5 Tips For Writing A Good Speech

1: Be Choosy

Don’t try to pack too many ideas into your speech. Pick one or two main points and stick to them. This allows you to fully elaborate on your ideas instead of rushing onto the next point.

2: Write Like You Talk

You are writing a speech, not an essay. You want your content to be conversational and engaging. Try using short sentences, simple language and expression. Reading your speech aloud as you write will help you to pick out any pieces that don’t read well.

3: Know The Facts

If you want people to trust your knowledge then you need to have your facts straight. Don’t completely fill your speech with boring statistics. But have proof to back up your arguments.

4: Be Persuasive

Don’t sit on the fence. Take a stand on an issue and then use a standard speech structure to persuade people. Highlight the problem in the first part of your speech, then describe the solution in the second half.

5: Simplify

You will always write more than you need. Take the time to edit out the parts that are unnecessary and don’t add to your argument. Having fewer words makes it easier to get your point across.

7 Ways To Communicate Well

Just because you are talking doesn’t mean that you are communicating. It takes some effort to communicate effectively. So we have put together our top tips on how to do it…

1: Pause: Pausing before you respond will give you time to think about something valuable to add to the conversation.

2: Honesty: Always be honest when you speak. If you get caught out in a lie, then you lose the trust of the person you were speaking to.

3: Rushing: When you try to rush, you make mistakes or forget to say important things. Take your time to get your communication right.

4: Adapt: Taking the time to know your audience will allow you to communicate with them in a way that they can relate to.

5: Stay: Be an active participant in the conversation by staying in the moment. Don’t let yourself get distracted or zone out.

6: Read: Sometimes it is what is not being said that you need to take note of. Read the nonverbal cues of your conversation partner for their true reaction.

7: Patience: Don’t wait for the other person to stop talking so that you can voice your opinion. Have patience in the conversation and respect what the other person has to say by listening intently.

5 Secrets For Looking Confident When Public Speaking

Did you know that up to 75% of adults have a fear of public speaking? So if the thought of getting up in front of a room full of people is making you break into a cold sweat, you are not alone!

Use these 5 secrets to appear confident with public speaking…

1: Open With A Joke

Opening with a lighthearted approach can break the ice and warm the audience up. It is far more inviting to look into a crowd of smiling faces, than those who look bored and uncertain.

2: Look For The Nodders

It can knock your confidence to think people aren’t engaging with what you are saying. So, pick out the ones that are. Focus on the people that are nodding their head and laughing in the right places.

3: Hide The Fear

Nervousness is natural when there are a hundred eyes on you. But people will be able to tell that you are nervous and won’t respond. Mask the nervousness with enthusiasm instead.

4: Practice Makes Perfect

If you come unprepared then you will not be able to speak confidently. Practice your little heart out in the shower, in the bathroom mirror and on the commute to work. Know your material so well that you don’t actually need your prompt cards.

5: Have A Backup Plan

Mistakes are a normal part of life. Sooner or later you will make one when you are speaking. This can fluster the most seasoned of speakers. So, in case this happens to you, have a joke or line that you can say as a get out of jail free card. It will lighten the mood, make you seem human and reset your confidence.

3 Simple Ways To Get People To Listen When You Talk

If you want people to listen when you talk, then you need to use these three simple tactics…

1: Listen

Now this may sound counterproductive for getting someone to listen to you. How can they listen if you aren’t talking? But listening is the cornerstone for good conversation. Giving someone your full attention is a surefire way to make them want to listen to you. If you are interested in what they have to say, they will feel the same about you.

2: Get To The Point

Waffles should remain firmly on a plate (or in my belly!) but not in conversation. If you don’t get to the point straight away then people’s interest will start to fade and their attention will wander. Communicate in a simple, compelling way that people can understand. There is no need to be overly complicated or wordy.

3: Be Relevant And Interesting

Read the signs from your conversation partner. If they pick up their phone or start doodling on their paper while you are talking then you could be boring them. All the passion in the world will not save your conversation if the other person is simply not interested. Don’t talk beef to vegetarians, and don’t talk snow to a beach lover. Know your audience and frame your conversation appropriately.

5 Things To Include In Your Elevator Pitch

Your elevator pitch needs to be a small message with a big impact. It should be able to tell people exactly what you do and how you can solve their problem in a couple of short sentences.

Include these 5 things…

1: Ideal Client

Convince the right people that you can help them by describing who your ideal client is. For example: ‘I help circus performers perfect their tightrope act.’ Tightrope walkers are going to be all over you, but you won’t have to waste your time in tyre kickers

2: The Benefits

Tell people that you can make their life better by explaining the benefits of your services. For example: ‘I help businesses squeeze more car parking spaces into the same area with one clever technique’.

3: Solve Their Problem

Everyone has a problem that needs solving. Tell them how your business can solve theirs. For example: ‘My automated system will save you 10 hours a month on invoicing’

4: The Results

Describe the result that you can provide for them. The ideal situation that they want to get to with using your business. For example: ‘The end result, a happy healthy dog that you never have to walk again.’

5: Leave Them Wanting More

Don’t give away all the popsicles in one go, leave some saved in the ice cream truck. Make people want to ask more about what you can do.

