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There are some powerful and inexpensive ways to market your business using your computer and the Internet. It doesn’t matter if you are spending hundreds or thousands of dollars, or using the many free marketing tools available on the web, the key to a successful income-producing marketing plan is to aim your efforts at your target market.

My advice is to truly understand your target market and be able to relate effectively to their needs, wants and desires. You may want to ask yourself these questions:

• Who will be purchasing my products or services?
• Why do they want to purchase my products/services?
• How will my products/services enhance my customer’s life?
• What specifically do I want my target market to know about the product/service I’m providing?
• How easily can my target market find and purchase my products or services?

With those questions in mind, let’s look at a few inexpensive ways to reach and impress your ideal customers.

1. Blogging - I am a big believer in blogging as long as you use your blog to provide information that will actually be read and used by your target market. If you choose to use your blog as a marketing tool, then it is your responsibility to provide meaningful information. Don’t waste time blogging if you are not providing your target market with valuable tips, strategies and how-to’s.

Free blogging platforms are available that make it easy to start and develop a blog. These platforms also provide templates, so your blog will instantly have a professional and interesting look and feel. A well read and respected blog takes a commitment of time and effort. To provide an effective blog you should plan on updating your posts at least once a week and preferably two or more times per week.

2. Reviewing books and products – Major websites, such as Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, provide free venues with which to reach your target market. Do a little research and find out where your target market shops. Go to those sites and begin reviewing products. Most sites allow a link to your website from each review you write – that’s free advertising.

Reviewing products is one more way to not only reach your target market but to set yourself apart as an expert in your field. Reviews are a targeted way to get your name and website listed in Google rankings, too. The more you write for the web, the more your target market will begin to know you, like you and trust you as the “go to” person in your field. Look around your bookshelf, office and home and decide which products you can begin reviewing today.

3. Free conference call services – FreeConferenceCall.com is the one I use for my tele-seminars and tele-conferences. I have a dedicated telephone number assigned to me and I’m able to schedule calls any time of day, any day of the week. I also have the capability to record my calls for use as a product or free give-away.

Clients and customers are looking for information to enhance their personal and professional lives, and if you can provide that information they will readily buy your products and use your services. One way to reach your ideal market, and to set yourself apart as an expert, is to provide tele-seminars and tele-conferences. In addition, you can then re-purpose the scripts from those calls into special reports and blog posts.

My advice is to make the best use of the free and inexpensive marketing tools available on the Internet. With the right marketing plan and a clear vision of your target market, you can reach that market right from your computer.

Listen to today’s podcast here. fix

Be sure to visit our site, WomensMedia to get Expert Advice for Business Women.

On our website, WomensMedia you should read these excellent articles:

• Financing a New or Growing Business: The Basics
• Team Branding: A Step-by-Step Path to Recognition
• 8 Great Strategies for Working Any Room

For quick updates for Business Women you should follow NancyFClark on twitter here, or SharonMichaels here.

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You’ve just finished an effective presentation, sales call, or meeting, and it’s time for the inevitable (and often dreaded) question-and-answer session.

For many people, the most frightening part of any conversation is the unscripted part. Suddenly your mind goes blank and the nightmare begins. What if someone asks you a question you can’t answer? What if a listener turns hostile? What if someone monopolizes your thinking and wipes your brain clear of all relevant knowledge?

How you handle questions and answers can either make or break your credibility and your opportunity to build a relationship with your audience. Both the content of your answers and your behavior in delivering those answers play critical roles in how you handle questions and answers.

Do’s

To deliver brief, clear answers that help to strengthen your credibility and overcome any hostility or negativity, do …

1. …connect with the questioner’s eyes to show them you are listening. Be careful not to interrupt the questioner; if you don’t wait for the entire question, your answer may be inadequate.

2. …direct the first two sentences of your answer to the questioner when presenting to two or more people. Then, to keep your listeners involved, direct the remainder of your answer to the entire group.

