streaming MP3 -- click the link above
Podcasting: ask the experts
- = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - =
Your question will be put to podcasting experts in our upcoming 'how-to' podcasting webcast.
Here's your chance to have your one burning question on podcasting answered by those who have the solutions.
Enter your question below in the comments.
Enter your question below in the comments.If your question is used in the recorded webcast webinar you will receive a FREE copy of the published media -- it could be an MP3, eBook, CD or DVD.
And . . . thank you!
PS Also mention in the comments if you want to attend the live webcast webinar online.
Podcasting: ask the experts
ALDI Supermarket Cookbook
ALDI loyalist and mother of three, Bronwyn Cameron, has created a cook book, ‘One Family, One Supermarket’, based solely on ALDI’s exclusive brands.
Launched April, 2011 the book contains 150 fuss free recipes, enabling consumers to complete their weekly shop at ALDI within a restricted budget.
The weekly shop was always a battle for Bronwyn; her frustration with the time and money spent at different supermarkets inspiring her to set herself a challenge.
“The book has been more than a year in the making, with countless hours spent in the kitchen testing and re-testing each recipe, all the while keeping the project a secret from my family and friends even as I tested the recipes on them.”
Stefan Kopp, ALDI Managing Director – Buying, says ALDI is delighted to be able to assist Bronwyn in living her dream of becoming an author.
“We are proud to support an everyday Australian who recognizes the true value of shopping at ALDI – and we hope this provides inspiration for Australian families,” he says.
Along with ALDI’s website which lists all products and prices online, the cookbook will enable customers to create a meal plan and budget each week.
The book retails for $AU9.99 and is available in all Australian ALDI stores until stocks last.
Netlink: http://www.aldi.com.au

Launched April, 2011 the book contains 150 fuss free recipes, enabling consumers to complete their weekly shop at ALDI within a restricted budget.
The weekly shop was always a battle for Bronwyn; her frustration with the time and money spent at different supermarkets inspiring her to set herself a challenge.
“I wanted to find a more cost and time effective way of feeding my family an appealing variety of wholesome and tasty meals,” says Bronwyn.”I’ve developed enough recipes to cook a different meal every night for more than two months, and I’ve included a number of tips on how to shop more efficiently and save money each week."
“The book has been more than a year in the making, with countless hours spent in the kitchen testing and re-testing each recipe, all the while keeping the project a secret from my family and friends even as I tested the recipes on them.”
Stefan Kopp, ALDI Managing Director – Buying, says ALDI is delighted to be able to assist Bronwyn in living her dream of becoming an author.
“We are proud to support an everyday Australian who recognizes the true value of shopping at ALDI – and we hope this provides inspiration for Australian families,” he says.
Along with ALDI’s website which lists all products and prices online, the cookbook will enable customers to create a meal plan and budget each week.
The book retails for $AU9.99 and is available in all Australian ALDI stores until stocks last.
Netlink: http://www.aldi.com.au
ALDI Supermarket Cookbook
Pamela. Another story
I love her.
It's true folks . . . I am in love with Pamela.
And I want to share her with you.
Really? Interesting!
Who is she?
Pamela is a simple application for recording with Skype (trade mark for Skype Limited).
Pamela is a simple application for recording with Skype (trade mark for Skype Limited).
Truth is you might have had more to do with Pamela than you think.
Interviews
The Interviews with Experts series of podcasts published on this blog are at first a recorded telephone call between my guest speaking into a phone or online headset and me using only my laptop computer, headset speakers with attached mic, Skype and my Pamela Call Recorder.
Granted I do edit the Pamela audio files of each recorded phone call after the recording [with a free audio editing program called Audacity]. I do so only for quality and presentation purposes.
But back to Pamela though -- if you are already using Skype for free Skype-to-Skype calls to almost anywhere in the world -- or if you are like me and you have an account with Skype where you make outgoing calls to any telephone number in the world almost at stupidly low call-rates then maybe it's time you looked at a way to record some of those calls for future use.
Why Record?
Granted I do edit the Pamela audio files of each recorded phone call after the recording [with a free audio editing program called Audacity]. I do so only for quality and presentation purposes.
But back to Pamela though -- if you are already using Skype for free Skype-to-Skype calls to almost anywhere in the world -- or if you are like me and you have an account with Skype where you make outgoing calls to any telephone number in the world almost at stupidly low call-rates then maybe it's time you looked at a way to record some of those calls for future use.
