The Management Consulting Group

Find the best selection of US properties here!

In spite of the fact that Property Index is only a newcomer concern, they were registered only in March of 2007, they were very quick to establish expert status. In point of fact a incredibly artless concern entirely concentrated on offering their expert opinion to everyone who is determined to rent, buy, sell or let property across the globe. What they assure you of is to lend you a hand to laser target smack what’s required very swiftly plus, even better, sans pain. Property can be located no matter where at the moment, possibly the coolest area being real estate available for sale in America. It should really be dead easy to tally the wonderful real estate for sale in America, the motivation for hunting for properties here is properties available and the chance of spending your life with such a effervescent and sprightly populace.

It’s one of the most popular regions at the moment, and considering the beauty and great weather surrounding you all the time, how can you go wrong… Property in America is immersed in culture, art and history, this region has always been home to a number of sophisticated nations. Just 25-30 years back there’d be merely a dribble of British people keen on real estate in America. Ask everyone who has relocated to America and they’ll corroborate it. Lots of people would call it a basically irrelevant vogue and others call it a virtually a compulsion. The people actually repairing over here will range from young yuppie couples in search of a challenge in life to the retired meaning to enjoy themselves and put their feet up.

There could be issues when attempting to purchase real estate in a foreign country; there are normally a hundred differentiated actions whether plotting, touring or completing. Even if only a single procedure is missed it will create insurmountable issues not to forget, even more important, a failed investment. Obviously and expectably with this well-liked location, real estate could be extremely high-priced in this area and that’s clearly on account of the expanding buyer demand. Notwithstanding the buyer is rather spoilt in terms of choice in such a place so determined by fantastic geography. It can offer the whole kit and caboodle a customer could conceivably hanker after, etc.

It is harmless to say that the period of the video cassette recorder is steadily on its approach out and drawing to a close, video recorder could still be all around for a long time & it is good to notice how legions of individuals actually still own them and watch their soaps on them. The piece of equipment which is key for every couple to have is the fantastic DVD player, which is gradually now branching out to the Digital Versatile Disc Recorder. When DVD recorders were first built they were incredibly expensive. Prices reduced on Panasonic DVD Recorder at Sound and Vision!

It is now possible to pick up a really cut price DVD Recorder if you look hard enough & do a little research. Folks get perplexed with the distinctions between a DVD recorders and DVD burners; they are 2 completely different pieces of technology, although they do produce DVD’s with burning via a laser to a blank DVD disk. Any Digital Versatile Disc recorders can record from any analogue video source, the majority can record film from digital camcorders via firewire.

The sensational thing now is that DVD recorders have under no circumstances been so low-cost and so it’s realistic for you to acquire a top of the range system for a really cheap price. The electronics industry is motivated by the newest equipment, new improvements & product quality, of which these are varying virtually every fortnight.

Some of the top brands for DVD recorders at the moment are Tannoy, Toshiba and Panasonic, but if you’re waiting for the very best of the best & you don’t mind spending a little further to get something extremely special then you will only go for the Vivance Digital Versatile Disc recorder, this really is top of the line & there are lots of various ones to choose from. Your next prime decision after deciding what brand is whether you want one that has a fantastic hard drive installed in it like the Skullcandy one.

When smart shoppers of London are in desperate need of a little much needed serious retail therapy Matches Fashion provides them with the fix they are looking for and the designer clothing fix the trendy shoppers need. Based in England they offer the top of British designer collections along with a focus around both classic elegance and cutting edge fashion. Matches Fashion also provide international shipping which is a treat for all global Matches Fashion gorgeous shoppers. Find the very latest Stella McCartney Shoes at Matches, home to the hottest designer shoes.

Matches Fashion is one of the most successful boutique style stores in London. Matches Fashion have over 10 fashion boutiques dotted around; three of the larger stores are located in affluent Richmond, elegant Wimbledon and trendy Notting Hill. Along with Matches Fashion high end designer clothing stores they furthermore have an exciting website. You could find your much-loved Dwell trousers and handbags online no matter whereabouts you are in the Great Britain or Asia. Making the Matches Fashion business always available to you.

