If you search long enough, you'll probably be able to find a free or cheap generic lease online. But before you fill it out, take a minute to really mull over the possible consequences. Remember the old adage that says, "You get what you pay for"? Well, if you settle for a generic free lease agreement, you might just get more than you bargained for -- much, much more. A lease is a legal contract that sets forth the terms of the agreement between you and your tenant. Basically, you're relying on this document to establish the guidelines that will define your entire relationship with your tenant.

Foreclosure

The free lease agreements that are a dime a dozen online don't cover much more than the contact information for the landlord and tenants. If you're lucky, you might find one that has a space for the rent amount and due date. In short, these "free" leases typically leave a lot to be desired.

Over the last several decades, the courts have become increasingly friendly to the cause of tenants' rights. Many of the landlords who are hauled in front of a judge by a disgruntled tenant -- or who file a claim to collect back rent from a deadbeat renter -- are winding up out of luck. When in doubt, more and more courts are automatically siding with the tenant.

When you rely on a lease that is vague, brief, or incomplete, you are putting your property, your investment, and your entire business at risk. In legal terms, a contract that's skimpy or insufficient isn't worth the paper that it's written on.

The kind of generic free lease agreements that you can find online are typically chock-full of grey areas, omissions, contradictions, and even outright errors. In other words, they're not exactly the kind of thing that's going to sway the judge in your favor if you wind up in court. If it's not specifically spelled out in the lease, chances are good that the judge will end up siding with your tenant.

Let's face it -- to stay profitable, landlords and property managers have to constantly be on the lookout for ways to save money. That means holding out for sales at home improvement stores, opting for the mid-grade paint and fixtures, and keeping an eye out for reputable contractors that won't charge an arm and a leg.

What it shouldn't mean, however, is skimping on your lease agreement. There are a lot of smart ways for you to save money, but this isn't one of them. Think of it as an investment -- the money you spend now on a comprehensive, legally binding lease agreement could save you thousands of dollars down the road.

Looking For a Free Lease Agreement?

Creating a Lease Online is convenient, fast and affordable. Build your Lease step by step with a Lease Wizard which will explain important State Laws too. Click here to learn how: Residential Lease Agreement

Using the Right Lenders...

Secured Loans

So if you are wondering if you can get a car loan with a credit score of 600, the answer lies in understanding lenders and choosing the right type of lender to submit your credit application to.

There are many different people with many different credit scores and there are also many different lenders that have very different requirements for a car loan. What this means for you is that rather than wondering if you can get a car loan with your particular credit score, you should be looking for a lender that will accept you with your particular credit score.

Prime vs Subprime...

For example, some lenders (prime) that offer car loans prefer that the applicant have a credit score of at least 700 or better. Other lenders may look for a score of 650 or above, while there are some that will offer car credit to someone that has a score as low as 480 (subprime).

You Can Get Approved...

Credit takes a long time to improve. It's a great idea to work on improving your credit score however, while you are working on that you can still get approved for a car loan if you simply find the best lender to suit you. You may be pleasantly surprised at what is available for you, based on your income.

Can I Get a Car Loan With a Credit Score of 600?

Find Legitimate Lending Sources Here: Buying Cars with Bad Credit.

(http://www.BuyingCarswithBadCredit.com)

Jason Lanier, Expert Author.

But because of several reasons, this valuable ecosystem is rapidly disappearing in various parts of the world. Deforestation rates have increased since the 1980s. To date, according to the estimate given by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, a group responsible for the forests, deforestation rates have accelerated during the 1990s translating to 10.14 million hectares of denuded forests from 1990-2000 and to 10.4 million hectares in the period of 2000-2005.

Home Insurance

Deforestation and forest degradation occur in response to policy, market and institutional signals. It is the result of the interaction of many environmental, economic, social, cultural and political conditions in any given region.

