Worse Than ... What?

A marketing genius obviously dreamed up this recent national survey that critques boring, static PowerPoint presentations.

Bad PowerPoint (and I do stress "bad" because I've also seen great ones) are so painful that nearly 25% say they would give up sex rather than sit through a PowerPoint, according to the survey. More than one-third reported falling asleep during one; 30% admitted they have snuck out on a bad slide presentation.

As you might imagine, this survey was done by a PowerPoint competitor, SlideRocket. They identify the following hallmarks of bad presentations: Excessive text on slides, boring graphics, lack of analytics, and large file size.

I would agree with those and add another one: Blocks of text that the presenter insists on reading, word-for-word, to the audience, most of whom have already read that paragraph or bullet point by the time the speaker gets to it. Ugh.

At a recent conference I attended, there was a deadly dull PowerPoint and a fantastic one. The bad one was way too complicated and the topic itself was boring. The great one was done by Guy Kawasaki - need I say more?

My friend, marketing guru Sam Horn, does say more. In a series of blog posts, she goes through Kawasaki's slide show and points out what he did right. It's a fun - and instructive - read.

Helicopter Parents

We've all heard about helicopter parents who are overly involved in their kids' choice of college classes, majors, etc.

Now it seems that behavior is being extended into first jobs. According to a new survey from staffing firm OfficeTeam, clingy mothers and fathers submit their child’s resume, follow up on salary offers for their kids and even ask to sit in on job interviews!

Executives interviewed were asked to recount the most unusual or surprising behavior they had heard of or witnessed from the parent of a job seeker. Here are some of their responses:

“One parent wanted to sit in during the interview.”
“A parent called a politician to push me to hire his son.”
“A mother submitted her daughter’s resume on her behalf.”
“Someone stopped an employer at a grocery store to ask that person to hire her child.”
“A parent called to ask about a job applicant’s work schedule and salary.”
“A parent called during the interview to try to push me to hire her daughter.”
“I received a call from a father asking about the status of his son’s application.”
“A parent came by my desk and told me that he expected his daughter to get preference for a position since he was a manager at the company.”
“A mother called to ask how her child did in the job interview.”
“A parent called to find out why we did not hire her son and why we felt he was not qualified.”

Must resist such interventions. Seriously, it's harder than it sounds.

Web Series

A couple years ago, I wrote about how small businesses can use web TV series to introduce new products or generally market themselves.

This month, I learned about how specialty insurer Hiscox has launched a new, scripted comedy web series called "Leap Year." The show, which will have 10 episodes, tracks the entrepreneurial highs and lows of starting a business and features cameos from small business experts.

Sounds like a fun way to promote a product that is not usually described as "fun."

Summer Beach Reading?

Well, maybe not.

But here is a list of 20 entrepreneurial biographies you should read - for fun or inspiration.

They're going on my (packed) reading list! Have you got any to recommend?

Do You See Color?

How important are the colors you choose for your website, logo or business cards?

Very important, says Jill Morton, a branding expert and "color psychologist." (That's a new one on me!)

Check out her post on Xerox.com to see the three steps she suggests to determine the best color for an SMB to improve retention, productivity and generate significant financial returns.

Winning Women

A few months back, I wrote about how few women enter business competitions each year.

That article also talked about the organizations trying to remedy this underrepresentation. One of them is Ernst & Young, which has been running a business contest specifically for women business owners for the past four years.

Now, the company is announcing the last call for applications for this year's Entrepreneurial Winning Women competition. The program is designed to help accelerate the growth of women-owned businesses.

Frankly, I think it is too bad that we can't all compete together, regardless of gender. But after very few women entered their general entrepreneur contests, E&Y felt it could boost participation if it established a special contest geared toward women.

And it has been successful. If you want to enter, or nominate someone else, you can submit online.

The application deadline is June 30, 2011. Ten winners will be announced in October 2011.

Mastering Communications

Seems like a few folks are having trouble knowing what is - and isn't - appropriate when it comes to electronic communication these days, doesn't it?

Here are some helpful hints I received from Phil Cooke, a Burbank TV producer and media consultant. He has a new book out, "Jolt! Get the Jump on a World That’s Constantly Changing.” [The comments in brackets are mine.]

Never say anything in an email that you wouldn’t want known publicly. [I'd add Twitter, Facebook, and other communication media here, obviously.] Once you hit the “send” button, you’ve lost control and you never know who will see it. A single inappropriate email can haunt you for years to come. So never criticize anyone – especially clients, customers, or associates through email. In person is always best method for serious conversations.

Copy the right people – especially when communicating to clients or on business. Cc’ing shows clients you are working as a team. Also, people can’t do an "end run" on an issue when they see others have already read it. Copying the right people keeps everyone in the loop and updated – plus, saves having to send multiple messages.

Don’t over email. Make sure you actually need to respond so you don’t clutter up your mailboxes with unnecessary fluff. And whatever you do, please don’t forward all those cute stories, inspirational moments, or jokes. They waste enormous time, distract us, and bog down our day.

Be very clear, concise, and to the point. [One source of mine told me he keeps his emails to three sentences.] That’s what I love about email. You don’t have to endure the pleasantries of phone conversation: “How’s the family?” “How’s business?” Just get to the point and move on.

Don't check your email first thing in the morning. When you first sit down at your desk, do the most important thing you have to do that day. Get it out of the way, or at least get it started. THEN, check your email. Your productivity will shoot up. [I wish I could do this, but I must make sure one of my East Coast editors or contacts isn't trying to reach me on deadline first thing in the a.m.]

When it comes to mobile devices, learn to put them down. Remember how annoyed you get at the store with the clerk makes you stand there waiting while she talks to someone on the phone? That's the way others feel when you're constantly checking your mobile device. [Why don't more people get this?] In my opinion, the most valuable commodity of the 21st century will be “undivided attention.” Want to share an incredible gift with a loved one, business associate, co-worker or friend? Give them your undivided attention. Trust me – in today’s distracted culture, it will transform your relationships.