How To Attract More Small Businesses to Your City

Community Leadership Training

Alexandria has an ordinance (No. 4408) that provides business license tax relief, reform, and simplification for small and medium-sized businesses during their first two years of operation in the city. The initiative reduces the tax burden to $50 in the first year for businesses whose estimated gross receipts are between $100,000 and $2 million.

In the second year, the tax burden on average is cut in half as businesses pay the license tax based on the first year's actual gross receipts instead of the second year estimated gross receipts. The businesses pay the license tax in the third year based on the second year's actual gross receipts. These reforms leave start-up businesses with more money in the initial years and serve as an incentive for businesses to locate in Alexandria. (A Report from the National League of Cities)

Community Leadership Training

How You Can Save Your City $1 Million In Tax Revenue

Community Leadership Training

The towns of Parker and Castle Rock, Colorado, joined forces to take sales tax collection into their own hands. Prior to that, local businesses had paid both state and city sales tax to the state, which returned city sales tax to local governments. But the towns did not trust that state collection and enforcement efforts were sufficient to guarantee that they were receiving all the revenue to which they were entitled. In 2003, the towns created the Joint Sales Tax Self-Collection Program and hired a central tax collection staff.

In the first full year of operation, Castle Rock realized a net gain of $1,868,031 and Parker a net gain of $878,708. The towns estimate they will each save $75,000 annually over what it would cost to run separate programs. The savings have enabled the towns to offer increased services and pass the cost savings on to residents and business owners. The program also allows the towns to monitor compliance, provide timely, accurate statistical information to town councils, and exercise more authority over collection, since they now hear appeals on city sales tax issues. Local staff are available to provide assistance to business owners, and town websites offer business and tax licensing and tax filing options. (A Report by the National League of Cities)

Community Leadership Training

What Do Cities Think Will Alleviate Poverty?

Click here for more ideas on how to effectively manage your town/city

City officials were presented with a list of poverty reduction strategies and asked which they believed would be most effective in their city not necessarily strategies being implemented. They werethen asked how much capacity their city currently has for implementing each strategy. Two strategies were viewed as both effective and within the city’s capacity to implement: 1) focusing on economic development to bring more businesses and jobs into the community (89% say effective; 89% say their city has capacity to implement) and 2) strengthening neighborhoods by making them safer, enhancing services, and improving infrastructure (86% and 88% respectively).

At the top of the list for perceived effectiveness (91%) was creating better lives for the next generation by improving schools and children’s lives, but only 57% feel this is within the city’s capacity. Eighty-eight percent of elected officials say improving the lives of people through access to social services, job training, and child care would be effective, but only 61% say they have capacity to implement this strategy.

Over half of city officials (53%) say their current approach to addressing poverty is through specific programs, such as social services, housing and transportation. And 35% say it is addressed through other institutions and organizations with little city government involvement. While only three percent say the city has a comprehensive strategic, municipal plan to address poverty, a much larger proportion (28%) says this would be the most effective approach for their city. (Report from the National League of Cities)

Click here for more ideas on how to effectively manage your town/city

How Grassroots Efforts Can Make Your Community Safer

Each district in the New Haven Police Department has a grassroots Management Team comprised of residents, business owners, and institutional and service representatives who are concerned about their community. A committee system reviews and recommends policies and implementation plans regarding public safety, youth issues, physical and infrastructure conditions, and other topics.

A high priority issue from the Teams is responding to high risk behaviors and the safety needs of city youth. The holistic concept of youth oriented policing evolved from its many interrelated components that include aspects of prevention and intervention, youth crime, truancy, juvenile probation, mentoring, recreation, education, and service.

Partnership and collaboration were key to making a visible change in the neighborhoods, schools, and at home. The Department won top honors in the National League of Cities Third Annual Excellence in Community Policing Awards competition (Community Policing in Action, 75,000-150,000 population category). A Report from the National League of Cities.

More grassroots ideas can be found here

An Innovative Way to Avoid Foreclosures in Your City or Town

The Baltimore Homeownership Preservation Coalition (BHPC) is sponsoring a media campaign to convince homeowners threatened with foreclosure to call the national HOPE hotline (1-888-995-HOPE) and be connected directly to professional housing counselors who provide advice, contact a homeowner’s mortgage lender, and when necessary direct the homeowner to local housing counseling agencies for additional aid.

