Show Your Emotions
When communicating via e-mail, use emoticons, such as a grin =) or a frown =(, to express happiness or dissatisfaction to teammates. They might not be appropriate in every instance, but they can help establish the tone of voice in which you're delivering your message.

Don't Be Arrogant
When having conversations with prospects, be sure not to go on and on about your company's expertise and its solutions. Knowing what they need is much more important in terms of creating meaningful conversations--and closing sales.

A Good Ending
Don't let your meetings end with a whimper. The end of a meeting should reiterate what has been accomplished and what plan of action has been agreed upon.

How's Your Delivery?
The success of your sales presentation will, in part, be determined by your delivery. Dress professionally, make eye contact, and don't speak directly to your presentation to avoid repeating what your audience can obviously see.

Leverage Satisfied Customers
Ask one of your happy customers to jot down a few words about why they work with your company and/or why they loved your product or service. Use it in your sales presentations and in marketing communications to help communicate your company's effectiveness at providing solutions.

Be a Good Listener
Listen to your customer before you make your pitch. You might think you've got the greatest product in the world, but until your know your customer's problem, you won't know if your product is their solution.

Offering Criticism
Be sure you're addressing a specific situation rather than generalities when offering critical feedback. Without a focus, the feedback likely is not going to do any good.

Invite a Guest Speaker
Empower your sales team by inviting a happy customer to a meeting. Positive feedback and knowledge of what works for that customer is sure to help motivate them.

Assign Meeting Roles
The organizer should rely on others to help keep the meeting on track. Have a note taker and a time keeper who will help you keep things moving along.

Share Your Goals
It's critical that the meeting organizer share his/her goals prior to the meeting. It helps educate the group on what the outcome should be and will encourage participation because the group knows what to expect.

Set Limits
Keep your brainstorming sessions manageable by setting a time limit on idea generation. Then select a certain number of ideas to review during the meeting, ensuring the group that other ideas can be discussed at a later date.

Support Your Meetings
Assign one person to take notes about the ideas generated and issues that arose. This way the group is free to exchange ideas without having to worry about writing everything down.

Say It Like You Mean It
Communicating with employees is more than just the words you choose. Facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice can heavily influence how your message is received, and whether your employees really buy in to what you're saying.

Offering Feedback
To avoid offending a person, ask for his/her permission to provide feedback before you offer it. This consideration likely will help the person receive your feedback more readily, whether it is good or bad.

Evaluate Your Meetings
If you're not getting the desired results from your meetings, ask you employees to tell you why. Have them evaluate past meetings for effectiveness, clarity in purpose, and other points. You're likely to discover the solution to your meetings' problem.

Build Rapport
Build a rapport with your audience by starting a conversation with your audience. A few simple questions that everyone can answer will help break the ice and make the audience more attentive to what you have to say next.

Recycling Is Bad
Just because your sales presentation worked once doesn't necessarily mean it's a perennial favorite. People appreciate timely information woven into presentations and will recognize the extra effort you put into it to help keep it relevant to the situation within which it is presented.

Get Employees Involved
Don't turn your meeting into a lecture. Encourage employee involvement by circulating an agenda and asking questions during the meeting to get them to speak up.

Start on Time
Starting meetings late could be sending your employees the message that you don't value their time. Being punctual will show respect and likely create the stage for a more effective meeting.

Calm Down
Before you send that angry e-mail response, take some time to think it over. E-mail is so easy to use, and it's so easy to jump the gun when heated discussions arise. Take a breath, think it through, and then send your response. It might be just as angry, but you'll have fewer regrets.

Offer Regular Feedback
Performance reviews aren't the only time employees should hear about their performance. Offer recognition and note issues on a regular basis to motivate employees and avoid any surprises at review time.

Always Follow Up
We've all done it. We stop someone in the hall, rattle a bunch of to-dos off, and walk away. However, this type of communication doesn't always ensure what you've asked will get done. That's why it's a good idea to send an e-mail recapping what you spoke about to the others involved in your short conversation.

Just Listen to Yourself
If your meetings are less than effective, maybe it's not your employees. Maybe it's you. Try taping yourself conducting a meeting to better understand how your communication style might be hindering your desired outcome.

Take Action
End each meeting by listing action items that were discussed during the meeting. Noting what needs to get done, who is doing it, and by when it needs to be accomplished will keep you and your team on track.

Keep Employees Up to Date
Establish consistent communications with employees to inform them of how their work is affecting the company's overall objectives. Whether it's monthly e-mails or weekly staff meetings, your employees need to feel their contributions count.

Keep Moving
Don't just stand there and read from a piece of paper. Stand or walk, and use hand gestures to help emphasize points. The movement will help engage the audience, and also might help you release a little nervous tension.

Don't Over Do
There's a dizzying array of software that can help you enhance your presentation, but use it cautiously. If you find yourself spending more time choosing the perfect graphic or sound effects, then you might be missing what's most important--your message.

Know Your Tools
Before you set up an online meeting, be sure to watch and participate in some. It will familiarize you with the tool's features and help you see what works--and what doesn't--when it comes to conducting online meetings.

Take Action, Carefully
Reacting to employee complaints immediately can produce a rash reaction. Be polite, let them know you'd like to think more about what they've said, and then let it seep in, to avoid making a uncomfortable situation worse.

