Trust yourself
If you do not think you are up to a particular presentation either get help (do training courses and rehearsals), or get someone else to do it (there's no shame in recognising your limits). However, most people have better presentation skills that they think they do. Recognise what you have. If you doubt your ability to think on your feet, for example, then defer questions till after the presentation. Similarly, do not use a joke as an ice breaker if you are not good at telling them.
Success is the best presentation.Don't over reach yourself. Several short presentations that you feel went well will do you far more good than one big one that makes you sick with nerves and leaves you feeling inadequate.
Feedback
Encourage those around you to tell you the things you did well. Very few of us make progress by being told what was wrong with our presentation. When we're up in front of an audience we all have very fragile egos.
Saleh
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Friday, July 24, 2009
Structuring effective presentations
Use metaphors
Metaphors and analogies are vital to communication. 'It's like climbing a greasy pole', for example, conveys far more than just literal meaning. It conveys image and feeling and enables others to empathise through similar experiences of their own. And remember the light bulbs - if they're not lighting up try a different metaphor.
Examples
Giving an example always helps your listeners to see more clearly what you mean. It's quicker and more colourful.
The point
Stick to the point using three or four basic ideas. For any detail that you cannot communicate in 20 minutes, try another medium such as handouts or brochures.
Final
End as if you have done well. Do this even if you feel like you've done badly. First, you're probably the worst judge of how you've done, and second, if you finish well you'll certainly fool some of the people into thinking it was all pretty good. And anyway a good finish will get you some applause - and you deserve it!
Metaphors and analogies are vital to communication. 'It's like climbing a greasy pole', for example, conveys far more than just literal meaning. It conveys image and feeling and enables others to empathise through similar experiences of their own. And remember the light bulbs - if they're not lighting up try a different metaphor.
Examples
Giving an example always helps your listeners to see more clearly what you mean. It's quicker and more colourful.
The point
Stick to the point using three or four basic ideas. For any detail that you cannot communicate in 20 minutes, try another medium such as handouts or brochures.
Final
End as if you have done well. Do this even if you feel like you've done badly. First, you're probably the worst judge of how you've done, and second, if you finish well you'll certainly fool some of the people into thinking it was all pretty good. And anyway a good finish will get you some applause - and you deserve it!
Working your audience
Converse
Have a conversation with your audience. They may not actually say anything, but make them feel consulted, questioned, challenged, argued with; then they will stay awake and attentive. Your job as a presenter is to stimulate and communicate with your audience into wanting to get the information you have, not just to present that information at them.
Interact
Engage with your present audience, not the one you have prepared for. Look for reactions to your ideas and respond to their signals. If the light bulbs are not going on find another way to say it. Monitor their reactions; it's the only way you'll know how you're doing and what you should do next. If you don't interact you might as well send a video recording of your presentation. It's why you came.
Show conviction
Give an expressive presentation and an enthusiastic presentation and your audience will respond, which is what you want. At the very bottom line disagreement is preferable to being ignored. Use your excitement, pace yourself to give an exciting presentation, use something you know you feel strongly about to build up to an important point or as a springboard to another idea.
Get some perspective
The odds are that someone in the audience will not like you or may disagree with you. There will probably be someone else out there for whom you can do no wrong. As a rule of thumb, the majority of most audiences want to like you and what you have to say - they want you to be good. They didn't come hoping to be bored or irritated by your presentation.
Have a conversation with your audience. They may not actually say anything, but make them feel consulted, questioned, challenged, argued with; then they will stay awake and attentive. Your job as a presenter is to stimulate and communicate with your audience into wanting to get the information you have, not just to present that information at them.
Interact
Engage with your present audience, not the one you have prepared for. Look for reactions to your ideas and respond to their signals. If the light bulbs are not going on find another way to say it. Monitor their reactions; it's the only way you'll know how you're doing and what you should do next. If you don't interact you might as well send a video recording of your presentation. It's why you came.
Show conviction
Give an expressive presentation and an enthusiastic presentation and your audience will respond, which is what you want. At the very bottom line disagreement is preferable to being ignored. Use your excitement, pace yourself to give an exciting presentation, use something you know you feel strongly about to build up to an important point or as a springboard to another idea.
Get some perspective
The odds are that someone in the audience will not like you or may disagree with you. There will probably be someone else out there for whom you can do no wrong. As a rule of thumb, the majority of most audiences want to like you and what you have to say - they want you to be good. They didn't come hoping to be bored or irritated by your presentation.
Dealing with presentation nervousness
Be nervous
A certain amount of nervousness is vital for a good presentation. You need the extra energy to communicate: What you feel when you stand up in front of people is the urge to either run away or fight. If you endeavour to stifle those feelings you will be inhibited, restricted, artificial and wooden. The added adrenaline will keep your faculties sharp and ready to engage with your audience.
Breathe
Extra adrenaline, however, can result in shallow upper chest breathing and tension. Taking a slow, deep breath, breathing fully out and then in again, will relax you. Strangely having something to pick up and put down tends to release your breathing.
Get something else to do
It may seem an odd idea, but our bodies seem to feel better when they have some sort of displacement activity to occupy them. It's the reason people hold pens and fiddle with things. A limited amount of this sort of activity will not be too obtrusive and can make you feel a lot more secure.
Hold on to something
When you start you are at your most insecure. Avoid all the well-meant advice about what you are and are not allowed to do. Until you feel settled do anything you can find to make yourself feel secure. This includes holding on to a lectern. Even just standing next to something solid will make you feel less wobbly.
Go slow
The breathing tip above will help you to slow down your presentation. Go more slowly than you think necessary to avoid gabbling. Your audience need the time to assimilate and interpret what you are saying. It's a fact that when adrenaline is flowing your sense of time is distorted and what seems OK to you may look like fast forward to your audience.
A certain amount of nervousness is vital for a good presentation. You need the extra energy to communicate: What you feel when you stand up in front of people is the urge to either run away or fight. If you endeavour to stifle those feelings you will be inhibited, restricted, artificial and wooden. The added adrenaline will keep your faculties sharp and ready to engage with your audience.
Breathe
Extra adrenaline, however, can result in shallow upper chest breathing and tension. Taking a slow, deep breath, breathing fully out and then in again, will relax you. Strangely having something to pick up and put down tends to release your breathing.
Get something else to do
It may seem an odd idea, but our bodies seem to feel better when they have some sort of displacement activity to occupy them. It's the reason people hold pens and fiddle with things. A limited amount of this sort of activity will not be too obtrusive and can make you feel a lot more secure.
Hold on to something
When you start you are at your most insecure. Avoid all the well-meant advice about what you are and are not allowed to do. Until you feel settled do anything you can find to make yourself feel secure. This includes holding on to a lectern. Even just standing next to something solid will make you feel less wobbly.
Go slow
The breathing tip above will help you to slow down your presentation. Go more slowly than you think necessary to avoid gabbling. Your audience need the time to assimilate and interpret what you are saying. It's a fact that when adrenaline is flowing your sense of time is distorted and what seems OK to you may look like fast forward to your audience.
Presentation style
Be yourself
Use any personal gestures or vocal inflections to your advantage. It's very hard to change the way you express yourself. More effective presentations are ones where you actual put the energy into the presentation (this is a message you will hear again). Similarly, do not try to be anyone else or copy another presenter's style.
Wave
Be more expressive rather than less. These days 'good communicators' are more and more frequently seen on TV and held up as models. You giving a presentation is not TV. This is you communicating live. Gestures help understanding and convey your enthusiasm for the topic.
Be Dynamic
This is not a flippant comment. We all tend to pay more attention to things that change. If you can vary the tone, volume and speed of your delivery you will hold your audiences attention for longer.
Use any personal gestures or vocal inflections to your advantage. It's very hard to change the way you express yourself. More effective presentations are ones where you actual put the energy into the presentation (this is a message you will hear again). Similarly, do not try to be anyone else or copy another presenter's style.
Wave
Be more expressive rather than less. These days 'good communicators' are more and more frequently seen on TV and held up as models. You giving a presentation is not TV. This is you communicating live. Gestures help understanding and convey your enthusiasm for the topic.
Be Dynamic
This is not a flippant comment. We all tend to pay more attention to things that change. If you can vary the tone, volume and speed of your delivery you will hold your audiences attention for longer.
How to present well
The following is a summary of presentation skills hints and tips for managers and others. For best effect they should be used in conjunction with a good quality presentation or public speaking training course.
Preparation
Practise
Practise on a colleague or friend. Think about who your audience is and what you want them to get out of an effective presentation. Think about content and style. If you video yourself get someone else to evaluate your performance; you will find it very difficult to be objective about yourself. Prepare, prepare, prepare.
Reconnoitre
Go into the presentation room before the event; practise any moves you may have to make, e.g. getting up from your chair to the podium. Errors in the first 20 seconds can be very disorientating.
Avoid 'Blue peter syndrome'
Try not to over prepare. Don't rehearse the whole thing right through too often. Your time is better spent going over your opening and closing paragraphs. Rehearse your beginning and your finish. Pick a few choice bits to learn by heart.
Technical support
Test the equipment before the presentation; get familiar with it before you start. PowerPoint and OHPs often seem as though they're out to get you, so make sure you're in charge not them.
Visual aids
Use visuals to give a big picture quickly. Show them graphics, pictures, cartoons bar charts etc; you can then use words to elaborate. Slides with words on are of limited value. If you seem to have a lot you may find you are showing your audience your speaker notes!
Preparation
Practise
Practise on a colleague or friend. Think about who your audience is and what you want them to get out of an effective presentation. Think about content and style. If you video yourself get someone else to evaluate your performance; you will find it very difficult to be objective about yourself. Prepare, prepare, prepare.
Reconnoitre
Go into the presentation room before the event; practise any moves you may have to make, e.g. getting up from your chair to the podium. Errors in the first 20 seconds can be very disorientating.
Avoid 'Blue peter syndrome'
Try not to over prepare. Don't rehearse the whole thing right through too often. Your time is better spent going over your opening and closing paragraphs. Rehearse your beginning and your finish. Pick a few choice bits to learn by heart.
Technical support
Test the equipment before the presentation; get familiar with it before you start. PowerPoint and OHPs often seem as though they're out to get you, so make sure you're in charge not them.
Visual aids
Use visuals to give a big picture quickly. Show them graphics, pictures, cartoons bar charts etc; you can then use words to elaborate. Slides with words on are of limited value. If you seem to have a lot you may find you are showing your audience your speaker notes!
The spirit of branding
Late 2002, Nissan, the phoenix that rose from near bankruptcy some years back, delivered a change of their advertising tagline from 'driven' to 'SHIFT_'. If you haven't yet seen the US version, or the Far East version, you may wonder what 'SHIFT_' means. After all, 'driven' is obvious on many fronts as an English word, especially in the context of 'being provided the momentum toward the successful operation of functioning of something.' But 'SHIFT_'? As in shifting gears?
The US version by TBWA/Chiat/Day uses 'SHIFT_expectations', while the Far East version, first used in Japan, and now used in countries such as China and Singapore, stresses 'SHIFT_the future'. According to The Wall Street Journal, Nissan USA spent between US$700 to US$750 million on the new 'SHIFT_' campaign, to rejuvenate the brand and mindshare in customers.
What's so special about the 'SHIFT_' campaign, and what can we learn about establishing a 'spirit' in your branding strategy?
Emotive appealWhen you look at the US version of 'SHIFT_' advertisement, two of the segments stood out - one where a double amputee lady did mountain or rock climbing, and a group of speech-challenged people communicating effectively with one another through sign language. In the Far East version, one segment stood out - where a amputee lady stood on a surfboard, and surfed the waves with a smile that clearly emanated from the inside. Both advertisements are compelling, simple, high energy, and yet warm and moving. The advertisements ask the everyday person, consumers and stakeholders alike, to shift something in their lives, akin to shifting gears or mindsets.
The key message in this branding campaign is really about removing stereotypes of people, and allowing the average person to see beyond their own perceived limitations, clouded judgments, myopic self image, among other things. It allows the ordinary person to see into the advertisement as a reflecting mirror that echoes some of the deeper emotive desires and wants that up to then have been unfulfilled, perhaps hampered by social pressure or personal choices.
And yet, the advertisement did not step into the irresponsible, or the insane. It provided a clear, simple, desired mindset that plainly asks the average person to challenge his or her own mindsets and perceptions. In short, a very powerful branding exercise that steps into the spiritual.
Do you have the spirit?When you examine such an advertisement for branding, one thing comes to mind। In many of today's sales target-driven advertisements where the vendors stick price labels on TV, radio and print advertisements, and simply solicited direct sales from consumers, the message is clear, yes, but clearly lack spirit as well। It is a simple case of a trade, nothing more।
Conversely, the long-term effect of having a spirited branding strategy and campaign is one where consumers can identify with the brand, and perhaps rekindle some lost feelings and perceptions about the brand, and strengthen the relationship, or create new ones if none existed before.
The spirit in branding is something that's hard to define on paper, but surely something you can identify immediately when you see it. It is akin to finding very hard to describe an elderly grandparent whom you have not met for a long time, but the feelings come flooding back when you see him or her again. The connection is spiritual, and the effect very real.
How to create spirited campaignsThe net effect, returns and expectations of creating spirit in branding campaigns are obvious now. But how do we create a campaign that can reach out to the masses without failing on fudge candy pretensions?
Simple. If you believe in your brand, your branding strategy should clearly and simply state its deepest, most fundamental, emotive feeling as you see it. Perhaps it is easier to bring that out if you are the CEO or founder running the company. And if you are not, perhaps you should engage the CEO or founder at that level to bring out that fundamental spirit within this brand, especially if you are an external agency. You should not use a cosmetic or external approach in trying to create an emotive sell, because it will fail as a pretender, and consumers will run a hundred miles the opposite direction from then on, for any product you may have down the road.
The message should be time and people-tested. If you have a focus group, especially a cynical and hard-nosed group, reach out to them through your spirited approach, and see if the campaign will stick. If it does work, perhaps you are on to something. But do not launch a campaign without trying out on more than a single focus group, over an extended period of time, say three months or more. If the campaign message still feels spirited, you are getting close to your target.
Got spirit yet?
In this age where there are lesser and lesser segregation between one brand and the next, how can you possibly stand out without sounding like another 'me too' product? And at a time where advertising and marketing campaigns have virtually tried every trick in the book to entice consumers to spend their hard-earned money amidst crumbling economies and shrinking pockets (and even lost jobs), how can your branding stand out against the competition?