Why Record?
Why would you need to record a phone call?
Do you make private and personal family Skype calls like calling home when away?
Do you make private and personal family Skype calls like calling home when away?
Would you call fellow members of a hobby group, special interest group or a not-for-profit cause?
Are you in business and making national or international calls on Skype of a commercial nature?
Any of these, and countless other examples, give rise to the reasons why having a permanent recording of the calls could be a good thing.
Work-from-home entrepreneurs are using Pamela for capturing content from subject matter experts they interview and then repurposing those calls into media content for publishing online. Um, can you think of anybody you know who's doing that . . . ?
Record Chat and Video Too!
Are you in business and making national or international calls on Skype of a commercial nature?
Any of these, and countless other examples, give rise to the reasons why having a permanent recording of the calls could be a good thing.
Work-from-home entrepreneurs are using Pamela for capturing content from subject matter experts they interview and then repurposing those calls into media content for publishing online. Um, can you think of anybody you know who's doing that . . . ?
Record Chat and Video Too!
Not only will Pamela record your audio but Skype chat and video too!
Here is a list of what you can do with Pamela:
Here is a list of what you can do with Pamela:
- Skype Call Recording
- Skype Video Recording
- Skype Chat Recording
- Skype Call Transfer
- Skype Call Scheduler
- Record calls automatically
- Mono/Stereo recording option
- Skype Conference Call manager
- Create cool mood messages
- Answering Machine
- Play sounds during calls
- Auto Chat Reply
- Birthday Reminders
- Email Forwarding
- Contact Personalization
- Blogging & Podcasting and much, much more
Below is a list of some of the Pamela screen shots.
Pamela Options Dashboard
Pamela Voicemails
Rich Chat Mood Editor
Add Call Recording Notes
Search Call Recordings by Notes
You can download a free version of Pamela with many, many features.
Pamela also has a nice website to look at which takes you through all the easy to follow features, advantages and benefits.
Wanna Closer Look?
Does the idea of recording your Skype chats, video and phone calls appeal to you? Then take a closer look at Pamela by clicking here.
Just don't fall in love with her. I'm the jealous type.
Just don't fall in love with her. I'm the jealous type.
Net Links:
Skype (Trade Marked) http://skype.com
Audacity http://audacity.sourceforge.net
Images Source:
Pamela Call Recorder http://www.pamela.biz/1069.html
Pamela. Another story
Brain Blast Seminar
YES, I want to hear this free MP3
Interviews with Presenters
Click the Play Button Below to Start the Audio
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Running Time: 20m:58s
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Those who fail to plan, plan to fail!
Do you have a plan for 2011?
The Brain Blast seminar is designed to help you hit the ground running in 2011.
The Brain Blast seminar is designed to help you hit the ground running in 2011.
This exciting goal setting seminar is to be held in Melbourne, Australia -- Friday morning December 3, 2010.
Here is a golden opportunity to devote half a day to really focus on what you’d like to achieve in 2011.
Not only will you learn practical tools that you can use straight away -- you will also have an exciting and entertaining morning.
The seminar speakers will present the best creative ideas in a light-hearted and productive atmosphere.
For more information about the Brain Blast seminar visit www.BrainBlast.com.au
Here is a golden opportunity to devote half a day to really focus on what you’d like to achieve in 2011.
Not only will you learn practical tools that you can use straight away -- you will also have an exciting and entertaining morning.
The seminar speakers will present the best creative ideas in a light-hearted and productive atmosphere.
For more information about the Brain Blast seminar visit www.BrainBlast.com.au
Brain Blast Seminar
Facebook Movie Review - The Social Network
Yes, I'm one of millions who have seen or will see the Facebook movie, The Social Network.
Here's the Official Trailer
If you have any commercial interest in online social networking or are a user of any social media online today then put The Social Network on your 'must see' list today!
I don't want to give away too much. The plot you already know.
Mark Zuckerberg, the co-creator of Facebook is an eccentric genius without doubt.
Did the rise and rise of Facebook since 2004 happen without anybody feeling shafted along the way? Hardly. That's what takes up a good deal of the viewing. The legal battles between several parties each arguing Facebook was either fully or mostly their idea. 'Nuff said.