The service is free and confidential, and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Coalition has received federal funding via Baltimore City’s Department of Housing and Community Development, as well as local foundation funding, to increase publicity and education programs, and expand counseling and legal services. The toll-free HOPE hotline supplements Baltimore’s 311 Central Call Center, which also directs individuals to housing counselors and legal assistance.

In January 2008, the Baltimore Homeownership Preservation Coalition, in partnership with a Prince George’s County coalition and the Maryland Housing Counselors Network, sponsored a Foreclosure Solutions Forum, where housing counselors, realtors, bankers, government officials, and advocates learned about sub-prime lending and foreclosure trends in Maryland and debated short and long-term solutions to the crisis. More information is available online at www.preservehomeownership.org.

The First City to Require Energy Efficient Buildings

Learn more about improving your community

The Borough of West Chester, Pennsylvania, is the first municipality in the country where, by law, private commercial buildings must earn the Energy Star designation due to a new ordinance passed by the municipality’s Borough Council. The Energy Star program ensures that these buildings will be among the most energy efficient in the country. According to the new ordinance, a developer who is required to seek a “conditional use” approval for a project must design the building(s) to meet the energy performance goals of the Energy Star program. One year after operation, the building owner must assess energy use and apply for the Energy Star label. Savings from the program will be realized in greenhouse gas emission reductions and lower energy costs. (Report from the National League of Cities)

A Great Way To Assist Low Income Families

Click here for other great community leadership tips

For millions of low-income working families, the struggle to make ends meet is harder than it has to be. One way city officials can help low-income working families is by informing them of, and helping them to file for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

For eligible workers, the EITC offsets federal payroll taxes withheld from their pay. For the lowest-paid workers, the EITC refund amount may exceed their payroll taxes and put extra money in their pockets as an income supplement. Workers with two or more children can qualify for up to $3,888 an amount that can go a long way toward paying job-related expenses such as child care and transportation, utility bills, rent, and other costs of living.

Unfortunately, up to 20 percent of working families eligible for the EITC (and an even larger proportion of families moving from welfare to work) do not claim their EITC on their federal income tax return, or do't file a return at all. (Report from National League of Cities)

The Fed's new program for struggling homeowners

To learn more about other ways to improve your community, click here

HOPE for Homeowners Program

The HOPE for Homeowners program allows homeowners who have difficulty paying their mortgages to refinance into FHA-insured mortgages. For borrowers who refinance under HOPE for Homeowners, lenders will be required to “write down” the size of the mortgage to a maximum of 90 percent of the home’s new appraised value. The program will offer 30-year fixed rate mortgages. This program is a good option for homeowners whose home values have fallen below their loan amount. The FHA will insure up to $300 billion in new loans. The program will last through September 30, 2011.

Contact Information: HOPE NOW Alliance: 1 (888) 995-HOPE; or FHA: 1 (800) CALL-FHA; or www.fha.gov

Start a Sustainable Development Roundtable, Detroit Did.

More ideas for sustainable development, and other learning modules for elected officials

The Detroit/Wayne County Roundtable on Sustainable Development focuses on integrating environmental and economic growth concerns. Forty representatives from neighborhood organizations, environmental groups, lending institutions, businesses, governments, and charitable and religious groups comprise the Roundtable. Its ten-member board is co-chaired by designees of the mayor and county executive. The six operating principles of the Roundtable are: diversify membership, promote the concept of sustainability, build consensus, support existing efforts, combine the resources of the group's diverse stakeholders, and set up regional cooperation and communication. Much of the Roundtable's efforts address the redevelopment and marketing of brownfield sites, and the condemnation of such sites. The group reviews state environmental regulations pertaining to hazardous site mitigation as well. Several major redevelopment projects have been launched, including a stadium, airport, and casino. (A report from the National League of Cities)

A Great Idea for Sustainable Communities

Click here for more ideas for sustainable cities/towns

Lake Jackson, Texas, has begun replacing its light-duty and heavy-duty diesel trucks with vehicles powered by compressed natural gas (CNG).The City currently has 15 light-duty pick-up trucks, two rear-loader refuse trucks for residential garbage collection, and one roll-off refuse truck for commercial garbage collection. In addition, the city has a CNG forklift. For the light-duty trucks, the city pays approximately $4,000 more than it would for diesel trucks. The City has, however, received some small rebates from the Department of Energy to help cover the cost. The city pays an incremental cost of $55,000 to $60,000 for new CNG vs. new diesel heavy-duty refuse trucks. A federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement grant covers 20 percent of the incremental cost. It is estimated that the total fuel cost savings will be $130,000 in 2009. The city has also expanded its CNG program to include three CNG Honda Civics, which are operated by the state health inspectors. (Report from the National League of Cities)