The answer is spirit, or soul
The US version by TBWA/Chiat/Day uses 'SHIFT_expectations', while the Far East version, first used in Japan, and now used in countries such as China and Singapore, stresses 'SHIFT_the future'. According to The Wall Street Journal, Nissan USA spent between US$700 to US$750 million on the new 'SHIFT_' campaign, to rejuvenate the brand and mindshare in customers.
What's so special about the 'SHIFT_' campaign, and what can we learn about establishing a 'spirit' in your branding strategy?
Emotive appealWhen you look at the US version of 'SHIFT_' advertisement, two of the segments stood out - one where a double amputee lady did mountain or rock climbing, and a group of speech-challenged people communicating effectively with one another through sign language. In the Far East version, one segment stood out - where a amputee lady stood on a surfboard, and surfed the waves with a smile that clearly emanated from the inside. Both advertisements are compelling, simple, high energy, and yet warm and moving. The advertisements ask the everyday person, consumers and stakeholders alike, to shift something in their lives, akin to shifting gears or mindsets.
The key message in this branding campaign is really about removing stereotypes of people, and allowing the average person to see beyond their own perceived limitations, clouded judgments, myopic self image, among other things. It allows the ordinary person to see into the advertisement as a reflecting mirror that echoes some of the deeper emotive desires and wants that up to then have been unfulfilled, perhaps hampered by social pressure or personal choices.
And yet, the advertisement did not step into the irresponsible, or the insane. It provided a clear, simple, desired mindset that plainly asks the average person to challenge his or her own mindsets and perceptions. In short, a very powerful branding exercise that steps into the spiritual.
Do you have the spirit?When you examine such an advertisement for branding, one thing comes to mind। In many of today's sales target-driven advertisements where the vendors stick price labels on TV, radio and print advertisements, and simply solicited direct sales from consumers, the message is clear, yes, but clearly lack spirit as well। It is a simple case of a trade, nothing more।
Conversely, the long-term effect of having a spirited branding strategy and campaign is one where consumers can identify with the brand, and perhaps rekindle some lost feelings and perceptions about the brand, and strengthen the relationship, or create new ones if none existed before.
The spirit in branding is something that's hard to define on paper, but surely something you can identify immediately when you see it. It is akin to finding very hard to describe an elderly grandparent whom you have not met for a long time, but the feelings come flooding back when you see him or her again. The connection is spiritual, and the effect very real.
How to create spirited campaignsThe net effect, returns and expectations of creating spirit in branding campaigns are obvious now. But how do we create a campaign that can reach out to the masses without failing on fudge candy pretensions?
Simple. If you believe in your brand, your branding strategy should clearly and simply state its deepest, most fundamental, emotive feeling as you see it. Perhaps it is easier to bring that out if you are the CEO or founder running the company. And if you are not, perhaps you should engage the CEO or founder at that level to bring out that fundamental spirit within this brand, especially if you are an external agency. You should not use a cosmetic or external approach in trying to create an emotive sell, because it will fail as a pretender, and consumers will run a hundred miles the opposite direction from then on, for any product you may have down the road.
The message should be time and people-tested. If you have a focus group, especially a cynical and hard-nosed group, reach out to them through your spirited approach, and see if the campaign will stick. If it does work, perhaps you are on to something. But do not launch a campaign without trying out on more than a single focus group, over an extended period of time, say three months or more. If the campaign message still feels spirited, you are getting close to your target.
Got spirit yet?
In this age where there are lesser and lesser segregation between one brand and the next, how can you possibly stand out without sounding like another 'me too' product? And at a time where advertising and marketing campaigns have virtually tried every trick in the book to entice consumers to spend their hard-earned money amidst crumbling economies and shrinking pockets (and even lost jobs), how can your branding stand out against the competition?
The answer is spirit, or soul
The Art of Presidential Branding
George W. Bush? John Kerry? Why do these 'brands' invoke high emotions and spark great debate even amongst the closest of friends and family? The battle for hearts and minds during this campaign season exemplifies the sheer power of brand identity! General Motors, Proctor & Gamble, and a host of other Fortune 100 organizations would pay untold millions to garner such passion and loyalty toward their individual brands.
This article is not a political commentary on campaign tactics, but more of a glimpse of the branding model each opponent employs. A content analysis of recent speeches and web-portal statements will serve as the base-line and metric from which a summation can be drawn. The outcome from this exercise will be to uncover the artistry these parties are attempting to create in the public's minds-eye!
Brand Essentials:The essentials of branding (www.ibranz.com/article.html) will provide a framework from which this discussion will ensue. These principles include:
What is your overall brand perception today?
Describe the future brand goal
Create a plan to reach that goal
John Kerry:
Brand Perception Today? John Kerry's key identifier today is 'Putting Families First' as noted on his official website www.johnkerry.com. He defines the problem as low paying jobs, high energy and health care costs, and the need for consumer protection to safeguard middle-income Americans. The challenge facing Kerry's value proposition is - can government programs create higher paying jobs, alter OPEC and HMO costs, or affect free market economies? In addition, a brand perception is multi-faceted and takes years to develop, communicate, and digest. His historic stance on a myriad of issues (including the Vietnam hearings and his voting record on key issues) can not be crafted in the short-term after decades of message layering. One immutable law of branding holds true - you can only own ONE position in the consumer's mind!
Future Brand Goal? As with any political platform, a distinct agenda sets apart each candidate and provides a compelling message. Kerry's message states:'Kerry and Edwards have a plan to create millions of high-quality, good-paying jobs in America. They will end tax breaks for companies that shift jobs overseas and instead give tax breaks for companies that create jobs here in America. They will also enforce our trade agreements to make sure American companies and workers are competing on a level playing field in the world.'The underlying message asserts if you punish companies who outsource abroad and increase trade barriers, the net result will be higher paying jobs in America. If Dell Corporation were to move their technical call center from India to Pittsburg, would Dell really pay significantly higher wages? Also, Dell would become less competitive by increasing their operating costs, thus pushing these expenses onto the general public. By reducing the ability of US companies to be competitive in the marketplace and increasing barriers to free trade, the US will more likely become more isolated in the global economy.
Create a Plan: Kerry's plan includes the following specifics:
Cut health-care premiums by $1000
Lower energy prices
Cut tuition
Affordable housing
The implementation plan of each item as noted in the mass media is general in nature and non-specific. For example, the solution proposed for lower energy prices (gasoline) includes investing in new energy sources and technologies. The development of solar, geothermal, wind and other alternatives to fossil-fuels has taken decades to realize and generate significant impact. Even if the scientific or private community were to create a revolutionary breakthrough during his administration, it would take another decade to usefully employ it!
The Kerry Brand Unveiled
The brand model deployed by Kerry is rooted in campaign promises which suggest a better life for Americans.
Brand Promise: The key Brand Promise is 'Families First' and the ancillary messages (energy, health-care, jobs, etc.) help to support that central ideology.
Brand-Value Proposition: The proposition Kerry employs is one of the 'Advocate for the people' and 'Government solutions' to all ailments.
Brand Solution: The democratic forum, one of greater government funding and control, will care for the populous.
George W. Bush:
Brand perception today? After four years in the White House, the public has had ample time to evaluate the actions, speeches, and agenda of the standing President. On his website (georgebush.com), his key identifier is 'A plan for a safer world & more hopeful America.' His agenda includes creating opportunity for American Workers, helping families in a changing world, promoting an era of ownership, defending lives and liberty, and supporting community/honoring American values. The challenge facing Bush's value proposition is - can government effect such changes as promoting new business development and making health care available to every poor county in America? Although he led our nation through unthinkable tragedy, the occupation in Iraq and WMD's have certainly taken their toll on the candidate's overall perception. As unfair as it may be, elections are more about perceptions than reality.
Future Brand Goal? According to a recent USA Today article, the Bush go-forward plan was articulated in this fashion:
'Bush promised last week that he would outline new domestic proposals. McClellan said they'll include the next steps in improving education, reducing health care costs and fostering an economy that promotes an "ownership society." He'll say changes in the governments of Iraq and Afghanistan are steps toward democratic reforms throughout that region.'
The key message here speaks to bolstering the domestic infrastructure through programs and incentives. On the international front, spreading the democratic agenda throughout the world will stabilize regions that were once under dictatorial or radical fundamentalist regimes. The essential difference between Kerry and Bush lies in the approach and methodology employed. Kerry's logic suggests government will drive change, whereas Bush implies government will facilitate and motivate the community to enhance their livelihood. The only question becomes - help yourself or let someone else do the work for you?
Create a Plan: Bush's plan includes the following specifics:
Reforming schools
Tax reform - simplify the process
Opportunity zones to spur new business
Expanding health care savings plans
Affordable housing
Fight terrorism
Faith-based and community initiatives
As previously discussed, the above-mentioned initiatives are facilitated by government, but rely on Americans to make them a reality. This plan then asserts Americans are receptive to ownership and involvement (i.e. hard work) to turn ideas into actionable plans. Although Bush has created the opportunity, his administration will be evaluated on how well Americans respond to his vision for the future.The Bush Brand Unveiled
The brand model deployed by Bush invites Americans to take the lead for change and places government in the role of facilitator.
Brand Promise: Bush's Brand Promise was encapsulated in a September 7th speech in Missouri when he announced he aimed 'to build a safer world, and a more hopeful America.'
Brand-Value Proposition: The proposition Bush employs is one of 'government as facilitator' and 'calls for the American involvement' to effect change.
Brand Solution: The Republican forum, one of less government control and creating opportunity, is the rallying cry.
Summary:
Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, the brand you select this November will alter your life for better or worse. As with any brand decision, such as the car you drive or clothes you wear, this brand choice has far reaching implications. As a consumer of information, the real challenge is to get past the 'campaign rhetoric' and be an informed buyer. During a recent business trip to Zurich, I asked a local what he thought of President Bush. After he rattled off many scathing comments, I asked him for specifics which supported his beliefs. There were none, just conjecture. Unfortunately, many consumers take opinions at face value, only to pay for their choice down the road.
Branding is a valuable tool we use in every facet of our lives. This 'short-cut' helps us quickly make a myriad of decisions that would otherwise require an insurmountable amount of time to investigate on our own. In addition, opinion leaders help guide us on areas of unfamiliarity. The balance we face each day is how to make the best brand choice with limited information.
As with any brand decision, the advice/opinions of family and friends are valuable to consider; including divergent views. Go one step further! Invest a little time and research the key issues each side has outlined on their website so you can decide for yourself. Remember, this brand decision will affect your life for the next four years - make sure you are an informed and wise consumer!
This article is not a political commentary on campaign tactics, but more of a glimpse of the branding model each opponent employs. A content analysis of recent speeches and web-portal statements will serve as the base-line and metric from which a summation can be drawn. The outcome from this exercise will be to uncover the artistry these parties are attempting to create in the public's minds-eye!
Brand Essentials:The essentials of branding (www.ibranz.com/article.html) will provide a framework from which this discussion will ensue. These principles include:
What is your overall brand perception today?
Describe the future brand goal
Create a plan to reach that goal
John Kerry:
Brand Perception Today? John Kerry's key identifier today is 'Putting Families First' as noted on his official website www.johnkerry.com. He defines the problem as low paying jobs, high energy and health care costs, and the need for consumer protection to safeguard middle-income Americans. The challenge facing Kerry's value proposition is - can government programs create higher paying jobs, alter OPEC and HMO costs, or affect free market economies? In addition, a brand perception is multi-faceted and takes years to develop, communicate, and digest. His historic stance on a myriad of issues (including the Vietnam hearings and his voting record on key issues) can not be crafted in the short-term after decades of message layering. One immutable law of branding holds true - you can only own ONE position in the consumer's mind!
Future Brand Goal? As with any political platform, a distinct agenda sets apart each candidate and provides a compelling message. Kerry's message states:'Kerry and Edwards have a plan to create millions of high-quality, good-paying jobs in America. They will end tax breaks for companies that shift jobs overseas and instead give tax breaks for companies that create jobs here in America. They will also enforce our trade agreements to make sure American companies and workers are competing on a level playing field in the world.'The underlying message asserts if you punish companies who outsource abroad and increase trade barriers, the net result will be higher paying jobs in America. If Dell Corporation were to move their technical call center from India to Pittsburg, would Dell really pay significantly higher wages? Also, Dell would become less competitive by increasing their operating costs, thus pushing these expenses onto the general public. By reducing the ability of US companies to be competitive in the marketplace and increasing barriers to free trade, the US will more likely become more isolated in the global economy.
Create a Plan: Kerry's plan includes the following specifics:
Cut health-care premiums by $1000
Lower energy prices
Cut tuition
Affordable housing
The implementation plan of each item as noted in the mass media is general in nature and non-specific. For example, the solution proposed for lower energy prices (gasoline) includes investing in new energy sources and technologies. The development of solar, geothermal, wind and other alternatives to fossil-fuels has taken decades to realize and generate significant impact. Even if the scientific or private community were to create a revolutionary breakthrough during his administration, it would take another decade to usefully employ it!
The Kerry Brand Unveiled
The brand model deployed by Kerry is rooted in campaign promises which suggest a better life for Americans.
Brand Promise: The key Brand Promise is 'Families First' and the ancillary messages (energy, health-care, jobs, etc.) help to support that central ideology.
Brand-Value Proposition: The proposition Kerry employs is one of the 'Advocate for the people' and 'Government solutions' to all ailments.
Brand Solution: The democratic forum, one of greater government funding and control, will care for the populous.
George W. Bush:
Brand perception today? After four years in the White House, the public has had ample time to evaluate the actions, speeches, and agenda of the standing President. On his website (georgebush.com), his key identifier is 'A plan for a safer world & more hopeful America.' His agenda includes creating opportunity for American Workers, helping families in a changing world, promoting an era of ownership, defending lives and liberty, and supporting community/honoring American values. The challenge facing Bush's value proposition is - can government effect such changes as promoting new business development and making health care available to every poor county in America? Although he led our nation through unthinkable tragedy, the occupation in Iraq and WMD's have certainly taken their toll on the candidate's overall perception. As unfair as it may be, elections are more about perceptions than reality.
Future Brand Goal? According to a recent USA Today article, the Bush go-forward plan was articulated in this fashion:
'Bush promised last week that he would outline new domestic proposals. McClellan said they'll include the next steps in improving education, reducing health care costs and fostering an economy that promotes an "ownership society." He'll say changes in the governments of Iraq and Afghanistan are steps toward democratic reforms throughout that region.'
The key message here speaks to bolstering the domestic infrastructure through programs and incentives. On the international front, spreading the democratic agenda throughout the world will stabilize regions that were once under dictatorial or radical fundamentalist regimes. The essential difference between Kerry and Bush lies in the approach and methodology employed. Kerry's logic suggests government will drive change, whereas Bush implies government will facilitate and motivate the community to enhance their livelihood. The only question becomes - help yourself or let someone else do the work for you?
