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Friday 31 October 2008

Newsletter Issue 156, October 2008



Sam Young Newsletter

Issue 156, October 2008
Hi guys,
Can you see when politicos are being somewhat expedient with the truth? Then read Reading the Candidates below.
Are you Getting the Most out of Exhibitions that you attend? Check out the EEAA tips below. 
Don't forget, if you want to be taken off my mailing list, click here to send me a reply e-mail and I will remove your name.

Reading the Candidates

Ah, election time. Carol Kinsey Goman recently published an article in the US detailing things what to watch our for when politician-watching, which she has kindly allowed me to share with you all.
When you read this though, remember that there is no such thing as a 'universal' body language. Not only are there cultural, dialect and family differences, but every individual has their own set of normal nonverbal behaviours. The trick is, through observation, to work out what is 'normal' for the person, and then look for changes.
  1. Eye blinks. Under pressure or discomfort, eye blinks increase dramatically. Watch to see what topics cause a candidate's eye blink rate to race.
  2. Congruence. When someone totally believes what they're saying, there is an automatic synchronicity between words and gestures. Watch to see when nonverbal signals are aligned with the spoken word and when they are out of sync (a cue that there is some conflict between what's being said and the speaker's true feelings).
  3. Narrowed lips. Lips that tighten (or almost disappear into the mouth) are almost always a negative signal. Watch for this gesture as a signal that someone is either holding back key information or they really don't want to respond to a particular question.
  4. Breathing patterns. Holding one's breath is a natural human reaction when facing danger. Watch for a sudden, sharp intake of breath or a change of breathing into small, shallow breaths as a signal that someone feels threatened.
  5. Hand gestures. There are a variety of hand gestures that speak for themselves: Hand-to-mouth gestures (the hand brushes the lips or touches the nose) are deception cues that people unconsciously use when lying - or when listening to someone else who they believe is lying. Open palm gestures are convincing signals of candour. And the "steepling hands" gesture (palms separated slightly, fingers of both hands spread and finger tips touching) is a display of high confidence. In fact, if either candidate uses steepling, you will notice it at a time when that person feels the most prepared and assured.
  6. Body leans. People lean toward other people or things they like or are interested in. Watch for candidates to lean in slightly when they feel they are being asked a question that addresses a strength and lean back slightly when confronted with a question that might expose a weakness.
  7. Smiling. There is a big difference between real and fake smiles. Watch to see which situations or comments elicit a real smile that lights up the candidate's entire face and crinkles the eyes - and which rate a "fake" or social smile that simply pulls up the corners of the mouth. And pay attention to the appropriateness of the smile. A smile at the wrong time (like when discussing solemn issues) is a disconcerting signal that words and feelings are out of alignment.
  8. Micro-expression. Fleeting facial expressions often allow the truth to slip through in brief, unguarded moments. Watch for flashes of anger, disgust, surprise, joy or fear that are expressed before the conscious mind can rein them in and create a more appropriate reaction.
  9. Security gestures. A security barrier - one that is favoured by politicians, television personalities, salespeople and others who don't want to appear nervous or unsure - is formed when one arm swings in front of the body so that the opposite hand can touch a shirt cuff, bracelet, watch or other object on the arm. In fact, any time you see someone move their arms across their body, chances are they're silently (and unconsciously) reassuring themselves.
Carol goes on to say that we shouldn't try to decode body language cues without FIRST considering each individual's baseline behaviours. Otherwise, we get a "false read".
Carol Kinsey Goman (PhD), is an executive coach, keynote speaker and author of "The Nonverbal Advantage - Secrets and Science of Body Language at Work." Contact by email CGoman@CKG.com; by websites www.NonverbalAdvantage.com or www.CKG.com.


Getting the Most out of Exhibitions

On the New Zealand branch of the Exhibitions & Events Association of Australasia, there are some very useful tips to remind us how to get the most out of going to exhibitions and trade shows. It is very easy to get caught up in the logistics of going, and forget about WHY you are going.
The EEAA website has some excellent little tips to remind us that we need to get the most bangs for our buck.
  1. Set specific goals: Companies who exhibit with clearly stated realistic objectives achieve results.
  2. Boldly state your business: Whether you're putting your stand together on a shoe-string or hiring a designer, do everything you can to create an eye-catching stand.
  3. People buy people: It's vital to have the right staff. They need to be knowledgeable, energetic and focused. They also need regular breaks.
  4. Entice visitors: Movement, entertainment, demonstrations, quirky giveaways all grab visitors' attention and give you the chance to engage with them.
  5. Collect contacts: Have a systematic approach to gathering contact details. Design a lead collection form so you can collect the specific information you require from visitors.
  6. Quantify outcomes: As with any marketing investment, you need to know if it delivered the right result. Measure the success of your objectives.
  7. Follow-up leads: Post-show activity is critical for securing future business. Contact your visitors, reinforce your offers made at the stand and convert these leads into clients.
Go to http://www.eeaa.co.nz/ for more information.

Reducing Outlook Mailbox Size

If you are constantly getting messages from your helpdesk about your mailbox being over the corporate size limit, or if you are finding that Outlook on your PC is very slow, you may need to either delete some files completely or at least purge them from Outlook and into a file system folder.
So, to cut Outlook's size:
  1. Open Outlook. Click on the "Search Folders" option in the folder sidebar. Select "Large Files".
  2. If you don't see the summary "Size: Enormous (>5 MB)" or "Size: Huge (1 - 5 MB)", click on the header field "Size" to sort by size.
  3. Now you can either:
    • Permanently delete large emails that you no longer need (Shift & Delete), or
    • Open a Windows Explorer window, Tile with your Outlook window (ie split-screen the windows - see Newsletter 157's tip if you don't know how to do that), then drag the large emails into an appropriate systems folder, then permanently delete the email (Shift & Delete).
Easy once you know how, isn't it.

TLAs for SMEs

Here are this newsletter's TLAs for you:
  • RAOK, Random Acts Of Kindness. A selfless act performed by a person wishing to help another being. There will generally be no reason other than to brighten someone's day. Can be either spontaneous or planned.

Please feel free to email me with any TLAs that you want to get the bottom (meaning!) of.

Tips, Short+Hot Keys
Over the next few newsletters, we are going to look at all you can do with Alt and letters. This time it's S:
  • Word "Split a document while working within it" Alt & Ctrl & S
  • Excel, PowerPoint, Word "Send the active file as an e-mail message" Alt & S
  • Outlook "Save, close and Send when in an email message, or go to Sent Mail" Alt & S

Hot Linx
If you have a friend who dotes on their pet cat or dog, flog a jpg of their fur-baby and send them a personalised moggy or doggy card from the website at http://www.talkingpets.org/
And those of you with a colour bent who are wanting to view the world through rose - or cerulean - coloured glasses should head off to http://labs.ideeinc.com/ and use the homepage tools to select images matched in ways you hadn't considered before.
For a bit of a light entertainment puzzle, have a crack at solving some of the abbreviations you will find at http://intelligence-test.net/part1/
To keep up-to-date with all the happenings at the latest Tech conference, CEATEC in Japan, check out Panasonic's "digital information mirror" at http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20081003/159082/?ST=english_PRINT

                                Catch you again soon!! E-mail your suggestions to me here

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