Have you ever worked for hours, days or months on a sales presentation, only to have the big day arrive and you somehow can’t close the deal? Or maybe you have a terrific offer for a potential customer, but you just can’t seem to get the powerful message that’s in your mind to sound as exciting once it comes out of your mouth.

Developing a winning sales presentation is key to having a successful business, and it’s always a good idea to learn from the experts. So in this two-part series, you’ll learn about the four stages of great presentations, according to one of the world's leading human resources and management consulting organizations: Dale Carnegie.

Everyone who has ever been in the sales arena has heard about Dale Carnegie courses, and how the company has perfected the practice that allows anyone with public speaking and presentation needs to become polished professionals who communicate their ideas across with poise and enthusiasm.

"Whether you are persuading colleagues, selling a client or energizing a team, the power of your presentation makes the difference between success and failure," says Peter Handal, President, Chairman and CEO of Dale Carnegie Training. "These techniques are useful for managers, executives, sales people and anyone who might meet members of the media. Anyone that is part of a workplace will find the opportunity to utilize these techniques whether they are presenting to colleagues, clients or potential investors."

Dale Carnegie Training provides four stages to perfecting your presentation, and here is the first one:

Plan - Describe your audience as it relates to the topic and define the purpose of your talk as it relates to the outcome you seek. Plan the content of your presentation around your purpose and your audience's interest and level of understanding. Use words and phrases common to your audience, and focus on your purpose.

The final three stages are key, and will be shared in the next installment of this series.

I heard on the radio the other day that the stock market hasn’t seen such gloomy times since The Great Depression. If that’s not enough to make small business owners shake in their boots, well, I don’t know what is. If there are any small business owners out there not just a little bit worried in today’s tough economic times, I think they’re residents of La La Land.

I heard about a free, yes FREE, resource out there that is specifically designed to help you. Developed by SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business,” and Corporate Turnaround, it’s a 16-page workbook, How to Pay Business Debts You Can’t Afford. This resource is to help small businesses survive when facing economic and financial challenges. The guide covers some of the most crucial parts of settling commercial debts, including:

• How to determine a monthly budget to pay past due debts
• How to create settlement offers with real-world information
• How to write settlement letters using fill-in-the-blank templates
• How to negotiate affordable settlements with the toughest creditors
• How to stretch out settlements over time

How to Pay Business Debts You Can’t Afford is free and available as a PDF download on SCORE’s home page at www.score.org.

SCORE CEO Kan Yancey says, “SCORE mentors can help small businesses with a variety of financial issues, including loans, cash flow, accounting, taxes and cost reduction.” Yancey adds, “This new workbook will help give small business owners the tools they need to satisfy their creditors.”

“The easy-to-understand strategies in this guide have helped settle more than 25,000 business debts,” says Jerry Silberman, CEO of Corporate Turnaround and co-author of Small Business Survival Book: 12 Surefire Ways for Your Business to Survive and Thrive. Silberman adds, “SCORE clients will learn how to explain their hardship directly to their creditors and gain the best possible settlements.”

If you find yourself needing help with your small business financial health, then a free resource is always a welcome one. That, along with a winning lottery ticket!

As if traveling for business isn’t hard enough for small business owners, now we have to deal with extra baggage fees. What next? A charge before the pilot will actually land the plane? If you’re unhappy with the new regulations, you’re not alone.

SmarterTravel.com^TM began polling users regarding baggage fees and flying when American Airlines announced their $15 charge for the first checked bag, and the results were surprising. According to the on-site survey, only three percent of respondents said they would continue to fly the airline, and only because they were elite-level AAdvantage members or were close to receiving an award ticket.

In addition to responses from travelers who were reluctant to fly American Airlines in the future, SmarterTravel's on-site poll also found that:

• Most plan to carry on their luggage (39 percent) or will cut back on what they packed to only pay for one checked bag (30 percent).
• Twenty four percent noted that new fees are just one more reason they won't be flying at all anytime soon.
• Three percent noted they would suck it up and pay for two bags.
• Two percent said they always travel light.

