If you are selling a product, service, an idea, point of view or solution to a problem at work or home, think about this:

A person doesn't make the decision to buy whatever you are "selling" while you are talking. A person makes the decision to "buy" when they are talking, either out loud or to themselves. So, stop and listen, give them space to consider what you have said and make their own decision.

Keep talking and you risk turning them off or having the person make a decision they will regret later, and, they may come back and blame you for it."

that relates to the subject matter or message in your document, printed material, PowerPoint slide or verbal presentation to help reinforce your message and keep your audience's interest.

Conducting a meeting, class or training event? Write different quotes on separate pieces of chart paper and post on the walls around the room - a particularly good location - behind the refreshment table.

Various sites on the web are resources for quotations. One site with over 400 categories of quotes collected for over 20 years is The Quote Garden which lists information including source, author and date.

With the cost of chart pads going up, here's a TIP for a reasonably priced alternative. Locate a moving company or a paper supply company in your area or on the web and buy "Packing Paper" (newsprint) by the bale or case. Some suppliers offer 100% recycled paper either "Rough Cut" or "Fine Cut" at slightly higher prices. As an example, for US viewers, you can get over 800 sheets of 24" x 36" paper for about $30 USD at the web site below. For that amount of paper bought in premade pads, you would pay about 10 times the price!

Check out the Pulse Smartpen by Livescribe. It transfers what you write and draw to your computer. Your handwriting can then be converted into digital text for use in Word and other applications. It can also record what you're hearing and play it back in exact time with your written notes.