The stylish website itself presently holds almost 700 distinct designer short skirts in stock; there are plans to grow this to around nearly 1000 items. Like many other clothing boutiques around these days Matches Fashion is always introducing new lines to its stock bringing in handbags that are the top must haves of the season. Every season Matches Fashion are focused on selecting the key tops and editing the Burberry Prorum clothing collections down to decide what Matches Fashion actually want to look at stocking that season. This takes a massive amount of preparation but there has not been a season where Matches Fashion has not been instinctly correct with the stock they are providing for Matches shoppers. Stocking only the latest slip ons from designers such as Bajra Freda, Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs and Stella McCartney to mention but a few, anything you purchase from Matches Fashion regardless of what clothing designers make is, is bound to turn heads.

Userplane’s Michael Jones explains why online video must be
included in your marketing mix.

Thanks to online video ads, guys with bad hygiene and pathetic
social skills can try wooing VH1 VJ Rachel Perry– and they even
get a well-mannered response. Ah, the wonders of the internet.

The ad campaign was an innovative partnership between laddie-mag
Maxim and Pontiac to hype the carmaker’s Solstice Roadster.
Users logged onto the magazine’s website and submitted pick-up
lines to an image of Perry, actually an incarnation of the
beautiful celebrity compiled from hundreds of pre-recorded
videos. People with the best lines registered to win a car.
Depending on the attempt, the program culled Perry’s retort in
real time from hundreds of pre-recorded responses. The site was
flooded with users. According to Advertising Age, 16,000 people
registered in its first three weeks.

The titillating Pontiac campaign was the successor to Burger
King’s Subservient Chicken, an online craze of its own. The two
demonstrate the unique potential for online video ads. They lock
millions of users to the sites, create a viral response by
allowing fans to email the links to friends, and generate pop
culture buzz. And of course, the online video ads paid off in
higher chicken sandwich sales and registrations.

We shouldn’t be surprised online video ads are becoming so
popular. The streaming ads are a natural outgrowth of
technological advances, evolving consumer habits and the
perennial desire to gain traction with users. They are a
much-needed advance in the maturation of the internet and will
help ensure its future profitability. Fortunately, companies are
realizing this. The online research aggregator eMarketer
projects streaming video spending will nearly triple to $640
million in the next two years, and grow to $1.5 billion by 2010.

Three key factors have caused the rise of online video ads, and
will guarantee the medium soars in 2006. 1.) A tech-savvy
culture If the internet were a child, we could say it’s leaving
the awkward ugly stage and beginning to blossom. Let’s face it,
only a small number of consumers jumped on board with the latest
technologies when they over-promised on the results or didn’t
work out the bugs. At first, technology was holding back
advances, which held back the profits. I was like a parent,
cringing and wincing at those banners and pop-ups. It was like
seeing my youngster lurching through puberty. Hang in there
little buddy, you’re gonna make it! Now, technology is catching
up with expectations, which entices a broader range of consumers
and gives marketers a piece of the action. I’m beaming.

The rapid adoption of broadband internet access is the primary
driver of online video ads. And it’s only going to get better.
The U.S. market hurdled a barrier to internet advertising this
year when more than half of online households were using
high-speed connections. A study by eMarketer estimates the
number will continue to grow, from 42.3 million households in
2005 to 69.4 million in 2008.

With all those high-speed connections out there, comScore
Networks found consumers putting them to good use. More than 94
million people in the United States viewed a streaming video
online in June of last year, according to comScore. The company
recently released the first comprehensive assessment of the
online streaming marketplace and, surprisingly, discovered that
technology isn’t just for youngsters anymore. Consumers between
ages 35 and 54 accounted for more than 45 percent of online
video ads watched in August 2005. It is 20 percent more likely
that these mature adults will watch an online video than the
typical internet user, the study found, and people between the
ages of 25 and 34 are 12 percent more likely to watch a
streaming video. These are hot marketing targets, and they love
their streaming media.