"We understand that airlines are looking for ways to recoup costs incurred by the high cost of fuel, but the charge for baggage shocked and concerned us and our readers," said Anne Banas, executive editor of SmarterTravel.com. "The survey helps to underscore that travelers are not happy with the state of air travel, and that their efforts to get around the fee will only end up causing the airline headaches in the end. We also wanted to show that not all passengers are penalized with the charge -- there are a lucky few who can get around it based on their ticket or status."

Exemptions for the first and second checked bag fee include:

Advance Ticket Purchases. Early birds who purchased tickets in advance of the ruling do not have to pay fees. American Airlines flyers who booked travel prior to June 14 don't have to pay for a first checked bag and those who booked before May 12 don't have to pay for a second checked bag. United passengers who made reservations before June 13 can check one bag free and those who booked February 3 or earlier can bring two bags free. On US Airways, you still have until July 9 to book to get one checked bag free.

Business and First Class Travelers. Already paying exorbitantly high seat prices, business and first class travelers don't have to pay for their bags to come too. This also goes for the lucky ones who booked business or first class award travel.

Active Military. Members of the military with proper ID and orders are exempt from the new baggage fees on all three airlines. American extends this exemption to all members of the military and anyone who purchased a military or government fare.

Mobility Impaired or Traveling with Kids. All three airlines exempt wheelchairs and other personal assistance devices. Ditto for car seats and strollers checked by passengers traveling with a child on American only. United lets you check strollers free, and on US Airways, car seats and strollers are free only if you fly across the Atlantic and pay the lap-infant fee.

Elite Frequent Fliers. Airline loyalty may not give you the types of rewards you reaped in the past, but at least nowadays it saves you from some of the punishment being wrought on economy flyers. If you're an elite level member of American's, United's, or US Airways' frequent flyer program, you're exempt from extra baggage fees on that airline. Each airline also exempts flyers with elite-level membership in its global alliance program

Chances are, if you’re running a business out of your home, you’re also spending lots of hours driving to meet with clients, potential customers or vendors. And even though your car and the money you put into it are probably tax-deductible, it’s still coming out of your pocket.

With the high fuel prices of today, everyone is trying to cut back and find ways to save money on gas. Here are some money-saving tips that can help you pinch your pennies and cut down on spending at the pump:

Keep your car in shape. If your car is in excellent condition, you can actually increase gas mileage by 17 percent or more. This includes keeping your oil changed on time, according to your manufacturers recommendations.

Air your tires. Experts say that keeping your tires inflated, rotated and aligned can actually extend your gas mileage by as much as 3 percent. Also, making sure your engine is tuned properly and your air filter is clean can increase fuel efficiency.

Get the most out of your trips. Try to schedule your business appointments and other errands on the same day, in the same area of town. If you’re driving fewer miles, you’ll see the pay off in fuel costs, and even in your auto insurance rates and parking fees.

Don’t idle around. If you stop your vehicle for more than 30 seconds, turn the car off. Idling has shown to burn more gas than restarting an engine. You can think of this the next time you’ve stopped for a train, for a carpool or drive-up lane, or to talk to a neighbor along the street.

Keep your windows up. You might be surprised to learn that experts advise drivers to keep the windows rolled up and use the air conditioner. Drivers can consume 10 percent less fuel this way, since traveling with the windows down increases drag on your vehicle.

Go Cruisin'. Take advantage of your cruise control, even when not on the highway. You’re less likely to speed, which consumes more of your fuel.

Slow it down. Even though the speed limit might say 70 mph, be aware that once you drive over 60 mph, your gas mileage drops significantly. Also, avoid those “jackrabbit” starts and stops, which drives your fuel use up.

Travel light. If you have a trunk full of heavy boxes fill with samples and supplies, consider moving them into your garage and take only what you need. Studies show that extra weight in the trunk can cut fuel economy, as does strapping bags and other items to the roof of your vehicle.

