presentation of the candidates meaning

Rite of Confirmation: Presentation of the Candidates

For our next (and final) Confirmation Intensive, we are going to spend the evening doing some liturgical catechesis : focusing on the Rite of Confirmation which includes the following:

• the Presentation of the Candidates
• the Bishop’s Homily
• the Renewal of Baptismal Promises
• the Laying on of Hands and the Anointing with Chrism
• the General Intercessions

Over the next week or so, I’ll share with you what I’m developing for each of these 5 elements of the Rite (the kids will exerience five, 15-minute mini-sessions, one on each of the 5 elements). We begin today with the Presentation of the Candidates.

The Presentation of the Candidates

• Explain the following: the Rite of Confirmation begins immediately after the Gospel.
• The pastor will present the candidates to the bishop by inviting you as a group <your parish may call each candidate by name> to stand as a sign of your intention to live as a confirmed Catholic. Standing before the bishop is a sign ofyour commitment: it’s like “signing on the dotted line.”
• Show a picture of the famous painting of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence (by John Trumbull)
• Explain that the Founding Fathers ceremoniously came forward one at at ime to solemnly sign their names to the cause for independence. <option: show a clip from the movie 1776 .>
• Show a replica of the Declaration of Independence and point out the names affixed to it, expecially the famous John Hancock signature.
• Tell the young people that when the pastor calls them to stand up to be presented to the bishop, they can think of it as being called forward to sign a declaration – not of independence – but of DEpendence. To be confirmed is to declare that we rely on – are dependent on – the grace of Jesus Christ!
• Call the young people forward by name one at a time and invite them to sign their names to a “Declaration of DEpendence” that you have prepared ahead of time <see below> as you play a CD recording of “By Name I Have Called You” or “Here I Am Lord” or another appropriate song.
• When all are done, remind them to recall this “Declaration of DEpendence” when the pastor calls them to stand before the bishop during the Presentation of the Candidates at the Confirmation Mass.

* For the “Declaration of DEpendence,” I plan to create a “parchment” document, about 24 x 36 that will have the title “Declaration of DEpendence” written boldly across the top followed by phrasing such as “We, the Confirmation Class of <insert year> of <insert parish> do hereby declare our dependence on the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with our heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen!” Lots of space for signing names will be left below this text. I found a cool site that has easy directions for how to create a “parchment .”

• Confirmation
• liturgical catechesis
• presentation of candidates

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THIS IS VERY GOOD, SOMETHING SPECIAL AND UNIQUE AND I AM SURE WILL SURELY REMEMBER THE LAYING OF HANDS BY THE BISHOP BUT ALSO THEM GIVING BACK BY THIS DECLARATION.

I AM SURELY USING YOUR IDEA ON 18/01/2009 FOR MY GROUP

NKELE, I’m glad you found this to be helpful! Let me know how things go on the 18th!

Joe, I think you are my new best friend! I have Confirmation Prep Sessions to get ready myself that start in February and there are so many good ideas that you have come up with!!! Thanks!

Amy, catechists make the best friends, eh? Glad that I can be of help. Let me know how things go and feel free to share some descriptions of how things develop in your sessions.

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5 stages of Candidate Engagement: Ideas & best practices

In the wake of major economic turns, the employment market oscillates between an employee-driven market and a candidate-driven market . However, some aspects of the recruitment drive have held the same values consistently. Candidate Engagement is one such. An Echevarria report highlighted that 50% of job seekers they surveyed declined a job offer due to poor candidate experience [1]. While Talentegy found out that 82% of job seekers advocate for employers with whom they had positive candidate experience [1]. Moreover, informed candidates are likely to choose your company even before you can engage with them. 

Investment in candidate engagement is vital for saving HR teams time and resources. So, with that in mind, this article presents the five stages of candidate engagement you should understand to implement in your hiring strategies. But first, let’s get a primer on candidate engagement itself.

What is candidate engagement?

Candidate engagement is the technique and tracking of timely communication with your candidate throughout the recruitment process. It can be done online or face-to-face. The objective is to keep all candidates informed, with proper updates on steps and information on an organization, while keeping them engaged enough to avoid dropping off the recruitment process without coming to a conclusion. 

This automatically equates to the candidate being in sync with the organizational culture and more likely to be a better fit upon being hired. Creating proper processes with candidate engagement tools that come with AI recruitment software can be helpful as companies can take care of recruiting while ensuring seamless engagement on the same platform.

That said, let’s jump right on to the candidate engagement stages:

5 Stages of Candidate Engagement

As a recruitment drive has various stages for candidates in the pipeline, the communication requirements and frequency are different. The process for candidate engagement can be divided into five major stages:

Raising Awareness

The first step – awareness – is essential since before any candidate applies for any open job position, they should get the basic requirements of the vacancy and organization. They should also have information on the value proposition on offer for future employees. 

Here are some key aspects to kick-start your candidate engagement on the right note: 

• It starts off with recruitment marketing, i.e., the mechanism for drawing more skilled/qualified aspirants into the recruitment pipeline. 
• This will cover job descriptions, job/career portals, presence on professional platforms, and so on.
• Recruitment marketing can only be successful by tapping suitable technologies such as ATS (applicant tracking systems), AI sourcing tools, and other solutions for showcasing your company in the best possible manner.
• Employee referral is also a proven technique

Nudging Consideration 

Once the candidate knows more about your organization, they will consider whether to submit an application and how.  It would help if you strived to make this decision easier for them by suitably showcasing and highlighting all the reasons why working for you will be beneficial for them. Update all your company’s online channels across career sites, social media platforms, profiles on LinkedIn or Glassdoor, etc. In this regard, an AI recruiting tool can save you from the hassle of pushing relevant posts on multiple platforms in one go. 