3. …at the end of your response, provide closure by asking the questioner, “Does that answer your question?” Another option is to end the response by visually connecting with the questioner and nodding your head for closure.

4. …keep your answers brief. Answer only what has been asked. If you elaborate on your answer you run the risk of getting off track, not answering the question and losing the attention of your listeners.

5. …ask for clarification in the following situations:

• When the question is unclear

• When the questioner asks several questions and you need to determine which to answer first

• When someone makes a statement and you are unclear whether they are looking for a response or merely voicing an opinion.

Don’ts

To help strengthen your credibility, don’t …

1. …fidget, avoid eye connection, lean or take steps backwards, away from your listeners.  Instead, communicate that you are open and willing to take questions by standing still and staying focused on your listeners.

2. …raise your voice, speak with an aggressive tone, or invade the questioner’s space as you are answering a question. Instead, maintain your composure, remain calm and answer the question with poise and dignity.

3. …exclaim, “Good question!” Most speakers use this comment as a filler to buy time while they search for an answer. Instead, simply pause to give yourself time to think.

4. …use the words “but” and “however” when answering a question. These words communicate, “You’re wrong and I’m right.” This invites your questioner to fight back or dispute your position. Nothing productive can result from “but” and “however” when used in this context.

5. …repeat the listener’s question unnecessarily. Repeating a question can be helpful if you think that other listeners didn’t hear it. Ask the questioner to repeat the question to clarify any miscommunication.

Effectively managing questions and answers can help to communicate your knowledge of the topic to your listener.

Be sure to visit our site, WomensMedia to get Expert Advice for Business Women.

For quick updates for Business Women you should follow NancyFClark on Twitter, or StaceyHanke here.

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On our website, WomensMedia you should read this: 10 Tips From Gretchen Rubin on How to Be Happy at Work

and you may benefit from this:  Business Communication: 5 Tips for Building Your Authority.

It may help to listen to:

Gender Communication with Authority And Care —A Business Woman Can Be Careful Without Losing Her Authority
or read the blog here.

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A little over a year and a half ago I began my own Internet radio program called “Women Enjoying Success” on blogtalkradio^sm. My weekly 30-minute Internet radio show now has over 7,000 listeners, and approximately 70 episodes are available on iTunes as podcasts.

I’ve learned that if you are willing to put in time, energy and effort, an Internet radio show can prove to be a powerful marketing tool for your business.

I can’t remember exactly how I came across blogtalkradio^sm. But when I read that it would be easy to begin my own show, and that it was also a free service, I decided to jump into weekly broadcasting with both feet.

During the past 18 months, here’s what I’ve discovered:

1.  The discipline of producing, developing and hosting a weekly radio show keeps me current with what is new and developing within my field, coaching women entrepreneurs.

2.  I now have multicultural and global exposure that I probably could not have gotten anywhere else.

3.  I’ve met women experts in a variety of disciplines and have globally expanded my professional network.

4.  My weekly Ezine subscriptions have steadily increased, and with the new Ezine subscriptions have come loyal clients and customers.

5.  I have developed teleconferences, special reports, e-books, e-courses, articles, blog posts and audio products from the materials I’ve gathered and used on my radio shows.

6.  I have increased my Google rankings.

7.  I am now a sought after expert regarding women in business.

I won’t lie to you. You have to be willing to make a commitment to the success of your radio broadcasts. There has to be a commitment to content-rich programming. It takes time to find guests, create materials and produce a quality show that will have listeners coming back for more.

Here’s what it takes to get started:

1.  Sign up for a free blogtalkradio^sm account.

2.  Think of a good strong name for your show, one that will tell listeners what to expect when they call in and listen.

3.  Decide on the day, time and frequency of your show.

4.  If you like, you can go in with several other like-minded success-oriented entrepreneurs and develop a joint radio show.

5.  Take the blogtalkradio^sm online new-host training. It is conducted at your pace and on your time schedule.

6.  Develop the first few shows and get them on the air.

7.  Begin publicizing your radio show on Twitter, Facebook, in your newsletter, on your business card and places where you connect with your target market.