So easy, take anywhere – Seatara WheelAble

Morton & Perry are excited to introduce the Seatara WheelAble, a revolutionary new design shower/commode chair that folds small for convenient transport or storage.

The WheelAble is proudly manufactured with advanced, injection moulded plastics for strength, durability and a minimal weight of only 11.6kg. All metal parts are stainless steel (including the bearings).

Including many functions designed to assist the user;

–  Folding armrests allow for simple side transfers

–  Hermetic brake locking

–  Adjustable footrest

–  Multiple handholds for easy transport/handling

Also available with a range of additional accessories as required;

–  Seat cover

–  Commode bucket

–  Carry/travel bag

 

Meet Tony, Territory Manager– North

Hi, I’m Tony and I’ve worked in the Healthcare industry for the past 20 years. It’s a bit of a passion really; every day I get to help and support people to live their life to the fullest. And you can’t beat that smile when you get it right.

I started out in the UK specialising in wound care and pressure relief devices and mattresses.  As the Sales Business Executive originally and later the Regional Sales Manager at Parkhouse Healthcare I looked after North England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, which meant lots of travel, but lots of laughs with the varied people I got to work with.

Following my 11 years working with hospitals and community care services, I joined Morton & Perry here in New Zealand after meeting a wandering Kiwi who convinced me to move to this beautiful part of the world.

Outside of work I kayak a bit, get far too depressed about Leeds United Football performance and love a good pork pie and keeping fit when I can.

I played football at a senior level in the UK completed the London marathon and managed the toughest longest and hardest triathlon in the mountains in the lake district raising money for a disability charity.

For anybody who has not had the opportunity to meet me I am always happy to try and help, albeit I’m a little quiet and shy, I’ll will always do my best to find a solution that works for all.

Q+A with Tony…

How many counties have you visited?  Which was your favourite? I have been very lucky and explored most areas of NZ but my favourite is rural Northland and the Hawkes Bay with Queenstown and Wanaka also on my favourite list.

Which would you rather do: wash dishes, wash the car, mow the lawn or grocery shopping? Why? Deffo the van wash as I like it to be clean and it’s my office both inside and out!! I also have the pleasure in cleaning my wife’s car often a surprise in finding items of food and litter with the odd shoe how can anyone drive in a dirty car!

What was your first job?  How long did it last? The village milkman for 7 years during school and after often falling asleep in lessons which led to working as well at the local dairy farm getting extra pocket money as well as running up all those long drives keeping me fit. It’s amazing how fast you can run especially with a milk crate in hand escaping chasing dogs!!

Name 4 things that you need in order to produce an epic Sunday afternoon BBQ for friends: 1) good NZ lamb cutlets or beef steak and sausages!! 2) employing my mates who are chefs to cook as there is nothing worse than trying to cook for chefs!! 3) decent cold beer 4) A nice pavlova and ice cream!!

Football, Rugby, rugby league or cricket? All the above, Football as a Leeds United season ticket holder for 10 years following home and away games in the UK. Supporting Leeds Rhinos in rugby league and the barmy army with cricket especially with the ashes tests and recent world cup as my Dad is an official umpire I have to.

What is your ideal holiday? Nice warm sunshine the clean beach and blue water, topped off with a nice cold beer.

What is your biggest accomplishment in life to date? Getting married on Waiheke with my family and friends and a honeymoon in Italy visiting Rome and Venice.

What was the funniest way that you have been injured? Slipping in my socks picking up a plastic wrapper from a cheese slice on our new tiled floor after the new kitchen install. Causing a torn muscle in my back and damaging my shoulder trapping nerves. Ouch!! Led to some interesting physio… nice to experience the other side of the fence for a change… torture!

If your life was a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack? The nineties and 2000 was my era and still is. Oasis Wonderwall/Don’t look back in anger/Champagne Supernova/ The Verve/ Lucky man /Bitter sweet symphony/anything from U2 /and of course my dance music for the gym and my old classics! My love for The Sound radio station often keeps me singing behind the wheel.

What are 3 things you can’t live without? Good English fry up breakfast, Italian food and I love cheese and tomatoes sandwiches.

What are three things still left on your bucket list? 1) Explore Alaska and the Antarctic. 2) Visit Japan to experience the culture. 3) The Pacific Aitutaki in an overwater bungalow suite.  Lotto win where are you?

 

Trauma Insurance: Be Protected

No one wants to contemplate suffering a serious illness, but the sad fact is that many people can and do face this challenge every day, often with a devastating impact on their families and their financial situation. Protecting yourself and those closest to you with trauma insurance is a sensible precaution and gives you peace of mind that should the unthinkable happen, you and your family can manage financially. And so in this article,we look in detail at trauma including what it is and what it covers.

What is trauma insurance?

Trauma insurance will pay you a lump sum if you suffer any of the critical illnesses listed in the policy. Conditions covered include cancer, heart attack, stroke or dementia. Suffering a major illness or a potentially life threatening one can have a significant financial impact. Fighting the illness will take up all your focus and energies and trauma insurance will free you up from having the additional worry of money on top of everything else. It also means that the financial health of your family will be protected at a time when you may not be able to carry on working.