A Good Community Leader/Elected Official Prepares Their City for the Worst: Pandemic Influenza

Planning for pandemic influenza is a health issue that involves all levels of government.Officials need to prepare for and collaborate on efforts to minimize andrecover from a potential influenza pandemic. Local governments especially, need to set priorities for maintaining public safety and other essential public services; support local health agencies in providing information to the public and; when necessary, close public buildings and assist in establishing alternative

caresites for the delivery of health care to the public. Local officials need to realize that during a pandemic, they

will be on their own. The federal government has made it quite clear that it will be in no position to offer substantial

help to states and cities during a pandemic flu crisis. Plans, drills, resources and personnel allocation must take this

into consideration. A pandemic would be triggered by three conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention: (1) a new flu virus subtype must emerge for which humans have little or no immunity; (2) the virus must infect humans and cause illness; and (3) the virus must spread easily and continuously among humans.

Scott Peck's Idea of Community Building

"Community building" also refers to a group process developed by Dr. M. Scott Peck. This practice brings together individuals to go through the four basic psychological stages that typify the formation of a cohesive group that has established trust and a deep sense of connection.

As described in his book "The Different Drum", these four stages are known as "pseudo-community", "Chaos", "Emptiness" and "Community". Individuals within the group may be at different stages at different times, and may move back and forth through the stages.

According to Peck, moving into "organisation", forming rules for the group, disrupts the process and prevents community.

Pseudo community is where people are guarded but polite, talking of less important things and giving little away about themselves. Chaos is conflict. In Emptiness, participants "empty" themselves of their requirements and desires for the process and the other participants, enabling them to reach Community, in which they appreciate the process and other participants, and themselves.

How to Handle the Media

When you have to talk with your local media outlets about the issues in your community, you want to deliver your message so it resonates with the largest number of people. Here are three ways to polish and deliver your message.

Crafting the message: Come up with a message. If you are having trouble with this you can work with a media coach or public relations professional. The most popular messages are said on television. They are usually short, colorful analogies. An example of this is when Sarah Palin said the health care bill would result in death panels. It’s a short message that was echoed everywhere.

Polish your delivery: Your message depends on how good you look. If your audience notices a distraction in what you wear, you message won’t be heard as loud. Never go along with a negative question. “Isn’t this going to ruin the environment? DON’T say, “No it won’t ruin the environment! Never buy into a negative question! Instead say. “In fact, we’ve gotten the Sierra Club’s seal of approval…we’ve set aside 100 acres to preserve park and wetlands. You can balance development and environment preservation." Remember to keep your answers short and simple.

Don’t forget your message: You interview only to convey your message. You have to talk about how good your policies are because the reporter won’t do it for you. If the reporter ends the interview with “is there anything else you you’d like to add,” talk about the benefits of your policies or the project you’re working on. That question is an opportunity for you to speak freely about your message.

When you watch the news, which sound bites jump out to you? Do you have any more tips to interviewing for a newspaper or television? We'll answer your questions!

Four Steps to Presenting Compelling Evidence

When you are presenting at a meeting you want the facts on your side. The following four step method will help you gauge whether or not the logic you are using is effective. It will strengthen your point of view and build confidence in your position.

Using these four steps will encourage and inspire community participation and better educate the public on the issues.

To find out more information on how to nail a public meeting visit Community Leadership Project.

Were the four steps useful? How do you usually present information at your public meetings? Does it work?

Rules of Conflict Resolution

If you feel a conflict is going to arise at your next public meeting, the featured three rules will help you find a consensus...

You will be able to:

• Create an increased understanding between you and your audience.
• Renew your faith that your committee can effectively resolve challenges.
• Sharpen your focus to what’s important to you.

Find this video useful or interesting? Visit Community Leadership Project for more information!

Do you think these steps will work? Do you have any more suggestions to have a public meeting run smoother? Leave a comment!

Why Active Listening Works

Have you been to a public meeting and had an argument with one of your constituents and wish you could identify their real problem?

