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You know that improved presentation skills lead to better leadership and greater success. And you do want improved leadership and success, right?

Then, like most people, you probably find the barriers can be forbidding and intimidating. Here are 3 barriers, and strategies to overcome them.

Barrier #1: The amorphous nature of presentation skills. It’s not something that most people are good at, and even if they were, it’s not like sitting down with someone and spending a few hours going over the basics.

Improvement requires a structured, disciplined approach. Mentoring by good public speakers in your organization won’t work. Nor will self-study.

Strategy for Overcoming Barrier #1: Look for a solution that has a smaller number of participants that usual. I suggest something that has a maximum of 7-10 participants, because this allows participants to delve deep into the skills and concepts necessary for rapid improvement.

Barrier #2: The Time Factor. Some solutions are over a time frame that’s too short. Most training firms do this in 2 or 3 continuous days. With today’s fast and furious hectic pace, requiring people to take this much time off at once just isn’t practical or productive.

And, improvement in presentation skills just doesn’t lend itself to such a short time.

Other solutions take too long. Joining Toastmasters is great, but it does take a long time to really learn everything. The same applies to enrolling in a public speaking skills class at your local college.

Strategy for Overcoming Barrier #2: Search for a solution that is provides training/coaching over a shorter period, perhaps 8-10 weeks. The accelerated nature of this solution addresses the too long/too short barrier.

For example, 6 half-days every other week is much more manageable than 3, 2, or even 1 full day away from work.

A more spread out format (bi-weekly or every 3 weeks) allows participants to adequately prepare for the speeches in the next session, and lets them try out newly learned techniques in the real world of their jobs.

Barrier #3: Lack of metrics for success. In a sense, this barrier is related to Barrier #1 (the amorphous nature of presentation skills), but it really is a separate barrier. Most training programs don’t really measure improvement.

In my coaching and consulting, I emphasize the importance of metrics. I often say, “If you’re not measuring this, how will you know if you’re improving?”

Strategy for Overcoming Barrier #3: Two ways. First, participants should take some sort of self-assessment before and after the training or coaching. This gives them a clear understanding of how much they’ve improved.

The other way of overcoming this barrier uses an evaluation form during the training, so that participants use the form to evaluate others’ speeches.

After the training or coaching, you can use this form when doing a presentation; give it to someone in the audience so that person can evaluate your speech. This way you’re continually improving after the training or coaching.

So, yes, the barriers can seem overwhelming, but the right strategies will get you over the top, and on the way to improved public speaking.

It’s the summer and your mailbox lately has at least one or two wedding invitations in it a week – if not more. You are flattered that you seemingly are so popular and that your friends, colleagues, even acquaintances are not only thinking of you as they make their wedding list, but actually inviting you. Apparently they think highly enough of you that they want your presence as they celebrate their big day.

While you are delighted to lend your presence at the great occasion, you aren’t so delighted when you think of the cost of all those “presents” that you will have to give to all the newlyweds, and this is in addition to the engagement or shower gifts that you already gave to the future bride. You actually are looking forward to joining in the wedding festivities – but wedding gifts are an extra expense that you really can’t afford these days. It is times like this that you wish that you were a hermit living in a log cabin somewhere in the middle of nowhere with no phone or internet. But you are not and somehow, you have to deal with the fact that a present goes hand in hand with your presence at the wedding ceremony and reception.

But who says a gift has to be something you need to buy, something that needs to be wrapped in paper and tied with a pretty bow – or ripped out of a checkbook? The truth is if you have a particular talent or have the ability to provide a professional service that people pay for, you can offer these instead of going shopping and parting with money that you could use for other important purposes, like paying a bill.

If you are a lawyer, perhaps you can review a legal document, or give a complimentary root canal if you are a dentist (or a free teeth whitening of the young couple’s teeth if they are both cavity free). Perhaps you play the violin beautifully, or have a lovely singing voice. You can offer to perform during the ceremony or reception. That “gift” would surely be more meaningful to the wedding party than another blender or coffeemaker.

If you feel that you have nothing to offer in terms of talent or professional services, think again. There is so much you can do to make life more pleasant for them. Your gift to them can involve spending your time rather than your money – which may even be more valuable to them. To that end you can write a “contract” in which you commit yourself to clean their house top to bottom after a holiday party they host. Or you promise to watch their dog during their week-long vacation. Mowing their lawn an entire month, or shoveling their driveway after three major blizzards is another “gift” you can offer. Looking to the maybe not so distant future, you can promise to babysit for 10 nights – over a period of time of course, not in a row. So don’t be afraid to look in your mailbox. Enjoy the weddings and don’t take out your wallet.

One of the best ways to get out of debt is to owe less money. Wouldn’t that be nice? Wouldn’t it be nice if the credit card companies you owed money to said “that is okay, you can pay us less?” Well guess what? They aren’t going to outright suggest it themselves, but there are ways that you can do a debt negotiation; negotiate until they agree to settle for less money than what you actually owe.

Here are some helpful tips for you to get started:

Seek assistance from a professional debt negotiation company: Yes you can always try and negotiate your debt for less yourself, but this can take time, a lot of speaking to different people, and it can be a major hassle. Moreover, your case worker is likely to have years of experience; they are familiar with debt laws and they have negotiated many similar deals with credit card companies. This tends to produce the best results. Rarely does a debt negotiation company accept anything less than a 40% reduction in debt.

If you want to handle the negotiations yourself, keep these points in mind: You aren’t a professional and you are likely to make many mistakes; it is important to stay calm. It isn’t in your best interest to play the drama card too much or to erupt in a fit of rage. Debt settlement companies are successful because they are convincing and professional, you want to be the same way. If things aren’t going your way, consider playing the bankruptcy card because it does hold a lot of power.

In short, you are likely to see the highest reduction or elimination of your debt when being represented by a professional during the debt negotiation process. To find that professional company or program, let a debt relief network help by visiting their online website.