“Contrary to public perception, it’s not just ‘college kids’ or
‘bleeding edge’ internet users who are streaming videos,” said
Erin Hunter, senior vice president of comScore Networks media
and entertainment solutions. Publishers are using innovations
like high-quality video product clips, music videos, movie
trailers — even news broadcasts — to engage consumers, Hunter
said. “This creates a fantastic opportunity for advertisers to
capitalize on what is now a mainstream audience,” she added.

2.) An evolving business mindset The video ad pioneers have
mainstream companies hot on their heels, jumping on the online
video bandwagon. Todd Herman of MSN told Clickz.com that 23 of
the top 50 brands have advertised on the site since its launch
in August 2004. They include Pfizer, Procter & Gamble, General
Motors and Johnson & Johnson.

Hunter, of comScore, says advertisers are “waking up” to the
potential of online video ads. “People want more than a
two-dimensional experience online, and this powerful medium now
reaches everyone with engaging and interesting content,” Hunter
said.

The internet makes users part of the media experience. They
aren’t just viewers, as they are on television. They’re
participants. They’re members of the online community.
Advertisers are taking advantage of this increased engagement
and loyalty. On New Year’s Eve, MSN aired 30-second video ads
from the entertainment and automotive industry throughout its
live web cast from Times Square. The coverage allowed internet
viewers to become part of the show– sending emails that were
included in the web cast.

Companies are also mainstreaming online video ads because they
use quantitative data to connect consumers to products and
services. This is the new “golden metric” to determine ROI,
according to Diane Mermigas, contributing editor to The
Hollywood Reporter. “It is impossible to counter the logic that
paying 28 cents for a click on Google by a targeted consumer who
might engage in an electronic transaction is not preferred to
paying 10 cents per reader for a national magazine print ad that
might not be seen,” Mermigas writes.

Mermigas says traditional media outlets can cash in on the
online action by moving consumers and advertisers to websites.
In the future, look for more joint marketing sales between
internet video advertising and traditional media outlets.
Companies will integrate campaigns, combining online videos with
TV spots run on cable networks. This naturally extends the
campaign because video production costs were paid when the
content was prepared for traditional media.

3.) Interactive, engaging and informative Finding your ads’
target audience is only a start, you have to lock them in to be
effective, get them to engage. TV, radio and print have skinned
this cat every which way for decades, but they’re still
handicapped. They’re dealing with passive mediums and can’t
snoop while the consumer interacts with the pitch. The truth is,
they don’t know who’s paying attention or for how long!
Meanwhile, customers who check out the new online video ads by
Ross-Simons not only get a behind-the-scenes peek at the styles
of jewelry merchant, their interaction with the ad teaches
marketers what works.

Ross-Simons just launched its streaming ads on its website. They
star soap opera actress Lauren Koslow of NBC’s “Days of Our
Lives,” and allow consumers to click on highlighted items to
learn more or order the product. The videos engage customers and
allow them to take action at the moment of interaction. It’s
more than an advertisement– it’s a prelude to a transaction.

Shot on digital video, there is little comparison between online
advertisements and their passive cousins. Programmers can blend
interactive concepts with the campaigns, like hidden “Easter
eggs,” flash, 3-D and high-resolution images. Many online ads
include viral elements like emailing the ad to friends or
allowing users to become part of the online community by posting
comments on the site.

David Hallerman, senior analyst at eMarketer, said, “More than
any other advertising format, internet video has the potential
to blend hot marketing elements together– branded
entertainment, paid search, viral marketing, consumer generated
media, behavioral targeting, website brand marketing and online
gaming.”

And every time a user emails an ad, clicks on an Easter egg or
conducts a search, we’re learning more about our target
audience. We’ll take that information and improve, giving
consumers what they really want next time, and the time after
that, and the time after that. The best part is that this is
only the beginning.