There are two main causes of deforestation. The primary and most common reasons for deforestation are known as the direct causes. Logging, overpopulation, urbanization, dam construction etc are under direct causes. The other main cause of deforestation is known as natural causes since they are brought by the Mother Nature.

Rapid population growth has resulted to the conversion of forest areas to non-forest lands for settlement and farming. Together with this is urbanization and residential area expansion. This takes a significant loss of forest lands both for harvesting forest products as more people need more lumber to build their houses and for developing the greater area their houses, malls, business centers will be built.

An increase in population also means an increase in produce consumption. Thus, rainforests are destroyed and converted to cattle pasture to supply the burgeoning demand for meat. In Central America, almost half of the rainforests have been slashed and burned for cattle farming in order comply with foreign demands. Twenty-five per cent of the Amazon's forests have also been destroyed for cattle ranches.

Lack of government legislation for land reforms has also cleared the forest especially in developing countries like of the South East Asian nations. People in that region are among the poorest in the world and are desperate for a piece of land. Unequal distribution of resources has led these people to find their way to exploit the forests.

Another reason that denudes the forest is exploitative economic development schemes and the powerlessness of government to safeguard its resources. Poor countries in their attempt to increase their revenues are in a way exploiting their resources like the forests. Timber is exported to reduce the national debt. Countries rich in mineral resources open their doors to multinational mining corporations that clear the forests as they go with their operations. The government especially those belonging in the Third World cannot curb commercial logging and implement a total log ban in exchange to higher foreign exchange rates. Development projects like dams, roads, and airports contracted by the government also cause deforestation.

While most causes of deforestation occur due to human activities, there are uncontrolled causes of deforestation such as forest fires, volcanic eruption, and typhoon.

Forest fires are started by lightning, and strong winds help to spread the flames. Drought in the forest has increased the amount of flammable bush and debris on the forest floor. Forest fires destroy immeasurable amount of valuable timber. They kill not only trees but also other living things.

Meanwhile, volcanic eruption is one of the several natural forces capable of causing damage to forests. The ashes emitted during the eruption coat tree leaves, which then interfere with photosynthesis. Animal population is also devastated. The organisms that survive have to cope with the changed habitat and reduced food supplies.

Last is typhoon. These are violent storms when fierce winds destroy much of the island's rain forest.

People can only hope that the uncontrollable forces causing deforestation would not do great damage. However, right decisions and good actions must be taken to address the problems brought by the other reasons of deforestation where the cause and the end result is at the hands of the people.

Root Causes of Deforestation

For more information now go to: http://www.solutionstoearthdestruction.com http://www.stopearthdestruction.com/Reason-For-Deforestation.html

Unless you already have millions of dollars at your personal disposal to invest, or are fortunate enough to have come from a family of wealth, borrowing money is the only way to become a commercial real estate investor. It is a great way to purchase commercial property, even if you have your own millions already, because you don't have to worry about losing your personal money. In fact, that is how many multi-millionaire commercial real estate investors make their money- by not using their own! If you don't use it, then you never lose it.

Mortgage

One of the reasons you can borrow money to purchase property is because of something called leverage. You simply borrow money against the property, as it is the property that actually holds the value. This will play a major role in our discussion of purchasing property without using any of your own money.

The first way to purchase property with none of your own money is subordination. Many people consider this way of purchasing property as creative financing. In this situation, the current owner actually takes out a second mortgage on the property to cover the difference of what the purchaser (you, the investor) can get loaned from a bank or private lender. If you are lucky enough to have an owner who will sell the property with no money down, and he or she subordinates a second mortgage for the difference you owe, then you just purchased a property with none of your own money!

When using this tool, it is a good idea to have the owner only subordinate for a short amount of time, like one to two years, just until you can take the money generated from the commercial property and pay off the second mortgage, leaving the owner free of the property. At this point, payment for the property can take place because you will have generated cash through the commercial property. The owner will actually wait to get paid his money for the property! It happens all the time, and everyone comes out happy in the end. You purchase your money generating property with none of your own money, and the owner gets paid for the property. This situation may seem backwards at first, but it works rather well, if you find an owner who is very motivated to sell, and he or she understands this way of investing.

