurs.

Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, University of Chicago Press, says: The indefinite article a, not an, is used in American English before words beginning with a pronounced h.

Examples: a hotel – an honor – a historical study – an heir.

Associated Press Stylebook 2003 says: A historic event is an important occurrence, one that stands out in history.

Many people say, “An historical occasion,” but “an historical” isn’t idiomatic in American English. Using “an” is common, but not universally accepted by experts. Here’s how to figure out which article to use:

Before a word starting with a pronounced, breathy “h,” use “a.” Examples: A hotel; A happy time; A historical day; A healthy, happy baby.

You attend a history class, not an history class. Same with “historical.” It was a historical occasion.

Honeymooners go to a hideaway, not an hideaway. The donkey carried a heavy burden, not an heavy burden. “Historical” is no different.

Use “an” with words beginning with an unpronounced “h.” Examples: An herb garden; an hour; an honor; An heir.

Now, let’s combine them: “Look! An herb garden in a historical setting. Let’s stay an hour, then find a hotel.”

In the UK and other countries with British influence, the “h” in “herb” is often pronounced. See what I mean about confusing? We’ll almost always find exceptions to every rule. No matter. Just do your best to be a good communicator and move on!

Judy Vorfeld
Webmaster, Writer, Editor, and Photographer
http://www.editingandwritingservices.com
http://www.ossweb.com
http://www.digifeld.com

Do you know how difficult it can be to get traffic to your site and how easy it is to fall for the latest fad? Well here is a tried and true, long term approach to getting tons of traffic.

Here we go again

Just today I got another email from one of my members at Building Your Ideal Practice. This member was frustrated because the latest get traffic gimmick they had fallen for was not working. It was not working because it won’t work.

I’m looking forward to helping this member save money and use a system that will work to get traffic to their site. This member will save money because this form of generating traffic costs nothing but your time.

Simple yet so powerful

Writing article and then marketing articles on the internet is a sure fire way to get traffic.

I’ve written at least one article a week for 11 years for a large national newspaper chain. The syndication of these articles brings me a stream of traffic to my web sites. It’s nice, but it is only a minor stream.

Then I discoverd EzineArticles.com. One of the members of Building Your Ideal Practice told me about an article directory where she wsa posting her articles. So I checked it out, appled for an account, and I’ve been posting articles since April of ‘05.

Reaching a critical mass

So many people post a few articles and then when they do not get a flood of traffic, they give up and whine that it does not work.

Well, it won’t work if all you do is few.

Once I hit 25 articles on EzineArticles.com, I reached some kind of critical mass. I am telling you the gospel truth that at this point, I could not stop the raging river of traffice to my sites if I wanted to.

If this article is accepted, it will be my 380th article posted on EzineArticle.com. Just about everyday, I have the following experience:

My system is set so that I get an email each time I get a new subscriber. Often I will check my email, clear out the notices of new subscribers, and as soon as those notices are gone, there are more waiting for me.

The choice is between whining about no traffic or celebrating not being able to stop the traffic.

Which will it be for you?

Visit The Article Guy for more leading edge tips and tools for writing articles that bring you prospects, publicity and profits. You can also subscirbe to our monthly Article Empire Tips Newsletter. You are also invited to visit my Express-Start Article Writing Program for more information on the next article writing tele-seminar.

A new wave of gambling afficionados will surely have found the caption “offshore sports betting” by now, but some are not wholly savvy what that alludes to. A foreign gambling site fundamentally works extraneous to the supervision of a single land or alternatively it can be a net based gambling web site that situates its host servers inside the borders of a state where networked sports gaming is not at this time illicit. In summary then, it is a gaming business functioning extraneous to the nation of the clientele. Internet based gaming world wide web sites are mostly modulated through the agency of three organisations. These are designated OSGA (the Offshore Gaming Association), the IGC (Interactive Gaming Council) and finally the Fidelity Trust Gaming Association FTGA.

sport book online betting odds

The OSGA are an unbiased watchdog office that watches the current overseas sports gambling trade, they endeavor to also afford sports gambling fans the capability to find respectable internet companies to play games on, without worry. It aims to guard sports gambling devotee’s rights, additionally they charge no annual dues. The Offshore Gaming Association are a well qualified and nonpartisan third party company which pronounces impartial impressions, suggested by customer feedback, unprejudiced study, discussions, inside prompts also offers inside news.

The IGC are a nonprofit agency. The administration was established to allow a platform for curious people to discuss subjects and in addition to shared matters in the international interactive gaming business, in an effort to establish open not to mention accountable commercial instructions and patterns which aim to improve client confidence in interactive wagering commodities and services, and in addition to help as the betting trade’s global strategy representative and in addition the IGC provides an info clearinghouse.

The Interactive Gaming Council have worked up a distinction for reliability, equity and also believability via the industry ethics it displays, and also its appeal for sincere gambling internet sites. The Interactive Gaming Council regularizes offshore sports gaming through employing a characteristic 10-step operational code and also bills gaming business concerns fees to exhibit their logo. Frustrated gambling devotees can also report any of their conflicts to the Interactive Gaming Council.

The Fidelity Trust Gaming Association has been founded in order to produce a benchmark to reform the actions of machine-accessible sports betting operations. The Interactive Gaming Council suggest that conducting business with good sites, they are able to forge a federation of the most fair and professional internet betting operations multinationally. So, in concise terms these are establishments who control the conduct of live sports betting and which should aid to relieve a lot of the trepidation held by detractors. Computer accessible sports gaming websites are today entirely secure, now that individual details aren’t a requirement and also the rewards and the odds should be equivalent to an orthodox Vegas-type stake. They get rid of travel, but nonetheless retain of a gambling casino, only today you can wager at your own pace.

The occurrence of budget air tickets – occasionally cheaper than internal train ticket – has helped to make purchasing a house overseas a easy option; even in this phase of total financial insecurity. Not to mention the fact that a asset out of the country has enormous investment capabilities – even through restoration and sale or renting your property as a vacation residence. If you are looking for property in Greece then look no further than Property Index.

Quite often, a lot of persons are unacquainted or ill informed about the hidden dangers implicated with purchasing house out of the country. On the contrary there are a number of minimal tactics you could do to certify you save capital, acquire a great estate and avoid possible anxiety, disquiet and financial problems.

Firstly be sure to directly check money fluctuations; this not merely applies to the instance while you are purchasing the building, but furthermore any periods while you’ll be performing reconstructions or even taking wide-ranging vacations. This point is predominantly dominant in today’s existing financial climate.

You have to make sure you know the national construction regulation – several times persons experience problems for the reason that they didn’t properly look into their civil rights. This is appropriate to both purchasing a house and doing up it. You also have to certify that the properties surrounding your asset will not be advertise on and buildings erected on it.

You should also explore the companies you are buying from – chances are that if there is any negative publicity surrounding them, that is can be on line. A simple Google search can indubitably remedy this – folks love to be voiced concerning things that have bothered them; but be convinced to look past page one – or excavate through expert forums… that is where you will stumble on the heartfelt information and not solely the corporate spiel.