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When giving a presentation props are usually a good idea. They grab the audience’s attention, give a visual representation and they add life to what could be yet another dreaded mandatory meeting. When are they not a good idea… when they are not rehearsed.

Using supportive material and visual aids during a presentation often proves awkward for speakers who lack practice in coordinating what they do at the podium with what they say. Rehearsal is the only solution for this. To arrive at a podium without ever having pressed the projector on cue is taking a foolish chance.

Rehearsal with visual aids should include thorough familiarization with the content of each individual aid, and actual practice in the use of equipment or performance of an action. If a blackboard illustration is to be drawn, it should be practiced at least once on the blackboard to be used in the actual presentation. If a movie or film strip is to be shown, preview it before presenting it.

Many presenters may also overlook what use to be the most commonly found prop, the microphone. However, you would be surprised at the amount of people that are unduly influenced by the presence of a microphone. With the modern equipment and techniques available today, it is often unnecessary to use one. Sound engineers, when present, give all of the necessary instructions and signals, and monitor and adjust the equipment to fit the individual. With public address systems, trainers will hear their own voices and be able to adjust position for optimal speaking distance. However, not all situations offer these modern conveniences. If the trainer feels uncomfortable using a microphone, it is doubly critical that the rehearsal include it, or a model if a real one is not available.

Executive Assistant often has to deal with negotiation in their roles. This is because they will encounter business at a high level and often be responsible for negotiating with suppliers, other department and even customers, whilst their managers are absent.

Therefore, a successful Executive Assistant will need to develop some great negotiation skills, if they are going to succeed in their careers. However, approaching the business world for the first time as a negotiator can be intimidating.

How should I prepare myself?

Think about your skills that you have developed in your work experience and in your wider life. Remember when you are dealing with people skills, such as negotiations, you can draw upon your life experiences. Outside of work, where will you have negotiated?

• Buying your house
• Getting your jobs
• Getting holiday approved
• Compromising with your partner, husband or wife.
• Or even negotiating for cooperation with the toughest bargainers of all,
your children.

The above examples are likely to be encountered by the majority of the population, at one point or another. So when you are preparing to negotiate on a business sense, you should think about all of the strengths that you possess in a negotiation. I would do this exercise and right down a list of your natural attributes.

What makes a good negotiator?

There are many attributes to a good negotiator. Here is a list of the skills that one should possess:

• The ability to prepare and research the subject. This is important because you need a sound base of knowledge to argue your points. It will also help you to understand what the best outcome is for yourself and what motivates the other side.

• The ability to prioritise. We rarely get anything that we want in a negotiation, as there has to be an element of compromise on both sides. Therefore, you need to be able to prioritise your requirements that are fundamental to the outcome of the negotiation.

• Listening. You need to understand where the other side is coming from. A failure to appreciate their point of view, may lead to you failing to come to final agreement.

• Open mindedness and adaptability. You often are presented with potential solutions during the discussion.

Therefore, you will need to be able to take on new ideas and outcomes and see if they can work for you. Often a suitable outcome is presented to you, which you had never expected. If you are inflexible, you will miss these opportunities.

Merchants who accept credit card-not-present transactions are at a higher risk of receiving a fraudulent sale than a card present merchant. Criminals do not have to identify themselves or physically present a credit card to be swiped. Online purchases, phone orders, and catalog sales are examples of when a credit or debit card would be keyed-in, not swiped. These card-not-present merchants must take special precautions to ensure they will not be the next victims of credit card fraud. Here are some things to look for when accepting card-not-present (CNP) transactions.

First Time Shopper
Ecommerce merchants, phone order merchants, and catalog sales merchants should always be wary of first time customers. Criminals are always looking for new victims to scam. Ensure that you are using the AVS, or address verification system, and the card security code (CVV2) to reduce your chances of getting stiffed.

Unusual Orders
If you receive an order that is larger than normal, or an order that includes a lot of the same item: be suspicious. Using the same card for multiple orders in a short amount of time should also cause an alert. Criminals succeed at credit card fraud by ordering big and fast before a card can be shut down. Criminals also intend to re-sale their stolen goods. The bigger inventory they have, the better chances they have on the street.

Big Ticket Items
Criminals love to use stolen or counterfeit credit cards to obtain big-ticket items. Big- ticket items will have the largest resale value and make them the most profit.

Rushed Orders
Any time a customer requests “rushed” or overnight delivery take notice. Criminals need to have their stolen goods delivered fast before the card is alerted to authorities and shut down.

International Shipping
International orders are a big red flag because AVS cannot validate addresses outside of the United States. Canada and the United Kingdom are an exception.

Unusual Shipping
Be on the look out for transactions placed on multiple cards with one shipping address. Or, multiple shipping addresses for transactions placed on one card. Unusual shipping could indicate a ring of counterfeit activity.

Similar Account Numbers
Criminals can create counterfeit credit cards using illegal software. Many times these programs create account numbers that are closely related. Take the time to look closely at account numbers and note similarities.

Single IP Address
If you receive transactions from multiple cards from a single IP (Internet Protocol) address, take a closer look. Criminals with stolen or counterfeit credit cards will often “run” them through the same computer.

Free Email Accounts
Fraudsters utilize free email accounts to use in the check out process because there are no records or audit trails leading back to their identity. There is no billing relationship or verification of the person who has opened the email account.

Card-not-present fraud is popular among credit card criminals because their identity is anonymous and they do not physically have to present a credit card to be swiped. The best things a CNP merchant can do to protect themselves is be aware of suspicious orders, utilize the AVS, and always ask for the CVV2 security code. If you are in doubt, you can always ask for an alternative payment.