You must always be sure that the property can support the debt, as you do not want the owner getting into financial trouble with the second mortgage. Some owners are weary of this type of investing, as some purchasers do not do as they say, and problems occur. You want to be an investor of integrity and have a reputation of making things happen in the way in which you and the seller agreed.

Another way to purchase property with none of your own money is through the owner releasing some acreage that is free and clear which you, in turn, use to borrow enough money to cover a down payment on the entire piece. This strategy works especially well with raw land. You are basically using a piece of the property to purchase the entire property. Owners may not even be aware of this option, so be sure to mention it or address it in a letter of intent, especially when dealing with many acres of land!

A third way to purchase commercial property without using your own money is using partners. There are experienced investors, builders and developers who will find the financing for you, and basically get the deal ready to go, if you are willing to do the work. The agreements can greatly differ, but the partner(s) will basically finance the deal and take a piece of the return that you create through, either turning a distressed property around, or overseeing the development or building of a specific type of property and making it profitable. Partners can offer great experience and insight so that you can learn more about a specific type of property or the actual industry itself.

When it comes to commercial real estate, there are so many options; don't ever limit yourself! Be creative and find resources. There is a wealth of information and money available to anyone who is willing to take some time and make some contacts. This industry is not one of limitations, but one of abundance.

Top 3 Ways to Purchase Commercial Property With None of You Own Money!

Tony Seruga, Yolanda Seruga and Yolanda Bishop of [http://www.maverickrei.com] specialize in commercial and investment real estate. As of May, 2006, they and their partners are managing over 0 million dollars worth of new projects.

Death penalty was reinstated in 1976 and continues to its existence in 21st century. 67% of capital conviction is overturned, seven percent of those whose sentences were overturned have been acquitted, and ten percent were re-sentenced to death. The reminder ends up with lesser sentences.

Foreclosure

Capital punishment has been a lawful punishment since the colonial period in America and was considered a normal part of judicial process. Death penalty was prescribed for major crimes; but from the beginning death penalty was only used and practiced when there was no other way for punishing the criminal. The reform movement toward death penalty began in 1750's in Europe by academics such as Cesare Beccaria and Voltaire. This movement was influential in Europe and ended capital punishment in 1767. In America some intellectual were also affected by the movement. They argued that death penalty should be abolished as a cruel act and they defended life imprisonment as a more rational way. As a result of these efforts, in 19th century Michigan was the first state that abolished death penalty; however most states still practiced death penalty for certain crimes.

Capital punishment has gone through different stages in 20 century: during the progressive era before the First World War, six more states banned capital punishment. During 1920s through 1940s a number of states reinstated death penalty which led to an increase in number of execution. In 1930 up to 1945 this increase was even greater. From 1950s to mid-1970s the approach toward capital punishment changed again which was as a result of advancement ofliberal ideas. In this period the trend was toward judicial challenges to the constitutionality of the death penalty.

In 1976 Greggv. Georgia reinstated the use of capital punishment in American states.

Legal Process

The legal process for the death penalty in the Unites States is complicated and includes four stages:

1. Sentencing,

2. Direct review,

3. State collateral Review and

4. Federal Habeas Corpus. Recently a fifth stage has been included and is becoming an important process:

5. Section 1983 Challenge which is a clemency or pardon in which the governor or president of jurisdiction can unilaterally reduce a death sentence.

Each of these stages is going to be explained briefly:

Direct Review:

If a defendant is sentenced to death at the trial level, the case goes to direct review. In this process an appellate court examines the evidence presented in the trial court and decides whether the decision was legally right or not: if the appellate court finds no significant legal errors in capital punishment sentence, the judgment will be affirmed; if significant legal errors are discovered then the judgment will reverse; and if the appellate court finds that no reasonable could find defiant eligible for death penalty, which is very rare, then the defendant will be acquitted.

