Setting Goals in Five Steps

This video appears in the February, 2010 edition of my e-Newsletter, “The Catalyst.” I invite you to sign up to receive each new issue as it is published.

I adapted this lesson from a presentation that I delivered at The NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA last month. I have had great success when I use this process in my training classes for Time Management and Team-building.

I encourage you to view the other articles and videos that I have posted on my websites. You can click to go to a site that contains Excel video lessons. Want to improve your PowerPoint skills, I have a website for that also. And, now, you can purchase my instructional DVDs from my online store.

You can view and download this video as a Podcast – for free! Follow this link to visit my Podcast channel, Danny Rocks Tips and Timesavers, at the iTunes store.

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Announcing the Online Store for The Company Rocks

Danny's DVDs "The 50 Best Tips" Series Available in Online StoreToday, I launched my new online bookstore for The Company Rocks. I am offering my Instructional DVDs for sale individually or as a set at attractive prices. Follow this link to enter the store to learn more about the DVDs in “The 50 Best Tips for …” Series.

“The 50 Best Tips for Excel 2007” contains over 5 1/2 hours of training. Each video lesson lasts @ 6 – 7 minutes. Each lesson focuses on one productivity tip. So you can get an answer quickly when you need it. I follow a step-by-step approach to teach you how to be more productive when you use Excel 2007. You can see how to enter and edit the formulas because I use an innovative “pan-in / pan-out” camera technique to focus your attention.

And, as a bonus: The actual spreadsheets that I use for each lesson are included on the DVD!

“The 50 Best Tips for PowerPoint 2007” packs over seven hours of training onto two DVDs! Unlike many instructional packages the teach you PowerPoint from a technical angle, I teach you how to incorporate PowerPoint into your total presentation. I am a professional speaker and trainer. I am not a “techie.” You will learn the technical side of PowerPoint 2007 – but only as it helps you to be more effective in presenting your ideas or products. I think that you will enjoy this difference!

The focus of each DVD is on the Intermediate to Advanced user of Excel or PowerPoint. The focus is on helping you to save time and take advantage of the great presentation elements in both programs. There are 10 videos each at the Beginning Level and at the Advanced Level. There are 30 videos for the Intermediate Level user.

Please visit my new online bookstore to learn more about each DVD. I welcome your feedback!

Thank you for your kind words of support as I have built my business these past three years. I wish you a very happy new year in 2010!

Danny Rocks

danny@thecompanyrocks.com

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I Added a New PowerPoint Video Lesson

I am just getting back to adding more PowerPoint Video Lessons on my blog. Follow this link to view the video – “Tools To Control Text On Slides”

The key learning points in the lesson:

  • Enforce a style to limit the number of bullet points per slide.
  • Establish a style to maintain consistent ending punctuation (on or off) for bullet points.
  • Establish minimum font sizes for Slide Titles and bullet points.

Reduce “Visual Clutter” on your PowerPoint slides. Achieve the professional look that sets you apart from other presenters. Use the tools that PowerPoint provides to help improve Visual Clarity.

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Are You Interested in Subscribing to a Podcast?

Update: My Video Podcast, “Danny Rocks Tips and Timesavers” is now available – free of charge – on iTunes. I add at least three episodes per week. Follow this link to view, comment, or subscribe to my Podcast.

Based on the positive response to my recent post, “Statistics Do Not Tell the Complete Story,” I am planning to initiate a podcast.

Initially, I am planning to produce two podcasts per month. The subject area is” improving communications skills.”

Are you interested in subscribing? Or do you need more information? Do you presently subscribe to podcasts?

I would like to hear from you on this topic. Please take a moment to “vote” on this topic – I have added a poll  to the right sidebar of this page. (the poll is in the middle of the sidebar.)

Thanks in advance for voting on this topic!

Sincerely,

 Danny

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Statistics Do Not Tell Complete Story

Recently, I was asked to contribute an article on persuasion to another blog. It is a text article. And, I like the way that it turned out.

Here, is a video presentation of that article. Increasingly, I am inclined to contribute video blogs – in addition to traditional text blogging. Both forms of blogging are attractive and each attracts its own audience.

I am interested in hearing your thoughts on both: the topic of video vs. text blogging and on the content of this blog on persuasion.

Here are the Words per Minute Statistics for this article.

  • @475 words.
  • Length is 3:27 minutes
  • WPM Count = 136 – This is slower than my “normal” WPM count of 160.
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An experiment – do you prefer the written article or the spoken PowerPoint?

The Written Word

Yesterday, I published an article – “How Many Words per Minute (WPM) Do You Speak?”

The Spoken Word

Today, I recorded a PowerPoint presentation based on that article – “Did I Get My WPM Count Just Right?

Both postings discuss the same topic – How fast or slow do you speak? What is your spoken words-per-minute (WPM) count. Each posting offers a different experience.

