Getting over your fear of public speaking With public speaking being the number one fear in America, it's natural for you to be nervous before any important speech or presentation. Use these simple tips to ease you through your public speaking experience. Prepare-Know as much as possible about the subject you're speaking about so you can present it with conviction. When you're thoroughly prepared, your audience will see you as an expert on your subject. Always consider the demographic of age group of your audience when preparing a speech. Body language and voice-Be aware of your gestures, including those that make you look nervous (like shuffling your feet or kicking the podium). Make eye contact with the audience, keep a genuine smile on your face, and move your arms and hands around appropriately. Speak clearly, and vary your tone of voice based on what you're talking about. Show your personality-No matter who you're presenting to, no one wants to watch a robotic presentation. Move around, be animated and give the audience a taste of who you are. Relax-Try not to let your nerves get the best of you. Practice deep breathing, or breathing resulting from diaphragm movement, not movement of the upper chest. Remember that no one is thinking about your speech as much are you are. Thrive during a recession 5 tips for your business to survive Be cautious when cutting costs When the economy gets bad, many business owners carry the mentally of cut, cut, cut! It's always important to cut unnecessary expenses, but be sure you're planning long term. Continue to advertise Advertising is often one of the first costs business owners try to cut in trying times. This is BIG mistake. It's important to maintain, if not increase, your advertising while your competitors are cutting theirs. Consumers may be more cautious about spending money, but they're still spending. With consistent advertising, your business will be the first consumers turn to in the poor economy. Hire an intern Hiring an intern is a great way to get some extra help for little money. There are plenty of qualified college students and recent graduates who may be able bring fresh viewpoints to your business. It's important to have a plan and system in place when hiring an intern so it's not only rewarding for your business, but a great experience for your intern. Devote time to increasing business Spend time actively networking with clear intentions. Check in periodically with people you've met. If you have a regular newsletter, add potential customers to the recipient list. It's also important to nurture the relationships you have with your current customers and keep them faithful to you. Don't be afraid to ask your loyal customers for referrals. Be positive It's tempting to complain about the office, especially during the economic hardships most people are experiencing, but try to remain positive. A bad attitude can damage the growth of your business. The attitude you emanate is picked up by your employees. If you want happy and productive employees, you have to demonstrate the same. Lift your office spirit These days, it's difficult to avoid hearing negative news everywhere you turn. Don't let the loads of bad news being reported daily affect your mood at work. While you can't control everything, you can control yourself. Put these little suggestions into practice to help brighten your day and lift your spirits at work. Decorate your space. It doesn't matter how much workspace you have, any work area can be transformed to suit your tastes and reflect your personality. Bring in photos of friends, family, pets or anything that makes you happy. You can add a personal photo to your computer's desktop background. If you're near a window, consider adding some life with a live plant. Listen to the radio during the day. A favorite song has the ability to shift your mood from bad to good. If you're able, listen to the radio during the day. Most radio stations will allow you to listen right from your computer. Remember to consider nearby coworkers with your selection of music. You wouldn't want to be disruptive to your coworkers. Move around. You're sitting at your desk all day; try not to be there on your lunch break too. If weather permits, take a walk or eat lunch outdoors for some fresh air. Depending on where your office is located, you may choose to go to a nearby park, shopping center or even home. A change of scenery during your lunch break will mentally recoup you for the second half of the day. Remove clutter and keep your area clean. Clutter can put anyone over the edge when you're already busy. Use file folders to organize paperwork and projects. Instead of writing reminder notes on numerous post-its, use you e-mail calendar or keep one notebook near your desk. Perfect your presence on the Web We revamped www.allseasonscommunications.com! How current is your Web site? Every few months take some time out of your day and review your entire Web site. Check for outdated copy and make sure all of your links are still working. Outdated information and bad links make your company look amateur. It's important to make regular updates to your Web site. Give your target audience a reason to visit your Web site regularly. Do you visit Web sites that have the same content posted every time? All Seasons Communications recently updated our Web site with a new design and fresh content. Now included are marketing articles and a client spotlight section which will be routinely updated with new material. Check it out! All Seasons Communications is a full-service advertising, marketing and public relations agency. Visit www.allseasonscommunications.com to learn more, call us at 586.752.6381, or e-mail us as info@allseasonscommunications.com. To be removed from future e-mails please reply to this message with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line. We apologize for any inconvenience. Click here to forward this e-mail.