State Collateral review:

When a death sentence is affirmed on direct review, supplemental methods e.g. collateral review remain to attack and change final judgment. When the defendant receives his death sentence in the state level trial, the first stage is State Collateral Review. This process varies from state to state. The purpose of these proceedings is to create a chance for the prisoner to change the final judgment.

Federal habeas corpus

After a death sentence is affirmed in State Collateral Review, the prisoner may apply for Federal Habeas Corpus, which is a kind of lawsuit that can be brought in federal courts; here the prisoner can attack a death sentence in federal court. The purpose of federal habeas corpus is to ensure that state courts have done a reasonable job in protecting defendant's constitutional right.

Section 1983 contested

If the federal courts refuse to issue a writ of habeas corpus, the Governor may set an execution date. In recent years the prisoner can postpone the execution through a final round of federal litigation using the Civil Right Act of 1871. The United States Supreme Court approved the use of Section 1983 as a way for challenging a states method of execution a cruel and unusual punishment in violation of Eight Amendment.

Controversies over the Use of Capital Punishment

Different groups and parties support or oppose the use of death penalty and each of them has its own moral and religious justification. In America the majority of public opinion supports death penalty. Religious groups have different opinions about it: more conservative groups tend to support capital punishment while those who are more liberal are inclined to oppose it. The debate and controversies are around several issues; those who oppose it claim that: is it morally correct to kill another human being even if he is a criminal? Can death penalty be used as a deterrent to avoid more crimes? Is capital punishment used fairly across racial, social and economic classes? And what if an innocent person is found guilty and executed and new evidence in future reveals the improper judgment?

Until 1960s it was assumed that capital punishment was permitted by Fifth Amendment, eight Amendment and fourteen Amendment. However some Activists and movements tired to reform the process and its shortcomings: they believed that the rules which were applied to criminals differed wildly from state to state; they also argued that gas chambers and electrocution violated the eight Amendment as a cruel and unusual way of execution. In 1972 the Supreme Court concluded that capital punishment is a cruel and unusual punishment and in Furman v. Georgia the court struck down the capital punishment as a violation of the Eight Amendment. The Furman decision stopped all execution in the United States at least temporarily but did not abolish it completely. In 1976 the court clarified the decision. In Gregg v. Georgia the court argued that Gregg, convicted of robbery and murder, could be executed only if the jury considered both aggravating and mitigating circumstances. This decision established the constitutionality of Capital punishment. This decision argued that if the juries consider all circumstances of every individual and investigate it properly then ultimate death penalty is acceptable.

Capital Punishment In America and Controversies

Reference:

[http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/cp.htm]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_the_United_States

Term life insurance with no medical checkup or, "non-med" life insurance policies are very popular now as insurance companies continue to look for more ways to differentiate themselves in the market. These types of policies don't require a medical exam, so the policies are issued much quicker than a traditional policy. There is a trade off though. These policies typically come with a higher premium than standard insurance policies. This is mainly because the insurance company is taking a little bit of a risk by issuing a policy without a full medical exam.

Health Insurance

Is term life insurance with no medical exam right for you? It might be worth it to pay the higher premium if:

o You do not want to go through with a physical or you are afraid of needles.

o You would like to get coverage quickly, sometimes in as little as 24 hours.

o You choose a return of premium rider, meaning that you'll get all of your premiums back at the end of the term

What Are the Qualifications?

The insurance application will have a health questionnaire to find out about your health history. These questions determine whether or not you qualify. Each life insurance company has its own underwriting standards, but some examples of the questions that a company might ask on an application are:

o Your height and weight (to determine your body mass index)

o Your health history (do you have a history of cancer, stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.?)

o Your family's health history (because of the role of genetics)

o Your driving history (have you had any speeding tickets or a DUI?)

o Medications you currently take

Can't I Just Lie On An Insurance Questionnaire?