In today’s tough times, every penny saved is appreciated. By taking small but smart steps when it comes to your driving habits, you can relieve some of the pain that you feel at the gas pump.

Many of us are great when it comes to running our business, but then we get in front of a crowd of strangers and we clam up. Or maybe we speak, but we don’t necessarily sell our product as effectively as we could. If you think you could use a little help when it comes to marketing your company and getting your product or service out there, then you might be interested in PERSUASION IQ: The 10 Skills You Need to Get Exactly What You Want (AMACOM 2008). The author, Kurt W. Mortensen, makes a living as an authority on the psychology, art and distinctive intelligence of pursuasion.

“Regardless of our actual job title, we all persuade for a living,” notes Mortensen, as he shares what he has learned about the talents, traits, habits, and mindset of top persuaders—people who stand out as exceptionally successful and prosperous—over nearly 20 years of wide-ranging research. First, he of an intensive self-assessment to help everyone identify their own persuasive strengths and weaknesses. Then, he provides a transformational roadmap for anyone to become a master persuader.

“If you can effectively present your ideas and persuade others, you will be highly influential and highly respected,” says Mortensen. What Mortensen calls “Persuasion IQ” or “PQ” is similar to “street smarts,” but focused on achievement goals. PQ relies on a combination of IQ (raised continuously through reading books, taking seminars, and learning from experts) and EQ (the ability to perceive, assess, and manage the emotions of self, others, and groups), with the addition of specific dynamic qualities.

As Mortensen explains, the way to attain a high PQ is to become a naturally persuasive person—someone who inspires long-term trust and respect from clients, prospects or other persuadees. PERSUASION IQ tackles 10 common obstacles that limit persuasion success—fear of rejection, over-persuading, and limited persuasion tools among them. From there, chapters focus on developing 10 essential PQ skills for success. Readers will learn how to:

• Take an honest look at their past mistakes and their current situation, and then move on to visualize success.
• Make a strong, positive first impression in 30 seconds or less, and determine whether they really are connecting with others.
• Overcome skepticism and quickly establish genuine, lasting trust by demonstrating compe¬tence, confidence, credibility, congruence of word and action, and character.
• Stay consistently self-motivated and motivate others by understanding internal drives and external pressures, as well as their passion and purpose.
• Bounce back from setbacks, design a self-development program, and upgrade their future potential.

The last true “office job” I had was over eight years ago, and I still suffer from uncontrollable muscle spasms when I recall those hot summer afternoons in panty hose. And jackets with shoulder pads … talk about constricting. I don’t know that I could go back to that type of office gear if I had to. And granted, many offices these days don’t even come close to demanding the traditional wardrobe in order to report to work.

Still, during summer months especially, it’s easy to slack off a little, sneak into work with perhaps less-than-appropriate footwear or attire, and hope that no one says anything. Well, if you’re interested in promotions, and all the perks that come along with it, you might think again before you slide on the flip-flops and head to work in your cargo shorts.

A new CareerBuilder.com survey reports that 41 percent of employers state that people who dress better or more professionally tend to be promoted more often than others in their organization. And it’s not surprising that financial services is one of the industries that place the most emphasis on professional dress, as 55 percent of them state that people who dress more professionally tend to be promoted more often than others in the organization.

On the other hand, IT and manufacturing employers are two of the industries that place the least amount of emphasis on professional dress, as only 37 percent and 34 percent, respectively, said that employees who dress more professionally tend to be promoted more often than others.

"Even though we are seeing a trend of more relaxed dress codes in the office, especially in summer, it doesn't mean that professionalism should go out the window," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of Human Resources for CareerBuilder.com. "How you dress can play an important role in how others perceive you at work, and dressing professionally can help you project a motivated and dedicated image."

Some workplaces have taken action into their own hands and are getting employees to dress more professionally by banning certain items of clothing and footwear. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of employers surveyed have banned flip flops, 49 percent have banned mini-skirts and 28 percent have banned jeans. In addition to banning certain items of clothing, some employers have gone as far as to send employees home for unsuitable work attire. More than one-third (35 percent) of employers have sent someone home to change clothes because they were dressed inappropriately.

