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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Overview ""
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DECA
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Essentials "
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Role Play
Outline
Competition
Tips

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Training
101

Activities

Important
Dates

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Contact
Us

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OVERVIEW
What is this?

Hey DECA members,

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Welcome to the 2014-2015 year! We know its going to be awesome, and we hope youre as
excited as we are. By choosing to be a part of DECA Ontario, youve joined a team
composed of the top young business leaders in the country, ready to train, compete, and
win. Pretty smart move, if you ask us.

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Each year, DECA Ontario is famous for dominating on the international stage. Last May, our
team travelled to Atlanta and brought home over 500 medals and 36 trophies, breaking all
previous records. This year, internationals will be held in Orlando, Floridawe challenge you
to make history.

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To help you get off to a running start, weve created this booklet to serve as a resource for
you to learn about, enhance, or master your competitive skillset. Weve provided the DECA
basics, plus some extra tips and tricks that Team Ontario has picked up along the way.
Whether youre wondering about competition or looking for new ways to engage your
chapter, were sure this guide can help make your life a little bit easier.

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Train hard, have confidence, and get ready for the ride of a lifetime.
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We cant wait to see you on stage.
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With DECA love,
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Your Provincial Officer Team

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DECA ESSENTIALS
What key concepts I should study?
To speed your competition prep, weve compiled a list of DECA-ssentials that are likely to appear
on your exam and as performance indicators in your role play. These business basics are divided
into their respective clusters; however, they are interconnected, so wed recommend going through
all of them. Every chapter works differently, so were leaving the studying process up to you! Go at
your own pace, and take advantage of the extra resources available on the USB.

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Marketing

Marketing mix (4 Ps of Marketing: price, product, place, promotion)

Product life cycle: development, introduction, growth, maturity, decline
Effective communication
- Active listening, verbal/written communication skills, nonverbal communication
- Professional correspondence: email openings/closings
How to prepare a SWOT analysis
Preparing a report (organizing, researching, editing, formatting)
Business ethics: confidential information disclosure, privacy rights, copyright/trademarks/patents,
workplace heath & safety
International business customs
Software and their functions: spreadsheets, presentations, database, groupware
Channels of distribution & respective functions (producer, wholesaler, retailer, agent, consumer)
Market research: methodology, how to interpret and analyze results
Promotional channels (word of mouth, commercials, print ads, trade shows, exhibitions)
- Reach, frequency, exposure; most/least effective promotional channels

Finance

Financial statements: income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statement

Basic economics:
- Supply/demand (graphs, changes in S+D, equilibrium)
- Economies of scale
- Competition
- Business cycle
- Market structures (monopoly, monopolistic competitor, oligopoly, perfect
competition)
Debt financing vs equity financing
Cost/profit relationships, law of diminishing returns
Financial assets: stocks (preferred/common), dividends, bonds, mutual funds
Accounting ratios
Basic business law knowledge, key laws (Dodd-Frank, Sarbanes Oxley, etc.)
Different types of risk
Impact of global trade
Methods of payment: credit, debit, cash, cheque
Types of currency: (paper money, coins, banknotes, government bonds, treasury notes)
Functions of money (medium of exchange, unit of measure, store of value)

Sources of income (wages/salaries, interest, rent, dividends, transfer payments)

How to prepare basic financial statements
Personal finance: budgeting, monitoring expenses
Tracking flow of money

Inventory systems
Channels of communication within a company (vertical, horizontal)
Different types of customers (slow/methodical, how to deal with difficult customers)
Teamwork what characteristics make a good leader?
Purchasing activities
Conflict resolution strategies
Production: costs, productivity
Career planning: job seeking, interview skills, resum/cover letter
Management/leadership styles
Human resource development: orient/plan/staff/lead employees

Position company/product to achieve desired brand image

Telecommunications in hotel and lodging
- PBX system, call accounting system, automatic call dispensing, voicemail systems
Cleaning and maintenance responsibilities
- Housekeeping standards, frequency schedules, fixed and variable labour (staff)
Functions of different departments within the lodging operation
- Food and beverage, maintenance, marketing/sales, accounting, HR
Room availability, status, payment options, reservation policies
- How to resolve booking conflicts, handling customers
Check-in/check-out procedure
Forecasting: maximizing occupancy
Safety: how guests are protected to minimize liabilities

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Business Administration

Hospitality and Tourism

Nifty Business Acronyms

HR
LLC
MSRP
PR
ROI
SEO
CAD
COGSs
CSR
GDP/GNP
SWOT
CPA
B2B/B2C
4 Ps of Marketing

human resources
limited liability company
manufacturer suggested retail price
public relations
return on investment
search engine optimization
computer aided design
cost of goods sold
customer sales representative
gross domestic product/gross national product
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats
chartered professional accountant
business to business/customer
product, price, place, promotion

ROLE PLAY
How do I plan out my role play?
Heres a role play template you can use as a guide - get creative and start practicing! Weve also
included some extra tips and tricks you can use to impress your judge.