Create a Plan: Bush's plan includes the following specifics:
Reforming schools
Tax reform - simplify the process
Opportunity zones to spur new business
Expanding health care savings plans
Affordable housing
Fight terrorism
Faith-based and community initiatives
As previously discussed, the above-mentioned initiatives are facilitated by government, but rely on Americans to make them a reality. This plan then asserts Americans are receptive to ownership and involvement (i.e. hard work) to turn ideas into actionable plans. Although Bush has created the opportunity, his administration will be evaluated on how well Americans respond to his vision for the future.The Bush Brand Unveiled
The brand model deployed by Bush invites Americans to take the lead for change and places government in the role of facilitator.
Brand Promise: Bush's Brand Promise was encapsulated in a September 7th speech in Missouri when he announced he aimed 'to build a safer world, and a more hopeful America.'
Brand-Value Proposition: The proposition Bush employs is one of 'government as facilitator' and 'calls for the American involvement' to effect change.
Brand Solution: The Republican forum, one of less government control and creating opportunity, is the rallying cry.
Summary:
Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, the brand you select this November will alter your life for better or worse. As with any brand decision, such as the car you drive or clothes you wear, this brand choice has far reaching implications. As a consumer of information, the real challenge is to get past the 'campaign rhetoric' and be an informed buyer. During a recent business trip to Zurich, I asked a local what he thought of President Bush. After he rattled off many scathing comments, I asked him for specifics which supported his beliefs. There were none, just conjecture. Unfortunately, many consumers take opinions at face value, only to pay for their choice down the road.
Branding is a valuable tool we use in every facet of our lives. This 'short-cut' helps us quickly make a myriad of decisions that would otherwise require an insurmountable amount of time to investigate on our own. In addition, opinion leaders help guide us on areas of unfamiliarity. The balance we face each day is how to make the best brand choice with limited information.
As with any brand decision, the advice/opinions of family and friends are valuable to consider; including divergent views. Go one step further! Invest a little time and research the key issues each side has outlined on their website so you can decide for yourself. Remember, this brand decision will affect your life for the next four years - make sure you are an informed and wise consumer!
Living the brand
Brands increasingly define the business, and in doing so what the overall business does for people. They connect the business to its context, to its customers and all other stakeholders.
Strong brands connect companies with people, both emotionally and practically, and most importantly by ensuring the promises become realities over time. Brands define the purpose of business: they are the glue, the face, the relationship, and the reputation of business.
Disney's former CEO, Michael Eisner suggests that "a brand is a living entity - and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures" Whilst brands used to be the domain of individual products, corporate brands are today the more significant form of branding, more valuable and important entities for customers and businesses. This is partly due to the rise of service-based business, the increasing awareness and transparency of companies behind the products and services we buy, and the need for higher-order differentiation across the portfolio as well as for individual products.
Even the majority of consumer products now contain the strong endorsement of parent brands - whereas in the past, many consumers may never have heard of P&G and Unilever despite using their products daily, today the corporate brand marques appear prominently on the packaging of everything from washing powder to ice creams. Organisationally, this means brands take on a broader, higher, non-functional role, rather than being a functional responsibility of the marketing department.
The brand defines the organisation, and all the many stakeholders who work with it. It should reflect the needs and motivations of employees and shareholders, as well as customers. It overlaps and complements the business strategy and cultural values, and the business should ensure consistency and alignment between these. It is delivered through HR and investor relations as well as marketing. Whilst some companies, particularly when there is a strong corporate affairs department, get confused between brand and reputation, they are one and the same. The corporate reputation is the corporate brand
The brand is increasingly the most important business asset, often accounting for anything from 5 to 50% of the overall market value of a company, and in some businesses (be they luxury goods, or not-for-profit, even more). It also becomes a far more complex and essential management challenge. BP for example considered how to harness the power of its brand across all its business units and all its stakeholders, it recognised that there was only one person who could lead this task. CEO, John Browne, recognised that this was his challenges, and his opportunity to create a focused, cohesive and energised business, where his leadership could directly connect to the desired culture internally, and the image and reputation externally.
Corporate brands align the inside and outside, employee and customer, culture and reputation, behaviours and differentiation, promises and reality.
Branded businesses are therefore about people. Their brand gives them a purpose that also becomes the organising idea, the reason for coming to work each day, and a common mission that brings people together. Logos and identities, straplines and colours become mere shorthand for a much bigger and more powerful force.
Brands are brought to life through people. Brands shouldn't be passive labels and images, they should be living experiences, where the values and beliefs are demonstrated in relevant and practical ways for customers, and equally for every other stakeholder group.
This is not simply about focusing on the customer audience, and then requiring employees to deliver it, it is about making the brand real in relevant ways for employees - and shareholders, suppliers, governments, etc - too.
For customers a brand is made relevant through customer propositions, unique to each different customer segment and situation, which are then delivered through customer experiences that ensure that the promises of the brand and proposition become reality.
Similarly for employees, the business should develop employee propositions for each segment (some will be motivated by career progression, others more by job satisfaction, other purely by money. Appropriate employee experiences should then be developed o match the promise and expectation of each audience.
Once staff are treated in an on-brand way, they are far more likely to respond to want to, be able to, and be motivated to put in that extra effort to "live the brand" and deliver a personal and engaging experience for every customer.
Strong brands connect companies with people, both emotionally and practically, and most importantly by ensuring the promises become realities over time. Brands define the purpose of business: they are the glue, the face, the relationship, and the reputation of business.
Disney's former CEO, Michael Eisner suggests that "a brand is a living entity - and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures" Whilst brands used to be the domain of individual products, corporate brands are today the more significant form of branding, more valuable and important entities for customers and businesses. This is partly due to the rise of service-based business, the increasing awareness and transparency of companies behind the products and services we buy, and the need for higher-order differentiation across the portfolio as well as for individual products.
Even the majority of consumer products now contain the strong endorsement of parent brands - whereas in the past, many consumers may never have heard of P&G and Unilever despite using their products daily, today the corporate brand marques appear prominently on the packaging of everything from washing powder to ice creams. Organisationally, this means brands take on a broader, higher, non-functional role, rather than being a functional responsibility of the marketing department.
The brand defines the organisation, and all the many stakeholders who work with it. It should reflect the needs and motivations of employees and shareholders, as well as customers. It overlaps and complements the business strategy and cultural values, and the business should ensure consistency and alignment between these. It is delivered through HR and investor relations as well as marketing. Whilst some companies, particularly when there is a strong corporate affairs department, get confused between brand and reputation, they are one and the same. The corporate reputation is the corporate brand
The brand is increasingly the most important business asset, often accounting for anything from 5 to 50% of the overall market value of a company, and in some businesses (be they luxury goods, or not-for-profit, even more). It also becomes a far more complex and essential management challenge. BP for example considered how to harness the power of its brand across all its business units and all its stakeholders, it recognised that there was only one person who could lead this task. CEO, John Browne, recognised that this was his challenges, and his opportunity to create a focused, cohesive and energised business, where his leadership could directly connect to the desired culture internally, and the image and reputation externally.
Corporate brands align the inside and outside, employee and customer, culture and reputation, behaviours and differentiation, promises and reality.
Branded businesses are therefore about people. Their brand gives them a purpose that also becomes the organising idea, the reason for coming to work each day, and a common mission that brings people together. Logos and identities, straplines and colours become mere shorthand for a much bigger and more powerful force.
Brands are brought to life through people. Brands shouldn't be passive labels and images, they should be living experiences, where the values and beliefs are demonstrated in relevant and practical ways for customers, and equally for every other stakeholder group.
This is not simply about focusing on the customer audience, and then requiring employees to deliver it, it is about making the brand real in relevant ways for employees - and shareholders, suppliers, governments, etc - too.
For customers a brand is made relevant through customer propositions, unique to each different customer segment and situation, which are then delivered through customer experiences that ensure that the promises of the brand and proposition become reality.
Similarly for employees, the business should develop employee propositions for each segment (some will be motivated by career progression, others more by job satisfaction, other purely by money. Appropriate employee experiences should then be developed o match the promise and expectation of each audience.
Once staff are treated in an on-brand way, they are far more likely to respond to want to, be able to, and be motivated to put in that extra effort to "live the brand" and deliver a personal and engaging experience for every customer.
What is Branding?
Branding is the direct and indirect activities undertaken by a company to imprint and influence a 'desired reputation' upon its audience. These specific activities shape the hearts and minds of a company's targeted and non-targeted audience. A company's LEADERSHIP becomes responsible for the management of these activities to guide and grow the Brand and its value. A direct Branding activity is one that a company intentionally designs. A company designs and controls its message and how it is delivered. Examples of direct Branding includes developing BRANDING ARTIFACTS such as company name, logo, business philosophy, ad campaigns, website, publicity, events, sponsorships and charity involvement. An indirect Branding activity is one where a company has little to no control over its message and how it will be delivered, received or shared. It is how an audience experiences a company. Indirect activities range from the company's daily business to handling of crisis issues, and how these OPERATIONS are perceived and received by customers, staff and the marketplace. How it communicates, compensates, relates to employees and customer service and supplier relations all affect this perception. Everything a company does forms and alters the company's Brand. Thus, a Brand is constantly changing. It is therefore critical to have a consistent, clear and concise MESSAGE. This is an efficient way for a Brand to remain consistent over time, expressed by all staff and implemented in all operations. This message is the Business Philosophy Statement. With a business philosophy, based on the leader's or family's legacy, a company's actions become congruent with its promotions, operations and values.
What is a Brand?
Your Brand is not your company name, logo, website, or advertisements. A Brand is what your customers, suppliers, investors, employees, business members and the public think, say, believe and champion about your company. It is your 'corporate reputation'. And because it is reputation, there are things that you can and cannot control.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
What to do if your name is not unique for personal Branding
One of the challenges in online personal branding , is that some people share their name with others. Sometimes for the good, others for the bad. A great story about Brooke Allen who is sharing name, city and profession with another Brooke Allen।Many people share their name with someone else। If your real you has the best online reputation, do not change a thing, and keep building your name. If you do find someone else using your name to shame, you can try the following things:
1। Boost your reputation, say you have used your name as Joseph Rapsody, but another Joseph Rapsody came along and posting rubbish in forums, really work on your personal brand and get your name to fame on the internet.
2. Enhance your name, if your name is Joe Smith, you stand a good chance that there is not just one other Joe Smith to beat, there will be many. By using an initial in the middle, or always using your title in your name you will differ your name from the crowd of Joe Smiths. While there are 193.000 listings in Google for Joe Smith, none exists for Dr. Joe G. Smith.
3. Choose a new name that stands out, when I started my ways on the internet, I really did not like my name as it was, long and difficult for any non-Dutch speaker to repeat. A great moment was it that I married and could choose for my husband’s name, which I did, and I changed my last name from van der Graaf to Hensel. Other people choose for an entirely non-existing name that reflects what they do or make it easy to remember. Trade your own last name in for a last name that reflects your ambitions, i.e. Marieke Gates – Bill Gates or Marieke Branson – Richard Branson.
Change your first name into a name that is powerful or international can help to enhance your personal brand as well. What is it that you want your personal brand to be.
It is not easy to change your name. You will only see the full effect, if people use your name like that and you feel confident if you feel you are that name.
Friday, July 3, 2009
How to succeed in IELTS Speaking Module
The Speaking Module
The Speaking Module of the IELTS consists of a 60 minute module with three parts.
Part 1
You will need to answer general questions about yourself, your homes/families, your jobs/studies, your interests, and a range of familiar topic areas in four to five minutes.
Part 2
You will be given a verbal prompt on a card and asked to speak about a
particular topic (listed on the card). You will have one minute to prepare before speaking at length, and will need to speak between one and two minutes. Then the examiner will ask you one or two follow up questions.
Part 3
You and the examiner will engage in a discussion of more abstract concepts and issues which will be linked to the topic you discussed in Part 2. The discussion will last between four and five minutes.
You will be scored on how well you are able to communicate effectively in
English. Of all the test modules on IELTS, this is the easiest to prepare for. This is the test module that you can practice anywhere, in your car, in your room, on the phone, by yourself or with someone else. After you successfully pass IELTS, you will be speaking English a lot, so you might as well prepare by speaking it at every opportunity beforehand.
Exhausting the Possibilities
Part 1 will ask basic questions. There are only so many possible basic questions that can be asked about someone. You can easily be prepared for every possibility. Go through and write down all the possibilities and a good answer for each. When you’re asked about your family, don’t have to struggle to come up with descriptions for your family members. Practice ahead of time and know what you’re going to say. Right now as you’re reading this, stop and take a minute to answer each of these following questions. If you were asked these in an interview, what would you say?
1. Please describe yourself.
2. Please describe your family.
3. Please describe your home.
4. Please describe some of your interests.
5. Please describe your job.
6. Please describe your studies
This is important practice. Make sure that you can spend a minute or so
answering each of these questions without having to take time to think of a good response. These are basic questions and you should have your basic answers ready.
Tell a Story
Movie making is a multi-billion dollar industry. Why? It’s because everyone likes to hear a good story, and the best movies contain great stories. The Speaking Module interview can be a big aggravation for both sides. Usually, it is tense, uncomfortable, and boring for both the interviewer and the test taker. Think about your favorite relatives. In many cases, they are your favorite because they are such raconteurs, or good storytellers. These are your aunts and uncles that can turn a simple trip to the grocery store into high adventure and will keep you captivated and entertained. Even if you’re not a natural storyteller, with a little thought and practice, even you can turn your dull past experiences into exciting exploits. Stories are your strongest weapon for captivating the interviewer and demonstrating your mastery of speaking English. The questions in Part 2 of the Speaking Module literally beg for stories to be told. These need to be compelling
stories, real time drama, and you’re the hero. You want the interviewer begging for more, asking follow-up questions, eager to hear how it ends. Once you begin a quick exciting story, you set the tone of the interview, and you will determine what will be the follow-up questions.
The easiest way to prepare for these Part 2 questions is to scour your memory for any exciting instance in your past. Perhaps where you played a leadership role or accomplished a goal. These can be from any part of your past, during your education, at home with your family, projects at work, or anything that you might have had a part in. Identify the main characteristics of the story, you want to have things straight. Make sure you know the basics of what happened, who was involved, why it occurred, and how the events unfolded sequentially. You certainly don’t want to stumble over the facts and repeat yourself during the interview.
One Size Fits All
These basic stories are building blocks. Just as a piece of lumber can be cut into many different shapes and have many completely unique uses, each of your stories does not only answer one unique question. Your stories are one size fits all. With practice you will find that you can use the same story to answer two seemingly unrelated questions.