Producing and hosting my own Internet radio show has proven to be a great business-building and marketing tool. I recommend that you take a few minutes to check out Internet radio, because it may prove just as valuable for you.

Be sure to visit our site, WomensMedia to get Expert Advice for Business Women.

On our website, WomensMedia you should read these excellent articles:

Stop Treating Your Business Like a Hobby! and

Understanding Moneymaking Activities: 5 Tips for Business Owners and

Women in Business: Stop, Look, Listen and Succeed

For quick updates for Business Women you should follow NancyFClark on twitter here, or SharonMichaels here.

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By Stacey Hanke (Read about her here.)

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You are an expert within your industry and feel confident with your level of knowledge. You are frequently invited to share your knowledge with small to large groups and have delivered the same message on numerous occasions. The night before a typical delivery you review your notes, make a few adjustments to the PowerPoint slides and voilà — you’re ready to rock ’n’ roll.

Who really has time to prepare for a presentation with the same level of focus and precision as an athlete uses to prepare for the U.S. Open, Stanley Cup, Super Bowl or World Cup? Well, I can’t imagine that professional golfer Phil Mickelson simply reviews his form and swing the night before a tournament, without having a deep understanding of his success strategy weeks prior to the event.

Just like an athlete, musician or actor, if you want to perform at the top of your game you need to think about how your communication impacts others.

Too often we arrive at a presentation, sales call, or meeting with an “A to Z” plan and are unwilling to veer from that plan. We fear we’ll lose our train of thought or be perceived as inadequate or lacking requisite knowledge. We talk too much, confuse our listeners and become a talking head.

An effective communicator is someone who can change her message on the fly to meet her listeners’ needs and expectations. Although this might seem obvious, most of us tend to be deficient in this skill. The message is not about you! It’s about putting your listeners into your story. When you tap into your listeners’ emotions and what’s important to them, you will influence them to take action.

Prior to a presentation, sales call, meeting, face-to-face conversation or even sending an email, take time to apply the acronym K.N.O.W.

K – What is the knowledge level of your listeners?

N – What do your listeners need to know to take action in the allotted time?

O – What are your listeners’ opinions on your subject?

W – Who are your listeners?

When identifying who your audience members are, ask yourself the following questions:

•  What do they know about the topic being discussed?

•  What do I want them to know about the topic?

•  What are their expectations?

•  How do I want them to feel about the topic?

•  How will the action I want them to take benefit them?

•  What behavior do I want them to change as a result of my message?

•  What preconceived ideas do they have about my topic?

•  What’s their past experience with this topic?

•  What’s important to them?

•  What impact will their decisions have on decision-makers, clients or peers?

•  Why is this message being delivered now?

•  What are my listeners’ goals?

•  Will my message contain more information than my listeners need or want to hear? If so, how do I plan to prioritize the key points and concepts?

•  Why should my listeners be interested in this particular topic?

•  What are three challenging questions my listeners might ask?

When you take the focus off of yourself, you are able to put all of your energy into what matters most: influencing your listeners to take action. Isn’t that what communication is all about?

Be sure to visit our site, WomensMedia to get Expert Advice for Business Women.

For quick updates for Business Women you should follow NancyFClark on twitter here, or StaceyHanke here.

Sign up for the WomensMedia Newsletter.  We make it easy!

On our website, WomensMedia you should read this: Women in Business: Stop, Look, Listen and Succeed

and you may enjoy this: 8 Great Strategies for Working Any Room

It may help to listen to:

Business Communication Skills: Less Is More, So Get to the Point!
or read the blog here.

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As a woman in a male-dominated field, entertaining clients and building relationships through social contact are vital activities, though not always straightforward. For example, as an executive coach who specializes in working with professional women, I have yet to meet a woman who has the interest or time to take a client golfing, a long held networking tradition for men.