The answer to that is an astounding no. Since insurance companies know that not everyone will be truthful, they will verify your answers with information available through various databases. With your permission only, the life insurance company will check your answers against information that is available through the Medical Information Bureau, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and prescription databases. If you are generally in good health, then you should get approved for a term life insurance policy with no medical check up very easily. The best way to get a low rate on term life insurance with no medical exam is to do some comparison shopping first. With some basic health and family questions answered you will be well on your way to getting the coverage you are seeking.

Term Life Insurance With No Medical Check Up

The Most Important Tip

You wouldn't buy shoes from a salesman with only one size and one color would you? Then don't buy your life insurance that way either. Make sure you compare multiple quotes from multiple carriers! This will ensure that you get the absolute lowest rate possible because rates can vary as much as 50% from one company to another. Compare free multiple quotes from a site like QuotesForTermLife.com.

1) Realize that getting a website up is only the first step. The hard part is attracting prospects to your site. Look into online methods of advertising and promotion or hire an SEO expert who will make sure that people in your area who are search for a cleaning service will find your company on the first page of their search results.

Small Business

2) Try out a variety of offline advertising methods from newspaper advertising, radio, direct marketing (flyers) and business directories. Realise that most customers still go to the 'Yellow Pages' when they are looking for a cleaner. Make sure that your advertisement is the one that they call first.

3) Always push for discounts or free trial advertising, particularly with newspapers.

4) Make the most of free advertising methods. Post flyers on community notice boards and have a vehicle wrap installed with your cleaning business branding on your vehicle.

5) Always test your advertising methods. Ask your customers how they found out about your services. You can then focus on the winning methods and dump the methods that aren't cost effective. Don't forget to test over a reasonably long time period to get accurate results (sometimes customers need to see an ad many times before they will respond).

6) Take note of what your competitors are doing. If they have been around for a long time they will undoubtedly have tested many methods and will only be going with the ones that work. Also look out for other unique advertising ideas that you can borrow from other industries.

If you take an active approach to developing, testing and refining your advertising campaigns then you will be setting yourself up for the best chance of success with your small cleaning business.

Advertising Tips For a Small Cleaning Business

For more cleaning business information, reviews and articles visit -

http://www.cleaningforprofit.com

In this article I would like to provide a sample of a high school cover letter which would help high school students, particularly juniors and seniors who want to enter the workforce.

Investment

Your Name

Your Address

Your City, State, Zip Code

Your Phone #

Your Email

Date

Employer Name

Company

Address

City, State, Zip Code

Dear Mr. /Ms. Last Name,

I am responding to the employment opportunity listed on your website. Please accept this letter and accompanying resume as evidence of my interest in applying for this job. I feel my qualifications and my skills would prove to be an asset for your organization.

I have recently passed high school from a well known school. Now, I am looking for an honored job that will add experience to my building career. Here are some of my key strengths that I would bring to the position. I am:

1. A self-starter.

2. Disciplined.

3. An excellent communicator.

4. Very willing and eager to learn new things.

5. Exceptional at customer service.

5. Great team worker.

Accepting challenges is the foundation of my life experiences and something I do with confidence. You will find me a totally committed individual with pride in being direct, spontaneous and communicative. I can maintain records, perform numerical calculations with accuracy and I need little direction to complete assigned tasks. These are the qualities that make an excellent candidate for this post.

I was responsible for handling and organizing various important activities in my school. I have even participated in numerous cultural activities. I have working knowledge of MS Word, PowerPoint, MS Excel and Internet.

I would appreciate your consideration of my credentials. If you do think there is a shared interest, I would greet the chance to meet with you to hear more about your company, the requirements of the position, and how my skills would be a good fit.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Your Signature

Your Typed Name

I hope my article will help you in preparing a high-quality and eye-catching high school student cover letter.