A scene from The Social Network
starring Jesse Eisenberg (Mark Zuckerberg),
Andrew Garfield (Eduardo Saveron) and
Justin Timberlake (Sean Parker)
- for full cast and crew list click here.
Something I can do without spoiling your viewing experience is to share the very first page of The Facebook - in fact if you click this link you will see THE first indexed page of what was then called The Facebook at the original domain of www.thefacebook.com.
Zuckerberg later dropping the 'The' from the domain upon suggestion from Sean Parker (played brilliantly by Justin Timberlake). The domain name became just www.facebook.com as we all now know it as today.
Zuckerberg later dropping the 'The' from the domain upon suggestion from Sean Parker (played brilliantly by Justin Timberlake). The domain name became just www.facebook.com as we all now know it as today.
The page is captioned 'a Mark Zuckerberg production
Thefacebook © 2004'
During the second twelve months online (2005) of www.thefacebook.com Zuckerberg uploaded a changed index page to the server almost every day of the year. A total of 453 indexed pages for www.thefacebook.com for the second year of operation. That's a lot!
You will see in the movie that Mark Zuckerberg is totally dedicated to his project to the point of appearing almost oblivious to the everyday issues of his life.
The last indexed page for www.thefacebook.com is dated October 27, 2009.
What's also interesting is that the ONLY historic page of www.thefacebook.com viewable at Wayback Machine (part of www.archive.org) is the very first of February 12, 2004.
Try and check out the first indexed pages of the 'new' www.facebook.com pages from 2004 and you see the following message:
We're sorry, access to http://facebook.com/* has been blocked by the site owner via robots.txt.
Mark Zuckergerg and the modern day part-owners of Facebook are protective of their intellectual property. And who can blame them?
What three ideas did I walk out with after watching The Social Network?
What three ideas did I walk out with after watching The Social Network?
1. friendship is priceless
2. know your 'enemies' and your friends even more so
3. get it in writing
Facebook is worth billions today and Zuckerberg is a multi-billionaire and still only in his twenties.
It's hard to feel any jealousy for the man. Not that I don't feel some envy - I do - mostly for his genius. And I do confess - a slither-slice of his wealth would be nice too!
Final word. Some joker back in the late 1800's is quoted as saying "All that can be invented has been invented. There can be nothing new under the sun".
Try telling that to Mark Zuckerberg.
Internet Archive: http://www.archive.org
Way Back Machine: http://www.archive.org/web/web.php
Final word. Some joker back in the late 1800's is quoted as saying "All that can be invented has been invented. There can be nothing new under the sun".
Try telling that to Mark Zuckerberg.
Net links:
The Internet Movie Database - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1285016/fullcreditsInternet Archive: http://www.archive.org
Way Back Machine: http://www.archive.org/web/web.php
Facebook Movie Review - The Social Network
The Melbourne Cup - 150 Years - Horses, Owners, Trainers, Jockeys, Racecallers
YES, I want to hear this free
Interview with Expert
Click the Play Button Below to Start the Audio
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Running Time: 47m:54s
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If you have any interest in horse racing you will know that November 2, 2010 marks the running of the 150th Melbourne Cup.
Who better to tell us some yarns than a man with more than fifty years experience in racing media and calling races on track and off track for radio and television.
Ted Ryan, Race Caller, Journalist and Sports Media Presenter spoke with me some months back to shares his memories of jockeys, trainers, owners, race callers, horses and others who have been a part of the history of The Melbourne Cup.
Above is the streaming MP3 audio of my chat with Ted. It's a very interesting and entertaining interview and I know you will enjoy it.
Ted Ryan even gives a few tips for the big race to come (just for fun).
Ted Ryan writes a weekly sports and racing page for The Melbourne Observer (one of my favorite local newspapers!)
Thanks Ted!
Net Link: The Melbourne Cup - 150th Running
http://www.melbournecup.com/150_Melbourne_Cup/about.asp
http://www.melbourneobserver.com.au/
The Melbourne Cup - 150 Years - Horses, Owners, Trainers, Jockeys, Racecallers
3 Steps to Billion Dollar Business Graphics
Step 1: Listen to this streaming MP3 audio interview with Visual Communications expert and author of Do-It-Yourself Billion Dollar Business Graphics Mike Parkinson
Step 2: Read this compelling article by Mike Parkinson on the power of visual communication.