Women who want to develop relationships during office hours, through activities traditionally associated with male-dominated fields, such as drinking or at sporting events, are rare in my experience. Equally, women don’t tend to enjoy impromptu after-work drinks that go on late into the night. Most women can engage in after-work drinks now and again if given enough forewarning. However, impromptu get-togethers can be difficult for women with families, or even for women who just happen to value their own social lives and time away from work.

Maggie Berry, Director of womenintechnology.org, agrees. She indicated that, for her members, some of the key draws for her events were the focused attention on career development and the advance marketing that allowed women to plan to attend. She explained, “One of the comments I hear is that women can’t just spontaneously decide to go to the pub after work. They have different interests and responsibilities. If you know your team is going out on a Tuesday, you can plan around that. A woman can get the appropriate childcare and make transport arrangements ahead of time. Our members like to network, but like to set time aside specifically for it, rather than having to make themselves available all the time.”

If you avoid socializing completely, you will not be privy to political discussions, strengthening relationships or hearing about career opportunities that are almost always first discussed informally. Furthermore, you will send out the message that you are an outsider with no interest in becoming an insider. That being said, most women recognize that they need to make time to socialize with clients and colleagues on work trips or dinner out, which, while it has its obvious benefits, also has potential pitfalls. In addition to taking up what precious little time working women have, there is the danger of sending mixed messages to clients or colleagues—especially in settings where alcohol is involved.

This is a potential time to shine, as people promote those with whom they feel comfortable and who will make a good impression on their clients. Tread carefully, though, because if you get it wrong, you can backtrack your career considerably. Breakfast, lunch and coffee meetings are unlikely to be misconstrued, and have the additional advantage of being less likely to make you feel obliged to order alcohol with the meal. For example, you can invent a deadline back at the office if need be.

With dinner, you end the evening when you want to go home, which can be harder to negotiate your way out of if your dinner companions pressure you to stay. During the day, you can always say you have a meeting at the office, which is a more socially acceptable way of curtailing the evening than saying you just want to go home. So network please, but in a way that suits you, whether it be with groups that allow you to plan in advance or with meals at times that suit you. Just make sure you do it in a way that is respected, but can’t be misconstrued.

Be sure to visit our site, WomensMedia to get Expert Advice for Business Women.

Or on our website, WomensMedia you should read:

How to Succeed in a Male-Dominated Profession or

Business Women Can Play in the Boys’ Club or

Communicating With Men at Work .

For quick updates for Business Women you should follow NancyFClark on twitter here.

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by Sharon Michaels (Read about her here.)

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Whether you are building an online marketing team, own a storefront with employees, or organize a monthly professional networking group, your leadership skills can often mean the difference between success and failure.

What are the traits of a great leader?

Interestingly enough, in 1954 Raymond Cattell developed a Leadership Potential Equation. This equation was based on the common basic qualities of the top military leaders of World War II. In fact, this equation is still used today as a guide for defining the traits of effective leadership. Here are a few traits from Raymond Cattell’s Leadership Potential Equation:

1. Self-confidence – Self-assuredness, self-confidence and resiliency are common and important traits among top leaders. They trust their own judgment and instincts and do not necessarily need the approval of others to make well thought out decisions.

2. Healthy energy – A leader is well aware that good health is a prerequisite to good leadership. With leadership comes the need to take care of oneself in mind, body and spirit. Healthy energy begins in a healthy body.

3. Enthusiasm – People want to follow positive, energetic, upbeat, optimistic leaders. They want their leader to enthusiastically look for and focus on solutions to day-to-day challenges.

4. Knowledge – A powerful leader should know what she’s talking about. There’s nothing worse than a leader who doesn’t walk her talk. The most charismatic leaders lead by example.

5. Emotional stability – Good leaders handle stress, anger, frustration and disappointment in positive and empowering ways. Emotional maturity is a must for effective leadership.

6.  Empathy – Personal power and recognition must take a back seat to the well being of the team. Empathy builds trust. Without a leader who is trustworthy, there is no team.

