New Dad Gifts – Present Ideas For a New Dad

So you just heard the news that your friends or colleague just became a new dad and now you are now wondering what new dad gifts is perfect on their happiest day? You’re browsing around the mall looking for the perfect gift and after hours you just can’t decide what to give. Don’t fret, I’m here to help you guys to decide on what gift is the best for them. So basically, I would categorize what kind of father he is and then look for something within that category that would benefit him most. So I break them into a few ‘Father’ categories as follow:

Techy & Gadget Dads

iPhone 4 or 5 or 6 (depending on what year did you stumble upon this post.

iPad - Great device for him to play around with his kids.

GPS Device – For him to put into his car.

DSLR Digital camera – (Recommended) For them to capture the best moments of their newly born child. DSLR nowadays even have a High Definition video recording capability which is very good as it will eliminate the need to get a separate video camera.

Blu-Ray Player – For him to watch his favorite movies and also maybe some cartoons during his bonding time with his child.

Music Loving Dads

iPod - For him to store his favourite musics.

Guitar - For him to entertain himself and also his newborn.

Noise Canceling Headphones – For him to listen to his favorite tunes without any disturbance.

Amazon MP3 Gift Cards – For him to buy his favorite tunes.

Outdoor Lover Dads

Inflatable Boats – Great new dad gifts for dads who loves to go for fishing trips.

Fishing Rods – Duh! for catching fish.

Hiking Boots – For dad who loves to hike.

Portable Camping Tent – Family camping trip anyone?

GPS for Outdoor – For him to navigate in the outdoors.

Swiss Army Knife – Multi-function knives that will come handy at dire needs.

Sporty Dads

Scuba Diving Gear (If he loves to scuba.)

Golf Sets – Balls, Drivers, Irons, Putters? In addition to his current set.

Sport Shoes – Jogging/basketball/soccer.

Sport Attire set - Tops and bottoms.

His favourite sports team jersey – Manchester United/Rockets/Dolphins.

On the go toiletries set – For cleaning up after sport sessions.

Metrosexual Dads

Money Clip – great new dad gifts for those who like to avoid bulky pocket lines.

Cufflinks - Exclusive feeling accompanied by tailored shirt.

Custom-tailored Shirt – Added custom style with a perfect fit!

Spa gift certificate – Relaxations and stress release for dad after a long day.

Facial gift certificate – Who says facial is only for ladies only? Men also wants to look good!

Shoe Polishing Kit – Equipment and products he’ll need to buff his kicks to a high polish shine.

I hope that you now have a general idea on what would be the best presents for your new dad. There are tons of new dad gifts ideas out there but make sure they really suits your new dad’s interest for him to make the most of it! Happy Hunting!

7 Speaking Trends — How to Make a Powerful Presentation Today

The fundamentals of a great speech stay the same. (Develop one strong idea. Focus on the audience. Be authentic, clear, and committed.) But styles change with time. These are the latest trends in speeches and presentations.

1. Keep it Short

People want information, but they’re already overwhelmed by too much information. If you give them what they need to know in a way they can quickly understand and apply, they’ll love you. Get to the heart of the matter in as few words as possible. Say what you have to say. And stop speaking — even if you haven’t spoken for the allotted time.

2. Let’s Get Personal.

In this age of Oprah, interactive websites, and blogs, formal presentations are out. Instead, savvy speakers are speaking conversationally. They’re less likely to “make a speech,” more likely to talk to their audiences. They move away from podiums. They use personal stories and anecdotes. They say I and you, we and us. They encourage audience interaction.

3. Simple Is Chic.

Sophisticated technology is simple — at least for the end user. A point-and-shoot camera takes in all sorts of data and makes innumerable, complex calculations so you don’t have to. Successful speakers do the same thing. They do their research. They decide what’s important. And they present what the audience needs to know in a way the audience gets.

4. The Love Affair with PowerPoint(TM) Is Over.

Audiences are no longer wowed by PowerPoint(TM). They take it for granted, and if anything they’re a little bored by it. Use it as a tool, a way of presenting information. But don’t let it upstage you. Keep yourself up front and personal.

5. Recycling Is Good for What Ails You.

Creating a good speech takes a lot of time. So once you’ve created a presentation, reuse it. Don’t think you have to come up with something new for each occasion. You can give the exact same speech word for word to a different audience, and it becomes a different speech. Take bits and pieces from one presentation and repackage them. Trim a 45-minute in-depth presentation into a 15-minute overview of your topic. Or use your 15-minute overview as an outline for a longer presentation.

6. Mark your Territory.

It’s almost impossible to come up with something brand new and original to talk about. After all, how many news ways are there to make a sales, a speech, or a successful relationship? Winning speakers take the best of what’s already known and make it new by making it their own. They put their own spin on it, using a unique (and consistent) choice of words and phrasing. Think Chicken Soup for the Soul, the One-Minute Manager, and Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. New stuff or clever packaging?

7. Everyone Wants a Security Blanket.

It’s a scary world, and people are afraid of losing what they have. They want something or someone who will make them feel safe. If you’re going to challenge them to change, you need to show them why. And you need to reassure them that what they get will be better than what they leave behind. Threats — implied or explicit — will make people react in the moment, but they won’t sustain people’s long-term efforts.

Tips For Making Effective Presentations

Most executives at some point in their careers will have to make a PowerPoint presentation. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, I’ve had the opportunity to see numerous presentations both good and bad in addition to the many that I’ve done myself. Based on these experiences, I recommend the following for anyone interested in public speaking:

Know your audience prior to giving your talk. People coming to hear presentations want to know what value will this talk provide them. Understanding your group will help accomplish this task. Provide examples or cases relevant to your audience to make the topics easier for your listeners to grasp.

Visit the room before the event. Knowing the environment builds confidence. Visiting the room before the talk also helps prevent problems related to technology malfunctions, etc.

Smile during the talk. See a nice smile and you’ll see people become engaged. It’s inviting, yet many people seem to have trouble smiling when getting in front of groups.

Use eye contact and avoid reading off of your PowerPoint slides. Eye contact makes people feel like you’re speaking directly with them and engages the audience. Start with the left side of the room, make eye contact for a few seconds, then move your eyes to the middle of the room, repeat the process, and then work the right side of the room. Do this throughout the presentation.

Speak slowly and clearly. Prior to speaking, practice in front of a mirror and tape yourself to hear how you’re coming across. Have others critique you in a dress rehearsal presentation to make sure you’re coming across the way you want. Get a good grade in front of your peers and you’re on your way to a successful presentation when it’s time to go live.

Provide an agenda. People like getting an overview before getting into the details and providing an agenda accomplishes this. It is like serving an appetizer before the main course.

Keep to your allotted time. It is rude to go over or under your scheduled time. If you’re supposed to present for 90 minutes, keep it to 90 minutes.

Use graphics to enhance your slides. Pictures, slides, and charts can all be effective tools to get your points across. Make sure you cite your sources properly. Tools including Flickr and Slideshare can be helpful. Both sites allow free access to pictures and power point slides used by others provided you credit the source.

Another effective tool that can be used to enhance presentations is humor. Making people laugh eases anxiety for speakers and listeners. Video and music are also effective tools that can be used to engage your group as is asking questions to promote discussion and dialog among the attendees.