The Power of Visual Communication
By Mike Parkinson
YES, I want to hear this free
Interview with Expert
'Graphics Guru'
Mike Parkinson
Click the Play Button Below to Start the Audio
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Running Time: 26m:21s
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Step 2: Read this compelling article by Mike Parkinson on the power of visual communication.
The Power of Visual Communication
By Mike Parkinson
What
we see has a profound effect on what we do, how we feel, and who we
are. Through experience and experimentation, we continually increase our
understanding of the visual world and how we are influenced by it.
Psychologist Albert Mehrabian demonstrated that 93% of communication is
nonverbal. Research at 3M Corporation concluded that we process visuals
60,000 times faster than text. Further studies find that the human brain
deciphers image elements simultaneously, while language is decoded in a
linear, sequential manner taking more time to process.
Relatively
speaking, in terms of communication, textual ubiquity is brand new.
Thanks to millions of years of evolution, we are genetically wired to
respond differently to visuals than text. For example, humans have an
innate fondness for images of wide, open landscapes, which evoke an
instant sense of well-being and contentment. Psychologists hypothesize
that this almost universal response stems from the years our ancestors
spent on the savannas in Africa.(1)
People think using pictures. John Berger, media theorist, writes in his book Ways of Seeing (Penguin Books, 1972), "Seeing comes before words. The child looks and recognizes before it can speak." Dr. Lynell Burmark, Ph.D. Associate at the Thornburg Center for Professional Development and writer of several books and papers on visual literacy, said, "...unless our words, concepts, ideas are hooked onto an image, they will go in one ear, sail through the brain, and go out the other ear. Words are processed by our short-term memory where we can only retain about 7 bits of information (plus or minus 2). This is why, by the way, that we have 7-digit phone numbers. Images, on the other hand, go directly into long-term memory where they are indelibly etched." Therefore, it is not surprising that it is much easier to show a circle than describe it.
People think using pictures. John Berger, media theorist, writes in his book Ways of Seeing (Penguin Books, 1972), "Seeing comes before words. The child looks and recognizes before it can speak." Dr. Lynell Burmark, Ph.D. Associate at the Thornburg Center for Professional Development and writer of several books and papers on visual literacy, said, "...unless our words, concepts, ideas are hooked onto an image, they will go in one ear, sail through the brain, and go out the other ear. Words are processed by our short-term memory where we can only retain about 7 bits of information (plus or minus 2). This is why, by the way, that we have 7-digit phone numbers. Images, on the other hand, go directly into long-term memory where they are indelibly etched." Therefore, it is not surprising that it is much easier to show a circle than describe it.
When
it comes to quick, clear communication, visuals trump text almost every
time. Presented with the following textual and visual information,
would you pet this dog?
The
very same visual elements that we are indelibly drawn to and so quickly
absorb not only communicate data more efficiently and effectively but
also affect us emotionally. For instance, research shows that exposure
to the color red can heighten our pulse and breathing rates. What is
your reaction to the following picture?
How
do you feel when you look at this picture? How quickly did you feel
that way? Can you see how this image could be used to quickly elicit a
strong emotional response and influence the viewer? If I were to
textually describe this picture, your emotional reaction would not be as
strong and it would take more time to digest the information. J.
Francis Davis, an adult educator and media education specialist,
captured it well when he said, "...in our culture pictures have become
tools used to elicit specific and planned emotional reactions in the
people who see them." Visuals are not only excellent communicators but
also quickly affect us psychologically and physiologically.
Don Norman, author of Emotional Design, said in a Discover magazine article, "Beauty and the Beastly PC: The Graphics on Your Computer Screen Can Affect the Way You Feel—and Think,"
Don Norman, author of Emotional Design, said in a Discover magazine article, "Beauty and the Beastly PC: The Graphics on Your Computer Screen Can Affect the Way You Feel—and Think,"
"I started out as an engineer, and I thought that what was really important was that something worked. Appearance—how could that matter? And yet for some reason, I would still buy attractive things, even if they didn't work as well as the less attractive ones. This puzzled me. In the last two years, I've finally come to understand that it's a result of the extremely tight coupling between emotion and cognition. Emotion is about judging the world, and cognition is about understanding. They can't be separated."
How
many times have you heard, "I didn't believe it until I saw it."
Studies show that the old saying "seeing is believing" is mostly true.