Sample Cover Letter For High School Students

Confused about how to create Resume Cover Letters. Find out more about Student Cover Letter

Rights of landlords renting Pittsburgh, PA properties

Foreclosure

One of the most important rights a landlord has is the right to evict tenants. There are three conditions under which the landlord is legally able to evict tenants from a rental property:

The tenant has not paid rent owed in full.

The tenant's lease term is up, and the landlord wishes to put the property up for rent or sale.

The tenant violated a section of the rental agreement (or lease).

Though there are fewer concrete rules outlining how an eviction notice should be delivered, it helps the landlord's case immensely if he or she follows common sense.

First, the landlord should not deliver an eviction notice by mail. Just as a citizen can ignore a jury duty summons by saying he or she never received it, a tenant facing imminent eviction can simply deny that he or she ever received an eviction notice. The landlord has every right to state in the lease the maximum length of time permissible between eviction notice and removal of tenants. Many landlords opt not to do this, however - in which case, they are advised to refer to the Landlord-Tenant Law of 1951. It is the only rubric available for tenant eviction in Pennsylvania.

The landlord can lawfully evict the tenant with 30 days notice for leases less than 365 days (1 year) in length. 90 days notice is required for leases one year or longer. Some landlords do not use written leases with tenants. Legally, this is an inadvisable move; the landlord does not want to inadvertently cede rights to the tenant. However, if the landlord does not use written leases, 30 days' notice for eviction is standard.

If tenant eviction proceedings are pending, the landlord's best bet is to keep written documentation of all communications, payments, and incidents with tenants. The landlord must be prepared to demonstrate when a tenant stopped paying rent, how much rent the tenant owes, and/or how the tenant violated terms of the lease. If the tenant brings suit against the landlord for eviction-related grievances, this documentation is invaluable. In order to keep the law on his or her side, a landlord must not take rash actions against a tenant facing eviction. The landlord should not use police to forcibly evict the tenant before the eviction notice term is up, nor should he or she resort to "dirty fighting tactics," such as locking the tenant out or cutting off all utilities services to the rental home or unit.

The following form can be used if the landlord wishes to bypass eviction notice requirements and bring the eviction to magistrate court:

NOTICE TO LEAVE THE LEASED PROPERTY (NOTICE TO QUIT)

Tenant agrees to give up certain legal rights as provided by the LANDLORD and TENANT ACT OF 1951. No notice will be required to be given by Landlord and Tenant to leave and give up the leased property.

Tenant will be asked to leave the leased property without notice under any of the following conditions.

Tenant does not leave the property at the end of the lease term.

Tenant breaks any of the terms and conditions of the lease.

Tenant fails, upon demand, to make all rent and other payments when due.

__________________ Tenant's Initials

Other Pittsburgh, PA landlord rights

The landlord has the right to charge the tenant late fees for rent past due. It is recommended that the landlord disclose the past-due penalty sum in the lease before the tenant signs it. The landlord also has the right to request a security deposit of an amount up to and including two months' rent. The landlord is prohibited by Pennsylvania state law from charging higher amounts; however, it is also the landlord's legal right to charge a once-yearly security deposit, so long as each deposit owed after the first year of rental does not exceed one month's rent.

It is advisable that a landlord return the security deposit to a tenant or tenants once the rental lease is up. However, a landlord can refuse to refund a tenant part or all of the security deposit if the tenant has caused damages to the unit that are not the result of natural aging or wear. To avoid legal disputes, the landlord should meticulously document the condition of the apartment before the tenant moves in and after he or she leaves, including photographing unit interiors and exteriors. Landlords are required by law to provide a list enumerating tenant-caused damages 30 days or less after tenants vacate rental units.

Many legal hassles with tenants can be avoided by carefully pre-screening all would-be renters. Though a landlord is prohibited by law from turning away tenants on the basis of gender, race, creed, or other personal characteristics, landlords can turn down tenant applications if tenants have poor credit, smoke, or own pets - all of these tenant characteristics can interfere with the rental process. A landlord has the legal right to run a credit and background check on the tenant. To avoid issues with late or non-existent rent

payments, the landlord should contact a potential tenant's current employer(s), and request pay stubs from any prospective tenants as proof of ability to pay rent. Finally, because people are often prone to repeating the same behavior time and again, references from former landlords are crucial to avoid potential tenant problems.