How to do it the smart way: 

• Employee testimonials are a powerful way of communicating company culture to the outside world and even candidates.
• Try blogs, videos, and quotes from present employees in the organization. 
• Candidates will appreciate an insight or inside view of the company.

Building Interest

You already have your candidates engaged with the company at this stage. You now have to build their interest. With their shift through the recruitment funnel, they will now go deeper into your job descriptions and see whether they fit the requirements. So, you should focus on writing descriptions with care from the get-go. 

While language and presentation are the keys, below are some other practical tips:

• Refrain from sounding generic, vague, and unexciting.
• Revisit and change your job descriptions while strategically highlighting the essential rewards and benefits. 
• Have links to resources for helping candidates build interest and Learn More about the organization.

Assisting Assessment

The candidate is well and truly within the system at this juncture. You can now assess their fit for the company and job role in question. Make sure that you refrain from putting off aspirants due to an interview procedure that is complicated, irrelevant, and lengthy. 

You should focus on the questions that really matter, helping you get down to the brass tacks without unnecessarily fluffing around. For convenience, you can have a basic template, i.e., the candidate’s availability for the job role, the best and worst things about their previous job, why this position attracts the candidate, and how the candidate would fix a specific problem.

Closing Candidates

Now that the candidate has already applied and, post analysis, received an offer, you should close it out for seamless onboarding. Remember that you should set up every new hire for maximum productivity. Here’s how:

• You should also get all the official paperwork done, including background checks, signatures, etc. 
• You should also get candidates interested in their new job roles and responsibilities. Start by extending a heartfelt welcome to a new recruit with all the team members in tow.
• You can arrange for a token of appreciation like a company voucher, a handwritten card from the team, a gift or goodie box, a hamper, and so on.

Ensuring an informed, engaged, and updated prospective cohort of candidates increases the chances of attracting the top talent . This demands critical planning of all aspects and stages of candidate engagement. When you have a large number of candidates, it makes sense to automate parts of it. It’s a good sign that several global organizations plan to invest in various technologies for candidate engagement like video job descriptions (65%), job description optimization (55%), text-based recruiting (48%), predictive analytics (31%), interview scheduling (29%), etc [1].

Here, candidate engagement tools like Arya Quantum shine out as, in addition to candidate communication, they help with sourcing, sorting, and selecting candidates. Ask for a demo today to see how Arya can scale and speed up candidate experience levels in sync with company strategies.

What are the different stages of candidate engagement?

The stages of candidate engagement can be divided into: Awareness, Consideration, Interest, Assessment, and Closure, which basically covers everything from rolling out vacancy to onboarding the candidate.

Why is candidate engagement critical?

Candidate engagement is vital for a number of reasons, including enhancing candidate interest, building employer branding, attracting quality leads, and more.

What are the challenges of candidate engagement?

The significant challenges of candidate engagement include an overload of applications, drop-outs/ghosting, lengthy recruitment processes, one-way communication, etc. Most of these can be taken care of using AI-powered candidate engagement tools to save time and effort.

[1] https://financesonline.com/candidate-experience-statistics

Rahul Kohli

Rahul is a seasoned marketing leader with extensive experience driving marketing strategy in the Technology and Financial Services sectors, and a passion for leveraging AI to drive recruiting efficiency.

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Interview presentation preparation tips

The interview presentation is becoming more common in the hiring process. It gives employers a better overview of your general aptitude and provides you with an opportunity to showcase your skills, knowledge, and experience. But how should you prepare for an interview presentation? What should you include? What if it goes wrong?

4th Jun, 2021

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What is an interview presentation?

As you progress further in your career, particularly to executive level, you may be asked to give a presentation for interview. Perhaps you’ve been asked to conduct research and present your findings to a panel, complete a task and show how you approached it, put together a business plan and present your ideas, or even give a presentation about yourself and how you would excel in the role. Whatever you are presenting about, how you approach it should remain the same.

Many people find giving presentations intimidating, especially during an interview when you’re already nervous, but it’s something that you may have to do throughout your career – the sooner you tackle this skill, the better.

Why are you being asked to do a presentation for a job interview?

Many employers opt for a presentation-style interview as it gives a better overview of your general aptitude when compared to, or combined with, a traditional question and answer interview, like a competency-based interview . The interviewer is looking for proof that you can do the job and that you possess the required skills and traits.

Additionally, if you put time and effort into your presentation, this will highlight to the hiring manager that you are committed to the role and enthusiastic about joining the company. How many times have you been asked in an interview ‘Why do you want this position?’ or ‘What is it about this role that attracted you to it?’. They want to know how much you want this position, rather than just any position.

How to prepare a presentation for an interview

Where do you start? What should you include? The presentation is your opportunity to showcase your knowledge, experience, and communication skills as well as your organisational skills and diligence – so start with the job description and person specification and pick out key skills and traits that the company is looking for. Then you can prepare your presentation around what they want to see.

For example, if the business is looking for someone creative, pay great attention to the style of your presentation. If it is looking for someone who is a confident public speaker, spend more time perfecting your speech. If attention to detail is paramount in the role, double and triple check your spelling and grammar. This is a great starting point and gives you something to build your presentation around.