7. Charisma – A charismatic leader can rally a team to be and achieve their best. A leader with charisma can paint a vision of the future that her team will want to build upon and aim toward.

8. Goal oriented – Leadership means knowing how to set group goals—goals that will motivate and excite the team to grow and thrive personally and professionally.

I doubt if anyone is born a great leader. It is how a person handles the circumstances they are given that often determines true leadership qualities. Looking through these traits, how do you rank yourself as a leader? Remember, you can learn to lead.

Listen to today’s podcast here.

Be sure to visit our site, WomensMedia to get Expert Advice for Business Women.

On our website, WomensMedia you should read these excellent articles:

7 Steps to the Best Leadership Style and

Leadership Skills: Boost Your Business Acumen! and

5 Things Leaders Must Do to Stop the Gossip Mill

For quick updates for Business Women you should follow NancyFClark on twitter here, or SharonMichaels here.

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“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”  Carl W. Buechner

Have you ever attended a comedy club where the comedians had you laughing constantly? When the lights come on, you were wishing for more because you had a great time and the comedians made you feel good.

Have you ever participated in a meeting, conference call, presentation, or face-to-face conversation feeling the complete opposite? You feel like time isn’t moving. You can’t wait to walk away and you’re bored to tears. Because the speaker is ineffective, you don’t remember the key points or ideas and there is nothing to quote.

Being memorable and quotable requires you to:

• Grab and keep the attention of listeners.

• Be clear, concise and to the point.

• Communicate a message that meets your listener’s expectations.

• Manage the amount of information you share.

Whether you are delivering a presentation, facilitating a meeting of having a face-to-face conversation, you’re objective is to influence action. When you are memorable and quotable, your listeners will remember more of your message for a longer length of time.  As a result, you’ll have more impact and influence on them.

Most of us never get close to being memorable and quotable because we frustrate our listeners. We communicate too much information and our message imparts information overload. Our listeners become frustrated because they begin to feel overwhelmed, confused or exhausted. In most cases, their reaction is to stop listening. They may be nodding their heads, giving you the impression they’re listening, but in reality you have filled their cup to capacity and it is now overflowing.

To make sure your listeners remember and retain the information you are communicating, create your content following “The Rule of Three,” which states that the human mind remembers in groups of three. This explains why we remember our phone numbers and Social Security numbers. When you offer more than three key points, your listeners are busy trying to remember each key point; they walk away with none of them. Keeping your key points to three or less will also help you remember what you came to communicate.

Identify up to three key points that will support your objective, meet your listener’s expectations and influence them to take action. Your key points serve as a road map that provides direction. Key points establish the framework for the action you want your listeners to take as a result of your message.

Always state your most important key point first. I know this sounds obvious, yet how many times have you saved the best for last? If you begin to run out of time, you end up racing through your most important key point, throwing it at your listeners and hoping they will cling to the idea. Often they will miss it!

When you state your most important key point first, you don’t need to worry about running out of time and failing to communicate a critical piece to your message. It’s not a make or break if you don’t have time to communicate your least important key point. Remember, your listeners don’t know what your key points are until you share them.

Leave your listener wanting more. You’ll have more impact on your listeners when you follow the rule of three because they will be able to make a decision to take action. When they walk away feeling frustrated, they end up with nothing!

The more memorable your message becomes, the more quotable you will be. Apply the following elements to your message to make it easier for your listeners to quote you.

• Use stories and examples relating to the experiences of your listeners.

• Speak their language. What phrases or acronyms do they use that you can apply to your message?

• Invite your listeners to connect, engage and interact with you. Ask them questions, have them repeat key take-aways, or restate your key take-aways at least three times throughout your message.

Be sure to visit our site, WomensMedia to get Expert Advice for Business Women.

For quick updates for Business Women you should follow NancyFClark on twitter here, or StaceyHanke here.

Sign up for the WomensMedia Newsletter.  We make it easy!