Landlord-Tenant Relations in Pittsburgh, PA

Sommer Law Group provides legal counsel to individuals in Pittsburgh, as well as greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The attorney group has expert counsel in legal areas such as landlord-tenant disputes, business and corporate law, and mergers and acquisitions. For more information, visit the firm online at www.sommerlawgroup.com

Do you remember that feeling? A knot in the stomach, sweaty palms and a panic attack!

Business

Not a very pleasant experience. And yet, I'm sure your speech was a success because 90 per cent of a typical audience want the speaker to succeed.

Yet according to The Book of Lists, speaking in public is one of our greatest fears.

Much of this anxiety is due to a lack of confidence in writing and preparing a speech rather than in the delivery.

Giving a presentation can be a great way to build your business, influence public opinion or kick-start your career.

It is an excellent way to stand out from the crowd and make a real difference in people's lives.

What are the secrets of writing a powerful and persuasive speech for any occasion?

Here are 10 tips for turning a good speech into a great one!

1. Have a plan and set some objectives & outcomes.

There is nothing worse than not knowing what you want to achieve. Do you want to educate the audience, inform, inspire, motivate or touch their emotions? Always work out what you want to achieve before beginning the speech process.

2. Have a formal structure - beginning, middle and end.

Audiences love structure and the best speeches stick to this tried and true rule. As they say: "tell them what you're going to say, tell them and then tell them again".

3. Avoid having too much content.

Hands up those that are guilty of this sin. I know I am. I have lost count the number of technical presentations given by CEO's, managers, scientists, engineers, geologists and other professionals who have just put too much content into their presentations. Far too much for an audience to absorb - remember even the best audiences face information overload after 20 minutes.

How do you overcome the content crisis? See Tip # 8.

4. Define who your audience is and use the most appropriate communication

channels to reach them.

Analyse how your audience likes to take in information - do they like to be visually stimulated or do they enjoy just sitting back and listening. Or do they like to get involved, to touch and feel in a kinaesthetic way. Work out the best mix of visual, audio and kinaesthetic and use this in your speechwriting.

5. Research your speech using a range of sources.

Be a keen observer of the trends your audience is likely to be interested in and keep a file of interesting articles and information. If you are time poor- a few quick questions when meeting an audience just prior to a speech, such as "what are the issues facing your business/industry/association at the moment?" can really help target your presentation and build rapport.

6. Use personal stories, examples and metaphors to make intangible concepts

tangible.

In many cases you are trying to sell ideas and concepts in a speech. These are intangible and often difficult for the audience to grasp. Personal stories, examples and metaphors make the invisible visible.

7. Have a strong opening and closing.

People remember the opening - first impressions count! The closing is important as it should reinforce the key message you want the audience to go away with in their head after they have heard the presentation. Ending with a 'call to action' can be a powerful way to get your audience to act on your message.

8. Add value and extra detail through a handout.

Here's a tip: if you want to provide detail - put it in a handout! You can get far more content across in the written form than in a speech. Always refer to this in your presentation but hand it out after your speech so the audience is not distracted reading through it while you talk. There is nothing more soul destroying for a presenter to see the audience leafing through written notes rather than looking at you!

9. Use short words and plain English.

The short words are always the best words. Avoid jargon. Use active words instead of passive. This has far more impact in the minds of your listeners.

10. Evaluate and review on a regular basis.

There's nothing more powerful than to hear back a speech you've written. If you are writing a speech for someone else always try and hear the speech or at least get some feedback. Recording and listening back to a presentation is the fastest way to improve your skills.

Ten Speech Tips for Writing Powerful and Persuasive Presentation

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries. You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com. Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom's blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com