Of course, we know that what we see can be manipulated but the point is
that visuals are persuasive. The Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab
asked 2,440 participants how they evaluated the credibility of Web sites
they were shown. Almost half (46.1%) said that the Web site's design
look was the number one criterion for discerning the credibility of the
presented material. The following are some of the captured participant
comments:
"This site is more credible. I find it to be much more professional looking." -M, 38, Washington
"More pleasing graphics, higher-quality look and feel ..." -F, 52, Tennessee
"Just looks more credible." -M, 24, New Jersey
"I know this is superficial, but the first thing that struck me is the color difference. The ... site is a soothing green (sort of like money) while the [other] site is a jarring purple." -M, 56, Virginia
The
ability of visual stimuli to communicate and influence is undeniable
and inescapable. Through evolution, human beings are compelled to view
and disseminate visuals. Recognizing the importance of visual
communication is key to your success. Allen Ginsberg, poet and author,
stated, "Whoever controls the media—the images—controls the culture." As
early as the late nineteenth century, advertisers, based on their
collective experience, were convinced that illustrations sold goods.
World War II propaganda posters were very effective at manipulating
popular opinion.
The
Sunday New York Times published, "Good as a Gun: When Cameras Define a
War," an article that effectively dealt with how the images
photojournalists capture have influenced world affairs. Despite the best
efforts of politicians, commanders, generals, and others involved with
the war efforts, it was imagery that became the catalyst for some of the
most pronounced changes. Reading or hearing about a situation is very
different from seeing it.
In 1986, a 3M-sponsored study at the University of Minnesota School of Management found that presenters who use visual aids are 43% more effective in persuading audience members to take a desired course of action than presenters who don't use visuals. The goal of the experiment was to persuade undergraduates to commit their time and money to attending time management seminars. Presenters of various skill levels participated. Researchers found that average presenters who used visual aids were as effective as more advanced presenters using no visuals. In addition, the study found that the audience expected the advanced presenters to include professional, quality visuals. What about you? Have you noticed the increase in visual aids during presentations? Do you prefer presentations with or without visuals?(2)
Human communication has existed for about 30,000 years. In the beginning of recorded history, the vast majority of what we communicated was not text based.(3) Textual communication has been with us in one form or another for only 3,700 years. With the invention of tools like Gutenberg's movable type printing press in 1450, text took center stage. Graphics were too costly to include. As printing costs dropped graphics soon resurfaced and their frequency is rising. In 1995, Charles Brumback, the chairman of the Newspaper Association of America, said, "as newspaper penetration falls ... the culture itself moves from textual to visual literacy."(4) Gunther Kress is a Professor of English and Education at the School of Education, University of London. His research confirms this change over. As an example, Kress compares science textbooks from 1936 and 1988 showing that textbooks have progressed from a majority of text to a majority of graphics.(5)
The change isn't limited to textbooks and newspapers. Signs, maps, instructions, schematics, icons, symbols, and packaging sell products, warn of possible hazards, and give visual direction when words alone are not sufficient. Graphics are found on Web sites, TV shows, appliances, and computers; in vehicles and books; and at museums, malls, restaurants, and grocery stores. More and more professions that rely heavily on communication and persuasion are embracing graphics as a tool of choice. In the Boston Globe article, "Courtroom Graphics Come of Cyber-Age," author Sacha Pfeiffer found that "... new technologies—and a new willingness in legal circles to embrace them—have taken the use of visual images in the courtroom to a level unimaginable even a decade ago ... The result is a slow but significant shift in the way many trial lawyers, who historically have relied largely on their verbal skills to sway juries, try cases ... More prosecutors see high-tech graphics not as a luxury, but as a necessity."