What to include in an interview presentation

Although you may be tempted to go all out and show your potential employer that you are committed to the job, don’t fall into the trap of creating a 30-slide presentation with reams of text. Try to keep each slide short and significant and aim for no more than 10 slides. This ensures the information you deliver is memorable and will help you to stand out from other interviewees. Some interviewers may even give you a specific amount of time for your presentation, make sure you factor this in and don’t go over the time limit – otherwise you may appear to have poor time management skills.

Another way to make sure your presentation engages hiring managers is to include a range of formats to help you illustrate your points. Include graphs, statistics, diagrams, video clips, and images to help break up large volumes of text and maintain the attention of the interviewers.

If you are conducting research as part of your presentation, include quotes from industry leaders and/or research pieces. This gives your points authority and demonstrates your commercial awareness.

You should also try to incorporate the company’s colours, fonts, or style in your presentation. This will show that you have done your research and highlights your brand awareness.

Finally, check your spelling and grammar thoroughly! Small mistakes can really undermine the content of your presentation.

Tips for presenting at the interview

Presenting is a skill which can be learnt. Even if you are not a confident public speaker, the more you practice, the better you will become.

Present confidently and enthusiastically - Remember to speak clearly, make eye contact, and use open body language.

Don’t just read the slides - There is nothing worse than watching a presentation where the presenter has their back to you the whole time just reading reams of text from their PowerPoint notes.

Try not to talk too fast - Make sure you breathe, and take your time.

Practice, practice, practice - Ensure you are well rehearsed so that you are familiar with the structure of your presentation and are able to deliver it smoothly. If possible, practice your presentation with family members or friends to get used to speaking in front of other people.

Arrive early to give yourself time to set up the presentation and settle any nerves - Get comfortable with PowerPoint and presentation equipment. Make sure you know how to work any projectors, screens, or remote controls before you begin to avoid any awkward stumbles or pauses.

Stay within the allocated time - If you have not been given guidance on length, aim for the 10-minute mark. Time your presentation when you are practising to make sure it will fit within the time limit. If you need to reduce the content of your presentation, cut out the least relevant or weakest points.

Be prepared to adapt - You may have practised your presentation in a certain way, but the interviewer might not respond accordingly. Be prepared to be interrupted by questions or further discussion unexpectedly.

Breathe and try to enjoy it - By relaxing, you will find yourself presenting better and, if you enjoy it, your interviewers will respond to that and be better engaged with what you are saying.

Tips for keeping the interview presentation simple

It can take a lot of work to make something simple, yet effective, and when it comes to interview presentations less is often more. Keep it short - As previously mentioned, try to keep each slide short and aim for no more than 10 slides in total.

One idea per slide - To make sure your presentation is clear and concise, each slide should represent a different point/idea you want to make.

Stick to the important bits only - If you don’t think it’s important enough to spend time on, don’t have it on your slide.

Use the 4x6 rule - Aim for either four bullet points with six words per bullet point, or six bullet points with four words per bullet point. This way, your slides won’t look too busy.

Minimal text - Instead of writing paragraphs of text, use bullet points and a minimum font size of 24.

What's better for your interview presentation? Cue cards or presenting from memory?

Should you use cue cards in your presentation for interview or try to present from memory?

The answer to this question depends on what you feel most comfortable doing. If you find that having cue cards will help ease your nerves and ensure that you don’t forget your speech, then there is nothing wrong with that.

However, if you choose to use cue cards, you should not rely too heavily on them. You shouldn’t stand in front of the interviewers and look down at the cards continuously, neither should you write your whole speech out on the cards and read directly from them. They are cue cards for a reason and should only give you prompts on what to talk about. If your interview presentation has a lot of statistics on, using cue cards to remember the figures if you are unable to memorise them all is an excellent strategy.

What to do when things go wrong

You can practice your interview presentation as much as possible, but something may still go wrong and it’s important to be prepared for this eventuality. Here are some things that could go wrong and how to deal with them: Technical issues

There is not a lot you can do to prevent technical issues, especially if you are using someone else’s computer. But there are ways you can prepare just in case. Ensuring you have access to multiple sources of your presentation is key. Email the file to yourself and the recruiter, bring a copy on a USB stick and printed handouts. This way you are covered if anything goes wrong with the file you’re intending to use.

Your mind goes blank

Even those who are pros at presenting can sometimes lose their train of thought and find that their mind goes blank. The key here is not to panic. If possible, take a bottle or glass of water in with you and use this chance to take a sip, breathe and try to relax. Then look at your presentation slide or your cue cards and pick up where you left off. It may be helpful to repeat the last point you made as saying it out loud could spark your memory for your next point.

You are asked a question that you don’t know how to respond to

If you have allotted time at the end of your presentation to allow the interviewer to ask any questions (which is recommended), don’t worry if someone asks a question that you are not sure on. It may be that the interviewer is looking to see how you respond to a challenging question, so how you react is often more important than the answer itself.

If you do not understand the question, ask the person to explain. There is nothing wrong with doing this and shows more confidence than just saying that you don’t know. If you understand the question but are not sure of the answer, then admit that you don’t have the full answer, provide what information you do have, and offer to come back to them at a later date with a complete answer.

