PowerPoint Presentations - 7 Steps to Writing Killer Scripts For Online Business Presentations

"Easy reading is damn hard writing." - Nathaniel Hawthorne

With travel budgets slashed and off-site meetings at record lows, the demand for online presentations is stronger than ever. Whether delivering live presentations using webinar technology such as WebEx or Citrix, or recording them with tools like Brainshark or Macromedia Breeze, a good script is not only critical to an effective presentation, it is the foundation.

Why, then, do we spend most our time dreaming up fancy visuals?

It's easier. It's more fun. And a mistake. The element more likely to make or break your success is the script itself-your choice of words, the sequence of arguments, how you make your message stick.

Visuals are important, indeed. But the script even more so. In fact, some of the most persuasive presenters-in person-use no visuals at all. They know that PowerPoint can be PowerPoint-less. When delivering online, however, they follow this secret: The ratio of time invested on scriptwriting versus visuals should be at least 3:1.

Scriptwriting may look easy, but, like any craft, it's a specialized skill that can take years to perfect. This 7-step scriptwriting process will shorten your learning curve and help you close that deal or promotion you so well deserve.

Step 1: Set Clear Objectives.
Is it to inform, educate, persuade, or motivate? Talk to 3-5 viewers directly and ask them what they need. The more explicitly your script addresses those needs, the better it will be received. Nothing kills a good presentation like extraneous information.

Step 2: Analyze the Audience.
Who are they? What is their experience with the subject? Do they know a little bit? A lot? Nothing? Find their sweet spot. Get too technical and you'll lose them. Too basic and they'll be bored. Remember, every audience member is always wondering, WIIFM - What's in it for me?

Step 3: Brainstorm Content.
Old fashioned yellows pad and white boards work best. Electronic brainstorming tools may suit you as well. Using index cards and sticky notes this early allows your logical left brain to bleed into the process, which can slow the flow of ideas. Save those for step 4. Let your mind work freeform.

Step 4: Create an Outline.
Next, identify your best ideas. Add some, delete some. Consolidate into main points and sub-points. This is where index cards and sticky notes come in handy. Spread them out on your desk. Put them in a compelling sequence. A brilliant decorator friend once told me his secret to success: "Move the furniture around until it looks good." Do the same with your ideas.

Step 5: Write a Sloppy Copy.
Turn off your editor. Open the spigot. Write fast. Don't stop to edit and second-guess yourself or your best ideas may never come. I recommend writing in Word first and pasting into PowerPoint (notes section) later, after the script is finished.

Step 6: Edit, Edit, Edit
Richard North Patterson said, "Writing is rewriting." Review your sloppy copy. Keep the good parts. Delete the rest. Then expand, shape and clarify. Refine. Say things in the fewest words possible. William Zinser, author of the bestselling book, On Writing Well, said, "Writing improves in direct ratio to the number of things we can keep out of it."

Step 7: Polish
The best way to polish is to first test it on your audience. Deliver it as if it were the final performance and get their candid feedback. Writers often find that entire sections can be deleted. Remember, with every word you cut, your impact increases exponentially. Hold off on writing your intro and summary until the very end, as it's impossible-and frustrating-trying to write those when you haven't yet figured out what you're going to say.

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What's Better For My Business, QuickBooks Online Plus Or QuickBooks Pro Using Remote Access?

The purpose of this article is to help a typical small business owner understand the differences between using the remote access capabilities with QuickBooks Pro and QuickBooks Online Plus. A less expensive QuickBooks Online version is also available, however that software is not considered for this analysis. I did consider a more robust version called, QuickBooks Online Plus. Before we address the differences, its first important to understand the term remote access. The term remote access has been with us for a long time and has emerged to mean, according to Wikipedia, a form of communication with a data processing facility from a remote location or facility through a data link. One of the more common methods of providing this type of remote access is using a virtual private network(VPN). The definition is further enhanced by the term remote desktop, which also according to Wikipedia refers to a software or an operating system feature allowing graphical applications to be run remotely on a server, while being displayed locally. Remote desktop applications have varying features. Some allow attaching to an existing user's session (i.e. a running desktop) and "remote controlling" it in front of the user's eyes. Whereas, according to a Google definition, online accounting relates to accounting that can be done on the World Wide Web. I agree with both definitions, however there are important differences that an owner or accountant for a small business or even a midsize business needs to consider and they are addressed below.

Generally speaking, QuickBooks Pro with remote access gives you access to your desktop QuickBooks Pro accounting program and data while the QuickBooks Pro and data resides on your server in your office or your local hard drive. Whereas QuickBooks Online Plus is a web enabled accounting package with some advantages and some disadvantages, specifically less functionality for one of the most important parts of a business namely, no inventory capabilities. To some of you this could be important and to others not so important. Simply said, the benefits and drawbacks with a general ranking of each benefit or limitation of "online accounting" with QuickBooks Online Plus as compared to QuickBooks Pro is analyzed below.