I had a different experience while creating and recording the PowerPoint presentation. I needed to add extra words to assist the viewer. Both the video and the article are designed to “stand alone.” However, I felt that the video “needed more explanation.” I had to remember that the viewer could hit the “back button control” on their web browser at any moment!

Write Your Presentations / Practice Speaking Your Words

Perhaps it was just the experience of speaking my written words aloud. A practice that I recommend that all writers and editors try at least occasionally. Perhaps it was just me “wishing that I had taken more time in editing yesterday’s article.” A case of “writer’s remorse?

I hope that you will take some time to read the article AND to view the PowerPoint presentation. I welcome your feedback. Which medium did you prefer – and why? What would you like to see more of? Less of?

Please add your comments below. Or you can email your comments to me – danny@thecompanyrocks.com

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Video Blogging

Over on my “Excels Blog” I have just posted my 50th video blog. The fact that I have accomplished this in less than 2 months still amazes me!

I had a vision for posting short video tutorials on MS Excel topics. Frankly, I couldn’t imagine demonstrating a software program without incorporating video! It would be too dry and dull.

Of course, most of the things that we do today on the Internet are incredible. Technology advances so quickly. What I accept today as “state of the art” will be considered “old school” in just a few months.

So, dear readers, I will start to add some video and audio posts to this blog. The written word will remain in place. I am simply going to add a few new media elements when appropriate.

Meanwhile, I invite you to visit the two Video Blogs that I now have up and running:

Thank you for your continued patronage. I welcome your feedback.

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Now You Can Watch My Excel Training Videos on YouTube

I have loaded many of my Excel Training Videos to YouTube. Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/DannyRocksExcels

YouTube is a powerful resource with a very wide reach. Many viewers enjoy being able to access and share YouTube content with their friends and other members of their community. I want to give them the opportunity to view and share my Excel Training videos the way the they like to do so.

There video experience on my The Company Rocks Excels site and on my YouTube site are different. Let’s celebrate the difference!

Let me know what you think. Take a minute to add cour comments below.

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Can customers find you when they need you?

Can customers find you when they need you? When you have a toothache, you call your dentist? Right? When your drain won’t drain, you call your plumber? Correct?

But what if you don’t have a dentist or a plumber? Who would you call? Why would you call them? How would you know if they were reputable? That they could do the job?

Would you call a friend and ask for a recommendation? Would you consult an on-line service such as Craig’s list or Angie’s List?

If you have the time, yes. But if your tooth aches badly enough…? Or if your drain is overflowing and you are knee-deep in…?

Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters?

Seth Godin has, as always, a very good post on this topic – “My tooth doesn’t hurt.”

Plumbers and dentists usually don’t have trouble attracting customers – as long as there are lots of “aching teeth” and “overflowing drains.”

“…On one hand, dentists have no trouble whatsoever getting business from people with toothaches. They hardly have to try. Just show up, I’ll find you. On the other hand, when my teeth don’t hurt, you’re invisible. No amount of signs, service and wonderful marketing is going to get me to pay you to drill my teeth when they don’t hurt. ” – Seth Godin

 

Increase your visibility

Are you invisible? If you sell a product or offer a service, how do you gain visibility? How do you let potential clients know about you and what you offer?

  • How do you gain “top of mind share” with your target audience?
  • How do find ways to stay in front of customers and clients when they don’t need you?

If you are visible enough, you will increase your value.  And the probability that customers will call you when they need you. But… your visibilty must offer value. Visibility, alone, is not sufficient.

  • Billboards and radio ads? – Not enough value. Recognition, perhaps.
  • Yellow Page ads? I doubt it. I throw mine into the recycle bin as soon as they are delivered.

Can you create new products or services – for those times when your customer’s teeth don’t ache? Or when their drains drain? Seth Godin cites the “Teeth Whitening” services that dentists now offer. 

What additional services can you offer? 

What services can you offer? How can you get clients to come into your store or to visit your website? At times when they don’t need your products or services?

Blogs are one way – to get customers to learn more about you. And for you to offer something of value to your customers and potential customers.

As I develop my training and speaking business, I am finding that offering short, free, and focused video lessons is a great way to build awareness of what I offer – and how I offer it. I have also started posting these Excel video lessons on YouTube. I’ll also open up MySpace and Facebook sites soon.

People ask me, “Why are you giving away something for free?” Because I believe that by doing something good to others (offering something of value with no expectation of repayment) you will end up doing good for yourself.

Increase your value. Increase your visibility!

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Most read articles in July 2008

Here are links to the articles that were read the most during the Month of July, 2008:

Communications / Body Language

 

Career

Thank you for visiting my blog!

I invite you to visit my new website offering “Tips and Time-savers for MS Excel”

 

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