Graphic communication is more ubiquitous than ever before. Why? Because graphics do what text alone cannot do. They quickly affect us both cognitively and emotionally:
1) Cognitively: Graphics expedite and increase our level of communication. They increase comprehension, recollection, and retention. Visual clues help us decode text and attract attention to information or direct attention increasing the likelihood that the audience will remember.(6)
2) Emotionally: Pictures enhance or affect emotions and attitudes.(7) Graphics engage our imagination and heighten our creative thinking by stimulating other areas of our brain (which in turn leads to a more profound and accurate understanding of the presented material).(8) It is no secret that emotions influence decision-making:
In 1986, a 3M-sponsored study at the University of Minnesota School of Management found that presenters who use visual aids are 43% more effective in persuading audience members to take a desired course of action than presenters who don't use visuals. The goal of the experiment was to persuade undergraduates to commit their time and money to attending time management seminars. Presenters of various skill levels participated. Researchers found that average presenters who used visual aids were as effective as more advanced presenters using no visuals. In addition, the study found that the audience expected the advanced presenters to include professional, quality visuals. What about you? Have you noticed the increase in visual aids during presentations? Do you prefer presentations with or without visuals?(2)
Human communication has existed for about 30,000 years. In the beginning of recorded history, the vast majority of what we communicated was not text based.(3) Textual communication has been with us in one form or another for only 3,700 years. With the invention of tools like Gutenberg's movable type printing press in 1450, text took center stage. Graphics were too costly to include. As printing costs dropped graphics soon resurfaced and their frequency is rising. In 1995, Charles Brumback, the chairman of the Newspaper Association of America, said, "as newspaper penetration falls ... the culture itself moves from textual to visual literacy."(4) Gunther Kress is a Professor of English and Education at the School of Education, University of London. His research confirms this change over. As an example, Kress compares science textbooks from 1936 and 1988 showing that textbooks have progressed from a majority of text to a majority of graphics.(5)
The change isn't limited to textbooks and newspapers. Signs, maps, instructions, schematics, icons, symbols, and packaging sell products, warn of possible hazards, and give visual direction when words alone are not sufficient. Graphics are found on Web sites, TV shows, appliances, and computers; in vehicles and books; and at museums, malls, restaurants, and grocery stores. More and more professions that rely heavily on communication and persuasion are embracing graphics as a tool of choice. In the Boston Globe article, "Courtroom Graphics Come of Cyber-Age," author Sacha Pfeiffer found that "... new technologies—and a new willingness in legal circles to embrace them—have taken the use of visual images in the courtroom to a level unimaginable even a decade ago ... The result is a slow but significant shift in the way many trial lawyers, who historically have relied largely on their verbal skills to sway juries, try cases ... More prosecutors see high-tech graphics not as a luxury, but as a necessity."
Graphic communication is more ubiquitous than ever before. Why? Because graphics do what text alone cannot do. They quickly affect us both cognitively and emotionally:
1) Cognitively: Graphics expedite and increase our level of communication. They increase comprehension, recollection, and retention. Visual clues help us decode text and attract attention to information or direct attention increasing the likelihood that the audience will remember.(6)
2) Emotionally: Pictures enhance or affect emotions and attitudes.(7) Graphics engage our imagination and heighten our creative thinking by stimulating other areas of our brain (which in turn leads to a more profound and accurate understanding of the presented material).(8) It is no secret that emotions influence decision-making:
"(Emotions) play an essential role in decision making, perception, learning, and more ... they influence the very mechanisms of rational thinking."(9)
Behavioral
Psychologists agree that most of our decisions are based on intuitive
judgment and emotions. Herbert A. Simon, Nobel Prize winning scholar at
the Carnegie Mellon Institute in Pittsburgh, studied corporate
decision-making and found that people often ignored formal
decision-making models because of time constraints, incomplete
information, the inability to calculate consequences, and other
variables. Intuitive judgment was the process for most decisions.
Neurologist Antonio Damasio studied research on patients with damaged
ventromedial frontal cortices of the brain, which impaired their ability
to feel but left their ability to think analytically intact. Damasio
discovered that the patients were unable to make rational decisions even
though their ability to reason was fully functional. He concluded that
reasoning "depends, to a considerable extent, on a continual ability to
experience feelings."(10)
Psychologists Amos Twersky and Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahnerman demonstrated that decision-making also depended on how the problems were framed or described, which results in predictable cognitive patterns and errors in judgment. Consider the following example:
Psychologists Amos Twersky and Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahnerman demonstrated that decision-making also depended on how the problems were framed or described, which results in predictable cognitive patterns and errors in judgment. Consider the following example:
"A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?"(11)
The question is asked in a way that clouds the correct answer. If the question were worded as follows:
A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat cost $1.05. How much does the ball cost?
The
answer would be obvious: 5 cents. Much as phraseology influences the
response to a question, how and what you show influences the audience's
response.