This video unveils the secret of "identifying the red flag" in arguments...

If you like this video, you can find related topics at Community Leadership Project.

Has this strategy worked for you? Do you need more help in heated arguments? We'll provide expert answers from our team of professionals.

Why You Should Use Props in Your Next Speech

As an elected official you’ll have to present to the public or officials. The best way to connect with your audience is to use props such as flip charts, images, videos, demonstrations or other people. Media-training.info had a great blog on props that I wanted to highlight.

(image: syracuse.com)

Props will engage your audience to your presentation: The audience will be drawn to your key points and statistics that you can show through graphs and charts. When people can see your idea through a visual illustration you don’t have to explain every detail. Jeff Dunham is famous for his hilarious comedy routines using dummies as props. Dunham without the dummies is a far different comedy routine than with them. It makes that big of difference!

Prizes and giveaways work excellent: This is best done with a large audiences. This technique opens and fires up your audience. People will always go crazy for free things! The prizes don’t have to be related to your presentation.

Props can be used spontaneously in your presentation: When you are describing your props your audience won’t be focusing on you as much. The props can be a substitute for notes.

Visual images are remembered easier than the words you speak. It’s sometimes easier to use a prop so you don’t have to exhaust yourself explaining a scenario. If you’re unfamiliar with props, use them sparingly then add more if you see more excitement.

Have you had success with props? Are there any downfalls to props? Did we miss anything?

The Power of Recognition

When elected to office you want a great team that will work like a well oiled machine. By recognizing good behavior you can motive your employees and accomplish difficult tasks.

The key points of providing recognition are:

• It’s free
• Good for the bottom line
• Employees want it
• It reinforces what’s working

A Gallup survey found that individuals who receive regular recognition:

• Are more productive
• Rate higher on customer satisfaction surveys
• Increase coworker engagement
• Have better safety records
• Are less likely to leave the organization

Take all this information in community leaders and use it to your advantage!

How often do you recognize your employees? Do you notice if your employees respond well to recognition? As an employee-does being recognized improve your work output?

5 Ways to Deal with Stress

Stress can cause headaches unless you know how to defeat it. “Feel stress — often resulting from the idea that you’ve lost control, which is a common sensation nowadays — and confidence erodes”-BNET. I can relate to this, can you?

(image: Quite Oxymoronic)

1. Keep a stress journal: Everyone deals with stress their own way. Some people drink, smoke, eat, or exercise for example. The best way to find the trigger for stress is to keep track of the negative stimulus. Once you know what causes your stress you can change your reaction. If you can’t keep a journal-write down key words that will remind you of the situations.

2. Learn to say no: Many people cause stress by taking too much on. If taking on that extra project at work or watching the news causes you stress, say no. If time is your concern, slow down. Look at the scenery so you can hear yourself think.

3. Forgive: Part of human nature is to make mistakes. Forgive people and yourself and move on. Anger directed at yourself or other people only causes more stress.

4. Be creative about cost cutting: Compromise is better than layoffs. If you have to cut hours to save money-negotiate a deal with your employees with an option that best suits them. Take a reduction in salary? Work half-time?

5. Find a support network: CEO’s have websites where they can bounce ideas off of one another. Some of the examples are Vistage International, CEO Support Systems, and GovernBest. Networking with nearby business leaders can help relieve stress. It’s important to share feelings with people you trust.

What is your best way to deal with stress? When do you work better-with a lot of stress or without?

The Power of Body Language

Since body language is so important I wanted to include back-to-back posts about it. Body language isn't always the top priority when it should be.

Below is a video from Tonya Reiman about her book. She critiqued pedestrians in New York City by only looking at their body language:

Tonya addressed:

• Position of your feet
• Power position
• Pointing out your best assets
• How to get someones attention
• Intimate zone stance
• Dominance
• Your appearance statement

How aware are you of your body language? Do you try hard to make a good first impression? When you watch a speech, do you notice good or bad non-verbal communication? We'll be happy to answer your questions.

Body Language Critique

If your body doesn't match your words, your audience will catch on. Tonya Reiman, body language expert, was let loose on the O'Reilly Factor to critique politicians in 2006:

Even well versed politicians can't keep a straight poker face all the time. Make sure you don't make similar mistakes.