For example, a question about teamwork and working under pressure can both be answered by a story about your experience playing intramural basketball. The story could describe how you had to work as a team in order to get into the playoffs, spending time practicing together, coordinating plays, whatever was necessary for the team to advance. Alternatively, the story could focus upon the clutch shots that you made that season in order to win the game in the last few seconds of play under enormous pressure. The basic story is the same: your experiences playing basketball. The questions were different, but you customized the story to fit the question. With practice you should be able to answer almost any question with just a few stock stories that can be customized.
Find the Bridges
Some questions will lend themselves more readily to a story than others. You must have a set of basic stories ready that can be modified to fit the occasion. You must “find the bridges” in the questions offered to make sure your stories get told.In WWII, the US Army used Bailey bridges. Bailey bridges were bridges made of prefabricated steel sections that were carried around and could be thrown together at a moment’s notice, allowing the army to move quickly across any obstacle and get to where they wanted to go. You need to find bridges, i.e. opportunities to tell your stories. Look for any chance to turn a standard question about anything, into a bridge to begin telling your story. For example, “What is your job title?” On the surface that might not seem like the ideal bridge, but with a little insight your response might become: “My job title is Product Line Manager. I was responsible for everything from the development of new products, to the obsolescence of old products. Marketing, sales, engineering, and production of the entire product line fell under my responsibility. One of the products was even my own idea based on feedback I received from my interactions with our customers. In the first year, it alone had achieved a sales level of over…” The key to remember is that just because a question is asked as a closed ended question (yes/no, or one word answers), doesn’t mean that you have to answer it as a closed ended question. Answer the question asked, but then find a way to develop your answer and a bridge to a good story of yours. With an open mind, the most closed ended of questions can become a launch pad into a story.
Pregnant Pause
A good story can usually wind its way down a long path. There is always a
danger that you will begin to bore the interviewer, who may wonder if an end is in sight. Some interviewers may get worried that they won’t be able to get through the fifteen questions on their list during the allotted time. Therefore, find natural breaks in your story and pause for a second. If the interviewer maintains eye contact or asks continuation questions, then keep going. But this will give them a chance to stop the story and ask a different question if they are getting bored and want to move on.
Taking the Final Step
By trying to answer each of your Part 2 questions with a basic story, you will be able to transition nicely into the final step, Part 3. Part 3 questions are based upon your answers to Part 2 questions and will be asked at the interviewer’s discretion. By using the story techniques listed above, you will have already determined the path that the interviewer will take with his follow-up Part 3 questions. The interviewer will naturally ask questions that tie into your story and you will already be prepared for those questions and will ace Part 3 as easily as the others.
Practice Makes Perfect
Don’t try to answer every question by shooting from the hip. You’ll spend most of your time trying to think of what happened and repeating yourself. Think of the classic stories that you could tell and then practice going over them with your friends, explaining how you successfully achieved the goal, or took charge and gave leadership to your group project. You don’t want to have the story memorized, because it will become stale in the telling, but you want it to be smooth. This story must be live and in living color, where the interviewer can see himself taking part on the sidelines and watching the situation take place. Have your friends and family members quiz you by asking you random questions and see how well you can adapt to the question and give a lucid response.
The Speaking Module of the IELTS consists of a 60 minute module with three parts.
Part 1
You will need to answer general questions about yourself, your homes/families, your jobs/studies, your interests, and a range of familiar topic areas in four to five minutes.
Part 2
You will be given a verbal prompt on a card and asked to speak about a
particular topic (listed on the card). You will have one minute to prepare before speaking at length, and will need to speak between one and two minutes. Then the examiner will ask you one or two follow up questions.
Part 3
You and the examiner will engage in a discussion of more abstract concepts and issues which will be linked to the topic you discussed in Part 2. The discussion will last between four and five minutes.
You will be scored on how well you are able to communicate effectively in
English. Of all the test modules on IELTS, this is the easiest to prepare for. This is the test module that you can practice anywhere, in your car, in your room, on the phone, by yourself or with someone else. After you successfully pass IELTS, you will be speaking English a lot, so you might as well prepare by speaking it at every opportunity beforehand.
Exhausting the Possibilities
Part 1 will ask basic questions. There are only so many possible basic questions that can be asked about someone. You can easily be prepared for every possibility. Go through and write down all the possibilities and a good answer for each. When you’re asked about your family, don’t have to struggle to come up with descriptions for your family members. Practice ahead of time and know what you’re going to say. Right now as you’re reading this, stop and take a minute to answer each of these following questions. If you were asked these in an interview, what would you say?
1. Please describe yourself.
2. Please describe your family.
3. Please describe your home.
4. Please describe some of your interests.
5. Please describe your job.
6. Please describe your studies
This is important practice. Make sure that you can spend a minute or so
answering each of these questions without having to take time to think of a good response. These are basic questions and you should have your basic answers ready.
Tell a Story
Movie making is a multi-billion dollar industry. Why? It’s because everyone likes to hear a good story, and the best movies contain great stories. The Speaking Module interview can be a big aggravation for both sides. Usually, it is tense, uncomfortable, and boring for both the interviewer and the test taker. Think about your favorite relatives. In many cases, they are your favorite because they are such raconteurs, or good storytellers. These are your aunts and uncles that can turn a simple trip to the grocery store into high adventure and will keep you captivated and entertained. Even if you’re not a natural storyteller, with a little thought and practice, even you can turn your dull past experiences into exciting exploits. Stories are your strongest weapon for captivating the interviewer and demonstrating your mastery of speaking English. The questions in Part 2 of the Speaking Module literally beg for stories to be told. These need to be compelling
stories, real time drama, and you’re the hero. You want the interviewer begging for more, asking follow-up questions, eager to hear how it ends. Once you begin a quick exciting story, you set the tone of the interview, and you will determine what will be the follow-up questions.
The easiest way to prepare for these Part 2 questions is to scour your memory for any exciting instance in your past. Perhaps where you played a leadership role or accomplished a goal. These can be from any part of your past, during your education, at home with your family, projects at work, or anything that you might have had a part in. Identify the main characteristics of the story, you want to have things straight. Make sure you know the basics of what happened, who was involved, why it occurred, and how the events unfolded sequentially. You certainly don’t want to stumble over the facts and repeat yourself during the interview.
One Size Fits All
These basic stories are building blocks. Just as a piece of lumber can be cut into many different shapes and have many completely unique uses, each of your stories does not only answer one unique question. Your stories are one size fits all. With practice you will find that you can use the same story to answer two seemingly unrelated questions.
For example, a question about teamwork and working under pressure can both be answered by a story about your experience playing intramural basketball. The story could describe how you had to work as a team in order to get into the playoffs, spending time practicing together, coordinating plays, whatever was necessary for the team to advance. Alternatively, the story could focus upon the clutch shots that you made that season in order to win the game in the last few seconds of play under enormous pressure. The basic story is the same: your experiences playing basketball. The questions were different, but you customized the story to fit the question. With practice you should be able to answer almost any question with just a few stock stories that can be customized.
Find the Bridges
Some questions will lend themselves more readily to a story than others. You must have a set of basic stories ready that can be modified to fit the occasion. You must “find the bridges” in the questions offered to make sure your stories get told.In WWII, the US Army used Bailey bridges. Bailey bridges were bridges made of prefabricated steel sections that were carried around and could be thrown together at a moment’s notice, allowing the army to move quickly across any obstacle and get to where they wanted to go. You need to find bridges, i.e. opportunities to tell your stories. Look for any chance to turn a standard question about anything, into a bridge to begin telling your story. For example, “What is your job title?” On the surface that might not seem like the ideal bridge, but with a little insight your response might become: “My job title is Product Line Manager. I was responsible for everything from the development of new products, to the obsolescence of old products. Marketing, sales, engineering, and production of the entire product line fell under my responsibility. One of the products was even my own idea based on feedback I received from my interactions with our customers. In the first year, it alone had achieved a sales level of over…” The key to remember is that just because a question is asked as a closed ended question (yes/no, or one word answers), doesn’t mean that you have to answer it as a closed ended question. Answer the question asked, but then find a way to develop your answer and a bridge to a good story of yours. With an open mind, the most closed ended of questions can become a launch pad into a story.
Pregnant Pause
A good story can usually wind its way down a long path. There is always a
danger that you will begin to bore the interviewer, who may wonder if an end is in sight. Some interviewers may get worried that they won’t be able to get through the fifteen questions on their list during the allotted time. Therefore, find natural breaks in your story and pause for a second. If the interviewer maintains eye contact or asks continuation questions, then keep going. But this will give them a chance to stop the story and ask a different question if they are getting bored and want to move on.
Taking the Final Step
By trying to answer each of your Part 2 questions with a basic story, you will be able to transition nicely into the final step, Part 3. Part 3 questions are based upon your answers to Part 2 questions and will be asked at the interviewer’s discretion. By using the story techniques listed above, you will have already determined the path that the interviewer will take with his follow-up Part 3 questions. The interviewer will naturally ask questions that tie into your story and you will already be prepared for those questions and will ace Part 3 as easily as the others.
Practice Makes Perfect
Don’t try to answer every question by shooting from the hip. You’ll spend most of your time trying to think of what happened and repeating yourself. Think of the classic stories that you could tell and then practice going over them with your friends, explaining how you successfully achieved the goal, or took charge and gave leadership to your group project. You don’t want to have the story memorized, because it will become stale in the telling, but you want it to be smooth. This story must be live and in living color, where the interviewer can see himself taking part on the sidelines and watching the situation take place. Have your friends and family members quiz you by asking you random questions and see how well you can adapt to the question and give a lucid response.
Success Factors in The Writing Module
The Writing Module
The Writing module of the IELTS consists of a 60 minute module with two tasks.
Task 1: A diagram or table will be presented to you and you must write out
approximately a 150 word discussion on it within approximately 20 minutes. You must evaluate the diagram or table, organize your ideas, and develop them into a cohesive and coherent explanation.
Task 2: A topic will be presented to you and you must write out approximately a 250 word discussion on it within approximately 40 minutes. There is not a “correct” answer to the topic. You must evaluate the topic, organize your ideas, and develop them into a cohesive and coherent response. You will be scored on how well you are able to utilize standard written English, organize and explain your thoughts, and support those thoughts with reasons and examples.
Brainstorm
Spend the first three to five minutes brainstorming out ideas. Write down any ideas you might have on the topic or table. The purpose is to extract from the recesses of your memory any relevant information. In this stage, anything goes down. Write down any idea, regardless of how good it may initially seem. You can use either the scratch paper provided or the word processor to quickly jot down your thoughts and ideas. The word processor is highly recommended though, particularly if you are a fast typist.
Strength through Diversity
The best papers will contain diversity of examples and reasoning. As you
brainstorm consider different perspectives. Not only are there two sides to every issue, but there are also countless perspectives that can be considered. On any issue, different groups are impacted, with many reaching the same conclusion or position, but through vastly different paths. Try to “see” the issue through as many different eyes as you can. Look at it from every angle and from every vantage point. The more diverse the reasoning used, the more balanced the paper will become and the better the score.
Example:
The issue of free trade is not just two sided. It impacts politicians, domestic (US) manufacturers, foreign manufacturers, the US economy, the world economy, strategic alliances, retailers, wholesalers, consumers, unions, workers, and the exchange of more than just goods, but also of ideas, beliefs, and cultures. The more of these angles that you can approach the issue from, the more solid your reasoning and the stronger your position.
Furthermore, don’t just use information as to how the issue impacts other people. Draw liberally from your own experience and your own observations. Explain a personal experience that you have had and your own emotions from that moment. Anything that you’ve seen in your community or observed in society can be expanded upon to further round out your position on the issue.
Pick a Main Idea
Once you have finished with your creative flow, stop and review it. Which idea were you able to come up with the most supporting information? It’s extremely important that you pick an angle that will allow you to have a thorough and comprehensive coverage of the topic or table. This is not about your personal convictions, but about writing a concise rational discussion of an idea.
Weed the Garden
Create a Logical Flow
Now that you know which ideas you are going to use and focus upon, organize them. Put your writing points in a logical order. You have your main ideas that you will focus on, and must align them in a sequence that will flow in a smooth, sensible path from point to point, so that the reader will go smoothly from one idea to the next in a logical path. Readers must have a sense of continuity as they read your paper. You don’t want to have a paper that rambles back and forth.
Start Your Engines
You have a logical flow of main ideas with which to start writing. Begin
expanding on the issues in the sequence that you have set for yourself. Pace yourself. Don’t spend too much time on any one of the ideas that you are expanding upon. You want to have time for all of them. Make sure you watch your time. If you have twenty minutes left to write out your ideas and you have ten ideas, then you can only use two minutes per idea. It can be a daunting task to cram a lot of information down in words in a short amount of time, but if you pace yourself, you can get through it all. If you find that you are falling behind, speed up. Move through each idea more quickly, spending less time to expand upon the idea in order to catch back up.
Once you finish expanding on each idea, go back to your brainstorming session up above, where you wrote out your ideas. Go ahead and erase the ideas as you write about them. This will let you see what you need to write about next, and also allow you to pace yourself and see what you have left to cover.
First Paragraph
Your first paragraph should have several easily identifiable features.
First, it should have a quick description or paraphrasing of the topic or table. Use your own words to briefly explain what the topic or table is about.
Second, you should explain your opinion of the topic or table and give an
explanation of why you feel that way. What is your decision or conclusion on the topic or table?
Third, you should list your “writing points”. What are the main ideas that you
came up with earlier? This is your opportunity to outline the rest of your paper. Have a sentence explaining each idea that you will go intend further depth in additional paragraphs. If someone was to only read this paragraph, they should be able to get an “executive summary” of the entire paper.
Body Paragraph
Each of your successive paragraphs should expand upon one of the points listed in the main paragraph. Use your personal experience and knowledge to support each of your points. Examples should back up everything.
Conclusion Paragraph
Once you have finished expanding upon each of your main points, wrap it up. Summarize what you have said and covered in a conclusion paragraph. Explain once more your opinion of the topic or table and quickly review why you feel that way. At this stage, you have already backed up your statements, so there is no need to do that again. All you are doing is refreshing in the mind of the reader the main points that you have made.
Don’t Panic
Panicking will not put down any more words on paper for you. Therefore, it isn’t helpful. When you first see the topic or table, if your mind goes as blank as the page on which you have to write your paper, take a deep breath. Force yourself to mechanically go through the steps listed above.