Good Communication Skills are essential

Being an effective communicator takes real skill. Communication
skills have to be developed, honed and added to on an on-going
basis. They are the heart of interpersonal skills and the
greater your awareness of how it all works, the more effective
your communication will be.

To be effective in business, you have to communicate well. To be
a good manager, you have to communicate exceptionally well.

Here we look at basic communication dynamics, learning skills to
improve your communication, using effective communication to
improve and promote interpersonal relationships, creating an
effective communication strategy.

We could write a book about the importance of communication key
skills, but for now you can content yourself with some
essentials for becoming a more effective communicator.

Communication Core Skills - The Essentials

Communication is Individual

We’re Not All The Same

When you look at communication, presentation skills are not all
there is to it. Far from it. Everyone communicates differently
and sees the world differently. The greatest skill you can have
in order to instantly and significantly improve you
communications skills is to understand the other person’s point
view and how they see the world. Then you can adjust your own
communication to take that into account.

Change Yourself to Change Others

Alongside this has to be the knowledge that the only person you
can be sure of changing in any communication is you. Therefore,
the most effective way to be in charge of what happens in any
communication dynamic is changing what you do. When you can do
this you are well on the way to promoting better relationships.

You are the Only One of You

There’s never one right way to communicate. Authentic effective
communication always happens when we reply on those things we
know to be true about or for ourselves. Remember your personal
style probably says more for you that all the words you use can.

What’s Already Working?

Most people tend to look at what’s wrong with themselves and
other people rather than focusing on what already works.
Remember, something (more than one thing, of course) has to be
working well for you to have got this far already!

How Communication Happens

Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication

Interpersonal skills. Everything communicates. Remember! If you
aren’t clear about what you mean and what your intention is, the
other person (or people) could easily (and sometimes
deliberately), misinterpret what you mean.

What you do matters as much as what you say. It’s now accepted
that the words account for only 7-11% of a communication. Your
behaviour will ‘read’ unconsciously to other people and you can
certainly be more in charge of the reading matter!

Language is one of the most powerful reflections of how we think
and feel about ourselves and others. You need to be aware of the
padding, justifications and excuses you use and whether they are
appropriate. You can make a big impact simply by changing some
of your language and developing your verbal skills, This way you
can significantly improve your communication skills.

Communication Cycle

There is a neat communication cycle we’ve come across that can
help you understand how to make communication work better. It
means that you can take responsibility for every stage on the
Communication Cycle:

Spoken - Heard - Understood - Agreed To - Acted On - Implemented.

Be aware of where you or others tend to fall off the cycle.

What can get in the way of Effective Communication

Here are some Common Barriers to Effective Communication.

We all make Too Many Assumptions

Be aware of the assumptions you make, especially making
something up and then acting as though what you made up was
true. Notice if you alter your behaviour with certain people
because of the assumptions you make about them. Also be aware of
the assumptions you think other people make about you.

Assumptions aren’t necessarily ‘bad’. Sometimes it’s important
to let people keep their assumptions (or some of them at least!)
about you.

One effective way to deal with assumptions is to say to the
other person, ‘I’ve assumed such and such. ‘Is that true?’ or
‘I’m making an assumption here about… Do you agree?’

Good communication in the workplace is often sabotaged by too
many unconfirmed assumptions.

Patterns/Reverting to Type

We are pattern-making beings, which is good. However, sometimes
we get so used to behaving and responding in certain ways that
it’s hard to see that there’s any other way of doing things.
When the pressure is on or we are under stress, even our best
intentions may go out the window as we revert to type.

Habits, patterns, routine ways of thinking and behaving are
difficult to change. Noticing your patterns at least gets you
aware of them! One way to practise this is to see how many
communication habits and patterns have crept into your
workplace. Try not to judge them. You can always decide if you
want to change them or not.

Needing to Be Right

This is one area we all know about - the need to be right and in
turn for the other person to be wrong. One skill that does need
practise is to let go of needing to be right. Think of it as
presenting information or a point of view rather than having to
bludgeon someone else with your arguments.

