A Guide For Effective Presentations

An effective presentation should have three major things: Substance, style and supporting materials.

Having these elements in place is the start to giving an effective presentation. The following guide will give you everything you need to know on how to conduct your next presentation.

1. Be Well Organized. Your presentation should flow in a logical sequence. Additionally, your major points should connect in an orderly manner.

2. Get to the Point. Your speech should be direct, clear and concise. Your audience should walk away remembering and understanding the key points.

3. Exude Confidence. You should express yourself with certainty and credibility. In order to do this you have to make sure you have done research on your topic.

4. Be Sincere. This goes along with being confident. You must be able to come across to your audience with care and concern.

5. Sound Positive. You should display your points in the best possible way. Make sure that what you say verbally matches your nonverbal communication.

6. Relate well to the audience. Understand your audience and convey your message in such a way that speaks to them. Your presentation should be useful and relevant.

7. Have enthusiasm. You can come across animated in your own style, whether low-keyed or full of energy. Sound as if you are interested in what you have to say.

8. Use visual aids to support your presentation. Visual aids enhance your presentation and can be used as talking points.

If you follow this guide, you will give an effective presentation.

Negotiate a Home Loan Modification – Here Are Your Options

When the homeowner deals directly with the lender, there shouldn’t be any fees associated with the modifying your mortgage. When you negotiate with your lender, it is important to be prepared. Have a complete financial analysis – this includes all sources of income and all expenses. It is important to have all documents prepared to negotiate with your lender, a complete loan modification kit can help with this. Also keep in mind that lenders negotiate with the following guidelines:

o Maximizing returns on mortgages
o Minimizing losses on mortgages
o The best interest of the stockholders and the bottom line

If you don’t feel that you can successfully negotiate for yourself, there are other options. Using a home loan modification company is one such option. If you choose to use a professional like a home loan modification company, there will be fees paid for services rendered. A company that specifically deals with modifying home loans will have a diverse staff with the experience needed to successfully negotiate with your lender. The combined experiences and backgrounds of the company’s employees can be a powerful force in your favor when negotiating a home loan modification. When choosing a company, make sure they are able to deliver what they promise. Never work with a company that asks for an upfront fee and always check with references.

Another option is housing counseling agencies that have been approved by HUD. These agencies are funded by tax dollars and perform home loan modifications at no cost to the consumer. With the current economic down turn and the rise in the number of homeowners needing assistance, these agencies have become overwhelmed with cases and are forced to turn people away.

If you do not feel comfortable negotiating for yourself, you may feel that hiring an attorney is right for you. Make sure to find one that will fight for your best interest. A good attorney with ample experience negotiating modifications to mortgages can be a good way to get yourself a modification that will get you back on track and keep you there. Many home loan modification companies have attorneys on staff, which is something else to consider.

Remember, that while lenders are going to negotiate for terms that are in their best interest, an attorney or home loan modification company will fight for yours. If you are going to hire either a company or attorney, it is a good idea to conduct an interviews. If possible, conduct the interview in person and at their office in order to get the most accurate impression.

Questions to ask:
o What are all the costs associated with getting you a home loan modification?
o Are the fees flat or hourly?
o How many modifications have you successfully completed?
o Are there any customers you can speak with to get a recommendation?

If you find yourself falling behind on your mortgage, there are remedies available. Calling your lender and opening the lines of communication is the first step in solving your mortgage problem. When entering into negotiations with your lender, remember that they will have their best interests in mind, it is your job to fight for your best interests. If you feel that you will not be able to successfully negotiate for yourself, there are agencies, companies, and professionals available to assist you. Using one of these options may cost more than negotiating for yourself, but they be better able to get you a modification that will be a long term solution.

Effective Negotiation Skills

1. Be an alert negotiator. A successful negotiator must be assertive and open to challenge everything. Skilled negotiators know that everything can be negotiated. Challenging is not synonymous with refusing all the offers given by an opponent. All offers must be analyzed separately. You must ask the right questions when an offer is given. This implies that you have to be critical about everything you read in the newspapers and see on television. You will not be able to negotiate if you cannot challenge the validity of the information exposed by your opponent. Being assertive means that you need to ask the right questions in order to gather all the information you need to know. You are also not willing to always “no” for an answer. Train yourself to hide your feelings of anxiety or anger. Let others know what you want without feeling threatened. Train yourself to use “I” messages. For example, change “I do not want you to do that” into “I feel uncomfortable when you do that.” Realize that there is a big difference between assertiveness and aggressiveness. You need to become assertive when you defend your own interests while respecting the interests of others at the same time. If you do not show consideration in the interests of others, you will look aggressive. Assertiveness is part of effective negotiations.

2. Be a good listener. A good negotiator is like a detective. They often ask probing questions and then listen. The other negotiator will inform you about everything you need to know; the only you have to do is listen. Many conflicts can be solved easily if we try to learn to the words of others. We all much too often busy speaking and forget to listen to the words of others. You can become an effective listener by letting others speak. Follow the 70/30 rule: 70 percent of the time is used for listening and 30 percent for speaking. Stimulate the other negotiator to speak with open questions: these questions cannot be answered by simple “yes” or “no.”

3. Be prepared. Acquire as much as possible information related to the negotiation at hand. What are their needs? What pressures are they experiencing? What kind of options do they have? Knowledge about all these will strengthen your position when facing the “opponent.” In short, the more information you have, the more prepared you will be for the “war.”

4. Set a high target. Good negotiators will set a high target to get the best out their negotiations. If you expect to get a lot, you will end up with a lot. A good negotiator is always optimistic. All sales persons usually ask for more than what they expect and all buyers will offer less than what they are willing to pay for.

5. Always be patient. If we want to persuade someone, we must be flexible with the time we have. Our patience will be advantageous if the other negotiator is in a hurry. Always thin rationally. Do not be reckless in making important decisions. This will have a big impact on your future.

6. Focus on satisfaction. Help the other negotiator to become satisfied. Satisfaction means that their primary interests are fulfilled. Do not confuse the primary interests with their desires. Try to accommodate their needs.

7. Do not make the first move. The best way to find out the aspirations the other negotiators is to persuade them to make the first move. The might be asking less than you thought. If you start with an initial offer, you might be offering them more than they need.

8. Do not accept the fist offer. If accept the first offer, the other negotiators will think that they have won. They will be more satisfied when you refuse to accept their first offer. If you say “yes” to their first offer, they will think that the have successfully pushed you to the limits of your abilities.

9. Do not make easy concessions. If you make concessions, try to get the other negotiator to also make concessions in exchange. “I shall do this if you do that.” This tactic will usually make your opponents uncomfortable. They will think that you are smart and have a strong position.

10. Do not hesitate to back off. Do not negotiate without options. Prepare yourself for the worst outcome. Prepare several options as alternative strategies you have during the negotiations. This will give you the chance to think and reconsider the offers of your opponents. If you lose, you can at least say to yourself that you have done your best in the negotiation process.