What can the money be used for?

Quite simply, the money can be used for whatever purpose you think is best. You can use it to pay the mortgage, keep on top of household bills or perhaps to pay for a holiday to aid your recuperation. You can also use it to help reduce debt, purchase specialised equipment, pay for home modifications, create an investment fund to generate ongoing income or enable the ownership restructuring of any businesses you may have an interest in. The lump sum is there to help and support you in whatever way is necessary.

I’m fit and healthy, I don’t need trauma insurance, do I?

It’s great that you’re fit and healthy now, but consider these startling facts:

  • one third of deaths in NZ are caused by cancer
  • every 90 minutes a Kiwi dies from heart disease
  • about 2,500 New Zealanders die of a stroke every year
  • approximately 100 people per annum are diagnosed with a spinal cord injury.

And these aren’t just uncomfortable statistics – every one of them is a real person, just like you.

Abigail’s story

Abigail is a client of Cave Financial who unfortunately knows just how important it is to have trauma insurance. Her husband Peter was sadly diagnosed with terminal cancer and had to give up work. The couple’s son also stopped working to care for his dad and their daughter returned to the family home too. And trauma insurance meant the family had the financial freedom to spend as much time as possible with Peter supporting him throughout his devastating diagnosis. They didn’t have to worry about paying the mortgage or keeping on top of household bills. And the value of that during a very difficult and challenging time cannot be underestimated.

Contact Cave Financial for peace of mind

We all hope that serious illness isn’t on the cards for us, but isn’t it better to be protected just in case? Get in touch with us here at Cave Financial and we can ensure your family is protected whatever the situation.

 

Financial Engineering In Action

Here at Lock Finance we’re all about giving a helping hand to companies just like yours in real-life situations. And so this month we’re putting the spotlight on one of our newest clients – a steel fabricator engineering company. This company required a cash injection, but their bank was unable to help. Now, this is a common scenario for many businesses and it’s exactly the type of situation that we specialise in resolving. Carry on reading to find out how Lock Finance made a difference to this business.

Cash injection required to support growth

For this steel fabrication company business was going well. Their work involved a good mix of made-to-order structural steel projects and also some engineering works. In fact, business was so good that they had reached something of a crossroads. They were growing to the point where they needed a significant increase in their working capital to ease the pressure they were facing within their existing bank overdraft facility and to keep on top of growing wage and suppliers bills.

The company approached their bank for help, but they were advised that no further assistance was available. In fact, the bank was already adding the company overdraft and term loan for equipment onto the business owner’s residential mortgage. And the bank explained that they could not lend higher than 85 percent of the value of the house.

The bank then advised the company that there were two options open to them:

  • retain operations at the current level which effectively meant that the company was unable to grow and develop
  • find a business partner to provide an injection of capital into the business; however, this would involve relinquishing their 100 percent ownership of the business.

Lock Finance’s solution

After the unsatisfactory outcome of their discussions with the bank, the company were referred to us by their accountant. We were able to obtain an additional funding line without using the business owner’s home as security. Lock Finance obtained the much needed cash injection by securing funding against the company’s debtors and an asset financier was able to help with their equipment funding requirements.

As a result of this change in their financial arrangements, the business was able to repay their bank overdraft and had additional funds left over to support their growth. The asset financier repaid the bank-provided term loan and was also able to help with acquiring new machinery. However, the best part of the new arrangement was that the business owner’s home was taken out of the company’s finances once and for all, which meant that their property was no longer at risk.

All in all this was a job well done. Not only were we able to ensure the continued growth of this company, the owner retained complete ownership of the business and was able to protect their property as well.

This is just one example of a very successful outcome – we deal with many similar cases every day. All that was required in this and may other situations was a little financial engineering.

If you would like to explore how Lock Finance can help your B2B clients that are facing similar issues, then please get in touch with Craig on 0274 764 297.

12 Things You Need In Your Car

Whether you are a minimalist or a survivalist, there are certain things everyone should have in their car. These are:

1: First Aid Kit – for roadside medical emergencies, or scraped knees at the park

2: Water Bottles – in case of thirst, or if the radiator needs topping up

3: Spare Tyre, Jack and Tyre Iron – you don’t want to be stuck with a flat and not be able to change it!

4: Jumper Cables – because we can all leave the lights on or the door slightly open by accident

5: Umbrella – no one wants to get stuck in the rain if they don’t have to. It can also make a great sunshade

6: Wet Wipes – great for wiping down grubby kids or a dusty dashboard, you will be surprised by the many uses of wet wipes

7: Tissues or a Roll of Toilet Paper – for, well… you know

8: Blanket or towel – handy for keeping warm, sitting on at the park, or wiping sandy feet

9: Spare Change – to race in and grab that bottle or milk, or giving the last minute donations for school

10: Pen and Paper – Old school I know, but still useful if you need to write something down

11: Reusable shopping bags – not only great for supermarket shopping, but also for carrying stuff

12: Mobile phone charger – always be able to make that emergency call with a charged battery

There are heaps of other things that you could keep in your car, including a mini survival kit, but this list is just the basics!

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