So
visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text, graphics quickly
affect our emotions, and our emotions greatly affect our
decision-making. If most of our decisions are based on relatively quick
intuitional judgment and emotions, then how many decisions are
influenced by visually appealing, easily digested graphics? The answer
is no secret to advertisers.Billions of dollars are spent annually to find the right imagery to sell a product, service, or idea. The United States Military spent $598 million in 2003 on advertising to increase "brand identity" and meet their annual recruitment goals. Nike spent $269 million in 2001 on its image to sell their products. Anheuser-Busch spent $440 million to promote its products in 2001. Pepsi budgeted over $1 billion in 2001 on its image. Not to be out done, Coca-Cola budgeted $1.4 billion for its image in the same year. Graphics help create "brand identity." Visuals paint the picture of who the advertiser is, what they stand for, and how the audience may benefit. Graphics sell because of their ability to influence. How you use graphics greatly affect how you and your business are perceived.
Study after study, experiment after experiment has proven that graphics have immense influence over the audience's perception of the subject matter and, by association, the presenter (the person, place, or thing most associated with the graphic) because of these neurological and evolutionary factors. The audience's understanding of the presented material, opinion of the presented material and the presenter, and their emotional state are crucial factors in any decision they will make. Without a doubt, graphics greatly
influence an audience's decisions. Whoever properly wields this intelligence has a powerful advantage over their competition.
Larry Tracy, who now trains corporate executives to make oral presentations for government contracts, headed the Pentagon's top briefing team and worked for years with the Department of State. He was aware that graphics were so influential in the government's decision to purchase goods and services that bad buying decisions were made based on the quality of the visuals in the presented materials. This has in turn led to the government, at times, putting constraints on presented graphics by requiring black and white submissions, or even requiring that no graphics be used in a presentation in order to reduce the likelihood of high-quality, polished graphics unfairly persuading evaluators.
I spent many years analyzing how the proposal industry works (an industry that focuses on the submission of written and oral presentations to secure work that will increase or maintain a company's revenue). I found that the priority of graphic development increases as award value rises. The industry understands the influence that graphics have on their audience. It is common knowledge to companies like Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin that graphics are an essential part of winning new government business. In fact, it is not uncommon, when exceptional graphics are used, for government evaluators to commend the presenter on their use of graphics.
Flags, eagles, and other symbols of patriotism are often included on proposal covers simply because of the positive emotional influence patriotic imagery has on government evaluators. Part of the cover's goal is to instantly establish that the presenter is a supportive, trustworthy, reliable patriot. As a result, the government evaluator is more likely to be in a positive, agreeable state of mind when reading the proposal. As stated earlier, emotions influence the very mechanisms of rational thinking, so if the evaluator's mood is elevated by the visuals, the more likely he or she is to agree with the presenter.
"Pictures interact with text to produce levels of comprehension and memory that can exceed what is produced by text alone."(12)
Without
graphics, an idea may be lost in a sea of words. Without words, a
graphic may be lost to ambiguity. Robert E. Horn, an award-winning
scholar at Stanford University's Center for the Study of Language and
Information, said, "When words and visual elements are closely entwined,
we create something new and we augment our communal intelligence ...
visual language has the potential for increasing ‘human bandwidth'—the
capacity to take in, comprehend, and more efficiently synthesize large
amounts of new information."
Our communication paradigm is evolving.
(Learn more.)
Our communication paradigm is evolving.
(Learn more.)
1.
Stevenson Johnson, "Beauty and the Beastly PC, The Graphics on Your
Screen Can Affect the Way You Feel—and Think," Discover Volume 25:
Number 5 (May 2004): 20-21.
2. (Reworded but from) Jon Hanke, The Psychology of Presentation Visuals, www.presentations.com.
3. Duncan Davies, Diana Bathurst, and Robin Bathurst, The Telling Image The Changing Balance between Pictures and Words in a Technological Age. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1990).
4. M. Fitzgerald, "NAA Leaders Disagree Over Value Cyberspace," International Federation of Newspaper Publishers Research Association 128(12) (1995): 48-49.
5. "English at the Crossroads: Rethinking Curricula of Communication in the Context of a Turn to the Visual"
6. W.H. Levie and R. Lentz, "Effects of Text Illustrations: A Review of Research," Educational Communications and Technology Journal 30 (4) (1982): 195-232.
7. W.H. Levie and R. Lentz, "Effects of Text Illustrations: A Review of Research," Educational Communications and Technology Journal 30 (4) (1982): 195-232.