Have you seen non-verbal mistakes in presentations? Do you think you fidget and have bad non-verbal communication in your presentations? We can help! Leave a comment and we'll get back to you.

3 Critical Things to Do Before Your Next Speech

I found an excellent blog post from Six Minutes (public speaking and presentation skills blog) about how to prepare for your next speech. As a community leader you'll have to make speeches at a lot of different locations. These steps should prepare you for your next event...

1. Study the Venue:

Go to the venue when you are going to speak when there are few people present.

• Be familiar with the speaking area
• Do an audio check
• Plan where you’ll place props, notes, or supplies
• Make sure the audience can see your notes when it is projected
• Plan where to stand to not be in-front of the screen

2. Meet your audience:

An inexperienced speaker will give a presentation without meeting the audience. Don’t make this mistake. You can build rapport when you engage the audience in conversation.

3. Be present and engage in the event agenda:

When possible arrive early to hear other speakers at the event.

• Does their message overlap yours? You can adjust your speech as necessary.
• Does the other speakers’ message complement yours?
• Are there any themes?
• Was there a humorous event that you can incorporate into your speech?
• What is the mood of the audience? If their mood is low, try to pick them up.

These three tips will reduce your nervousness as well as make you more prepared.

Questions? Comments? We’ll be happy to answer your questions to make you a better speaker!

Donald Trump about Thinking Big

The audio is packed full of great details to be successful. Here are the main points:

1. Be thorough

2. Get a momentum going and keep the momentum going

3. Stay Focused

4. Look at the solution and not the problem

5. See opportunity as what it is…an opportunity

6. Know everything you can about what you’re doing

7. Be lucky

8. See yourself as victorious

9. Be smart

10. Never give up

Do you have any more tips to be successful? Do you trouble with any of these statements in business? How many of these tips do you already use?

5 Tips to Win Any Debate

I found a great article by the Prometheus Institute about how to win a debate. This will help elected officials win arguments against their opponents and win the audience over.

1. Respect your opponent:

You most likely won’t be able to change your opponents mind, but you can change the audiences’ mind. If your opponent makes personal attacks against you-it can be to your advantage. It can show that your opponent can’t attack your point, but has to attack you instead. The audience will see what tactics your opponent uses and judge you on how you respond. By respecting your opponent no matter what they say will win you points.

2. Find common ground, and stake a claim on it:

Try to base your arguments off of shared viewpoints of your opponent. This will persuade more of your audience to your side and make it harder for your opponent to argue against you. Some socialists accuse free market supporters of hating poor people, and affirmative action opponents of hating minorities. Some conservatives accuse decriminalization supporters of being in favor of potheads, and opponents of censorship as being pro-immorality.

To find common ground; free-market proponents should explain how economic growth benefits the poor, affirmative action opponents should explain how discriminatory policy hurts minorities, and decriminalization supporters should explain how they support the rights of productive people, instead of people on drugs.

Image: KTAR.com

3. Concede well-reasoned points:

If you are debating a well-reasoned individual you may need to concede a point and offer a stronger alternative. You need to offer a case to why your position if more relevant and beneficial than your opponents. Concessions don’t hurt you and improve the audiences’ perception of you. If your opponent cites an obscure statistic or random study you don’t have to accuse them of being a liar. If your argument is strong you can say, “Even if that were true, it still doesn’t change the reality that…”

4. Don’t confuse passion with hatred:

You can attack an idea of a person has as being stupid without attacking the person. Strive to remain positive in your speech and steer the conversation toward commonalities and solutions.

5. Sometimes the best debating technique is not to debate at all:

The following places aren’t always the best place to debate about politics. Use your best judgment when to discuss touchy issues.

• Workplace
• Dates
• Weddings, funerals, other public events
• Classroom

Do you need help with debating? Have you had a debate and won? Do you need more debate tips? We will answer your questions!

Presidential Leadership

I read a Bill O’Reilly column about his take on leadership. He had some great insights I wanted to share.

Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan used their sharp personalities to motivate others to work for a cause.

Churchill stood strong against the Germans while other leaders crumbled under the pressure. He told his soldiers that there would be no surrender and they would fight to the finish. Churchill defeated the Nazis with his resolve.

Reagan’s leadership was different but still very effective. He spoke of America’s greatness and lifted people up. He broke the Soviet Union because he didn’t back down in the face of danger.