On our website, WomensMedia you should read this: Add Confidence and Credibility to Your Presentations

or you may enjoy this: 10 Tips From Gretchen Rubin on How to Be Happy at Work

It may help to listen to:

How To Get Motivated —5 Steps For Motivation
or read it here.

Sign up for the WomensMedia Newsletter.  We make it easy!

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Humans, both men and women, are visual beings. Pretending that we don’t judge one another based on various aspects of appearance, or indeed that we are above such scrutiny ourselves, is a fallacy.

For example, your own quick visual judgments affect the decisions you make about whom to approach at a networking event, or how you guess who is the most senior person in a boardroom.

Image counts. In the absence of other relevant information, you will look for visual clues about who is like yourself, how they regard themselves, how professional they seem. You then will allow whatever they say about themselves to either support or contradict your initial visual impression—not the other way around.

Keep in mind that it is very hard to get someone to adopt a more favorable opinion after they have met you and formed a negative impression. Humans subconsciously look for validation that their first impression, whether negative or positive, was correct. It is easier to start from a position of strength by offering a positive first impression through your image. For the woman looking to raise her profile, addressing one’s image is not an option. It is vital.

The women I interviewed for Beyond the Boys’ Club came from a wide range of industries—from science and tech to consultancy and accounting. They were all dressed in different styles—styles that were completely appropriate for their sectors and for what was on the agenda that particular day. They dressed to have attention focused on what they contributed to the team. Their choices didn’t detract from what they were saying.

For example, Laura Hinton, a partner at PwC, wore suits to work every day. It was part of her persona and had a positive impact on the way she felt about herself. Her formality of dress works for her: she is one of the youngest women at the firm ever to make partner. She was clear, however, that she does not think dressing in a suit is the main key to success. Rather, it is more important to avoid certain types of clothing, namely anything that could distract from one’s words and work as a professional woman.

She remarked, “Sometimes you see a woman in the office, and when she takes off her jacket you see she is wearing a top that could be mistaken for underwear.” She continued, “If I am noticing it and thinking twice, then other people, both men and women, are probably noticing it too. It will subtly detract from the reputation of her work. You certainly don’t have to wear dark colors and suits every day, but don’t wear anything that could be distracting.”

Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Women often promise themselves that they will take their image more seriously after they get the promotion. There is a double downside to this approach. If they get the promotion before updating their image, they may be lulled into complacency thinking: I got a promotion and—how bad can I look? If they don’t get the promotion, they may question: What’s the point? I’m obviously not management material.

If you want to be promoted, dress like those at the level above you, not like your peers. Look to more senior women for guidance. At the end of the day, people aren’t that imaginative; they can’t see your potential unless you show it to them.

Be sure to visit our site, WomensMedia to get Expert Advice for Business Women.

Or on our website, WomensMedia you should read:

First Impressions: Making the Most of the First 30 Seconds, or

Communicating With Impact and Influence

For quick updates for Business Women you should follow NancyFClark on twitter here.

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by Suzanne Doyle-Morris, PhD  (Read about her here.)

(Listen to it here.)

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As someone who routinely speaks to large audiences, one of the most common questions I get from professional women concerns how to get comfortable speaking in front of groups, whether in a boardroom, at conferences or on panels. My number one piece of advice is to join your local branch of Toastmasters International.

Toastmasters is a nonprofit organization that exists to help people develop confidence in their speaking abilities. It has branches all over world and even within many large companies. In fact, the professional network, Women in Banking and Finance, has its own branch, as do many large employers. Members of Toastmasters practice speaking by giving five-minute speeches. They also learn to give feedback to one another on their improving skills—which is invaluable to members’ development as leaders.

When I started my own company, I quickly realized that I would not make a living simply from one-to-one coaching. In fact, I realized I shouldn’t make my living simply through one-to-one work, since I enjoyed working with a larger audience. However, I knew I wouldn’t be a fantastic speaker overnight and that I couldn’t just wing it every time I got up to speak. My audiences and I deserved better than that. So, while I knew I could speak adequately, I also knew adequate wasn’t enough to differentiate myself as an executive coach and speaker. I needed to get better.