If you want to promote effective relationships, this is one of
the greatest communication key skills you can have is to be able
to change what you want from a communication. You may have
started out wanting the other person to agree with you, but by
giving that up you can change your want to letting them know you
understand their point of view.

Conflict Resolution

Conflict

One of the purposes of conflict is to arrive at a resolution, so
if you avoid conflict, the problem usually (though not always)
gets worse. The earlier you can identify that there is a problem
and intervene, the better it will be. Good communication skills
require you to be able to resolve conflict.

Agreement

Find something (anything will do) in the other person’s argument
which you can genuinely agree with. This is a great way to take
the wind out of someone’s sails and ensure you don’t get drawn
into an insoluble argument. People usually won’t listen until
they feel heard.

Bridge Building

Really listen to what the other person is saying - they usually
give a lot of information without realising it. Building bridges
by making an offer can help enormously, as can changing what you
want.

‘I’ not ‘You’

Use ‘I’ statements, not ‘You’ statements to avoid blaming. This
also means that you take responsibility for how you feel, rather
than making the other person responsible for making things all
right for you.

Improving Communication Skills

Be a Good Influence

Attitude

You can change the direction of a communication if you change
your attitude. There is no one attitude that’s the ‘right’ one
to have, though being direct and clear certainly helps.

Effective Listening and Responding

You can have tremendous influence on a communication as the
listener and the responder. When we get little or no response
from the listener, we often project our assumptions onto them
about what they are thinking (and usually we assume they aren’t
thinking good things about us!).

Be Positive

Use affirmation and encouragement to get the best out of people.
Notice when others do things well (even if it’s part of their
daily routine). This shows you’re being attentive; most people
respond well when they know that others are aware of what they
do.

Quite simply, the workplace can be a far better place to be if
you consciously sprinkle your communication with positive
feedback.

The Importance of Basic Communication Skills

What’s most important is that you don’t leave the business of
communication to chance. Raise your awareness, develop your
skills and you’ll be a role model for effective communication.

One of the largest accusations by adversaries of the faxless no credit check cash advance trade muscles in on the annual interest rate conventionally levied upon a short term payday bridging loan which may rack up a hundred percent or more. Learn more about getting a payday advance here.

The Annual Percentage Rate or “APR” may be described as a simple, elementary metrics of the the amount of interest a borrower will have to pay as brought forward to one full year. APR renders an established support structure to realistically ascertain which financial instrument brings about a higher or lower overall cost to the asker, containing extra charges that may be imposed.Certainly the rate of interest p.a. may be considered a pertinent method for financing extending over a span of at least one year .However, when you’re dealing with two weeks payday advances the annual rates of interest are unquestionably hardly useful.

Rather, I prefer to compare payday cash advances to hailing a taxicab home from the train station. Let’s assume it will cost you forty dollars to get home. Certainly forty dollars qualifies for anythin but a trivial sum to cough up for getting home however plenty of people will do it because it is opportune and reconciles a specific must. Sure, we all know the alternative: hire a car for an entire day for only forty dollars including as many miles as we wish.

So let’s suppose we do that: rent a car and drive 400 miles during that single day we’ve rented it. Now the partisans of APR would most likely warrant that everyone ought to annualize to attain to viable comparisons… To prove our point, we take this taxi ride fee (to wit: $2 per mile multiplied with 400 miles) which tallies to eighthundred bucks. The “annualized” correlative of the rental car approach compared to that taxi hire renders $40 : $800. Now, as you and I know, that car hire we opted for really would not have qualified for our best option, regardless of how much more expensive the annual rates of interest would have tallied up in this case.

Exactly the same holds true for payday advance loans. Short term payday bridging loans are limited to two weeks only, they’re not annual loan agreements. The high annualized rate of interest doesn’t really make much sense inasmuch as this specific class of loan does not bridge one year. The absolute interest rate charge equates to approximately 15-25% for the loan. That cash til payday loan is a costive choice and should not be taken without duly studying all feasible alternate possibilities.