Churchill was blunt and blustery. Reagan was charming and smooth. They accomplished great things by their enormous willpower.

Their leadership styles can be used by you every day. Don’t back down when faced with a challenge. Be optimistic and lift up your employees and yourself.

Have you used these leadership traits before? Did they work? Are you facing a challenge today and would like leadership advice? We can answer these questions!

Rudy Giuliani on Leadership

Are you elected official and searching for a role model? Rudy Giuliani is an example of a mayor who enacted policies that benefited the whole community by creating jobs, cutting crime, and taxes. Watch this short video to see Giuliani's vision on leadership.

His main points are:

1. Leaders are made by studying and listening to good role models
2. Learn as much about your business as possible
3. The most effective test of good leader-people who work for you come to you for advice

Some of Giuliani's accomplishments are:

• Crime went down 57%
• Murder was reduced by 65%
• New York City was recognized by the FBI as the safest large city in America for over five years
• Implemented the largest and more successful welfare-to-work programs (cut welfare rolls in half-640,000 people off of government programs)
• $2.5 billion tax reductions resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars that were returned to the private sector
• Turned $2.3 billion deficit into a multi-billion dollar surplus
• 45,000 new private sector jobs and higher tourism

What leadership techniques did Giuliani use that you can apply? Why do you think he was an effective leader? Why wasn't he an effective leader?

How to Present to a Board of Directors

You have to make a good impression because you only see the board a couple times a year. Try to see the board as much as you can. The more interaction the better.

People don’t remember what you say, they remember what they see. By using good graphics, the board is able to see your view of what is occurring.

When you present: talk about the things you are concerned about, the areas you have been criticized for, and handle any problems that may arise. Bringing the President to your side is very important because it'll influence the way they interpret your presentation. Getting to know the President is key because you’ll gain insights to how they like to be presented to.

If the board isn’t use your presentation style or you have bad news to deliver, give as much good news as you can first before the bad news is presented.

Is there any areas we missed? Are you going to present to a board of directors in the next year? Are you nervous? We will answer any questions you might have from our team of professionals.

Leadership Don'ts

• Don’t raise your voice
• Don’t ignore complaints
• Don’t openly criticize people

The solution is to:

Start talking, acknowledge mood of team, and guide the team through difficult patches.

Have you had a boss that had these characteristics? Did it change your perception of them? Can you add more leadership don'ts?

How to be Remembered and Repeated:

1. Speak in shorted sentences. Jerry Seinfeld said, “I will spend an hour taking an eight word sentence and making it five.” With comedy, the fewer words between the set-up and punch line, the bigger the impact.

2. Emphasize your punch word. Your punch word should be the final word or idea in a sentence. In the sentence, “You have to make an important decision today,” the punch word would be decision. To put more emphasis on the punch word switch the sentence around to say, “Today, you have to make an important DECISION!”

3. If you have a sentence with two important phrases-put the more important phrase at the end. "Today, YOU have to make an important DECISION." Or, "The important DECISION today is going to be made by YOU."

4. Use pauses effectively. After you deliver your punch word pause until the audience can recognize what you said. This may be uncomfortable but it’s very effective.

5. Repeat your ideas more than once.

6. Say something memorable.

Do you have any public speaking suggestions to improve this list? Have you used these techniques before?

How to Present Like Steve Jobs

I found this great video about how Steve Jobs wows his audience from BNET. Learn how to electrify your audience using several key techniques. Learn from the best and you can become the best...

Do you need help executing these techniques in a speech you are preparing? Let us know and we'll provide answers from our team of experts.

Todays Video is: How to Effectively Communicate with Constituents: the email formula that works.

Communicating with people through e-mail is important. It will bring people to your side by crafting your e-mail in a certain way.

The components you need in every e-mail are:

• Appreciate
• Your point
• Call to action

Do you have trouble crafting a professional e-mail? Do you want tips for certain scenarios? Comment below and we'll provide answers from our professionals.

Three Opening Strategies to Grab the Audience and Make Them Yours

You have 30 seconds to grab an audiences’ attention. The best way to open depends on who you are, what style you use, and the purpose of your presentation.

1. Use a Story: A story is a strong way to open a presentation if you can transition to the objective of your speech. A personal, well told story works best.

2. Use a Quote: If you’re talking about leadership you might want to start with, General Eisenhower said, “Leadership is the ability to decide what has to be done and then to get people to want to do it.”