Secondly, don’t get clock fever. It’s easy to be overwhelmed when you’re looking at a page that doesn’t seem to have much text, there is a lot of blank space further down, your mind is full of random thoughts and feeling confused, and the clock is ticking down faster than you would like. You brainstormed first so that you don’t have to keep coming up with ideas. If you’re running out of time and you have a lot of ideas that you haven’t expanded upon, don’t be afraid to make some cuts. Start picking the best ideas that you have left and expand on those few. Don’t feel like you have to write down and expand all of your ideas.
Check Your Work
It is more important to have a shorter paper that is well written and well
organized, than a longer paper that is poorly written and poorly organized.
Remember though that you will be penalized for answers shorter than the
required minimum limit. Don’t keep writing about a subject just to add words and sentences, and certainly don’t start repeating yourself. Expand on the ideas that you identified in the brainstorming session and make sure that you save yourself a few minutes at the end to go back and check your work. Leave time at the end, at least three minutes, to go back and check over your work. Reread and make sure that everything you’ve written makes sense and flows. Clean up any spelling or grammar mistakes that you might have made. If you see anything that needs to be moved around, such as a paragraph that would fit in better somewhere else, cut and paste it to that new location. Also, go ahead and erase any brainstorming ideas that you weren’t able to expand upon and clean up any other extraneous information that you might have written that doesn’t fit into your paper.
As you proofread, make sure there aren’t any fragments or run-ons. Check for sentences that are too short or too long. If the sentence is too short, look to see if you have an identifiable subject and verb. If it is too long, break it up into two separate sentences. Watch out for any “big” words you may have used. It’s good to use difficult vocabulary words, but only if you are positive that you are using them correctly. Your paper has to be correct, it doesn’t have to be fancy. You’re not trying to impress anyone with your vocabulary, just your ability to develop and express ideas.
Shortcut Keys
If you’re taking the IELTS on the computer, spend some time on your keyboard getting familiar with the shortcut keys to cut, copy, and paste. It will help you to quickly move text around on your paper. First highlight the text you wish to move or copy and then type:
Ctrl+C = copy
Ctrl+X = cut
Ctrl+V = paste
You must hold down the ctrl key and then tap the “c”, “x”, or “v” key to perform the desired function.
Final Note
Depending on your test taking preferences and personality, the essay writing will probably be your hardest or your easiest section. You are required to go through the entire process of writing a paper very quickly, which can be quite a challenge. Focus upon each of the steps listed above. Go through the process of creative flow first, generating ideas and thoughts about the topic or table. Then organize those ideas into a smooth logical flow. Pick out the ones that are best from the list you have created. Decide which main idea or angle of the topic or table you will discuss.
Create a recognizable structure in your paper, with an introductory paragraph explaining what you have decided upon, and what your main points will be. Use the body paragraphs to expand on those main points and have a conclusion that wraps up the topic or table.
Save a few moments to go back and review what you have written. Clean up any minor mistakes that you might have had and give it those last few critical touches that can make a huge difference. Finally, be proud and confident of what you have written!
Success key factors in The Reading Module
The Reading Module
The Reading module of the IELTS consists of a total of 40 questions.
There are three passages, with a total of 2,000 to 2,750 words.
Skimming
Your first task when you begin reading is to answer the question “What is the topic of the selection?” This can best be answered by quickly skimming the passage for the general idea, stopping to read only the first sentence of each paragraph. A paragraph’s first sentence is usually the main topic sentence, and it gives you a summary of the content of the paragraph.
Once you’ve skimmed the passage, stopping to read only the first sentences, you will have a general idea about what it is about, as well as what is the expected topic in each paragraph.
Each question will contain clues as to where to find the answer in the passage. Do not just randomly search through the passage for the correct answer to each question. Search scientifically. Find key word(s) or ideas in the question that are going to either contain or be near the correct answer. These are typically nouns, verbs, numbers, or phrases in the question that will probably be duplicated in the passage. Once you have identified those key word(s) or idea, skim the passage quickly to find where those key word(s) or idea appears. The correct answer choice will be nearby.
Example: What caused Martin to suddenly return to Paris?
The key word is Paris. Skim the passage quickly to find where this word
appears. The answer will be close by that word.
However, sometimes key words in the question are not repeated in the passage. In those cases, search for the general idea of the question.
Example: Which of the following was the psychological impact of the author’s childhood upon the remainder of his life?
Key words are “childhood” or “psychology”. While searching for those words, be alert for other words or phrases that have similar meaning, such as “emotional effect” or “mentally” which could be used in the passage, rather than the exact word “psychology”.
Numbers or years can be particularly good key words to skim for, as they stand out from the rest of the text.
Example: Which of the following best describes the influence of Monet’s work in the 20th century? 20th contains numbers and will easily stand out from the rest of the text. Use 20th as the key word to skim for in the passage. Once you’ve quickly found the correct section of the passage to find the answer, focus upon the answer choices. Sometimes a choice will repeat word for word a portion of the passage near the answer. However, beware of such duplication – it may be a trap! More than likely, the correct choice will paraphrase or summarize the related portion of the passage, rather than being exactly the same wording.
For the answers that you think are correct, read them carefully and make sure that they answer the question. An answer can be factually correct, but it MUST answer the question asked. Additionally, two answers can both be seemingly correct, so be sure to read all of the answer choices, and make sure that you get the one that BEST answers the question.
Some questions will not have a key word.
Example: Which of the following would the author of this passage likely agree with? In these cases, look for key words in the answer choices. Then skim the passage to find where the answer choice occurs. By skimming to find where to look, you can minimize the time required.
Sometimes it may be difficult to identify a good key word in the question to skim for in the passage. In those cases, look for a key word in one of the answer choices to skim for. Often the answer choices can all be found in the same paragraph, which can quickly narrow your search.
Paragraph Focus
Focus upon the first sentence of each paragraph, which is the most important. The main topic of the paragraph is usually there.
Once you’ve read the first sentence in the paragraph, you have a general idea about what each paragraph will be about. As you read the questions, try to determine which paragraph will have the answer. Paragraphs have a concise topic. The answer should either obviously be there or obviously not. It will save time if you can jump straight to the paragraph, so try to remember what you learned from the first sentences.
Example: The first paragraph is about poets; the second is about poetry. If a question asks about poetry, where will the answer be? The second paragraph.
The main idea of a passage is typically spread across all or most of its
paragraphs. Whereas the main idea of a paragraph may be completely different than the main idea of the very next paragraph, a main idea for a passage affects all of the paragraphs in one form or another.
Example: What is the main idea of the passage?
For each answer choice, try to see how many paragraphs are related. It can help to count how many sentences are affected by each choice, but it is best to see how many paragraphs are affected by the choice. Typically the answer choices will include incorrect choices that are main ideas of individual paragraphs, but not the entire passage. That is why it is crucial to choose ideas that are supported by the most paragraphs possible.
Eliminate Choices
Some choices can quickly be eliminated. “Andy Warhol lived there.” Is Andy Warhol even mentioned in the article? If not, quickly eliminate it.
When trying to answer a question such as “the passage indicates all of the
following EXCEPT” quickly skim the paragraph searching for references to each choice. If the reference exists, scratch it off as a choice. Similar choices may be crossed off simultaneously if they are close enough.
In choices that ask you to choose “which answer choice does NOT describe?” or “all of the following answer choices are identifiable characteristics, EXCEPT which?” look for answers that are similarly worded. Since only one answer can be correct, if there are two answers that appear to mean the same thing, they must BOTH be incorrect, and can be eliminated.
Example:
A.) changing values and attitudes
B.) a large population of mobile or uprooted people
These answer choices are similar; they both describe a fluid culture. Because of their similarity, they can be linked together. Since the answer can have only one choice, they can also be eliminated together.
Contextual Clues
Look for contextual clues. An answer can be right but not correct. The
contextual clues will help you find the answer that is most right and is correct. Understand the context in which a phrase is stated.
When asked for the implied meaning of a statement made in the passage,
immediately go find the statement and read the context it was made in. Also, look for an answer choice that has a similar phrase to the statement in question.
Example: In the passage, what is implied by the phrase “Churches have become more or less part of the furniture”?
Find an answer choice that is similar or describes the phrase “part of the
furniture” as that is the key phrase in the question. “Part of the furniture” is a saying that means something is fixed, immovable, or set in their ways. Those are all similar ways of saying “part of the furniture.” As such, the correct answer choice will probably include a similar rewording of the expression.
Example: Why was John described as “morally desperate”.
The answer will probably have some sort of definition of morals in it. “Morals” refers to a code of right and wrong behavior, so the correct answer choice will likely have words that mean something like that.
Fact/Opinion
When asked about which statement is a fact or opinion, remember that answer choices that are facts will typically have no ambiguous words. For example, how long is a long time? What defines an ordinary person? These ambiguous words of “long” and “ordinary” should not be in a factual statement. However, if all of the choices have ambiguous words, go to the context of the passage. Often a factual statement may be set out as a research finding.
Example: “The scientist found that the eye reacts quickly to change in light.” Opinions may be set out in the context of words like thought, believed, understood, or wished.
Example: “He thought the Yankees should win the World Series.”
Opposites
Answer choices that are direct opposites are usually correct. The paragraph will often contain established relationships (when this goes up, that goes down). The question may ask you to draw conclusions for this and will give two similar answer choices that are opposites.
Example:
A.) if other factors are held constant, then increasing the interest rate will lead to a decrease in housing starts
B.) if other factors are held constant, then increasing the interest rate will lead to an increase in housing starts
Often these opposites will not be so clearly recognized. Don’t be thrown off by different wording, look for the meaning beneath. Notice how these two answer choices are really opposites, with just a slight change in the wording shown above. Once you realize these are opposites, you should examine them closely. One of these two is likely to be the correct answer.
Example:
A.) if other factors are held constant, then increasing the interest rate will lead to a decrease in housing starts
B.) when there is an increase in housing starts, and other things remaining equal, it is often the result of an increase in interest rates
Make Predictions
As you read and understand the passage and then the question, try to guess
what the answer will be. Remember that most of the answer choices are wrong, and once you being reading them, your mind will immediately become cluttered with answer choices designed to throw you off. Your mind is typically the most focused immediately after you have read the passage and question and digested its contents. If you can, try to predict what the correct answer will be. You may be surprised at what you can predict. Quickly scan the choices and see if your prediction is in the listed answer choices. If it is, then you can be quite confident that you have the right answer. It still won’t hurt to check the other answer choices, but most of the time, you’ve got it!
Answer the Question
It may seem obvious to only pick answer choices that answer the question, but IELTS can create some excellent answer choices that are wrong. Don’t pick an answer just because it sounds right, or you believe it to be true. It MUST answer the question. Once you’ve made your selection, always go back and check it against the question and make sure that you didn’t misread the question, and the answer choice does answer the question posed.
Benchmark
After you read the first answer choice, decide if you think it sounds correct or not. If it doesn’t, move on to the next answer choice. If it does, make a mental note about that choice. This doesn’t mean that you’ve definitely selected it as your answer choice, it just means that it’s the best you’ve seen thus far. Go ahead and read the next choice. If the next choice is worse than the one you’ve already selected, keep going to the next answer choice. If the next choice is better than the choice you’ve already selected, then make a mental note about that answer choice.
As you read through the list, you are mentally noting the choice you think is right. That is your new standard. Every other answer choice must be benchmarked against that standard. That choice is correct until proven otherwise by another answer choice beating it out. Once you’ve decided that no other answer choice seems as good, do one final check to ensure that it answers the question posed.
New Information
Correct answers will usually contain the information listed in the paragraph and question. Rarely will completely new information be inserted into a correct answer choice. Occasionally the new information may be related in a manner than IELTS is asking for you to interpret, but seldom.
Example:
The argument above is dependent upon which of the following assumptions?
A.) Scientists have used Charles’s Law to interpret the relationship.
If Charles’s Law is not mentioned at all in the referenced paragraph and
argument, then it is unlikely that this choice is correct. All of the information
needed to answer the question is provided for you, and so you should not have to make guesses that are unsupported or choose answer choices that have unknown information that cannot be reasoned.
Key Words
Look for answer choices that have the same key words in them as the question.
Example:
Which of the following, if true, would best explain the reluctance of politicians
since 1980 to support this funding?
Look for the key words “since 1980” to be referenced in the correct answer
choice. Most valid answer choices would probably include a phrase such as “since 1980, politicians have...”
Valid Information
Don’t discount any of the information provided in the passage, particularly shorter ones. Every piece of information may be necessary to determine the correct answer. None of the information in the passage is there to throw you off (while the answer choices will certainly have information to throw you off). If two seemingly unrelated topics are discussed, don’t ignore either. You can be confident there is a relationship, or it wouldn’t be included in the passage, and you are probably going to have to determine what is that relationship for the
answer.
Time Management
In technical passages, do not get lost on the technical terms. Skip them and move on. You want a general understanding of what is going on, not a mastery of the passage.
When you encounter material in the selection that seems difficult to understand, it often may not be necessary and can be skipped. Only spend time trying to understand it if it is going to be relevant for a question. Understand difficult phrases only as a last resort.
Identify each question by type. Usually the wording of a question will tell you whether you can find the answer by referring directly to the passage or by using your reasoning powers. You alone know which question types you customarily handle with ease and which give you trouble and will require more time.
Final Warnings
Hedge Phrases Revisited
Once again, watch out for critical “hedge” phrases, such as likely, may, can, will often, sometimes, etc, often, almost, mostly, usually, generally, rarely, sometimes. Question writers insert these hedge phrases, to cover every possibility. Often an answer will be wrong simply because it leaves no room for exception.
Example: Animals live longer in cold places than animals in warm places.
This answer choice is wrong, because there are exceptions in which certain
warm climate animals live longer. This answer choice leaves no possibility of exception. It states that every animal species in cold places live longer than animal species in warm places. Correct answer choices will typically have a key hedge word to leave room for exceptions.
Example: In severe cold, a polar bear cub is likely to survive longer than an adult polar bear.
This answer choice is correct, because not only does the passage imply that younger animals survive better in the cold, it also allows for exceptions to exist.
The use of the word “likely” leaves room for cases in which a polar bear cub might not survive longer than the adult polar bear.
Word Usage Questions
When asked how a word is used in the passage, don’t use your existing
knowledge of the word. The question is being asked precisely because there is some strange or unusual usage of the word in the passage. Go to the passage and use contextual clues to determine the answer. Don’t simply use the popular definition you already know.
Switchback Words
Stay alert for “switchbacks”. These are the words and phrases frequently used to alert you to shifts in thought. The most common switchback word is “but”. Others include although, however, nevertheless, on the other hand, even though, while, in spite of, despite, regardless of.