10-minute interview presentation template

Below is a presentation for interview example. Use this as a baseline and adapt or reorder where appropriate based on the task you have been set by the interviewer. Slide 1 - Introduction – Reiterate the objectives you have been set and lay out the structure of your presentation so that the interviewers know what to expect. Slide 2 - About you – Detail your professional experience, skills and working style. Slide 3 - Company history – Give a brief summary of the company history, any milestones or awards. Slides 4-7 - Answering the brief – Give your responses to questions you’ve been asked to answer, the benefits and limitations of your suggestions. Slide 8 - Question and answers – Include a slide titled ‘questions and answers’ as a cue to pause for interaction. Slide 9 - Conclusion – Sum up the key points you have made, reach a decision, and explain your reasoning. Slide 10 - Personal achievements – End the interview on a high with a brief slide highlighting achievements that show how you will succeed in the role.

For more information on how to ace your interview, download our free guide, ‘ Getting the best from your interview: Candidate interview tips and tricks ’, or contact your local recruitment specialist today.

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Frequently Asked Questions

A job interview presentation is all about selling yourself. Be confident, speak clearly, and make eye contact with the interviewer. Don’t be afraid to promote yourself and highlight your achievements. This is your chance to really show the interviewer that you are capable and have the necessary skills to do the job. By putting time and effort into your presentation, you can show them how dedicated you are to the role and the company. For more information on how to ace your interview, download our free guide, ‘ Getting the best from your interview: Candidate interview tips and tricks ’.

Using cue cards can support you with your interview presentation, as long as you use them for their intended purpose. Do not write your entire presentation for interview out on cards and read from them word for word or constantly hold them in your hand and fail to make eye contact with the interviewer. Use them only to prompt you or for remembering key facts and figures. For more tips, read our article on ‘interview tips & questions’ .

If you have been sent a presentation brief that you do not understand – don’t panic. If there are words that you are not sure about, do some research and try your best to figure out what the organisation is asking of you. If you are still unsure, you could ask your recruiter as they may have seen this brief before and can give you an idea. If you are dealing directly with the hiring manager, then it may be worth checking that your interpretation of the brief is correct.

It is better to ask the question than present on something completely different to what the interviewer has asked. However, instead of saying to them that you don’t understand the brief and leaving it at that, tell them your understanding of it and ask if this is correct. This will show that even though you are unsure, you have taken the time to try to come to a conclusion yourself before asking for help. Download our free interviewing guide for more tips and advice.

How long your job interview presentation should last depends on what guidance you have been given. Thoroughly read the brief, as the recruiter or hiring manager may have specified the length of time you have for your presentation. If they haven’t given any indication, you should aim for 10 minutes, including time for questions and answers. For more tips on interviewing, read our article on ‘interview tips & questions’ .

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How to Effectively Present Candidates to Clients – Fireside Chat Recap with 3DIQ for Bullhorn

Earlier this month, interviewstream CEO Ron Wilson hosted a fireside chat featuring Brian Brooke, Managing Director at Advanced Resources, and Joshua McKee, CEO and Founder of Atlas Staffing.

The three discussed how to effectively present candidates to clients, covering the do’s, the don’ts, and everything in between.  You can watch their full conversation here  or keep reading for a recap of what the chat covered.

What do you think is usually lost in the process of communicating a candidate profile to a client?

More often than not,  recruiters are playing a massive game of telephone  – receiving information from candidates, relaying that info to clients, and vice versa. Many recruiters have a habit of placing too much emphasis on hard skills and resumes, but an important part of their job is to dive below the surface and figure out  who a candidate really is . It’s critical to uncover things like a candidate’s ambition or how they would fit into a company’s culture .

A resume and basic skills are table stakes  – they may get talent through the door, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg. To accurately  pinpoint soft skills and other intangibles , it’s important that recruiters build strong relationships with clients and candidates from the jump.

“The more you can get to know both your clients and candidates, the better you’ll get to know what your candidates can bring to the table, and what they can do to solve whatever problem the client initially reached out to you for,” shared Brian.

To develop these strong relationships, recruiters should focus on the candidate experience. The trio agreed that, while clients pay the bills, if you create a great experience for candidates, they’re likely to create a great experience for the client – in Joshua’s words, “it’s a virtuous cycle.”

What makes a holistic candidate profile important? What’s the opportunity cost of developing one?

Holistic candidate profiles are vital to the success of a candidate-client relationship – the more information that recruiters arm their clients with, the  higher the likelihood that a placement is going to work for the long term . That said, it’s important that recruiters highlight the most important features and skillsets of a candidate so that clients don’t lose those attributes in the shuffle of information.

In certain instances, when a great fit is apparent, recruiters even have the power to change a client’s mind. Some of Brian’s greatest relationships with clients have included having conversations to level-set their expectations and showcase how prospects’ skills are actually more ideal than what the job description originally sought out for. Ultimately, those businesses ended up getting exactly what they were looking for –  win-win .

What information is necessary to provide a clear understanding of who a candidate is?

As a recruiter, your job is to convey what a resume doesn’t. Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to presenting a candidate.

It’s important to build candidate profiles around what a client is looking for. Brian stated it nicely with the phrase, “ you never want to match a job to the candidate, you always want to match a candidate to a job .”

By developing a profile tailored to a specific position, recruiters can effectively highlight the differentiators and skill sets that a candidate brings to the table, and align them directly to the needs of a client.

“If you don’t understand your client, if you don’t understand what their culture is and what the company is like, you’re really only covering half or less of the overall requirements of making that a successful transaction,” agreed Joshua.

With that in mind, there are often scenarios where initial job descriptions from clients aren’t in line with the market,  leading them towards the wrong candidates . Staffing firms and recruiters should use these opportunities to put their industry expertise to work, and guide clients in the direction of stronger talent.