Encourage Feedback
Good--or bad--feedback gives you information you need to build better relationships with your employees. Institute a process, such as monthly meeting or a suggestion box, by which employees can give you regular, meaningful insight into your business, new opportunities, and your role as a leader.

Get Out More
Inspire creative thinking and conversation by getting out of the conference room. Fresh scenery can energize you and your employees, and provide a great backdrop to new ideas and solutions.

All Rise
Want to keep meetings short and to the point? Try a standing meeting. No one enjoys standing for a long period of time, so you'll be sure that the meeting remains on target and moves right along.

"Can I Get Back to You?"
If you're asked a question you can't answer, don't waffle. Acknowledge that you don't have the answer now, but will do some research and get back to the person quickly. Your sincere effort will be appreciated, and the person will likely forget you didn't have the answer in the first place.

Don't Take It Personally
If a colleague lashes out at you during a conversation, don't be too quick to retaliate. His mood likely is attributable to some fear or frustration--not you as a person--and giving him time to vent could eventually reveal the true root to his behavior.

Create a Connection Online
Online meeting attendees can often feel disconnected. Be sure to use the application's communication tools such as online polling or private response messaging to address the audience throughout the presentation and make them part of the discussion.

When Not to E-mail
For difficult conversations don't send an e-mail. Meeting with the person, or even scheduling time to talk over the phone, are more empathetic ways to communicate unpleasant news.

Preparation Is Key
A few days prior to your online meeting, be sure you and the people attending have the necessary applications installed and configured. This way, if you or they have technology problems the issues can be addressed well in advance of the presentation.

Mix It Up
When conducting an online meeting use film clips, polling tools, short surveys, or other interactive elements available to you. Using these tools--within reason--can help keep your audience engaged and interested.

Don't Create in PowerPoint
Use a basic outline, on paper or in Word, to start putting together your presentation. It's less intimidating, and it offers you a great starting point for discovering key points and potential areas for visuals.

Listen Up!
Employees like to be heard. Using questions that explore their problems and issues, such as "Tell me your concerns" or "How did that affect you?" can show that you're listening--and that you are interested in finding a solution.

Make It Funny--or Not
Jokes are great, but inappropriate humor can kill your presentation. Be sure you've carefully considered your audience and the occasion for which you're speaking as well as whether the jokes are in any way relevant to your product or service before you go for the laugh.

Location, Location
If you've invited a client in for a sales presentation, be sure your conference room is ready--beforehand. Getting stuck with a broken projector or too few seats can reflect can rob you of precious time you could be spending impressing clients.

Make It Multimedia
Consider using more than just a PowerPoint presentation. Have a flip chart on hand to make or elaborate on important points or use the Internet to illustrate something you've noted. The more tools, the more engaged your audience is likely to be.

Watch the Clock
Meetings are a waste of time... at least that's what many employees think. Make sure you put a time limit on your meetings, and stick to it. Your employees will thank you for recognizing their time is just as valuable as yours.

Talk Yourself Up
Seeking opportunities in your local community or through your chamber of commerce is an excellent way to promote your expertise and your business. Speaking engagements provide a valuable conduit to new business and will raise your profile in the community.

Stay on Topic
Don't explore entirely unrelated topics during a meeting that has been clearly called for specific purpose. If a topic arises that warrants further discussion, note it and the people with whom you need to speak, and quickly move on to the topic at hand.

Start a Conversation
A surefire way to put meeting attendees asleep is to conduct it as if it were a lecture. Offer points of entry for employees to join the discussion by posing questions and asking for suggestions. By asking them to participate, you'll likely uncover good ideas--and your employees will stay awake.

Practice Makes Perfect
The biggest sales presentation of the year is just three days away. To be sure you nail it, convene a group of coworkers and give your presentation to them. You'll gain valuable feedback and the opportunity to polish your delivery before the big day.

Cell Phones Off!
Nothing is worse than a cell phone ringing during a meeting. Well, maybe someone "secretly" typing on his BlackBerry is. Keep distractions to a minimum by making the conference room a cell-phone/text-messaging free zone.

Be Prepared
Ask your employees to contribute to a meeting topic beforehand by asking them what questions should be addressed or what problems need to be solved. This way they help shape the agenda and you're sure to address their most pressing concerns.

The Q&A Technique
Don't know where to start with your presentation? Try setting it up as a Q&A. List questions clients frequently ask and start with, "The questions I hear most from clients..." Ask the questions and answer them for your audience as an easy way to jumpstart your presentation.

What Do "They" Want?
Always review your customer's needs and desires before starting your sales presentation. This way you'll be sure that your presentation addresses the solutions they're looking for.

Engage the Audience
Ask people questions during your presentation. How would this benefit your business? Can you see your company running more effectively using this? Even if they don't answer, they'll be giving your questions--and what you're saying in general--more thought.

Make Meetings Flow
Always handout an agenda before the meeting that lets attendees know what to expect and what the goal of the meeting is. It will encourage participation and help you stay on topic.

Brand Yourself an Expert
Write articles or do speaking engagements on topics that you are particularly well versed in. It can help establish your business credentials and expose you to new customers.

Leverage the Internet
Use the Internet to keep your presentations current and interesting. Information about current industry changes, stock market fluctuations, even economic announcements can add relevance and power to any presentation.