Avoid “Fact Traps”
Once you know which paragraph the answer will be in, focus on that paragraph. However, don’t get distracted by a choice that is factually true about the paragraph. Your search is for the answer that answers the question, which may be about a tiny aspect in the paragraph. Stay focused and don’t fall for an answer that describes the larger picture of the paragraph. Always go back to the question and make sure you’re choosing an answer that actually answers the question and is not just a true statement.
The Reading module of the IELTS consists of a total of 40 questions.
There are three passages, with a total of 2,000 to 2,750 words.
Skimming
Your first task when you begin reading is to answer the question “What is the topic of the selection?” This can best be answered by quickly skimming the passage for the general idea, stopping to read only the first sentence of each paragraph. A paragraph’s first sentence is usually the main topic sentence, and it gives you a summary of the content of the paragraph.
Once you’ve skimmed the passage, stopping to read only the first sentences, you will have a general idea about what it is about, as well as what is the expected topic in each paragraph.
Each question will contain clues as to where to find the answer in the passage. Do not just randomly search through the passage for the correct answer to each question. Search scientifically. Find key word(s) or ideas in the question that are going to either contain or be near the correct answer. These are typically nouns, verbs, numbers, or phrases in the question that will probably be duplicated in the passage. Once you have identified those key word(s) or idea, skim the passage quickly to find where those key word(s) or idea appears. The correct answer choice will be nearby.
Example: What caused Martin to suddenly return to Paris?
The key word is Paris. Skim the passage quickly to find where this word
appears. The answer will be close by that word.
However, sometimes key words in the question are not repeated in the passage. In those cases, search for the general idea of the question.
Example: Which of the following was the psychological impact of the author’s childhood upon the remainder of his life?
Key words are “childhood” or “psychology”. While searching for those words, be alert for other words or phrases that have similar meaning, such as “emotional effect” or “mentally” which could be used in the passage, rather than the exact word “psychology”.
Numbers or years can be particularly good key words to skim for, as they stand out from the rest of the text.
Example: Which of the following best describes the influence of Monet’s work in the 20th century? 20th contains numbers and will easily stand out from the rest of the text. Use 20th as the key word to skim for in the passage. Once you’ve quickly found the correct section of the passage to find the answer, focus upon the answer choices. Sometimes a choice will repeat word for word a portion of the passage near the answer. However, beware of such duplication – it may be a trap! More than likely, the correct choice will paraphrase or summarize the related portion of the passage, rather than being exactly the same wording.
For the answers that you think are correct, read them carefully and make sure that they answer the question. An answer can be factually correct, but it MUST answer the question asked. Additionally, two answers can both be seemingly correct, so be sure to read all of the answer choices, and make sure that you get the one that BEST answers the question.
Some questions will not have a key word.
Example: Which of the following would the author of this passage likely agree with? In these cases, look for key words in the answer choices. Then skim the passage to find where the answer choice occurs. By skimming to find where to look, you can minimize the time required.
Sometimes it may be difficult to identify a good key word in the question to skim for in the passage. In those cases, look for a key word in one of the answer choices to skim for. Often the answer choices can all be found in the same paragraph, which can quickly narrow your search.
Paragraph Focus
Focus upon the first sentence of each paragraph, which is the most important. The main topic of the paragraph is usually there.
Once you’ve read the first sentence in the paragraph, you have a general idea about what each paragraph will be about. As you read the questions, try to determine which paragraph will have the answer. Paragraphs have a concise topic. The answer should either obviously be there or obviously not. It will save time if you can jump straight to the paragraph, so try to remember what you learned from the first sentences.
Example: The first paragraph is about poets; the second is about poetry. If a question asks about poetry, where will the answer be? The second paragraph.
The main idea of a passage is typically spread across all or most of its
paragraphs. Whereas the main idea of a paragraph may be completely different than the main idea of the very next paragraph, a main idea for a passage affects all of the paragraphs in one form or another.
Example: What is the main idea of the passage?
For each answer choice, try to see how many paragraphs are related. It can help to count how many sentences are affected by each choice, but it is best to see how many paragraphs are affected by the choice. Typically the answer choices will include incorrect choices that are main ideas of individual paragraphs, but not the entire passage. That is why it is crucial to choose ideas that are supported by the most paragraphs possible.
Eliminate Choices
Some choices can quickly be eliminated. “Andy Warhol lived there.” Is Andy Warhol even mentioned in the article? If not, quickly eliminate it.
When trying to answer a question such as “the passage indicates all of the
following EXCEPT” quickly skim the paragraph searching for references to each choice. If the reference exists, scratch it off as a choice. Similar choices may be crossed off simultaneously if they are close enough.
In choices that ask you to choose “which answer choice does NOT describe?” or “all of the following answer choices are identifiable characteristics, EXCEPT which?” look for answers that are similarly worded. Since only one answer can be correct, if there are two answers that appear to mean the same thing, they must BOTH be incorrect, and can be eliminated.
Example:
A.) changing values and attitudes
B.) a large population of mobile or uprooted people
These answer choices are similar; they both describe a fluid culture. Because of their similarity, they can be linked together. Since the answer can have only one choice, they can also be eliminated together.
Contextual Clues
Look for contextual clues. An answer can be right but not correct. The
contextual clues will help you find the answer that is most right and is correct. Understand the context in which a phrase is stated.
When asked for the implied meaning of a statement made in the passage,
immediately go find the statement and read the context it was made in. Also, look for an answer choice that has a similar phrase to the statement in question.
Example: In the passage, what is implied by the phrase “Churches have become more or less part of the furniture”?
Find an answer choice that is similar or describes the phrase “part of the
furniture” as that is the key phrase in the question. “Part of the furniture” is a saying that means something is fixed, immovable, or set in their ways. Those are all similar ways of saying “part of the furniture.” As such, the correct answer choice will probably include a similar rewording of the expression.
Example: Why was John described as “morally desperate”.
The answer will probably have some sort of definition of morals in it. “Morals” refers to a code of right and wrong behavior, so the correct answer choice will likely have words that mean something like that.
Fact/Opinion
When asked about which statement is a fact or opinion, remember that answer choices that are facts will typically have no ambiguous words. For example, how long is a long time? What defines an ordinary person? These ambiguous words of “long” and “ordinary” should not be in a factual statement. However, if all of the choices have ambiguous words, go to the context of the passage. Often a factual statement may be set out as a research finding.
Example: “The scientist found that the eye reacts quickly to change in light.” Opinions may be set out in the context of words like thought, believed, understood, or wished.
Example: “He thought the Yankees should win the World Series.”
Opposites
Answer choices that are direct opposites are usually correct. The paragraph will often contain established relationships (when this goes up, that goes down). The question may ask you to draw conclusions for this and will give two similar answer choices that are opposites.
Example:
A.) if other factors are held constant, then increasing the interest rate will lead to a decrease in housing starts
B.) if other factors are held constant, then increasing the interest rate will lead to an increase in housing starts
Often these opposites will not be so clearly recognized. Don’t be thrown off by different wording, look for the meaning beneath. Notice how these two answer choices are really opposites, with just a slight change in the wording shown above. Once you realize these are opposites, you should examine them closely. One of these two is likely to be the correct answer.
Example:
A.) if other factors are held constant, then increasing the interest rate will lead to a decrease in housing starts
B.) when there is an increase in housing starts, and other things remaining equal, it is often the result of an increase in interest rates
Make Predictions
As you read and understand the passage and then the question, try to guess
what the answer will be. Remember that most of the answer choices are wrong, and once you being reading them, your mind will immediately become cluttered with answer choices designed to throw you off. Your mind is typically the most focused immediately after you have read the passage and question and digested its contents. If you can, try to predict what the correct answer will be. You may be surprised at what you can predict. Quickly scan the choices and see if your prediction is in the listed answer choices. If it is, then you can be quite confident that you have the right answer. It still won’t hurt to check the other answer choices, but most of the time, you’ve got it!
Answer the Question
It may seem obvious to only pick answer choices that answer the question, but IELTS can create some excellent answer choices that are wrong. Don’t pick an answer just because it sounds right, or you believe it to be true. It MUST answer the question. Once you’ve made your selection, always go back and check it against the question and make sure that you didn’t misread the question, and the answer choice does answer the question posed.
Benchmark
After you read the first answer choice, decide if you think it sounds correct or not. If it doesn’t, move on to the next answer choice. If it does, make a mental note about that choice. This doesn’t mean that you’ve definitely selected it as your answer choice, it just means that it’s the best you’ve seen thus far. Go ahead and read the next choice. If the next choice is worse than the one you’ve already selected, keep going to the next answer choice. If the next choice is better than the choice you’ve already selected, then make a mental note about that answer choice.
As you read through the list, you are mentally noting the choice you think is right. That is your new standard. Every other answer choice must be benchmarked against that standard. That choice is correct until proven otherwise by another answer choice beating it out. Once you’ve decided that no other answer choice seems as good, do one final check to ensure that it answers the question posed.
New Information
Correct answers will usually contain the information listed in the paragraph and question. Rarely will completely new information be inserted into a correct answer choice. Occasionally the new information may be related in a manner than IELTS is asking for you to interpret, but seldom.
Example:
The argument above is dependent upon which of the following assumptions?
A.) Scientists have used Charles’s Law to interpret the relationship.
If Charles’s Law is not mentioned at all in the referenced paragraph and
argument, then it is unlikely that this choice is correct. All of the information
needed to answer the question is provided for you, and so you should not have to make guesses that are unsupported or choose answer choices that have unknown information that cannot be reasoned.
Key Words
Look for answer choices that have the same key words in them as the question.
Example:
Which of the following, if true, would best explain the reluctance of politicians
since 1980 to support this funding?
Look for the key words “since 1980” to be referenced in the correct answer
choice. Most valid answer choices would probably include a phrase such as “since 1980, politicians have...”
Valid Information
Don’t discount any of the information provided in the passage, particularly shorter ones. Every piece of information may be necessary to determine the correct answer. None of the information in the passage is there to throw you off (while the answer choices will certainly have information to throw you off). If two seemingly unrelated topics are discussed, don’t ignore either. You can be confident there is a relationship, or it wouldn’t be included in the passage, and you are probably going to have to determine what is that relationship for the
answer.
Time Management
In technical passages, do not get lost on the technical terms. Skip them and move on. You want a general understanding of what is going on, not a mastery of the passage.
When you encounter material in the selection that seems difficult to understand, it often may not be necessary and can be skipped. Only spend time trying to understand it if it is going to be relevant for a question. Understand difficult phrases only as a last resort.
Identify each question by type. Usually the wording of a question will tell you whether you can find the answer by referring directly to the passage or by using your reasoning powers. You alone know which question types you customarily handle with ease and which give you trouble and will require more time.
Final Warnings
Hedge Phrases Revisited
Once again, watch out for critical “hedge” phrases, such as likely, may, can, will often, sometimes, etc, often, almost, mostly, usually, generally, rarely, sometimes. Question writers insert these hedge phrases, to cover every possibility. Often an answer will be wrong simply because it leaves no room for exception.
Example: Animals live longer in cold places than animals in warm places.
This answer choice is wrong, because there are exceptions in which certain
warm climate animals live longer. This answer choice leaves no possibility of exception. It states that every animal species in cold places live longer than animal species in warm places. Correct answer choices will typically have a key hedge word to leave room for exceptions.
Example: In severe cold, a polar bear cub is likely to survive longer than an adult polar bear.
This answer choice is correct, because not only does the passage imply that younger animals survive better in the cold, it also allows for exceptions to exist.
The use of the word “likely” leaves room for cases in which a polar bear cub might not survive longer than the adult polar bear.
Word Usage Questions
When asked how a word is used in the passage, don’t use your existing
knowledge of the word. The question is being asked precisely because there is some strange or unusual usage of the word in the passage. Go to the passage and use contextual clues to determine the answer. Don’t simply use the popular definition you already know.
Switchback Words
Stay alert for “switchbacks”. These are the words and phrases frequently used to alert you to shifts in thought. The most common switchback word is “but”. Others include although, however, nevertheless, on the other hand, even though, while, in spite of, despite, regardless of.
Avoid “Fact Traps”
Once you know which paragraph the answer will be in, focus on that paragraph. However, don’t get distracted by a choice that is factually true about the paragraph. Your search is for the answer that answers the question, which may be about a tiny aspect in the paragraph. Stay focused and don’t fall for an answer that describes the larger picture of the paragraph. Always go back to the question and make sure you’re choosing an answer that actually answers the question and is not just a true statement.
Secreats to success in Listening Module
The Listening Module
The Listening module of the IELTS consists of a total of 40 questions.
There are four sections:
1. Social Needs – Conversation between two speakers
2. Social Needs – Speech by one speaker
3. Educational or Training – Conversation between up to four speakers
4. Educational or Training – Speech by one speaker
Main Ideas
Important words and main ideas in conversation are ones that will come up again and again. Listen carefully for any word or words that come up repeatedly. What words come up in nearly every statement made? These words with high frequency are likely to be in the main idea of the conversation. For example, in a conversation about class size in the business department of a college, the term “class size” is likely to appear in nearly every statement made by either speaker in the discussion.
Voice Changes
IELTS expects you to be able to recognize and interpret nuances of speech. Be on the alert for any changes in voice, which might register surprise, excitement, or another emotion. If a speaker is talking in a normal monotone voice and suddenly raises their voice to a high pitch, that is a huge clue that something critical is being stated. Listen for a speaker to change their voice and understand the meaning of what they are saying.
Example:
Man: Let’s go to Wal-mart.
Woman: There’s a Wal-mart in this small town?
If the woman’s statement was higher pitched, indicating surprise and shock, then she probably did not expect there to be a Wal-mart in that town.
Specifics
Listen carefully for specific pieces of information. Adjectives are commonly
asked about in IELTS questions. Try to remember any main adjectives that are mentioned. Pick out adjectives such as numbers, colors, or sizes.
Example:
Man: Let’s go to the store and get some apples to make the pie.
Woman: How many do we need?
Man: We’ll need five apples to make the pie.
A typical question might be about how many apples were needed.
Interpret
As you are listening to the conversation, put yourself in the person’s shoes.
Think about why someone would make a statement. You’ll need to do more than just regurgitate the spoken words but also interpret them.
Example:
Woman: I think I’m sick with the flu.
Man: Why don’t you go see the campus doctor?
Sample Question: Why did the man mention the campus doctor?
Answer: The campus doctor would be able to determine if the woman had the flu.
Find the Hidden Meaning
Look for the meaning behind a statement. When a speaker answers a question with a statement that doesn’t immediately seem to answer the question, the response probably contained a hidden meaning that you will need to recognize and explain.
Man: Are you going to be ready for your presentation?
Woman: I’ve only got half of it finished and it’s taken me five hours just to do this much. There’s only an hour left before the presentation is due.