Is it possible to be too transparent about a candidate in the hiring process?

Yes and no. In this day and age, information on the internet and social media is readily available to anyone who knows where to look.  Recruiters should always accurately represent their candidates , but at times, clients can get in their own way, especially if they have a fundamental misunderstanding of a marketplace.

If a candidate meets role requirements, experience expectations, and has the core skills necessary to succeed, Joshua believes that unnecessary ruffles shouldn’t make or break what would otherwise be a stellar fit.

Where do you think things are headed for your business/your clients’ businesses in 2021?

To wrap up the conversation, Brian, Joshua, and Ron looked to the future. It goes without saying that this year was packed with lessons, one of which is just  how resilient people can be . Countless organizations adapted their workforce and operations overnight in response to the pandemic. Now, it’s becoming more and more apparent that things aren’t going to change for a bit longer.

“People are figuring out how to do things from home. When faced with problems, when you put the right heads together, a solution will typically come to the forefront,” Brian summarized.

The past six months have been indicative of a bright future, with a lot of demand for temporary staffing as companies push on through this time.  2021 has high expectations, but the panel was optimistic for what’s in store . The rollout of the vaccine will, hopefully, bring some sense of normalcy back to the world, and allow companies to hire with confidence.

Thank you again to  Brian Brooke , Managing Director at Advanced Resources, and  Joshua McKee , Founder and CEO at Atlas Staffing, as well as our very own  Ron Wilson , CEO at interviewstream, for great insights and conversations.  To check out the full fireside chat, click here .

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About The Author

Monique Mahler is the CEO of interviewstream. She is an avid researcher of facts, a self proclaimed marketing geek, and an equestrian in her spare time.

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5 Steps to a Successful Recruiting Presentation

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Less successful salespeople, on the other hand, spend very little time consciously building their competency in this area.

But what are the elements of a great presentation? Is there a way to make a compelling presentation over the phone? And more importantly, what can recruiters do to build their phone presentation skills? In this article, I provide a simple 5-point checklist for recruiters who make presentations to candidates and hiring managers during phone conversations.

Right Time, Right Target

Whether engaging with prospects, candidates, or hiring managers, there comes a time when a recruiter will need to “present the product.” In a good sales process, this presentation should come after the salesperson has developed some level of rapport and trust — and after the salesperson has uncovered, clarified, and developed the needs of the buyer .

Presenting product information too soon is a sure sign of a poor salesperson. It’s not “ ready, fire, aim.”  It’s “ ready, aim, fire .” Be sure you know the target (think:  needs/problems ) before you waste time presenting information that is not important to the other person.

For recruiters, the same principles apply. After developing a relationship with the candidate or prospect and getting a clear picture of what’s important, it’s time to present the specific opportunity. And the same applies to your hiring managers. Know what they are looking for before you make your “candidate presentation.”

5 Steps to a Successful Presentation

You can find a lot of good information about “best practices” for presentations. For this article, though, I’ve put together a simple 5-point “tuneup” checklist that may help as you set the goal to develop your (phone) presentation skills.

#1: Start with the pain

Begin your presentation by summarizing what you know about your candidate or prospect’s pain points. Can you concisely and accurately play back what’s important to them in a company and in a position? Perhaps it’s growth opportunities , work-life balance, o r job stability . For a hiring manager it might be a proven track record in a similar position.

Nothing is more of a turnoff than a presentation that is not relevant. Remember, people just don’t buy products. They buy products because of what they can do for them . They buy “ solutions.”  And the same principle applies to your hiring managers or to those seeking career opportunities. So be sure you clearly set the target before you begin presenting anything.

Keep lasering in on the benefits the candidate or prospect can expect to gain (aligned with the pain points) — as opposed to the “ generic features ” of your company or job opportunity. With your hiring managers, be careful to point out the qualities/competencies this candidate brings to the table that are aligned with what the hiring manager is looking for.

Here’s a tip. You can even use their questions as great opportunities to further target your presentation. For example, if a candidate or prospect asks, “ Does this position include health insurance benefits ?” resist the temptation to immediately go into a presentation about all the wonderful features of the health insurance plan.

Instead, begin your presentation with, “ I’d be happy to share information about the health/benefit plan with you. But before I do, is there something in particular you are looking for ?” Remember — customers buy for their reasons, not yours .

#2: Anticipate objections

It’s not uncommon for customers, prospects, or hiring managers to have at least one objection. So be prepared for objections before your presentation. Can you anticipate some common objections that might arise? What do you know about your prospect, hiring manager, or candidate that might help you prepare? How about putting yourself in their shoes and asking yourself what you might be concerned about? Then, plan your response and be ready to address it if it comes up your presentation.

And be sure you don’t get caught off guard by a quick “ show me the money ” objection from a prospect. Your presentation will be spoiled if you get tipped over in the first minute by this common objection. So know how to handle this objection and keep your presentation on target.

#3: Involve the other person in the presentation

Try to keep the other person engaged and active during the presentation. Do not make them simply a bystander. You don’t want to turn into a talking version of your latest marketing materials. Boring! Keep in mind that we talk at approximately 110-150 words per minute. However, research suggests that we are capable of listening and processing up to 600-1,000 words per minute! So be careful not to spend too much time talking — giving your listener an opportunity to tune out or become agitated.

Since you can’t see them (as in a face-to-face presentation) to be able to “read” their level of engagement, try to ask quick, confirming questions throughout your presentation.

“ How does that sound ?”

“ Does that address your question ?”

