There is something unnerving about standing up in front of a room full of people. While a lucky few can get up and deliver a smooth, witty presentation without a stutter, the rest of us have less control over our nerves. Public speaking can affect even the best salesperson, whether it reveals itself through a wavering voice, sweaty palms, or the constant interjecting of “uh’s” and “um’s” throughout the presentation. Business coach and author Jonathan Farrington has identified four categories of presentation-givers:

The Avoider: Avoiders do everything possible to keep from having to stand in front of an audience.

The Register: Registers are also extremely hesitant of speaking in public. They may not be able to avoid speaking as part of their job, but they never encourage it.

The Acceptor: Acceptors will give presentations as part of the job, but do not seek opportunities to do so.

The Seeker: Seekers actively look for opportunities to speak. They understand that anxiety can be a stimulant that fuels enthusiasm during a presentation.

Obviously, we all would like to be a seeker, and Farrington believes that “even the most timid presentation-avoider can become an avid seeker.” In his article, he outlines a basic plan to change one’s mind-set when it comes to giving presentations. Click here to find out how to transform your nerves from a nuisance to an asset.

Consumers are growing accustomed to using online mapping resources and have started to shift their access points for this resource. That’s the latest finding from a comScore report. Here’s a summary of the details on a study regarding consumer access to online maps:

• Between May 2007 and May 2008 the number of US consumers who accessed maps via a mobile device such as a phone jumped from 4.4% to 7.5%.
• While at least 85% of these consumers were in a car when accessing these maps, 15% were walking, biking or using public transportation.
• The number of US consumers who accessed maps via a PC declined from 44.9% to 44.2% between 2007 and 2008.

Share these trends with vendors who develop mapping applications and related software and hardware.

[Source: “Are We There Yet?” comScore release, 7.24.2008]

With consumers spending more time online and advertisers increasing their spending in this arena, it seems logical that ad networks are becoming a major force in allocating the inefficiencies of this marketplace. A recent Bain benchmark survey indicates that ad networks are rapidly gaining market share.

• In 2007, ad networks sold 30% of total display ad space - a substantial increase from the 5% market share they garnered in 2006.
• Another noticeable trend is that ad space inventory more frequently sells out but at a lower price when an intermediary such as an ad network is used. Further, the CPM (cost per thousand views) for an online video ad goes for 2-3 times the rate of a display ad.
• The survey also indicates that online publishing revenue increased 32% in 2007 but online ad network revenue increased 50% in 2007.

Review the entire survey to understand the changing nature of selling online ads and discuss ways to improve marketing strategies with your online publishing clients.

[Source: Interactive Advertising Bureau, 8.11.2008 release]