At first, the woman did not seem to answer the question the man presented. She responded with a statement that only seemed loosely related. Once you look deeper, then you can find the true meaning of what she said. If it took the woman five hours to do the first half of the presentation, then it would logically take her another five hours to do the second half. Since she only has one hour until her presentation is due, she would probably NOT be able to be ready for the presentation. So, while an answer was not immediately visible to the man’s question, when you applied some logic to her response, you could find the hidden meaning beneath.
Memory Enhancers
You have scratch paper provided to you while taking the test. This can be a
huge help. While you listen, you are free to make notes. If different people are talking, use short hand to describe the main characteristics of each speaker. As you hear main adjectives that you think might be hard to remember, jot them down quickly in order that you can refer to them later during the question stage. Use your notes to help you remember those hard to remember facts. Don’t end your test without making use of your scratch paper ally.
Example:
Speaker 1: I’m Bob Thomas, and I’m majoring in business development.
Speaker 2: I’m Matt Smith, and I’m majoring in chemical engineering.
Speaker 3: I’m John Douglass, and I’m majoring in speech therapy.
Your short hand might read:
Bob – Bus.
Matt – Chem. E
John – Sp. Th.
On subsequent questions about the characters, you’ll be able to remember these
basic facts and answer more accurately. However, don’t spend so much time making notes that you miss something on the tape. You won’t be able to rewind it and catch what you miss. The idea is that the notes should only supplement your memory, not replace it.
The Listening module of the IELTS consists of a total of 40 questions.
There are four sections:
1. Social Needs – Conversation between two speakers
2. Social Needs – Speech by one speaker
3. Educational or Training – Conversation between up to four speakers
4. Educational or Training – Speech by one speaker
Main Ideas
Important words and main ideas in conversation are ones that will come up again and again. Listen carefully for any word or words that come up repeatedly. What words come up in nearly every statement made? These words with high frequency are likely to be in the main idea of the conversation. For example, in a conversation about class size in the business department of a college, the term “class size” is likely to appear in nearly every statement made by either speaker in the discussion.
Voice Changes
IELTS expects you to be able to recognize and interpret nuances of speech. Be on the alert for any changes in voice, which might register surprise, excitement, or another emotion. If a speaker is talking in a normal monotone voice and suddenly raises their voice to a high pitch, that is a huge clue that something critical is being stated. Listen for a speaker to change their voice and understand the meaning of what they are saying.
Example:
Man: Let’s go to Wal-mart.
Woman: There’s a Wal-mart in this small town?
If the woman’s statement was higher pitched, indicating surprise and shock, then she probably did not expect there to be a Wal-mart in that town.
Specifics
Listen carefully for specific pieces of information. Adjectives are commonly
asked about in IELTS questions. Try to remember any main adjectives that are mentioned. Pick out adjectives such as numbers, colors, or sizes.
Example:
Man: Let’s go to the store and get some apples to make the pie.
Woman: How many do we need?
Man: We’ll need five apples to make the pie.
A typical question might be about how many apples were needed.
Interpret
As you are listening to the conversation, put yourself in the person’s shoes.
Think about why someone would make a statement. You’ll need to do more than just regurgitate the spoken words but also interpret them.
Example:
Woman: I think I’m sick with the flu.
Man: Why don’t you go see the campus doctor?
Sample Question: Why did the man mention the campus doctor?
Answer: The campus doctor would be able to determine if the woman had the flu.
Find the Hidden Meaning
Look for the meaning behind a statement. When a speaker answers a question with a statement that doesn’t immediately seem to answer the question, the response probably contained a hidden meaning that you will need to recognize and explain.
Man: Are you going to be ready for your presentation?
Woman: I’ve only got half of it finished and it’s taken me five hours just to do this much. There’s only an hour left before the presentation is due.
At first, the woman did not seem to answer the question the man presented. She responded with a statement that only seemed loosely related. Once you look deeper, then you can find the true meaning of what she said. If it took the woman five hours to do the first half of the presentation, then it would logically take her another five hours to do the second half. Since she only has one hour until her presentation is due, she would probably NOT be able to be ready for the presentation. So, while an answer was not immediately visible to the man’s question, when you applied some logic to her response, you could find the hidden meaning beneath.
Memory Enhancers
You have scratch paper provided to you while taking the test. This can be a
huge help. While you listen, you are free to make notes. If different people are talking, use short hand to describe the main characteristics of each speaker. As you hear main adjectives that you think might be hard to remember, jot them down quickly in order that you can refer to them later during the question stage. Use your notes to help you remember those hard to remember facts. Don’t end your test without making use of your scratch paper ally.
Example:
Speaker 1: I’m Bob Thomas, and I’m majoring in business development.
Speaker 2: I’m Matt Smith, and I’m majoring in chemical engineering.
Speaker 3: I’m John Douglass, and I’m majoring in speech therapy.
Your short hand might read:
Bob – Bus.
Matt – Chem. E
John – Sp. Th.
On subsequent questions about the characters, you’ll be able to remember these
basic facts and answer more accurately. However, don’t spend so much time making notes that you miss something on the tape. You won’t be able to rewind it and catch what you miss. The idea is that the notes should only supplement your memory, not replace it.
The secrets of IELTS success
Secret Key #1 – Time is your greatest enemy.
To succeed on the IELTS, you must use your time wisely. Many students do not finish at least one module. The table below shows the time challenge you are faced with:
Module Total amount of time allotted Number of questions
Time to answer each question
Listening 30 min 40 .75 min
Reading 60 min 40 .67 min
Writing 60 min 2 30 min
Speaking 11-14 min N/A N/A
As you can see, the time constraints are brutal. To succeed, you must ration your time properly. The reason that time is so critical is that every question counts the same toward your final score. If you run out of time on any passage, the questions that you do not answer will hurt your score far more than earlier questions that you spent extra time on and feel certain are correct. On the Reading Module, the test is separated into passages. The reason that time is so critical is that 1) every question counts the same toward your final score, and 2) the passages are not in order of difficulty. If you have to rush during the last passage, then you will miss out on answering easier questions correctly. It is natural to want to pause and figure out the hardest questions, but you must resist the temptation and move quickly.
Success Strategy #1
Pace Yourself
Wear a watch to the IELTS Test. At the beginning of the test, check the time (or start a chronometer on your watch to count the minutes), and check the time after each passage or every few questions to make sure you are “on schedule.” Remember that on the Listening and Reading Modules you have a little over half a minute for each question. If you can work quickly, you can pace yourself at half a minute per question, which makes it easy to keep track of your time. If you find that you are falling behind time during the test, you must speed up. Even though a rushed answer is more likely to be incorrect, it is better to miss a couple of questions by being rushed, than to completely miss later questions by
not having enough time. It is better to end with more time than you need than to run out of time. If you are forced to speed up, do it efficiently. Usually one or more answer choices can be eliminated without too much difficulty. Above all, don’t panic. Don’t speed up and just begin guessing at random choices. By pacing yourself, and continually monitoring your progress against the clock or your watch, you will always know exactly how far ahead or behind you are with your available time. If you find that you are a few minutes behind on a module, don’t skip questions without spending any time on it, just to catch back up. Spend perhaps a little less than half a minute per question and after a few questions, you will have caught
back up more gradually. Once you catch back up, you can continue working each problem at your normal pace. If you have time at the end, go back then and finish the questions that you left behind. Furthermore, don’t dwell on the problems that you were rushed on. If a problem was taking up too much time and you made a hurried guess, it must have been difficult. The difficult questions are the ones you are most likely to miss anyway,
So it isn’t a big loss. If you have time left over, as you review the skipped
Questions, start at the earliest skipped question, spend at most another half a minute, and then move on to the next skipped question. Lastly, sometimes it is beneficial to slow down if you are constantly getting ahead
of time. You are always more likely to catch a careless mistake by working more slowly than quickly, and among very high-scoring test takers (those who are likely to have lots of time left over), careless errors affect the score more than mastery of material.
Scanning
For Reading passages, don’t waste time reading, enjoying, and completely
Understanding the passage. Simply scan the passage to get a rough idea of what it is about. You will return to the passage for each question, so there is no need to memorize it. Only spend as much time scanning as is necessary to get a vague impression of its overall subject content.
Secret Key #2 – Guessing is not guesswork.
You probably know that guessing is a good idea on the IELTS- unlike other
Standardized tests, there is no penalty for getting a wrong answer. Even if you have no idea about a question, you still have a 20-25% chance of getting it right. Most students do not understand the impact that proper guessing can have on their score. Unless you score extremely high, guessing will significantly contribute to your final score.
To succeed on the IELTS, you must use your time wisely. Many students do not finish at least one module. The table below shows the time challenge you are faced with:
Module Total amount of time allotted Number of questions
Time to answer each question
Listening 30 min 40 .75 min
Reading 60 min 40 .67 min
Writing 60 min 2 30 min
Speaking 11-14 min N/A N/A
As you can see, the time constraints are brutal. To succeed, you must ration your time properly. The reason that time is so critical is that every question counts the same toward your final score. If you run out of time on any passage, the questions that you do not answer will hurt your score far more than earlier questions that you spent extra time on and feel certain are correct. On the Reading Module, the test is separated into passages. The reason that time is so critical is that 1) every question counts the same toward your final score, and 2) the passages are not in order of difficulty. If you have to rush during the last passage, then you will miss out on answering easier questions correctly. It is natural to want to pause and figure out the hardest questions, but you must resist the temptation and move quickly.
Success Strategy #1
Pace Yourself
Wear a watch to the IELTS Test. At the beginning of the test, check the time (or start a chronometer on your watch to count the minutes), and check the time after each passage or every few questions to make sure you are “on schedule.” Remember that on the Listening and Reading Modules you have a little over half a minute for each question. If you can work quickly, you can pace yourself at half a minute per question, which makes it easy to keep track of your time. If you find that you are falling behind time during the test, you must speed up. Even though a rushed answer is more likely to be incorrect, it is better to miss a couple of questions by being rushed, than to completely miss later questions by
not having enough time. It is better to end with more time than you need than to run out of time. If you are forced to speed up, do it efficiently. Usually one or more answer choices can be eliminated without too much difficulty. Above all, don’t panic. Don’t speed up and just begin guessing at random choices. By pacing yourself, and continually monitoring your progress against the clock or your watch, you will always know exactly how far ahead or behind you are with your available time. If you find that you are a few minutes behind on a module, don’t skip questions without spending any time on it, just to catch back up. Spend perhaps a little less than half a minute per question and after a few questions, you will have caught
back up more gradually. Once you catch back up, you can continue working each problem at your normal pace. If you have time at the end, go back then and finish the questions that you left behind. Furthermore, don’t dwell on the problems that you were rushed on. If a problem was taking up too much time and you made a hurried guess, it must have been difficult. The difficult questions are the ones you are most likely to miss anyway,
So it isn’t a big loss. If you have time left over, as you review the skipped
Questions, start at the earliest skipped question, spend at most another half a minute, and then move on to the next skipped question. Lastly, sometimes it is beneficial to slow down if you are constantly getting ahead
of time. You are always more likely to catch a careless mistake by working more slowly than quickly, and among very high-scoring test takers (those who are likely to have lots of time left over), careless errors affect the score more than mastery of material.
Scanning
For Reading passages, don’t waste time reading, enjoying, and completely
Understanding the passage. Simply scan the passage to get a rough idea of what it is about. You will return to the passage for each question, so there is no need to memorize it. Only spend as much time scanning as is necessary to get a vague impression of its overall subject content.
Secret Key #2 – Guessing is not guesswork.
You probably know that guessing is a good idea on the IELTS- unlike other
Standardized tests, there is no penalty for getting a wrong answer. Even if you have no idea about a question, you still have a 20-25% chance of getting it right. Most students do not understand the impact that proper guessing can have on their score. Unless you score extremely high, guessing will significantly contribute to your final score.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Benefits of Personal Branding
Benefits
•Differentiate yourself from your competitors
•Increase your visibility and presence
•Achieve your personal and professional goals
•Increase your confidence and self-motivation
WHAT DOES “GOOD BRANDING” LOOK LIKE?
Be FOCUSED : Fully understand your value proposition and the specialized solutions you can offer to Internal and external customers
Be Likeable: Build relationships, treat people decently, and surround yourself with allies who are rooting for you to succeed
Be Professional: keep your word, be ethical, pamper your customers (whether internal or external) and take every referral seriously
Be Likeable: Build relationships, treat people decently, and surround yourself with allies who are rooting for you to succeed
Be Professional: keep your word, be ethical, pamper your customers (whether internal or external) and take every referral seriously
Personal Branding consists of three elements:
Value Proposition: What do you stand for?
Differentiation: What makes you stand out?
Marketability: What makes you compelling?
What is Personal branding
Personal branding describes the process by which individuals and entrepreneurs differentiate themselves and stand out from a crowd by identifying and articulating their unique value proposition, whether professional or personal, and then leveraging it across platforms with a consistent message and image to achieve a specific goal. In this way, individuals can enhance their recognition as experts in their field, establish reputation and credibility, advance their careers, and build self-confidence
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
IELTS Essay- 2 :Some high schools require all students to wear school uniforms. Other high schools permit students to decide what to wear to school. W
Some high schools require all students to wear school uniforms. Other high schools permit students to decide what to wear to school. Which of these two school policies do you think is better? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
I think that the issue about whether all students must be required to wear school uniform is the one that is open for debate. Some people think that all students must wear the school uniform. However, others think that students should decide what to wear to school themselves. Personally, I believe that students should wear what they like. For several reasons, which I will mention bellow, I think that school uniforms should not be required to wear at high school.
First of all, if students do not have school uniforms they can wear what they like to school. Personally, I like to wear cloth that is comfortable. Also, I am a female and I like to wear jeans and shorts, and as far as I know girls must wear skirts as a part of their uniform. I think many female students will agree with me that jeans much more comfortable then skirts.
Second of all, I believe that school uniforms must not cause any discomfort. For example, some international students will find unacceptable wearing some of the uniform's parts.
I am from Russia. When I was a student of the elementary school I was required to wear the school uniform that included a dark blue skirt and a white or light blue shirt. I did not like it very much, because I did not like the fact that all students were dressed in the same color. We dressed the same way and we were permitted to wear any adornments. Personally, I did not like the fact that girls always had to wear skirts and it was not convenient especially in cold weather.
In short, I think that students should wear to school what they want. Otherwise, if a high school requires students to wear school uniforms, I think that uniforms must be comfortable for all students.
I think that the issue about whether all students must be required to wear school uniform is the one that is open for debate. Some people think that all students must wear the school uniform. However, others think that students should decide what to wear to school themselves. Personally, I believe that students should wear what they like. For several reasons, which I will mention bellow, I think that school uniforms should not be required to wear at high school.