“ What other concerns do you have at this point ?”

“ Does that tuition reimbursement program match what you are looking for ?”

“ What have I left out that’s going to be important as you make this decision ?”

“ What other information do you need from me at this point ?

#4: Be comfortable with silence

Great presenters know that a well-timed pause can be powerful. Resist the temptation to turn your presentation into “ total transmit ” of information. You don’t have to fill the air with your voice to ensure the message is being heard and received.

As you hone your skill of becoming more comfortable with silence over the phone, try to build some intentional silences into your presentations. A good place to begin is to try a moment of silence before answering a question. Put in a pause, or a moment of silence, before simply “spewing out” a response. Many sales have been lost — or a concession made — by someone talking without thinking first.   

#5: Show enthusiasm!

When you present your opportunity, remember to sound excited! If you are not excited, why should anyone else be? If you don’t believe in your “product,” your candidate or prospect won’t either. Your enthusiasm (think: confidence) is noticeable to others.

OK, this is sort of corny, but you’ve probably seen some of those commercials on TV. You know — the ones that pitch a product and end with something like, “ But wait! There’s more. If you act RIGHT NOW, we’ll DOUBLE your offer. All you pay is shipping and handling … ”

Regardless of how you feel about these approaches or products, one thing is clear. Without exception, the people you are watching are enthusiastic about their product! Perhaps a bit over the top, for sure. But clearly enthusiastic. Evidently, enthusiasm (even over-the-top enthusiasm about the Shamwow ) does grab attention and peak curiosity.

A final word:  Practice does not make perfect …

And finally, keep in mind the importance of practicing. The old saying, “ practice makes perfect ” is not entirely true. Practice only makes “permanent.” To develop “ perfect presentations ” be sure to practice the right things .

Practice using pain points to develop your presentation. Practice managing objections before they happen. Find a co-worker or friend and try some role-playing  Have some fun!

Practice confirming and checking — as well as silence. Start by pausing before answering questions.

Don’t forget to bring all of your passion and enthusiasm to the call!

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The Americas

A trailblazing feminist says mexico’s ‘triumph’ of a first female president is no surprise.

Jan Johnson

Eyder Peralta

Elena Poniatowska poses for a portrait in her home in Mexico City on May 28, 2024. Israel Fuguemann /NPR hide caption

MEXICO CITY — At 92, Elena Poniatowska, one of Mexico's most distinguished writers, has chronicled decades of women’s history in the country.

“I’ve always believed in women,” Poniatowska told NPR, just days before a historic election in which one of two women is likely to become the most powerful political figure in Mexico.

In Mexico's historic presidential election season it’s down to 2 women

“I think it's not a dream. I think it's a battle that has been won,” Poniatowska said on Morning Edition .

She acknowledges that the enthusiasm falls short of the fervor surrounding Hilary Clinton’s 2016 campaign in the U.S., believing it’s because voters in Mexico take it for granted and find it “completely natural.”

Even to her, she says, “It's not a miracle. It's not a great surprise.”

The two leading candidates in this race are women: Claudia Sheinbaum, the ruling party's candidate, and opposition candidate Xóchitl Gálvez. And come Sunday, Sheinbaum, a candidate Poniatowska supports, may well become the most powerful woman in Mexico.

Known as a trailblazing feminist, Poniatowska has documented the triumphs of writers, painters, and other notable women who have struggled against systemic inequity and misogyny. Decades ago, she even met the woman who currently holds a double-digit polling lead in jail, when Poniatowska was interviewing political prisoners and Sheinbaum was accompanying her mother, who was also visiting inmates. Did Poniatowska find Sheinbaum extraordinary?

“I thought at the time that she was very beautiful, that she was very intelligent, and that I was happy to be next to a woman who was in the university.”

As to a woman rising to Mexico’s National Palace, she credits hard work and feminist intention.

After achieving parity in Mexico’s Congress in 2018, women banded together to press for a constitutional amendment that mandates parity in every aspect of public life — from the president's cabinet, to party candidates, to the legislature, and the courts.

“This is how I imagined (it). I worked for it. And I not only hoped it would happen. Women now have invaded territories that before they didn’t know,” Poniatowska says. “The only woman they used to speak about was the artist Frida Kahlo… And so now there are other women scientists, astronomers, women in hospitals, and women everywhere."

She once wrote of a country in which, in the 1920s, women were despised, discarded, consumed, stigmatized, and “hanged from the tree of patriarchy.” But she insists she never doubted that a woman would “take charge of a whole enormous country.”

Seated in her home against a backdrop of bright orchids and walls of bookshelves and photographs, Poniatowska recalls being inspired by her mother’s bravery in driving an ambulance in France during World War II. And she tells a story in which, under cover of darkness to escape detection by the Nazis, her mother coaxed a stray donkey into her van to transport it to a safer place.

“If you can rescue a donkey," she said, implying it meant a woman could do anything.

She says these elections—this “women’s triumph"— are personally gratifying. “It’s something that makes me happy — that makes me cry sometimes.”

Lilly Quiroz produced the audio version of this story, and Majd Al-Waheidi edited it for digital.

Advertisement

Trump Has Been Convicted. Here’s What Happens Next.

Donald J. Trump has promised to appeal, but he may face limits on his ability to travel and to vote as he campaigns for the White House.

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By Jesse McKinley and Maggie Astor

• May 30, 2024

The conviction of former President Donald J. Trump on Thursday is just the latest step in his legal odyssey in New York’s court system. The judge, Juan M. Merchan, set Mr. Trump’s sentencing for July 11, at which point he could be sentenced to as much as four years behind bars, or to probation.