3. Use an Interesting Statistic: Newt Gingrich had a great opening to a speech using a statistic that connected with the audience, “If you were born today, you would already owe $186,000 to pay off your share of the national debt." He also used the word you three times instead of the word I or me. Including your listeners in your speech is a way to captivate them.

Have you used any of these strategies to open a speech? Did they work?

Steps to Great Speech Writing

image: Zazzle

• Know the objectives and expectations of the speech
• Know the time constraints
• Choose an interesting topic
• Create an outline of ideas with an introduction that flows to conclusion
• Avoid excessive and unneeded language
• Begin the speech with a strong introduction that lets the audience know what to expect
• End the speech with a strong conclusion that recaps the speech
• Use transitional words and phrases between main topics to tie them together
• Don’t make slides that are the exact script of the speech
• Visual aids should enhance the speech, not be a distraction

After reading this do you have any questions about speech writing? Have you ever written a successful speech? Do you need more tips?

Are You an Energy Sucker?

“…Leaders model the intensity and energy that it takes to stay ahead competitively and meet ever more ambitious goals…they do this because they love what they do.”

As leaders you need to model energy and intensity.

What are your concerns about giving a speech? Does it have to deal with how much energy you have? Comment below and we'll answer your questions.

How to Communicate with your Constituents

How do you become a respected community leader? What do leaders do to gain support?

This video should is a glimpse into those answers. We are happy to answer any questions you have about becoming a respected community leader.

How to Handle a Hostile Audience

As a mayor, city council member, or any governmental official you will have to know how to handle a hostile audience. Have you ever encountered a hostile audience and didn't know how to handle it properly? These tips should clear things up:

Image: The Secrets of Public Speaking

1. Listen carefully to the question & repeat it aloud - Make sure you understood the question correctly & that your audience knows the question to which you are responding.

2. Answer directly. Look directly at the person asking the question - Give simple answers to simple questions. If the question demands a lengthy reply, agree to discuss it later with anyone interested.

3. Refer to your Speech - Whenever possible, tie your answer to a point in your speech. Look upon these questions as a way to reinforce & clarify your presentation.

4. Anticipate areas of questioning - Prepare factual support material in three or four areas in which you anticipate questions.

5. Be friendly, always keep your temper - A cool presentation creates an aura of confidence. When the questioner is hostile respond as if he or she were a friend. Any attempt to "put down" your questioner with sarcasm will immediately draw the audience's sympathy to the questioner.

6. Always tell the truth - If you try to bend the truth, you almost always will be caught. Play it straight, even if your position is momentarily weakened.

7. Treat two questions from the same person as two separate questions

8. Don't place your hands on your hips or point at the audience - These are scolding poses and give you the appearance of preaching.

9. Keep things moving - There is a rhythm to a good question-and-answer exchange. They volley back & forth in a brisk manner. Keep your answers brief and to the point with many members of the audience participating.

10. Conclude smartly - Be prepared with some appropriate closing remarks. End with a summary statement that wraps up the essential message you want them to remember.

If you have any experience of handling a hostile audience, comment below. When Congressmen go home during their recess, they are going to have to deal with people angry about the Health Care Bill. Congressman may want to read this blog. But to those of you who deal with smaller issues-be prepared for a controversial issue that may arise in the future. Good luck to all!

Abraham Lincoln's Leadership

Learning from great leaders is one of the ways to make ourselves improve. Don’t ever think you can’t make it because Abraham Lincoln had the odds against him to be leader of the free world. He was the CEO of a corporation but never had a college education. He fought back a stock holder’s revolt. He marketed an old but unique product in new form. Lincoln rose above his circumstances, can you?

Share a Vision: Lincoln started out as a farmer but didn’t intend to stay there his whole life. He studied surveying and the law to get ahead.

Be a Great Communicator: He communicated his core beliefs to his audience through humor, speeches, and letters to newspaper editors.

Demand Excellence from Yourself: Lincoln spent a lot of time preparing for the Gettysburg Address even with the Civil War occurring.

Learn from Failure: Lincoln failed in business a couple times, defeated for Illinois State Assembly, had a nervous breakdown, defeated for Speaker of Illinois State Assembly, defeated for presidential elector, defeated for US Congress twice, defeated at Senate twice, and defeated for Vice President of the newly formed Republican Party. He wasn’t afraid to fail and he eventually became President because of his courage.