What is it about overhead projectors that causes us to become
lousy communicators? Why do our speeches or presentations lose
much of their steam when we use overheads?

Well, for starters, we often give more attention to the
overheads than the audience. It can’t be helped. After all, we
have to pick up the right overhead, separate it from the next
one, get it on the projector properly, check it out on the
screen, and so on.

While doing those things, we’re taking our eyes off the
audience. At the same time, the audience spends a lot of time
looking at the screen, rather than at us. And, nothing detracts
from good communication like loss of eye contact with the
audience.

We’re also taking our mind off the audience. Instead, we’re
focusing our thoughts on the technical issues involved in
showing the overhead, including our explanations of the visuals.

Then there’s the amount of material. Almost every time I see a
speech with overheads, I see way too much content. One of the
best lessons I’ve learned in several years at Toastmasters is
that less is more. Don’t try to explain everything to your
audience, just pick one small sliver of an issue and explain it
well - a speech is not a book or a written article!

And, then there’s the simple fact that the projector gets
between you and the audience. There’s noise and the size of the
projector, which mean a projector can be a more powerful
presence at the front of the room than you.

Perhaps there should be a 12-step program for getting over
overhead projectors. While they’re unlikely be an addiction,
they can be a crutch, one that allows us to make presentations
without adequate thought or preparation.

Personally, I like the idea of giving up overheads and
projectors altogether. A colleague recently asked if we should
use overheads when we do some upcoming presentations together. I
expressed my opinion firmly. Need I say what that was?

If you’re not ready to give them up, use your overheads in a
supporting role. Don’t ask them to carry a substantial part of
the message; you should deliver the message, and the overheads
should reinforce what you say.

For example, if your presentation involves numerical
information, a simple bar or line graph might help the audience
get the point. Or, if you’re talking about a sequence of events
and their order is critical, a numbered list might help.

But the best bet may be to go without. Before the presentation,
think hard about the message or messages you want to convey.
Boil them down into no more than three points, and then look for
stories, analogies, metaphors, and anything else that will
illustrate and reinforce each point. Try to create mental images
with words, like good radio ads.

In summary, overhead projectors put serious communication
barriers between speakers and audiences. Get rid of them. You’ll
be glad you did - and your audience will, too.

The Telecom industry is the order of the day in contemporary
times replete with high - end networks, internet hooked PCs,
telephones and of course mobile phones. The business of
telecommunications has made all distances virtual and no
business or communication is immune from this wonder of the
modern era.

The traditional low - key telecommunications market is being
fast replaced by the new order Telecommunications wonder which
is hallmarked by the convergence of information computing and
telecom technologies.

The market has seen a perceptible shift from being traditionally
‘product driven’ to the present day ‘customer driven’
conceptualization and one of the pioneers on the comeback trail
are none other than SIPL with their new - age business solutions.

The concept of call billing was accessible to the sultans of the
telecommunications market - the major players. The smaller
business enterprises now have the wonder of the world of
telecommunications through the modality of flexible E- biller
from none other than - SIPL, which was launched globally in
August 2004.

January of the year 2005 saw this wonder flexible E- biller
generate data analysis like none other. The manna of all
business enterprises globally - regardless of size and location.

E - biller the futuristic billing concept is now a virtual
reality from market leaders like SIPL. Whether the need is
E-invoices, or E-reports or even if the ‘felt need’ is E -
portfolio - E-biller has it all and all it needs is a one click
log in at E- biller.

The dynamic customized services on display like QC reports and Q
builders are being delivered by SIPL globally and are more
customer centric rather than region centric as is self - evident
to the discerning customer who has forayed into the SIPL website.

The days gone by witnessed a few major players who directed and
controlled the monopolized the market for years on end in
contrast to the present day scenario in the this era of
telecommunications which is dictated by a plethora of players
both big and small as an aftermath of deregulation of markets
the world over and innovations such as a the E - Biller are like
manna for all and no business enterprise regardless of size can
ill - afford to ignore!