It won’t stop him from running for president, though: There is no legal prohibition on felons doing that . No constitutional provision would stop him even from serving as president from a prison cell, though in practice that would trigger a crisis that courts would almost certainly have to resolve.

His ability to vote — for himself, presumably — depends on whether he is sentenced to prison. Florida, where he is registered, requires felons convicted there to complete their full sentence, including parole or probation, before regaining voting rights. But when Floridians are convicted in another state, Florida defers to the laws of that state, and New York disenfranchises felons only while they are in prison.

The Trump Manhattan Criminal Verdict, Count By Count

Former President Donald J. Trump faced 34 felony charges of falsifying business records, related to the reimbursement of hush money paid to the porn star Stormy Daniels in order to cover up a sex scandal around the 2016 presidential election.

“Because Florida recognizes voting rights restoration in the state of conviction, and because New York’s law states that those with a felony conviction do not lose their right to vote unless they are incarcerated during the election, then Trump will not lose his right to vote in this case unless he is in prison on Election Day,” said Blair Bowie, a lawyer at the Campaign Legal Center, a nonprofit watchdog group.

Mr. Trump will almost certainly appeal his conviction, after months of criticizing the case and attacking the Manhattan district attorney, who brought it, and Justice Merchan, who presided over his trial.

Long before that appeal is heard, however, Mr. Trump will be enmeshed in the gears of the criminal justice system.

A pre-sentencing report makes recommendations based on the defendant’s criminal record — Mr. Trump had none before this case — as well as his personal history and the crime itself. The former president was found guilty of falsifying business records in relation to a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, a porn star who says she had a brief sexual tryst with Mr. Trump in 2006, in order to buy her silence.

At the pre-sentence interview, a psychologist or social worker working for the probation department may also talk to Mr. Trump, during which time the defendant can “try to make a good impression and explain why he or she deserves a lighter punishment,” according to the New York State Unified Court System.

The pre-sentencing report can also include submissions from the defense, and may describe whether “the defendant is in a counseling program or has a steady job.”

In Mr. Trump’s case, of course, he is applying — as it were — for a steady job as president of the United States, a campaign that may be complicated by his new status as a felon. Mr. Trump will likely be required to regularly report to a probation officer, and rules on travel could be imposed.

Mr. Trump was convicted of 34 Class E felonies, New York’s lowest level , each of which carry a potential penalty of up to four years in prison. Probation or home confinement are other possibilities that Justice Merchan can consider.

That said, Justice Merchan has indicated in the past that he takes white-collar crime seriously . If he did impose prison time, he would likely impose the punishment concurrently, meaning that Mr. Trump would serve time on each of the counts he was convicted of simultaneously.

If Mr. Trump were instead sentenced to probation, he could still be jailed if he were later found to have committed additional crimes. Mr. Trump, 77, currently faces three other criminal cases: two federal, dealing with his handling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election , and a state case in Georgia that concerns election interference.

Mr. Trump’s lawyers can file a notice of appeal after sentencing, scheduled for July 11 at 10 a.m. And the judge could stay any punishment during an appeal, something that could delay punishment beyond Election Day.

The proceedings will continue even if he wins: Because it’s a state case, not federal, Mr. Trump would have no power as president to pardon himself .

Jesse McKinley is a Times reporter covering upstate New York, courts and politics. More about Jesse McKinley

Maggie Astor covers politics for The New York Times, focusing on breaking news, policies, campaigns and how underrepresented or marginalized groups are affected by political systems. More about Maggie Astor

Our Coverage of the Trump Hush-Money Trial

Guilty Verdict : Donald Trump was convicted on all 34 counts  of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal that threatened his bid for the White House in 2016, making him the first American president to be declared a felon .

Next Steps: The judge in the case set Trump’s sentencing for July 11, and Trump already indicated that he plans to appeal. Here’s what else may happen .

Reactions: Trump’s conviction reverberated quickly across the country and over the world . Here’s what Trump , voters , New Yorkers , Republicans  and the White House  had to say.

The Presidential Race : The verdict will test America’s traditions, legal institutions and ability to hold an election under historic partisan tension , reshuffling a race that has been locked in stasis and defined by a polarizing former president.

Making the Case: Over six weeks and the testimony of 20 witnesses, the Manhattan district attorney’s office wove a sprawling story  of election interference and falsified business records.

Legal Luck Runs Out: The four criminal cases that threatened Trump’s freedom had been stumbling along, pleasing his advisers. Then his good fortune expired .

Connecting the Dots: As rumors circulated of Trump’s reported infidelity, two accounts of women  being paid to stay silent about their encounters became central to his indictment.

The jury convicted Trump. Here’s what could happen next.

A guilty verdict for Trump in the New York trial means a mix of routine court processing and extraordinary logistical considerations, legal experts say.

On Thursday afternoon, after more than a day of deliberations, a jury in Manhattan convicted Donald Trump on all 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a 2016 hush money payment.

During the seven-week trial, Trump complained of the indignities of a cold, uncomfortable courtroom. The former president and presumptive 2024 Republican nominee may now face other conditions he may consider insulting, including a required inmate review by the New York City Department of Probation.

The probation office on the 10th floor of the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse prepares presentencing reports for judges. There, Trump would be interviewed about his personal history, his mental health and the circumstances that led to his conviction.

Lawyers say the process is humbling.