So what if the boss is the one slacking when it comes to attire? Experts still recommend that employees take it upon themselves to dress the part of a professional, even if it’s a casual version. Paying attention to cleanliness, neatness and detail can go a long way in supporting a competent and professional image. So save the flip-flops for your weekends, and  as the old saying goes, “dress for success.”

Oh, how we all love to talk about taxes. There's nothing more exciting than going to a cocktail party and spending the entire evening laughing with friends about tax incentives and the economy. It's fascinating! Okay, I'm kidding.

So to help spur your excitement about the subject, small business owners now have a new resource online. Turns out, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has created an online tax savings resource center to help small businesses understand how they can benefit from the 2008 economic stimulus package signed into law by President Bush earlier this year.

The package includes the following tax incentives for businesses: a 50% bonus depreciation allowance on equipment purchased and placed in service in calendar 2008 and an almost 100% increase in the amount (from $128,000 to $250,000) that a business can expense for equipment purchased and placed in the business tax year beginning in 2008.

“The stimulus package is designed to spur the economy by putting money back into the pockets of American workers and encouraging small businesses to invest and expand,” said SBA Acting Administrator Jovita Carranza. “However, many small business owners are unaware of how it could boost their bottom line. In the roundtables I held with dozens of small business owners last week on tax policy, many were amazed to learn how much their companies could benefit from the temporary tax incentives in the package.”

SBA’s new tax savings resource center demonstrates the benefits entrepreneurs can gain from the 2008 economic stimulus package. The center, located on www.sba.gov/stimulus, contains three resources on the package:

1. Fact Sheet. The fact sheet provides a clear explanation of the small business tax benefits.
2. Depreciation Calculator. This useful tool provides an estimate of the first-year depreciation available under the provisions.
3. Online Seminar. This brief tutorial summarizes the tax benefits and concludes with the depreciation calculator.

These resources should help small businesses take advantage of the stimulus package. However, because there are exceptions and additional requirements, small businesses are encouraged to contact their tax advisor to determine exactly how the provisions and implementing tax code of the 2008 economic stimulus package apply to their business. Also, check out  http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=179227,00.html for additional information regarding tax changes.

So get tax happy and impress you friends with all your knowledge. You're sure to be a hit a the next dinner party!

Isn’t it amazing how it’s so easy to miss important messages in the world of business? I’ll wait for an important client’s call all day, but the minute I step out to have lunch with a friend, or run an errand, I’ll get that important call and I can’t pick up the phone. It’s either that, or I’ll be in the middle of a meeting, knowing that there’s a voice mail waiting for me, just screaming to be heard, and I can’t put the phone to my ear out of respect for the meeting.
There are dozens of situations where you just can’t sit through endless voice mail messages, waiting to hear from that one client or customer with valuable information.

It’s with those situations in mind that I sing the praises of TalkText. This is a service provided by FreedomVOICE Systems (FVS), that uses advanced technology to convert voicemail messages to email. Powered by SimulScribe™, TalkText allows people to read their telephone messages in locations where listening to voicemail would be inappropriate.

TalkText is ideal for those of us on-the-go, because it allows us to view phone messages on a Blackberry, laptop or cell phone. So let’s say you’re in a conference call and you can’t take another call but you need to take care of business while a colleague gives a never-ending report, you can actually read voicemail messages and take a course of action. Being able to do this translates into higher productivity.

TalkText employs high-level voice recognition software and advanced proprietary algorithms, developed by SimulScribe, to convert voice messages to email. According to company officials, the average turn-around time is about two to five minutes, depending on the length of the message.

If you think about how many minutes you’re sitting during a day, listening to voicemail, you’ll realize how valuable this benefit can be. Especially for those who receive a particularly large volume of calls, like entrepreneurs, sales managers or attorneys. With TalkText, you can scan the content of the messages and even use text searching tools like Google to sift through them all. You can then instantly see who has called, what was said, and respond accordingly.

