Constructing a Press Kit
A press kit is a collection of written materials designed to introduce an expert or a company to the media. Often these materials are contained in an attractive folder and accompanied by a cover letter [more…]
Improving Your Inflection on the Phone
When you deal with customers over the phone, you have a whole new set of etiquette rules. The minute you pick up the phone, body language disappears, and your tone of voice and the words you use become [more…]
Reading an Annual Report
Without a doubt, annual reports are at the pinnacle of corporate communication. The point of the annual report is to provide a summary of exactly how a company has performed in the preceding year, and [more…]
Finding the Right Mental Attitude for Success
Attitude isn't quite everything when it comes to being successful, but attitude plays a part in virtually every phase of your life. A poor attitude gets more people fired than any other single factor, [more…]
Developing a Personal Code of Ethics for Consulting
Ethics are important for anyone in business. They're particularly important to consultants because of the high level of trust that organizations grant them and because of the access that many consultants [more…]
Understanding Zoning, Licensing, and Permits
No matter which governments — federal, state, or local — have jurisdiction in your particular place of business, you can bet that they all have something to say about how, when, and where you can — and [more…]
Billing for Your Consulting Services
How you bill your clients for your consulting work depends on your consulting contract or, in the absence of a written contract, any other agreements you may have made regarding billing and payment. If [more…]
Selling Tips: Mastering the Meet and Greet
Your first meeting with a prospective client can set the entire tone for your relationship. Here are some guidelines to ensure that your relationship has a positive start: [more…]
Win-Win Negotiating
You are about to end the negotiation, either by closing a deal or walking away from it. If you are going to close the deal, be sure that the deal is positive for both parties, producing a win-win situation [more…]
Don't Let Fear Get in the Way of Success
Fear of failure is probably the second biggest cause of failure. The first is fear of the unknown — just watch any horror movie. The easiest way to overcome these fears is to take action. Don't succumb [more…]
Consulting Skill: Listening to a Potential Client
A consultant's primary responsibility is to help clients find the best solutions to their needs. This means asking questions and then listening — really [more…]
Problem-Solving for Consultants
In consulting, problem-solving is really where the rubber meets the road. While problem-solving, you review the data that you sliced, diced, and otherwise processed to develop a set of solutions, one or [more…]
Understanding Issues in Oral Contracts
Oral contracts can be as binding as written contracts. But have fun proving what you've agreed to without a written record. If your deal goes south, you may feel like Sylvester to the other party's Tweety [more…]
Ethical Land Mines for Consultants
Consultants face ethical dilemmas every day of the week, and as a consultant, you may be tempted to stray to the wrong side of that ethical line. But remember that you have a choice: You can do business [more…]
Traversing the Course Control Panel in Blackboard
In your Blackboard course, you have access to the Control Panel — and your learners don't. You therefore have the power to add, modify, copy, and remove content; turn course tools on or off; and decide [more…]
Easing the Learning Assessment with Blackboard
The Blackboard online environment offers many ways to incorporate both formative and summative assessment techniques in your courses. Consider the following ideas. [more…]
Taking Your First Look at Blackboard
What you will love about Blackboard may also be the source of some frustration, much like in other Web-based applications you may be using. Remember that you're working on the Web, and keep in mind the [more…]
How to Remember Names in a Business Situation
Remembering names and titles in a business situation makes a lasting impression. If you can master remembering the names of people your business deals with, you can present yourself with confidence and [more…]
How to Build a Professional Network
Building a professional network of clients and contacts for your business involves how you relate to people. Developing a professional network includes awareness of people who interact with your business [more…]
How to Develop Good Networking Habits
You can develop certain habits that make business networking easy, efficient, and natural. With the right habits, you won’t have to think about networking — you’ll just do it. The basis of networking is [more…]
How to Display Networking Follow-Through
Networking follow-through happens when you take action to stay in touch with people in your professional network. Effective networking follow-through helps you stay connected with people and keeps the [more…]
How to Network If You're an Introvert
If you're an introvert, don't think that successful networking is out of the question. Knowing how to network if you're an introvert first requires you to be aware of your natural strengths that contribute [more…]
How to Network If You're an Extrovert
If you're an extrovert, networking may seem like a snap, but the extroverted networker does need to watch out for certain pitfalls that could damage relationships with business contacts and colleagues. [more…]
How to Network on the Internet
Online professional networking gives you a virtual room of potential connections. The Internet is a powerful networking business tool, enabling you to connect with others, find opportunities, and exchange [more…]
How to Get Name Pronunciation Right in Business Dealings
When introduced to a business contact, make sure you pronounce that person's name correctly. If you don't determine the right way to say his or her name, you can ruin a good business relationship by mispronouncing [more…]
