Quick Shopping Strategy to Find Easy Presents

Know one thing that’s in very short supply nowadays? Time. And that means there’s a definite need for a quick shopping strategy to find easy presents to get that bad boy under control.

Yes, time is surely something that needs to be managed effectively to get the most out of each person’s day. And one way to circumvent the obstacles in regards to gift shopping is to consider unique Gift Baskets as part of the shopping arsenal.

The first reason is that there are so many themes to this alternative that at least one should match the interests, appetites or hobbies of the recipient. Like what?

Let’s start with the edible shopping alternatives that are offered. These include easy presents in a basket packed with victuals such as chocolate, coffee, tea, and foods that are gourmet, Italian, spicy… and even healthy. Yes, any of these may be precisely what the receiver may be longing for.

And in case the lucky recipient of your generosity has a high level of interest in such things as movies, casinos, gardening, golf, and NASCAR… there are unique Gift Baskets for those as well… What else?

Know a lady who loves to luxuriate in warm, soothing splendor? And who loves a bit of pampering now and then? There’s a quick shopping choice for her known as Bath Spa Gift Baskets. These are brimming with everything she needs to feel good about things for a time.

And guys? Well, there are easy presents for them also. These can consist of unique Gift Baskets dealing with cars, cigars, motorcycles, handyman… and all sorts of other “guy stuff”.

What about certain life events that you wish to commemorate… like new babies, weddings, birthdays, new home? Yes, there are treasures in a basket for these as well.

There are even get-well and sympathy baskets out there to raise someone’s spirits when they’re down. These certainly can be a boost to anyone’s life when things aren’t going their way.

And another great reason to buy unique Gift Baskets? They can be shopped for and set up for delivery in a matter of minutes online. Yes, that means while sitting in front of your computer where you are right now. Why not let technology make your life so much easier?

So there you have it as far as gift shopping – both effectiveness and efficiency. That’s the ticket to keeping time where it belongs… under your total command and control!

Do You Embarrass Yourself With These Negotiating Mistakes?

In my interview about negotiation with Camp Group CEO Jim Camp, he pointed out to be the difference between tactics and principles.

As a pilot in the Air Force, he was taught that a principle will always beat a tactic. So, it’s very important to take a look at the difference between a tactic and a principle.

A tactic is something that is designed to take advantage of a weakness in the opponent.

A principle is something never-changing and consistent.

I will illustrate the above with an example from the negotiation for the purchase of a new car. We will see the tactic of using reciprocity and guilt versus the principle of honesty.

We’ve all seen it on television and in the movies and we’ve probably all had it happen to us at one time or another: Good Guy Bad Guy. This classic negotiation tactic is still taught and still applied frequently.

At the car dealership, it goes like this: You have decided on the make and model of the car you want and now you are negotiating the price. The salesperson excuses himself to go talk to the sales manager about the price you’ve requested. He comes back and says that he really fought for you and was only able to get the sales manager to agree to a small discount.

So, again, he says he’ll go to bat for you and go above the sales manager and talk to the general manager, even though this is putting his job at risk, he really wants to help.

Perhaps someone who is young and going through their first negotiation might fall for this classic tactic. But, anyone who has been through some negotiations or who has studied negotiation will immediately see this tactic for what it is.

Here is where the showdown between tactic and principle takes place. The principle here is that of honesty. Honesty is valued by people and necessary to conduct proper business. Regardless of how well the salesperson executes the Good Guy Bad Guy tactic, if there is even a hint of dishonesty about it, the plan will implode and the buyer will lose confidence and respect for the salesperson.

Yes, he may still purchase the vehicle if the price works for him, but we can be sure that he won’t be sending any referrals to this salesperson and that the salesperson career will be short-lived.

Never try to use a tactic that is going to compete with a principle. Anytime you try to implement a negotiating tactic, think it through and be sure that it is backed by proper principles.

How to Present on the Worst Day of Your Life

The real secret to giving a good presentation is for the presenter to be “up” and have a great deal of energy. Under the best of circumstances, this can be a challenge to do, if you’ve had a really bad day it can appear to be darn near impossible.

So what’s a presenter to do? Fran Capo is a motivational speaker / comedian who has had to face these types of situations. Ultimately it’s all mental – you’ve got to get yourself into the right frame of mind. Sounds easy doesn’t it? In reality if you don’t know how to do this, it can be quite hard.

Fran has a number of suggestions for how we can gather our wits about ourselves on the worst days of our lives and still deliver a knockout presentation:

  1. Breathe Correctly: when things start to go bad for us we screw up our breathing – we take many short breaths. Realize this and stop, take a moment to focus on your breath, and take a few deep, long breaths. This will start to calm you down.
  2. Adjust Your Attitude: How you choose to view a situation is entirely up to you. No matter how bad the day has been so far, you are in control of how the rest of it turns out. Realizing this and forcing yourself to think positively is the key to making your presentation come off perfectly.
  3. Put It In A Box: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten bad news just before I was to go on and give a presentation. In order to prevent life’s little hand grenades from destroying your presentation, you need to learn to put your negative emotions in a box and slam it shut when you don’t have time to worry about them. However, be sure to open it later on and process your emotions when you have the time.

We can’t prevent life from handing us lemons before, during, or after our presentations. However, with a little care and some understanding of how we deal with bad news, the show can still go on.