TalkText provides a service that is automated, secure and time-saving, which are qualities that every small business owner can appreciate. If you aren’t using this service yet, you definitely should be.

Do you ever see an idea and think, “Wow, I wish I would have thought of that?” It seems like clever entrepreneurs can take a simple idea, market it just right, and find a niche in an untapped market.

So when I read a story about a Kansas City entrepreneur, I thought I’d share her success story to help inspire those of you who might need it. It seems that this innovative thinker, Sharon Young, was already creating designs for political campaign buttons, which she sells on her website, PoliticalShop.com. Young also happens to own a pet, and she had a brainstorm that linked the two together, which resulted in a success story.

The result? Patriotic Pets^TM. With slogans such as "Bark Obama for President," "100% McCain9," "McCain for Top Dog," and a colorful Obama peace sign design, pets and their owners can now support their candidates in style with these novel 1-1/2" buttons.

"I was putting a new tag on my dog, Wolfgang, when the idea came to me," said Young. She developed some prototypes, adding clips to the buttons instead of pins. She clipped one on Wolfie's collar and put it to the test. A few weeks later, Young included pet buttons in a merchandise selection she was taking to a campaign rally in St. Paul, Minnesota. They sold out immediately. When she returned, she noticed several pet button sales in her Internet orders. Shortly thereafter, someone called and ordered some Obama peace sign pet buttons.

"When the caller mentioned that they were for her pet goats, I knew I was onto something," said Young. Cat buttons are in the works and she hopes to have them available by late July. Young began selling political merchandise in 1992 and developed the Internet's first shop featuring political buttons in 1996, renaming it PoliticalShop.com in 1999.

"PoliticalShop.com has always specialized in unique and original products," said Young, "but now that the Internet has gotten so competitive, you have to be more creative to stay in the game." Young also recently developed "Button Bling," a line of political jewelry including earrings and necklaces made with small campaign buttons adorned with beads and charms.

So let this be an inspiring tale. If you think your product or service is stale, maybe it’s time to think outside the box, spot an unmet need no matter how nutty it might seem, and seize the moment!

Most small businesses are open to better business practices that are environmentally-friendly. In fact, many small business owners prove to be quite innovative when it comes to making companies more green. If you fall into that category, you’ll want to know about a recently announced contest that could recognize your efforts.

To increase awareness of becoming "Greenified^TM" and all its benefits, Green Business Alliance and Farmers' Almanac^TM have teamed up for the "Best Greenified Business Idea Contest." The contest seeks the most unique, effective and innovative environmentally-friendly business practice that has been successfully implemented in a company. Businesses wishing to enter may submit an idea in 350 words or less to http://www.greenbusinessalliance.com/greenified-contest.aspx.

Awards are as follows:

• Grand prize - $500 gift card
• Second place - $250 gift card
• Third place - $100 gift card
• A donation will be made in the name of all winners to the Nature Conservancy.
• The winning Greenified idea will be featured on Green Business Alliance and Farmers' Almanac Websites.
• The grand prize will also include 500 promotional versions of the Farmers' Almanac customized with the winning company's marketing/green message.

Deadline for entries is July 15, 2008, and no purchase is necessary.

"By conducting a Best Greenified Business Idea Contest, Green Business Alliance and the Farmers' Almanac add another means to keep the concept of 'Greenified' at the forefront of our daily lives. We believe that there are a number of great ideas waiting for a stage and we hope this contest will stimulate environmental creativity," said Hilary Kusel, Executive Director of Green Business Alliance.

"Farmers' Almanac has been the authority on green and sustainable living long before those words became trendy," states Sandi Duncan, Philom., Managing Editor of Farmers' Almanac. "Today more than ever, we need to share ideas and find the best green business practices so we can all learn and be inspired to work in businesses that are more resourceful and green. We are excited to be working with Green Business Alliance on this contest and believe it will uncover some very creative green ideas."