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Role Play Presentation Sample

1. Introduction (0.5 minutes)

- Firm handshake, eye contact, smile
- Introduce your name, position, and purpose of your presentation
- Sit up straight, keep your hands on the desk (never on your lap)
- Thank the judge for their time

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2. Roadmap (0.5 minutes)

- Tell the judge what you will be talking about for the next 10 minutes, this prepares them for the
content of your presentation
- List out all 5 or 7 performance indicators in order, and how they relate to the case study at hand
- Tell them that at the end of the presentation, after youve talked about the PIs, you will give your
thoughts on what should be done to solve the case study

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3. Performance Indicators (2.0 minutes)

- Highly suggested to go in the order that is presented to you on the case study sheet
- Always answer the questions: Why does this performance indicator matter to the judge? Why
does it matter to this particular case study?

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4. Solution (4.0 minutes)

- Present your solution for the case study
- Use the performance indicators you talked about to back up your choices
- Why do you believe your solution is the best solution for the company?

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5. Summary (1.5 minute)

- Briefly sum up the performance indicators
- Summarize the highlights of your proposed solution

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6. Outro (1.5 minutes)

- Thank your judge for their time
- Formalities: I hope my proposed solution will help elevate your company; I wish you well in the
future, something of that nature
- Politely ask the judge if they have any questions (they will always have questions)
- When answering questions, think WHILE you talk - do not pause for too long to think of an
answer
- Final handshake, and remember to push in your chair

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COMPETITION TIPS
How do I ace competitions?
Role Play Tips

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1. Wearing a watch allows you to keep track of your time during preparation and the
actual presentation.
2. Make use of scrap paper! Organize your notes so you can easily access information
youve written down.
3. Give yourself 30 seconds at the end of the prep to review everything you have before
meeting with your judge.
4. Props are 100% personal preference. Some people have done extremely well with
them, and others have done well without them. Only use them if you know they will
enhance your presentation. (Graphs/charts can be useful in visually presenting your
ideas) *Remember that no props can be pre-made! You must create your props during
your role play preparation time.
5. BONUS: Keep up with recent news! Theres always something you can use for role
plays.

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Exam Tips

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1. Fill in every question. If you dont know the answer, take a guess!
2. Pace yourself dont spend too much time on one question; mark it down and come
back to it later.
3. Use all the multiple choice tips youve learned from test-taking in other classes!
(process of elimination, grammar checking, go with your gut, etc)
4. After youve finished, go back and double check questions you were uncertain about.
5. If you have time left, dont leave! Go through your exam as many times as possible.
6. If you want a good score, complete as many exams from previous years as you
can. Questions do indeed repeat.

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TRAINING 101
How can I train my chapter?
CHAPTER EXECUTIVE MEETINGS

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Create a list of goals at the beginning of the DECA season - keep these goals in mind
when brainstorming events and training sessions
Give chapter executives a calendar with important dates so they can share this info with
members
Make sure meetings are on a consistent day of the week
Have one of your executive record minutes during the meeting
Have your meetings early to allow chapter executives to discuss what you want to focus
on that week as a chapter
Start an Facebook group and email list so that all the executives can stay connected and
share information and resources

MOCK EXAMS

CHAPTER
TRAINING SESSIONS
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Each week, develop a plan of what
you want to focus on with your
members

Set a time limit to simulate a real exam

Always give members access to the

answer key - it is explanatory and
useful as a study guide

If you have a large chapter, you can

break members off into their clusters
and divide your executives amongst
the clusters

WRITTEN COMPETITORS

- This way, you can specialize

the training
to the cluster

Dont forget about members

competing in written events! Give
them opportunities to practise their
presentation in front of executives,
members, or teachers

Consider separating the written

competitors from the rest of the
group during training, to give team
members time to collaborate and
practice together

Leave time for questions and talking

about upcoming dates to remember
each meeting
Make handouts so your members
can follow along and keep a
physical copy of the notes
Share additional resources so
members can study on their own
time

ACTIVITIES
How do I engage my chapter?
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Sample Role Play

How it works: Find sample case studies online and conduct sample role plays with your chapter
executives acting as judges! How you do it is up to you - we recommend making the process as
realistic as possible (checking name badges and ID, correct timing, walking in to a separate room
for judging).