“If you think the courtroom is dingy, just wait until you go to the probation office,” said Daniel Horwitz, a white-collar criminal defense attorney in New York and former prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney’s office.

Trump guilty verdict

Former prosecutors sketched out a mix of likely experiences for Trump, who is now a felon. Trump was convicted of charges relating to $130,000 in payments made to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election to keep her quiet about a sexual encounter she said they had.

The routine processing of felons into the New York criminal justice system would include the timeline of a potential appeal. But with Trump, there would also be extraordinary considerations — such as how the Secret Service would protect the former president if he were sent to prison and whether he would be allowed to travel to campaign events if sentenced to home confinement.

Legal experts said incarceration appears unlikely for Trump, 77, who has no criminal record.

The Class E felony charges are punishable by 16 months to four years in prison. Among the key issues to be determined would be whether Trump faces some form of incarceration, either in a government facility or a private location, or a less-restrictive experience through probation.

New York Mayor Eric Adams said this month that the city’s Rikers Island jail complex and Department of Corrections were prepared if Trump were ordered to serve time.

His conviction does not disqualify him from running for office or serving as president if elected, constitutional experts said.

During the trial, which began April 15, prosecutors with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office said Trump falsely recorded the payments involving Daniels as legal expenses and alleged they were improper campaign expenditures. Defense attorneys said Trump, who pleaded not guilty, made personal payments to protect his family from an embarrassing disclosure.

The jury, which heard closing arguments Tuesday, unanimously agreed to convict on all counts after hours of deliberations spread over two days.

Trump’s punishment is now up to New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan , who will receive input from the prosecution and defense in the presentencing report. Though jail or prison are unlikely , the former prosecutors said, alternatives such as probation or home confinement would create logistical challenges and potential political concerns.

If he is sentenced to probation, for example, Trump would be required to clear any out-of-state travel — such as to campaign rallies and fundraisers — with a probation officer. If Trump were to serve home confinement at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., New York authorities would probably have to work with counterparts in Florida to accommodate him, the experts said.

Such arrangements are not uncommon for felons, experts said, but probation officers must approve the details.

“If you have a probation officer, you are not supposed to travel without permission. Your home is subject to random search because you don’t have a Fourth Amendment right to your home being private. You can get drug-tested, potentially. Travel outside the country is difficult,” said Matthew Galluzzo, another former prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney’s office.

“That would be super awkward for someone on the campaign trail, but not impossible,” Galluzzo said. “If he had to go to a debate against Biden, he probably could go, but you’re supposed to make that request far in advance.”

Trump and President Biden have agreed to two debates . The first is scheduled for June 27 in Atlanta, before Trump’s sentencing, which Merchan scheduled for July 11. A second debate is planned for Sept. 10 at a yet-undisclosed location.

The probation office will put together a presentencing report for Merchan. As part of that process, Trump must be interviewed by a probation officer, who will produce a biography of him of about five or six pages, legal experts said. Such documents are confidential, intended only for the judge and the lawyers.

Trump has called his prosecution politically motivated and denigrated Merchan, Bragg and others , leading the judge to fine him 10 times for a total of $10,000 during the trial for violating a partial gag order . How Trump would react to questions from a probation officer about the case could get him into more hot water with the court. Legal experts said his attorneys probably would advise him not to discuss the case.

Convicts are “expected to tell the truth. If they are convicted and then say, ‘No, it’s a lie, it didn’t happen,’ that will go back to the judge. And that’s not good,” said defense lawyer Jeremy Saland, who also served as a Manhattan prosecutor.

The prosecution and Trump’s legal team also are expected to submit recommendations about the sentencing.

Because he was charged with nonviolent crimes, Trump is unlikely to be detained in prison as he awaits sentencing, said the experts, who added that it is also unlikely that Merchan would impose bail as a condition for his release.

Trump’s team has 30 days to file notice of appeal and six months to file the full appeal.

A key question is whether the court would agree to stay Trump’s sentence pending an appeal, a process that is likely to last well beyond the Nov. 5 presidential election. Former prosecutors suggested such a scenario is plausible given that any punishment of Trump could be short enough in duration that the sentence would be fully carried out before a legal appeal is litigated.

The legal experts said Merchan could grant Trump a conditional discharge tied to the requirement that he not commit another legal offense. Merchan also could impose a financial penalty or require Trump to do community service or undergo counseling, some legal experts said.

If the judge were to impose a more onerous penalty, such as home confinement, Trump could still find ways to continue campaigning, even if he were not on the road.

“He could be confined but go to Mar-a-Lago and hold a news conference every day, be on TV, hold rallies remotely,” Horwitz said. “There’s a lot he can do as a candidate while under home confinement.”

Trump New York hush money case

Donald Trump is the first former president convicted of a crime .

Can Trump still run for president? Yes. He is eligible to campaign and serve as president if elected, but he won’t be able to pardon himself . Here’s everything to know about next steps , what this means for his candidacy and the other outstanding trials he faces .

What happens next? Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11. He faces up to four years in prison, but legal experts say incarceration appears unlikely. Trump has 30 days to file notice of an appeal of the verdict and six months to file the full appeal.

Reaction to the verdict: Trump continued to maintain his innocence , railing against what he called a “rigged, disgraceful trial” and emphasizing voters would deliver the real verdict on Election Day.

The charges: Trump was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records . Falsifying business records is a felony in New York when there is an “intent to defraud” that includes an intent to “commit another crime or to aid or conceal” another crime.