To learn more about Green Business Alliance and this contest, go to http://www.greenbusinessalliance.com.

Yeah, your joints might hurt more, and your back might ache a little as you age, but you also might be happier. At least that’s what a new study suggests from the Population Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin. Starting at about age 60, participants reported more feelings of ease and contentment than their younger counterparts.

Catherine Ross and John Mirowsky, professors of sociology, have published the findings in "Age and the Balance of Emotions" in the May 19 issue of Social Science and Medicine. The research was funded in part by the National Institute on Aging. The findings reveal aging is associated with more positive than negative emotions, and more passive than active emotions, Ross said.

Previous research on emotions associated with aging focused on negative emotions, such as depression. However, a second dimension underlying emotions is an active versus passive dimension, which is less studied, but may be important in explaining how emotions shift as people age, according to the researchers.

"The passive/positive combination reveals that contentment, calm and ease are some of the most common emotions people feel as they age," Ross said. "Emotions that are both active and negative, such as anxiety and anger, are especially unlikely among the elderly."

Participants responded to statements such as "On how many days in the past seven days have you...felt that you couldn't shake the blues, felt sad, felt lonely, felt anxious and tense, felt worried, felt so restless that you couldn't sit long in a chair, felt angry at someone, felt mad at someone, felt outraged at something somebody had done, felt calm, felt at ease, felt contented, felt happy, felt overjoyed by something, felt excited about or interested in something, felt proud, felt embarrassed, felt ashamed."

The researchers then grouped the emotions in four categories: active, passive, positive and negative. Secondary findings reveal women had more negative than positive emotions, and more passive than active emotions than men. Also, participants with higher income and education levels had significantly more positive emotions than those with lower income and education levels.

So aging might have its share of negatives, like gray hair and body aches, but as you get up there in years, you might just find yourself smiling more. Your colleagues will surely love that, don’t you think?

Religion can be quite the touchy subject. There’s a reason why your mother told you to never discuss it at parties … along with politics. There are entire countries at war over their religious differences, so you can imagine that it could be a little difficult in the workplace.

According to a recent study by the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp), nearly a third of employers surveyed said they have seen personal clashes in the workplace linked to religion. Despite the frequency, it’s clear that many of those organizations are still unsure of how to handle religious differences in the work environment.

While 61% of companies said they have made an accommodation for an employee based on the worker’s religious beliefs, just 12% of respondents actually have a written definition of what is considered to be a “religious belief.” And, even though a third of respondents reported that their organization has experienced personal friction over religious beliefs, almost two-thirds of those companies said they do not have a written policy specifically addressing religious bias.

Perhaps because of this lack of clarity, most companies opt to handle disputes quietly and internally. Over half (56%) of the employers surveyed reported that they use in-house mediation to resolve religious disputes. For some, those disputes might be avoided if leaders were better trained on how to handle them. Of the companies surveyed, a mere 29% train managers on how to avoid religious bias in their decision-making.

“Businesses must find ways to handle religious conflicts while allowing room for employees’ spiritual needs,” said Anne Lindberg, research analyst with i4cp. “Effectively handling religious differences not only requires specific attention, but also creativity, empathy and fairness."

When asked about practices used to attend to religious diversity, 68% of companies reported they “make reasonable accommodations for beliefs and practices,” implying that the remaining 32% don’t. “This is interesting because, by law, all companies are supposed to offer reasonable accommodations,” Lindberg adds. Other findings from the survey:

• Fifty-five percent of companies provide flexible scheduling to allow people to attend religious services, yet only 33% offer paid time off for religious holidays.
• 31% said that unsolicited sharing of religious views has been a problem in the workplace.
• 13% said that, because of their religious beliefs, employees have refused to do certain work or associate with certain co-workers.

Small business owners are faced with many challenges when it comes to taking care of employees and making sure they’re happy. Exploring religious differences, and honoring them, can help unify your staff and make them feel respected.