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Why? Practice makes perfect! Practice role plays are a perfect way for members to put what youve taught
them to the test. The more comfortable they are with the role play format, the more likely they are to score
higher.

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Handshake Who-Dun-It?
How it works: With everyones eyes closed, the moderator chooses 2 or 3 people (depending on
the size of the group) to be the handshake crooks. Everyone gets up, mingles, and starts shaking
hands. The handshake crooks will secretly botch handshakes (either squeezing too tightly, not
tightly enough, or via terrible form). If someone feels a botched handshake, it means they lost the
job position - they must wait 5 seconds before sitting down. In the end, the last non-crook
standing wins! (This game is a variation of murder wink).

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Why? First impressions are key. This game is a great icebreaker and energizer, and it also serves as practice
for people who arent comfortable with delivering firm handshakes.

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Pitch-It
How it works: Divide members into teams of 5. Choose a random object (the more unique, the
better). Using the Marketing Mix, each team will have 1 minute to plan a 45 second sales pitch
using for a panel of judges (the trainers). They can make up the functions and features of their
product! Make sure every member of the group plays an active role in the presentation. When all
groups have presented their pitches, judges choose the most convincing pitch.

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Why? With Pitch-It, members will have to think on their feet and deliver a convincing pitch, much like what
they are expected to do during a role play.

No Ums Buts or Uhs

How it works: Get members to write topics (ex. cheese, hockey, your favourite TV show) on a
piece of paper. Each round, choose one member to stand in front of the class and draw a topic.
They will then have to talk about the topic for 1 minute without using any filler words (um, but, uh).
Each time they do, its recorded as a point against them. This game works better in smaller groups
(5 - 7 people), so if you have a large group, or if you have a few members who are uncomfortable
presenting in front of everyone, get everyone to pair up and present to a partner.

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Why? This will test how well members are able to think on their feet. In a role play, you wont have the luxury
of planning out the answer to the judges questions - once you start talking, keep going and build a welldeveloped answer! Also, this game helps cut down on unnecessary filler words.

IMPORTANT DATES
When?
Heres an overview of our conferences and competitions for the 2014 - 2015 DECA year.

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" COMPETITION
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Regional Competition
Registration for all regionals due October 15th

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York Regionals
October 21st @ Seneca College

CONFERENCES
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Peel Regionals
November 1st @ Lincoln Alexander SS

Fall Symposium
September 29th @ Capitol Banquet Hall
Registration due September 24th

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Presidents Summit
September 29th @ Capitol Banquet Hall
Registration due September 24th

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North Atlantic Regional Conference

(Power Trip)
November 19th - November 23rd
@ Washington, DC
Registration due October 3rd

Toronto Regionals
November 14th @ Mary Ward Catholic SS

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Waterloo Regionals
November 15th @ Sir John A. MacDonald SS

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Nor-eastern Regionals
November 16th @ Sinclair SS

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Hamilton Regionals
November 18th @ Hamilton Convention Centre

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ICDC 2015

Online Regional Testing

Wednesday, October 29th, 2013
International Career
Development Conference
April 23rd - April 30th @ Orlando, FL
Registration due March 1st

Written Events
Online copy due
4pm on January 15th @ Turnitin

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ICDC Prep Meetings

Written Event Training
March 29th @ Capitol Banquet Hall

Hard copy due

January 15th @ DECA Office, Sheraton Centre

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Provincial Competition
February 5th - February 7th, 2015
@ Toronto Sheraton Convention Centre
Registration due December 5th

Pre-ICDC Meeting
April 12th @ Capitol Banquet Hall

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CONTACT US
How can I stay connected with DECA Ontario?
www.deca.ca

/DECAOntario

@DECAOntario

@decaontario

decaontario.tumblr.com
/DECAOntarioOfficial
Reach out to us with your questions.

Wed be happy to provide you with additional information and resources!

lucy@deca.ca

Chapter Development Officer

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emily@deca.ca

Chapter Development Officer