The revolution in the Telecommunications sector then is driven
by multitude factors - predominant amongst them being the
competitive model and driven by the dynamism of the
telecommunications market the world over and technological
innovators such as SIPL who have contributed significantly with
value added business solutions with a plethora of features - be
it the now familiar E - biller or be it the in - depth data
analyzer.

The Telecommunication sector revolution would have little
sustaining ability but for the ushering in of the era of
Privatization and Liberalization which has inarguably led the
revolution.

Privatization is better known as the process of transfer of
Public assets and control to private players whereas the concept
of Liberalization is akin to the ushering in of the era of a
free market wherein competition is fierce but players like SIPL
emerge with products of innovation like the flexible E - biller.

SIPL the leaders in innovations and value - additions have the
enviable reputation of generating global telecommunications
business solutions for business enterprises of all statures and
deliver services rather than mere products which are unmatched
in quality, delivery and consistency at a price that the
competition can seldom match!

I have a confession to make: I am addicted to Tuesday night’s
new hit series “Commander and Chief.” Sure, Geena Davis is
beautiful. She tall, regal, and has the best lips in the
business after Angelia Jolie. But, television’s first woman
president has captured my attention for another reason: I am
fascinated with her communication style.

President Mackenzie Allen commands respect, and yet she is
likeable. I would follow her lead and still enjoy throwing back
a beer with her after a hard day of work in the White House.
Most women are damned-if-they-do and damned-if-they-don’t when
it comes to communicating in the male-dominated worlds of
politics, business, and education. In order to compete, they
must find a delicate balance between authority and likeability.
All great communicators possess what I call “the terrific
triad,” credibility, likeability, and authority. While many
women want to claim their authority, they are concerned about
appearing too domineering or abrasive, and thus losing
likeability. “We are in a double bind,” one female executive
shared.

To make matters worse, our culture associates authority with
men. When we think of those traits we consider authoritative, we
immediately think of tall, solidly built, and a lower pitched
voice - all characteristics associated with men, not women. In
today’s world, women are expected to be both authoritative and
feminine. “That’s very hard,” most women agree. In my experience
as a communications trainer and coach, most women have to
sacrifice some likeability for authority, and that is okay. Many
women naturally have high likeability factors and can ramp up
their authority and not lose all their likeability.

I worked with a young woman in her twenties whose public
relations career had derailed due to her poor presentation
skills. When she stood up to present, she acted like a little
girl, losing all credibility and authority.

I asked her to pretend she was a tough-talking member of a
women’s motorcycle gang. “Spit out the words!” I demanded. As
she did, her voice got louder and deeper.

By getting in touch with her anger, the timid, little girl was
transformed into a powerful woman. Her coworkers were impressed
and their positive feedback helped her overcome her discomfort
in acting out her authority. From then on, she remembered the
“motorcycle mama” whenever she presented and reclaimed the
authority she already possessed.

Along with attitude, stance, eye contact, pausing, and vocal
quality signal authority. When they present, many women I coach
assume a dancer’s pose with one toe pointed out at a
ninety-degree angle. While this stance may be pretty and
feminine, it holds no authority. I counsel both men and women to
stand in their full power by placing their feet shoulder-width
apart and equally distributing their weight.

The eyes have been called the “windows of the soul.” As such,
they are one of our greatest assets in winning audiences. I
coach executives to begin their presentations by standing in
silence, finding a friendly face, establishing eye contact,
taking a deep breath, and then beginning their talk. This simple
tip helps speakers become grounded and start their presentations
with authority.

Many presenters talk while moving their heads from person to
person like a sprinkler system, or worse they lose all
connection with their audience by staring at one person, the
slide screen, or into space. I train presenters to pick one
person and maintain steady eye contact with that person until
they have delivered a complete thought. Like intensive eye
contact, pausing signals authority. I teach students that there
is power in the pause and recommend that pauses be used to
emphasize important points.

