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• Secure the assistance of an accountant, attorney, SPEAKING SKILLS IN
insurance agent, and banker
BUSINESS
• Become familiar with licenses required, zoning laws,
Studies show that Americans’ number-one fear is public
and other regulations speaking. Actors, television personalities, and public
• Determine the most desirable types of employees; speakers all feel it. So do salespeople, community leaders,
take steps to locate them and interest them in apply- and managers who are called on to make seemingly rou-
ing; and learn how to handle all withholdings tine presentations.
• Learn the fundamentals of advertising and, if appro- Experienced speakers, though, know how to combat
priate, store layout stage fright. Through careful planning, proper training,
and conscious relaxation exercises, these speakers have
• Make sure that the appropriate forms of accounting learned how to channel fear into control and confidence.
and record keeping are established, and see that bal- All people have the actual skills needed for good presenta-
ance sheets and income statements are prepared tions; using these skills in front of an audience is the area
• Learn all aspects of marketing, including the princi- in which training is needed. Good communication and
ples of determining market share successful speaking skills can be learned.
In defining a presentation, this article begins with
In addition, the new sole proprietor should write a
one end of the spectrum, something that is loosely called
thorough business plan. The Small Business Administra-
a speech. Most speeches have very little impact because
tion provides an outline for the elements of a business they do not ask the speaker to do anything, whereas the
plan (see Figure 1). very definition of the word present is “to bring, to give a
gift to.” This implies that a giver (a presenter) is tuned in
SEEKING ADVICE to what the recipient (the audience) wants. What response
Sole proprietors find it very helpful to consult with other do we get when we give someone a gift of something he or
sole proprietors who successfully operate a business. Many she really wants? What response do we get when we give
also seek the advice of the Small Business Administration someone a gift that he or she really doesn’t like? The dif-
(SBA), an independent government agency. ference between these two is the difference between shar-
ing a meaningful message and delivering a speech.
Organized by Congress in 1953, the SBA has offices Audiences dislike being talked to; they eagerly await
in nearly every major city in the United States. Its toll-free
speakers who drive home a point or idea that they can
telephone number is 1-800-UASK-SBA. Among many
readily use in their personal or professional lives.
other services, SBA sponsors the Service Corps of Retired
When imparting information, two things are hap-
Executives (SCORE), Business Information Centers
pening simultaneously:
(BICS), and Small Business Development Centers
(SBDC). 1. The presenter is making a commitment to the audi-
ence. The presenter is working to prove a point that
will win the support of the audience or that will
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bustner, Irving (1993). Start and Run Your Own Profitable Ser- generate action.
vice Business. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. 2. The audience is making a judgment on the presen-
Davidson, Robert L. III (1993). The Small Business Partnership ter, asking such questions as, “Do I really trust this
Kit. New York: Wiley. person?” “Does this information make any sense?”
Diamond, Michael, and Williams, Julie (2001). How to Incorpo- “Are the facts presented accurate?”
rate: A Handbook for Entrepreneurs and Professionals (4th ed.).
New York: Wiley. A person who has accepted an invitation to speak
United States Small Business Administration. Retrieved October should answer three questions before beginning to think
29, 2005, from www.sbaonline.sba.gov. about what to say and how to say it:
1. Who is the audience?
G. W. Maxwell
2. What does the audience want to know?
3. What is the best way to provide the audience with
the information they want?
SPAM Most presentations are given for one of five reasons:
SEE Cyber Crime; Electronic Mail; E-Marketing to entertain, inform, inspire, convince, or persuade. Once

682 ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BUSINESS AND FINANCE, SECOND EDITION