Be a Team Leader: Everyone who Lincoln appointed to his cabinet believed they should’ve been President instead of him. He won the Civil War with their support.

Believe in Yourself When No One Else Does by Having Courage of Your Convictions: When people asked Lincoln why he was confident about his decisions he said, “I desire to conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reins of power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend left, and that friend shall be down inside me.”

Show Compassion: In Lincoln’s second Inaugural Address he was quoted saying, “With malice toward none; with charity for all.” He offered help to the South which he defeated. He helped heal the north and south divide.

No one could’ve predicted Lincoln would’ve accomplished so much so don’t sell yourself short. All you need is to believe in yourself. The opportunities are endless!

To read the whole article on Lincoln go to The Presidential Expert.

40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes...

When you watch this video ask yourself:

• What do these people have in common?
• What makes their speech inspirational-confidence, common goal?
• Why do we remember these people and their speeches-what makes them stand out from the rest?

Tell us your thoughts on these great speeches and what you think you lack to give an inspirational speech. We will respond to your comments because we want to make you better.

Claim your free 15 minute phone consultation.

I'd like to reach out to you personally, and offer you a free 15 minute consultation to discuss:

1. any challenges you experience in your leadership roles

2. any way specific skills you want to improve on

3. your future goals as a public or organizational leader

After the call, I will send you a personalized evaluation on how exactly you can improve your public speaking and leadership skills in order to really achieve your goals. The feedback that I'll be sending your will be based on the wealth of knowledge that our team has put together in our areas of expertise.


I can be reached at 802-735-1374 any time between 9am and 5pm, Monday through Friday. The call will be kept completely confidential to protect your privacy.

Thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Chris Bramley

Plus Register for our Pilot Program August 22-23 at the Courtyard Marriot and the Downtown Hilton, Burlington, VT

How to Manage the Media

Do you have any concerns about giving a good interview on TV, radio, or newspaper? This video should be a good start to clear up any issues you have. If you still have questions, don't hesitate to comment on the blog, and we'll get back to you with solutions.

This video will describe how to deliver the right response in TV and newspaper interviews:

How to Master Question and Answer Situations

Question and answer situations arise in speeches and you'll have to know how to handle them successfully. Does question and answer situations make you sweat? Watch this video to learn how to deliver the perfect answer every time. If you still have questions after watching, don't hesitate to leave a comment and we'll do our best to answer. We are here to help!

What is your number one fear about public speaking?

What's your biggest fear about public speaking. Let me know, I'll find a remedy for it. Personally.

We are here to help you out so get those fingers typing...

The Mayor’s Leadership Role

I found a great article on the Muncipal Research and Services Center webpage about the leadership of mayors. Since our company is targeting mayors, this is a perfect article to highlight.

The mayor is the highest position in the municipal government and the head of the city. They are expected to provide leadership to keep everything moving smoothly to make life better. Effective mayors see themselves not only as leaders but also as teammates with others in the government.

Identify issues and needs:

Before you set goals, you have to come to an agreement on what needs to be done. Narrow down the list to a number of workable problems that needs to be addressed.

Set Goals:

Elected officials must work together to set mutual goals. The staff will then have clear guidelines to have things accomplished and you’ll have a clear way to evaluating the programs and services. Goals will keep your administration on track.

Set priorities:

This is the most important step in goal-setting. Decide what areas need attention right away and which ones can be delayed. A ranking system can help you determine which issues are more important.

Evaluate the results:

Create a process to evaluate how you reach your goals.

There are several areas of leadership roles as a mayor…

Ceremonial role:

Ceremonies are never ending as a mayor. It is expected that a mayor shows up in the public as a leader whether it’s cutting ribbons or breaking ground for new construction.

Intergovernmental relations:

Keep in contact with the federal, state, county, and school officials. Mayors need to reach out to people outside the city who might use the city to do joint-ventures that include other local governments.

Public Relations:

Dealing with the media, public, and staff is all in the circle of public relations. It’s important to put forward a great message to gain support.

Dealing with citizens:

Listening is a really good skill mayors need to use when dealing with the public. Inform the public and encourage participation. Expect complaints, but have a way to deal with them.

Dealing with the media:

A good relationship with the media is one in which you help the media out, and they help you out in return. You can use the media to gain support for governmental issues you need passed.