Thirty-eight percent of our power as a presenter is determined
by vocal quality. To maximize vocal quality, I suggest that
women consider: 1. Raising the volume and projecting their
voice. 2. Lowering the pitch of their voice, if needed. 3.
Avoiding letting the intonation rise at the end of a sentence,
or what Jerry Seinfeld termed “up-talking.” Up-talkers often
appear uncertain about what they are saying, thus losing all
authority and credibility.

Stance, eye contact, pausing, and vocal quality enhance a
businesswoman’s authority when she speaks, but nothing creates a
more powerful impression than conviction. While many women have
strong convictions, they often have a difficult time expressing
them. Most women have a conversational style that strives to
make others feel comfortable. To accomplish this, many women
position their beliefs as opinions and use disclaimers before
they speak, such as, “I may be wrong about this, but….” While
this conversational style is extremely effective in building
consensus, it can undermine the authority of the speaker.

When women speak with absolute certainty, claiming their full
authority, their likeability factor may decrease, but it is
worth it if they are able to garner the respect and recognition
they deserve.

Because HD radio is a relatively new technology, the cost of HD radios is a bit on the high side. For example, the Radiosophy Web site lists its MultiStream radio for $269. This compact, tabletop radio has a 4” x 8” , removable receiver (it can be removed from its speakers) that can be easily taken from room to room. It also has a large, easy-to-read LCD monitor that can be read from across the room. Radiosophy also says the MultiStream HD radio receives everything – analog AM and FM, HD AM and FM and sub channels.

HD Radio prices for Boston Acoustics’ HD Recepter radio HD with HD Technology from iBiquity Digital have not yet been announced.. Boston Acoustics says this dynamic, tabletop, next-generation HD Tabletop delivers enhanced audio quality, fidelity and reception, new information features - and The Boston Sound™. The company went on to say that the Recepter Radio HD embodies the bright promise of HD Radio technology. You can get more information on Boston Acoustics HD Radio prices and availability, by visiting the Boston Acoustics Web site.

Car owners who would like to get into HD Technology radio have a broader range of HD radio prices from which to choose.

As examples of HD radio prices for car decks, Best Buy has the Kenwood EZ500 for $249.99, the KDC-MP228 for $149.99 and the KDC-MP528 for $199.99. All three of these decks are multi-functional with MP3 playback as well as HD reception.

Another example of HD Radio prices is Circuit City with the Panasonic CO-C9701U In-Dash CD Player at $455.99. Plus, Crutchfield.com has the Kenwood KTC-HR100MC HD-compatible tuner for $399.99 and the Eclipse HDR-105 tuner for $449.99.

HD car radios are already prevalent enough that they can be found on eBay. I recently searched “Completed Items”: for HD radios and found the following:

· JVC KD-SHX900 sold for $399

· New Kenwood CD car radio with Sirius, and HD Technology – had a Buy It Now price of $99

· New Kenwood Car Radio MP3/Sirius/HD/ Player/Receiver sold for $116.95

· :Panasonic MXE-CQCB8901U MP3 HD Radio could have been purchased for $318

· New Kenwood EZ700SR car radio CD/MP3/HD receiver sold for $243.95

High-end HD Technology receivers are harder to get a fix on. The only three companies currently offering these receivers are Yamaha, Audio Design Associates and Day-Sequerra.

The Yamaha RX-V4600 with HD Technology lists for $1205 at Brandnamz and $1349.99 at Etronics. And BizRate shows five other online stores (plus Etronics and Brandnamz) at prices ranging from $1195 to $1350.

The ADA Quadri-tune receiver is expected to release during the fourth quarter of this year and, of this writing, the company has not announced a price. Day-Sequerra has announced its M2 and M4 receivers will start at $2995.

To learn more about HD Radio technology, which stations are already broadcasting in HD Radio technology, and where to find HD radios, please go to my web site, http://www.hd-radio-home.com.

Douglas Hanna is a retired marketing executive and long-time radio fan. He is the author of many articles on family finances and HD radio technology