Some of the major benefits are summarized and ranked by level of importance as follows:

1. No wired network required - you can connect with WIFI from anywhere in the world that has internet access and you can connect different department or offices in multiple locations.
2. Includes up to 3 simultaneous users plus your accountant. The cost to add another 25 users is a little more than $3 per month per user.
3. Offsite daily backup at Intuit servers
4. Automatic software updates and support included in cost
5. Quicker and simpler sign in - Just press your Web shortcut key

Some of the major drawbacks are summarized and ranked by level of importance as follows:

1. Does not handle inventory and purchase orders, this rules out retail, manufacturing and distribution type companies
2. Lacks multi-currency functionality
3. Unable to open multiple QuickBooks windows in QuickBooks
4. No Company snapshot/dashboard in one desktop view

In summary, the importance of having simultaneous access from any location, allows employers, employees, owners, investors to collaborate, share and make informed and timely decisions because everyone gets the same information in real time, by simply using a typical web based sign-on. There is no time learning the remote access interface for sign on, for use with the remote software. Furthermore, your accountants can review your financials, journals, general ledgers, from their own office and answer your questions or even correct mistakes in real time. Further, you can easily outsource some of your accounting functions with QuickBooks Online Plus, as long as you set up a system to review the work product of the outsourced employee.

I am very impressed with the above mentioned benefits and for these reasons if there is not a need to account for inventories or multi-currencies then my inclination is for QuickBooks Online Plus to handle a typical small businesses accounting needs. A more detailed analysis of the functionality and data entry capabilities and performance processing will be the subject of another blog topic. Even if such analysis existed, I would recommend that you consult with an accounting professional who can best evaluate whether the QuickBooks Online Plus or remote access platform is best suited for your particular situation. When evaluating this software, its also important to determine how your employees will use the software in their to day to day activities and during a test period you should evaluate the speed in which the employees are able to enter the data and the computer/web processing(performance) speed of each relevant accounting process i.e. paying vendor bills, customer invoicing, record deposits, etc.

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English Composition is an Essential Part of an Online Business Degree

Today, people who are getting their online degree in business are discovering how diverse their education is. Even if your curriculum is focused on classes like accounting or financial management, you'll find that an online degree isn't limited to one field of study. In fact, many online degree programs require students in a variety of academic tracks to take core general education requirements such as English composition.

An English composition class is important to business students for many reasons. The ability to communicate ideas with the written word is paramount in the business world. Online degree programs that offer business degrees recognize this important fact and design their curriculum with that knowledge in mind.

There is hardly a facet of business that doesn't involve the skills a student learns in an English composition class. Thesis, organizational structure, clarity of thought, transition from idea to idea, and conclusions are all important parts of an English composition, but they are also important in communicating an idea to your colleagues in business. Without the ability to effectively communicate, many business propositions would never get off the ground.

No matter which part of business you want to focus on when you graduate, your online degree program will prepare you for it. That includes the ability to write effective and concise papers; skills you will learn in an English composition class. Those skills will be in constant use in the business world; in fact you will use many of the skills you learn in English composition when you are preparing for job interviews.

For example, if you are interested in marketing, your online program will no doubt have you working on mock advertising campaigns. They may ask you to develop a new product line, or even create a brochure for a real company. You won't be able to accomplish any of those tasks without the skills you gain from your English composition class. Making sure your presentation is free from grammatical errors and misspelled words are basic tenets required when communicating with the written word.

Even if you are not communicating with the written word, but making an oral presentation, the process will likely begin with an outline or a formal paper. Your oral presentation will have to follow an organizational pattern, one that may be similar to the type of structure you learn in your English composition class. Many oral business presentations are accompanied by visual aids, like a Power Point presentation. Basic fundamentals like spelling and grammar will help your presentation slides look professional and well thought out.

If the online degree program you choose is a business management or administration track, your English composition classes will be a critical element of your degree. At the management and administrative level of most businesses, the ability to communicate effectively and clearly with the written word may mean the difference between success and failure. Proposals, reports on progress of projects, letters to clients, and memos to staff are just a few of the written communications that you will need to create on a daily basis for your work.

Being enrolled in an online degree program that prepares you for all aspects of the business world is important. While learning to think in an entrepreneurial manner or acquiring basic accounting knowledge is vital for careers in business, the fundamentals of education are also equally essential. An English composition class can help prepare you for the challenges of communicating with your peers as well as the people you manage. Success with the written word may be the very thing that sets you apart from other people in your career track, paving the way for a higher salary and a promotion track to upper management.

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