8. D. Bobrow and D. Norman, "Some Principles of Memory Schemata," (in D. Bobrow and A.Collins [eds.]), Representation and Understanding: Studies in Cognitive Science (New York: Academic Press, 1975), 131-149 and D. Rumelhart, "Schemata: The Building Blocks of Cognition," (in R.J. Spiro, B.C. Bruce and W.F. Brewer [eds.]), Theoretical Issues in Reading Comprehension (Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associate, 1980), 33-58.
9. H. van Oostendorp, J. Preece and A.G. Arnold (guest editorial), "Designing Multimedia for Human Needs and Capabilities," Interacting with Computers Volume 12, Issue 1 (September 1999): 1-5.
10. Jayme A. Sokolow, "How Do Reviewers Really Evaluate Your Proposal? What the Cognitive Science of Heuristics Tells Us About Making Decisions," Journal of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (Spring/Summer 2004): 34-50.
11. Jayme A. Sokolow, "How Do Reviewers Really Evaluate Your Proposal? What the Cognitive Science of Heuristics Tells Us About Making Decisions," Journal of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (Spring/Summer 2004): 34-50.
12. J.R. Levin, A Transfer of Appropriate Processing Perspective of Pictures in Prose, (in H.Mandl and J.R. Levin [eds.]) Knowledge Acquisition from Text and Prose (Amsterdam: ElsevierScience Publishers, 1989).
2. (Reworded but from) Jon Hanke, The Psychology of Presentation Visuals, www.presentations.com.
3. Duncan Davies, Diana Bathurst, and Robin Bathurst, The Telling Image The Changing Balance between Pictures and Words in a Technological Age. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1990).
4. M. Fitzgerald, "NAA Leaders Disagree Over Value Cyberspace," International Federation of Newspaper Publishers Research Association 128(12) (1995): 48-49.
5. "English at the Crossroads: Rethinking Curricula of Communication in the Context of a Turn to the Visual"
6. W.H. Levie and R. Lentz, "Effects of Text Illustrations: A Review of Research," Educational Communications and Technology Journal 30 (4) (1982): 195-232.
7. W.H. Levie and R. Lentz, "Effects of Text Illustrations: A Review of Research," Educational Communications and Technology Journal 30 (4) (1982): 195-232.
8. D. Bobrow and D. Norman, "Some Principles of Memory Schemata," (in D. Bobrow and A.Collins [eds.]), Representation and Understanding: Studies in Cognitive Science (New York: Academic Press, 1975), 131-149 and D. Rumelhart, "Schemata: The Building Blocks of Cognition," (in R.J. Spiro, B.C. Bruce and W.F. Brewer [eds.]), Theoretical Issues in Reading Comprehension (Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associate, 1980), 33-58.
9. H. van Oostendorp, J. Preece and A.G. Arnold (guest editorial), "Designing Multimedia for Human Needs and Capabilities," Interacting with Computers Volume 12, Issue 1 (September 1999): 1-5.
10. Jayme A. Sokolow, "How Do Reviewers Really Evaluate Your Proposal? What the Cognitive Science of Heuristics Tells Us About Making Decisions," Journal of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (Spring/Summer 2004): 34-50.
11. Jayme A. Sokolow, "How Do Reviewers Really Evaluate Your Proposal? What the Cognitive Science of Heuristics Tells Us About Making Decisions," Journal of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (Spring/Summer 2004): 34-50.
12. J.R. Levin, A Transfer of Appropriate Processing Perspective of Pictures in Prose, (in H.Mandl and J.R. Levin [eds.]) Knowledge Acquisition from Text and Prose (Amsterdam: ElsevierScience Publishers, 1989).
Do-It-Yourself Billion Dollar Graphics
Step 3: Get great graphic ides now from the Business Graphics Library
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3 Steps to Billion Dollar Business Graphics
Paul V Harris - The Man Who Beat Fire, Fear and Death
Press Play - turn on your speakers - turn up your volume - (19m:44s)
Paul V Harris almost died three times after an automobile accident that left him with burns to 85% of his body.
The story of his journey back to life will bring you to the edge of your seat and leave you with a profound understanding that mastering your fears is the key to living the life of your dreams.
Media host Michael Searles brings you closer to this remarkable man and his personal story of hope and inspiration in this episode of Interviews with Experts.
Net Links:
Paul V Harris - The Man Who Beat Fire, Fear and Death
Easy Video Player 2 - Video Sales Pages At The Touch Of A Button
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