I joined my local branch of Toastmasters, which enabled me to practice crafting and delivering a variety of speeches to a group of strangers who would give me supportive feedback. For my first speech, I had to give a five-minute introduction to some aspect of my life. I mistakenly thought, How hard can that be? I chose to speak about the circuitous journey that had brought me, an Australian-born American, to Cambridge.

I was overconfident and it showed—dreadfully. I told jokes that I hadn’t first road-tested for suitability. I managed to defy the laws of physics completely, by frequently drying up and running out of interesting things to say, while simultaneously going over my allocated time. That was an “achievement” I did not want to repeat.

However, that experience taught me to value more highly both my audience and their time, and to always prepare a presentation worth listening to. For any woman looking to enhance her speaking skills, I couldn’t recommend Toastmasters highly enough. I completed the initial round of 10 speeches, on topics ranging from a past French holiday to what I loved about Britain, getting better with every speech. Toastmasters enables you to become more comfortable with your speaking skills, which is a good lesson for any professional.

Listen to today’s podcast here.

Be sure to visit our site, WomensMedia to get Expert Advice for Business Women.

Or on our website, WomensMedia you should read:

Seven Steps to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking or

Add Confidence and Credibility to Your Presentations

For quick updates for Business Women you should follow NancyFClark on twitter here.

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by Sharon Michaels (Read about her here.)

(Listen to it here.)

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Working from home can be a challenge. I know about home office challenges from personal experience. My office is directly off our living area, facing the kitchen and it doesn’t have a door. Talk about distractions! Every day I deal with the smells of cooking, staring at the refrigerator and watching the family grab snacks.

The good news is, I’ve learned to rise above these challenges and focus on doing business during my workday. The bad news is, it took time to discipline myself to concentrate on my business and not get distracted. It didn’t happen overnight. In fact, my husband is in the kitchen right now warming food in the microwave and feeding our dog, and there is a part of me that wants to see what he’s doing.

Let me share some tips that are working for me:

1. When I step into my office my mind shifts to business. I put on my business owner’s cap and concentrate my time and energy on doing business. It’s a deliberate and conscious decision – a mindset shift that my office is for working, not playing.

2. I surround myself with my personal and professional motivators. To my right is my current vision board, to my left is my professional mission statement, directly ahead of me is a picture of my husband, our mini-dachshund and me on one of our favorite family vacations. On my bookshelves are my favorite books, family photos and other reminders of why I’m doing what I’m doing.

3. My office is clean, inviting and organized. There are times when I have too many piles of paper on the desk or floor, but generally I’m neat. Being organized is important to me because I work better when I know where things are and can find them without getting frustrated. I straighten up before I leave the room at the end of the day because I want to start fresh and clean in the morning.

4. I have a timer on my desk. I use the timer to keep me on track because I want to use my time wisely. It’s easy to get caught up in social networking or checking email and lose track of time. I set the timer for 15 or 20 minutes and when the timer rings, I finish up that particular task and go on to the next.

5. My husband and I have “moneymaking” signs. Each sign consists of a large green dollar sign ($) placed in a picture frame. When my frame is on the edge of the desk and pointing toward the doorway, that means Do Not Disturb because I’m working on moneymaking activities.

6. I use music as a sound barrier. I have a small CD player and an iPod in my office. When I find myself getting distracted, I plug in my earphones and listen to my favorite music. I particularly enjoy the sounds of crashing waves to help my thoughts focus on writing or creating. When I need energy, I play something “jazzy” or upbeat. My music selections correspond with my tasks.

7. I’ve learned to take regular breaks. When my mind wanders or my thinking begins to get fuzzy, I get up, stretch and take quality time to rejuvenate my mind, body and spirit.

Hopefully, some of these suggestions will work in your own home office. Finding a home-based work environment that will be productive and empowering is personal and individual to each of us. If you have additional suggestions, please share them with us.

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