First of all, if students do not have school uniforms they can wear what they like to school. Personally, I like to wear cloth that is comfortable. Also, I am a female and I like to wear jeans and shorts, and as far as I know girls must wear skirts as a part of their uniform. I think many female students will agree with me that jeans much more comfortable then skirts.
Second of all, I believe that school uniforms must not cause any discomfort. For example, some international students will find unacceptable wearing some of the uniform's parts.
I am from Russia. When I was a student of the elementary school I was required to wear the school uniform that included a dark blue skirt and a white or light blue shirt. I did not like it very much, because I did not like the fact that all students were dressed in the same color. We dressed the same way and we were permitted to wear any adornments. Personally, I did not like the fact that girls always had to wear skirts and it was not convenient especially in cold weather.
In short, I think that students should wear to school what they want. Otherwise, if a high school requires students to wear school uniforms, I think that uniforms must be comfortable for all students.
Essay-2 Many people have a close relationship with their pets. These people treat their birds, cats, or other animals as members of their family. In y
Many people have a close relationship with their pets. These people treat their birds, cats, or other animals as members of their family. In your opinion, are such relationships good? Why or why not? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Some people do not have any pets in their house, except for unwanted ones such as a raccoon or mouse. These people think that there is no place for animals in their places. However, other people have animals such as dogs, cats, and birds in their families and they have a close relationship with their pets. Personally, I belong to the people who treat their pets as members of their family. For several reasons, which I will mention bellow, I think that such relationships between a man and an animal bring many benefits.
First of all, when people treat their pets as members of their families it means that they feel responsibilities for their little ones. As a result of this people care about their pets' health, their diet and shape, and I think both sides benefit from this kind of relationships. People do not feel alone and pets are in good hands. Personally, I think that pets give people a great opportunity to feel they are needed by these little but at the same time very courageous animals. Second of all, pets teach people, especially children, kindness and devotion. Children grow up kinder, more attentive and friendlier. Finally, often pets are the closest and most devoted friends of people and I am sure that we return them the same feelings. I think it is great and makes everyone a little bit happier. For example, when I was a child my family had a beautiful cat named "Nikola". We loved him very much and treat him as a member of our family. So, when he died we could not get used to the fact that he was not home. It was the feeling like we lost some of our family. Since then we did not have the cat. Now my parents have a bird and a couple of golden fish.
In conclusion, I think that pets play a very important role in our everyday life. There are plenty of examples when animals saved people's lives and helped us in out fight with evil such as drugs and violence. So, I believe that our pets deserve the best we can offer them our love and devotion.
Some people do not have any pets in their house, except for unwanted ones such as a raccoon or mouse. These people think that there is no place for animals in their places. However, other people have animals such as dogs, cats, and birds in their families and they have a close relationship with their pets. Personally, I belong to the people who treat their pets as members of their family. For several reasons, which I will mention bellow, I think that such relationships between a man and an animal bring many benefits.
First of all, when people treat their pets as members of their families it means that they feel responsibilities for their little ones. As a result of this people care about their pets' health, their diet and shape, and I think both sides benefit from this kind of relationships. People do not feel alone and pets are in good hands. Personally, I think that pets give people a great opportunity to feel they are needed by these little but at the same time very courageous animals. Second of all, pets teach people, especially children, kindness and devotion. Children grow up kinder, more attentive and friendlier. Finally, often pets are the closest and most devoted friends of people and I am sure that we return them the same feelings. I think it is great and makes everyone a little bit happier. For example, when I was a child my family had a beautiful cat named "Nikola". We loved him very much and treat him as a member of our family. So, when he died we could not get used to the fact that he was not home. It was the feeling like we lost some of our family. Since then we did not have the cat. Now my parents have a bird and a couple of golden fish.
In conclusion, I think that pets play a very important role in our everyday life. There are plenty of examples when animals saved people's lives and helped us in out fight with evil such as drugs and violence. So, I believe that our pets deserve the best we can offer them our love and devotion.
Essay-2 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Reading fiction (such as novels and short stories) is more enjoyable than watching mov
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Reading fiction (such as novels and short stories) is more enjoyable than watching movies. Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position.
Some people prefer to read fiction. However, others like to watch movies. Personally, I think that the question whether reading fiction is more enjoyable than watching movies is a controversial one. For several reasons, which I will mention bellow, I think each of these options has its advantages.
From the one side, reading fiction brings many benefits. First of all, a book can be taken anywhere one goes. For example, while traveling or just taking a bus one can read a book. When I was a student a couple years ago I used to read books while taking a boring lecture. Second of all, reading extends one's vocabulary, improves reading and even writing skills. Reading is essential for children. It extends their range of interests, improve their imagination and helps them gain more knowledge and experience through books. When I was a child my mom always made me read a lot of books. Thanks to her I did not have a problem with writing different kind of essay in the school and I got only high grades.
From the other side, watching movies has many benefits too. Firstly, movies usually have more influence on people, their behavior and mood. In addition, watching a movie in a movie theatre gives many advantages such as sound effects, a large screen, etc. Secondly, it is a good way to relax with one's friends, eliminate stress and tension and just have a good time. My husband and I like to watch a movie on Sunday evenings. We drink coffee, eat grapes or apples and make comments while watching the movie. In addition to these benefits, watching movie usually takes less time then reading the whole book.
In conclusion, I think that there is no doubt that watching a movie is more enjoyable and impressive then reading a book. However, reading a book brings more benefits for people in general. Moreover, children should spend more time reading books then watching different kinds of movies because scientists say that watching movies has much less use for the growing child.
Some people prefer to read fiction. However, others like to watch movies. Personally, I think that the question whether reading fiction is more enjoyable than watching movies is a controversial one. For several reasons, which I will mention bellow, I think each of these options has its advantages.
From the one side, reading fiction brings many benefits. First of all, a book can be taken anywhere one goes. For example, while traveling or just taking a bus one can read a book. When I was a student a couple years ago I used to read books while taking a boring lecture. Second of all, reading extends one's vocabulary, improves reading and even writing skills. Reading is essential for children. It extends their range of interests, improve their imagination and helps them gain more knowledge and experience through books. When I was a child my mom always made me read a lot of books. Thanks to her I did not have a problem with writing different kind of essay in the school and I got only high grades.
From the other side, watching movies has many benefits too. Firstly, movies usually have more influence on people, their behavior and mood. In addition, watching a movie in a movie theatre gives many advantages such as sound effects, a large screen, etc. Secondly, it is a good way to relax with one's friends, eliminate stress and tension and just have a good time. My husband and I like to watch a movie on Sunday evenings. We drink coffee, eat grapes or apples and make comments while watching the movie. In addition to these benefits, watching movie usually takes less time then reading the whole book.
In conclusion, I think that there is no doubt that watching a movie is more enjoyable and impressive then reading a book. However, reading a book brings more benefits for people in general. Moreover, children should spend more time reading books then watching different kinds of movies because scientists say that watching movies has much less use for the growing child.
Essay-2 Many students have to live with roommates while going to school or university. What are some of the important qualities of a good roommate? Us
Many students have to live with roommates while going to school or university. What are some of the important qualities of a good roommate? Use specific reasons and examples to explain why these qualities are important.
When I was a student at a Russian University I lived with my friend Tonia. Frankly speaking, she was not my friend at first. I mean that we meat when we were in our first year at university. She was looking for a place to live and I offered her to stay at my place because I lived alone and it was quite expensive for me at that time. I must confess that I never felt regret about my decision because Tonia turned out to be a great roommate. Moreover, we became friends and now after two years from my graduation we still call each other, care about each other and chart through the Internet. Unfortunately, now we live in different cities even in different countries, but I hope our friendship will continue.
In this essay I will list the main qualities of a good roommate which from my point of view are essential. Furthermore, I must inform that Tonia possesses all these qualities and I am proud to have such a great friend.
First of all, a roommate must be kind and generous. It is easier to deal with a person who is kind and ready to offer a hand. For example, kindness and understanding are very essential qualities if one of them got ill. Second of all, roommates must have common interests because it will help them to find more subjects to discuss. I think that when people have nothing to talk about they should not live together because it will be difficult for both of them. In addition, a roommate must be funny but at the same time she or he must be attentive and understanding. Selfishness is not a good quality for a roommate because people who live together should be attentive to each other's feelings and be ready to sacrifice their time to each other.
In short, I think that roommates must be friends because friendship means understanding and sympathy.
When I was a student at a Russian University I lived with my friend Tonia. Frankly speaking, she was not my friend at first. I mean that we meat when we were in our first year at university. She was looking for a place to live and I offered her to stay at my place because I lived alone and it was quite expensive for me at that time. I must confess that I never felt regret about my decision because Tonia turned out to be a great roommate. Moreover, we became friends and now after two years from my graduation we still call each other, care about each other and chart through the Internet. Unfortunately, now we live in different cities even in different countries, but I hope our friendship will continue.
In this essay I will list the main qualities of a good roommate which from my point of view are essential. Furthermore, I must inform that Tonia possesses all these qualities and I am proud to have such a great friend.
First of all, a roommate must be kind and generous. It is easier to deal with a person who is kind and ready to offer a hand. For example, kindness and understanding are very essential qualities if one of them got ill. Second of all, roommates must have common interests because it will help them to find more subjects to discuss. I think that when people have nothing to talk about they should not live together because it will be difficult for both of them. In addition, a roommate must be funny but at the same time she or he must be attentive and understanding. Selfishness is not a good quality for a roommate because people who live together should be attentive to each other's feelings and be ready to sacrifice their time to each other.
In short, I think that roommates must be friends because friendship means understanding and sympathy.
Essay-2 Do you agree or disagree that progress is always good?
Do you agree or disagree that progress is always good?
The main idea of progress is perfection. A man who is making progress in studying, a child who is speaking his/her first words, a scientist who has made a discovery, or an economy of some country is making progress, all of them are aspects of huge human progress. There is no doubt that progress is good for the humanity as a whole but whether it is good for the world.
For example, being anxious for success mankind often forgets about the environment. Every country has numerous fabrics with smoke rising form them. Needless to say, the amount of cars is increasing every day. World economy is making progress in creating different types of machines, vehicles that make easier our conditions of life. As a result we have many devices that make our life easier and at the same time we have acid rains, polluted lakes and rivers, our food does not have as many important vitamins as it used to, but it has nitrates, preservatives and unnatural components and ingredients.
As a result of human progress, now humanity has to deal with the problem of overpopulation.
It is my opinion that now it is time for humanity to think more about the making progress in solving the problems of air pollution, overpopulation and water contamination.
The main idea of progress is perfection. A man who is making progress in studying, a child who is speaking his/her first words, a scientist who has made a discovery, or an economy of some country is making progress, all of them are aspects of huge human progress. There is no doubt that progress is good for the humanity as a whole but whether it is good for the world.
For example, being anxious for success mankind often forgets about the environment. Every country has numerous fabrics with smoke rising form them. Needless to say, the amount of cars is increasing every day. World economy is making progress in creating different types of machines, vehicles that make easier our conditions of life. As a result we have many devices that make our life easier and at the same time we have acid rains, polluted lakes and rivers, our food does not have as many important vitamins as it used to, but it has nitrates, preservatives and unnatural components and ingredients.
As a result of human progress, now humanity has to deal with the problem of overpopulation.
It is my opinion that now it is time for humanity to think more about the making progress in solving the problems of air pollution, overpopulation and water contamination.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
When students move to a new school, they sometimes face problems. How can schools help these students with their problems? Use specific reasons and ex
When students move to a new school, they sometimes face problems. How can schools help these students with their problems? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.
When a student moves to a new school he or she can face some problems. I think that almost all people had to move from one place to another in their lives and I am not an exception. My family moved twice during my childhood. My father is an architect, so, my family had to move from one place to another when the old construction was over and my father was offered to develop a new project. Two major problems I had to face in a new school were "no friends" and "a huge amount of new people". In the following paragraphs I will analyze these problems and make suggestions about how a school can help a student in this situation.
The first difficulty I had to face in a new school was a huge amount of new people such as teachers and classmates, who have no idea who I am. It was easy with the teachers, I usually stayed after the class, introduced myself to him or her and asked about their curriculum. However, with my new classmates it was a little more difficult. I had to stand up for myself a few times because this is the way students get to know each other. However, I believe that there is a better way to get to know each other. I think that schools should participate in this process. For example, they can organize some kind of welcome class, where new students will have the opportunity to meet their new classmates and introduce themselves.
The second problem I had to face in a new school was that I had no friends. I could not meet my old friends because they were too far away and I did not have a chance to make new friends. Nowadays, I think it is much easier, because almost every student has an Internet access, so, he can chart with his old friends. Unfortunately, I did not have such an opportunity when I was a student. I believe that schools can help newcomers by helping them to merge faster with their new classes. For example, a school can attach someone to a newcomer and the first one will help a new student to accustom himself to a new environment.
In conclusion, I would like to add, that moving from one school to another brings not only problems but also many benefits. For example, I learnt how to make new friends fast and how to overcome obstacles. I think that it made me stronger as a person and I am glad that I had this experience in my life.
When a student moves to a new school he or she can face some problems. I think that almost all people had to move from one place to another in their lives and I am not an exception. My family moved twice during my childhood. My father is an architect, so, my family had to move from one place to another when the old construction was over and my father was offered to develop a new project. Two major problems I had to face in a new school were "no friends" and "a huge amount of new people". In the following paragraphs I will analyze these problems and make suggestions about how a school can help a student in this situation.
The first difficulty I had to face in a new school was a huge amount of new people such as teachers and classmates, who have no idea who I am. It was easy with the teachers, I usually stayed after the class, introduced myself to him or her and asked about their curriculum. However, with my new classmates it was a little more difficult. I had to stand up for myself a few times because this is the way students get to know each other. However, I believe that there is a better way to get to know each other. I think that schools should participate in this process. For example, they can organize some kind of welcome class, where new students will have the opportunity to meet their new classmates and introduce themselves.
The second problem I had to face in a new school was that I had no friends. I could not meet my old friends because they were too far away and I did not have a chance to make new friends. Nowadays, I think it is much easier, because almost every student has an Internet access, so, he can chart with his old friends. Unfortunately, I did not have such an opportunity when I was a student. I believe that schools can help newcomers by helping them to merge faster with their new classes. For example, a school can attach someone to a newcomer and the first one will help a new student to accustom himself to a new environment.
In conclusion, I would like to add, that moving from one school to another brings not only problems but also many benefits. For example, I learnt how to make new friends fast and how to overcome obstacles. I think that it made me stronger as a person and I am glad that I had this experience in my life.
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