Tips from the Experts on How to Open
The hardest part of any presentation is the opening. Obviously, gaining people’s attention is critical. If you don’t captivate them as you begin, it’s not likely you will get them to listen as you move forward. Plus, seeing people looking at their phones, instead of...
Are You Prepared?
The number one reason that presentations fail is a lack of preparation. Whether you are giving an update, making a proposal, suggesting a solution or speaking at a conference, it is critical that you do your homework and understand your listeners and what you want to...
When Problems Arise with Virtual Teams
With companies spread around the world, virtual teams are now the norm. Obviously, everyone would like these teams to run smoothly and utilize the strengths of their diversity. However, often a group in one location is used to doing things in a particular way, while a...
Trust Isn’t a Given So How Do You Get It
Trust is vital in any lasting business relationship. In fact, the level of trust you establish determines how successful you will be in selling a product or proposing a solution. If the level of trust is strong, managers will feel you are the right person for the...
How to Keep the Multitasking Listener Attentive
Business people have short attention spans. They are used to multi-tasking and they are often preoccupied with things in their personal and business lives. Some researchers believe that the average attention span of an adult, versus a preschooler is seven seconds. In...
What’s the End Game?
Every major corporation with a global presence relies on virtual teams to launch products quickly and gain a competitive edge. For anyone launch, many teams are often involved. For example, a typical launch team may include marketing, sales, engineering, packaging,...
The Grave Diggers Shift: Presentations after 3 p.m.
Is your presentation scheduled for 3 p.m. or even later? If so, you’re in the Grave Digger’s Shift. In fact, any time you speak in the afternoon, you run the risk of digging your own grave unless you are interesting and engaging. People are tired and typically have a...
Tune Them in by Involving Them
Most of the time when people are brought together for face-to-face meetings, the purpose is for persuasion- either to accept an idea, buy a product or approve a decision. Often, these meetings are not successful because the speaker misunderstands the need for audience...
Intentional Listening — It’s an Advanced Skill!
If you think you are a good listener, think again. Study after study confirms that most people listen effectively only 25% of the time. Instead of listening, they are focused on responding. What is often overlooked is that there are three levels of listening. At the...
Learn the Secrets of the Pros
When that great opportunity finally comes along to make a presentation to a potential dream client, you want to be successful. The question many of us have is “What is the trick?” As simplistic as it sounds, the key is in adding value. The more clearly you can...
The Grave Digger’s Shift – What to Consider When Presenting Later in the Day!
Is your presentation scheduled for 3 p.m or even later? If so, you’re in the Grave Digger’s Shift. In fact, any time you speak in the afternoon, you run the risk of digging your own grave unless you are interesting and engaging. People are tired and typically have a...
Three Quick Tips for the Meeting Facilitator
Facilitating a meeting can be frustrating. Often, nothing gets accomplished. People start talking among themselves, or they start texting on their phone. No one seems to know where the meeting is going. To get results, you need to understand some key principles. Have...
Great Presentations are a Conversation
Picture yourself attending a staff meeting. How happy are you when the host of the meeting drones on about the numbers or the specifications of a product. Most of us hate lectures. What we do like and appreciate is a great conversation. So how do you as a speaker turn...
Tell a Story and You’ll Connect
Most managers or executives begrudging attend meetings with vendors or salespeople. They look upon them as an interruption. The last thing they want when they are busy is more information about a product or service thrown at them. When they actually do meet with you,...
Connection Matters
How you relate to others matters when making a face-to-face presentation. What creates a connection with any executive, manager or peer, first and foremost, is strong eye contact. Sustained eye contact should begin the minute you walk in the door. With solid eye...
The Storyteller’s Checklist
People are moved by their heads and their hearts. Data alone won’t convince people. Knowing this, many companies have adopted a storytelling approach with their customers. An engaging story helps to deepen the human connection and increase the likelihood of ideas...
Presentations Are Out: Sharing Your Story Is In!
Customers are not crazy about formal presentations. They complain that presentations often seem prescriptive and downright boring. When surveyed, one of our clients said, “The last thing I need in my day is one more salesperson doing a dog and pony show. What happened...
Reach, Teach and Touch – 3 Requirements for Any Presenter
Selling your ideas isn’t easy, especially in today’s dynamic business climate. Listeners go from meeting to meeting. They are on information overload. Without Reaching, Teaching and Touching your listeners, it is likely your content will be overlooked. The question is...Connection is Everything
How you relate to the audience affects the outcome of the meeting. People more readily accept information and close business with those they like and trust. So how do you build a relationship and still get your points across? What creates a connection, first and...- Zoomed Out? Some Tips
Due to the Pandemic, most business professionals work from home, and many may continue to do so even as corporations and businesses reopen. Zoom and its equivalent are now the norms. Quite possibly, you attend or host three or four of these meetings every day. If you are like many people, you find these meetings […]
- Five Mistakes Sales People Routinely Make
It’s the end of the year. If you’re a salesperson, it’s a good time to reflect on how well you did in 2017. Did you make your quota? Could you have done better? While you can’t win them all, perhaps, it’s important to consider whether you made any missteps that cost you big opportunities. There are five mistakes that our organization routinely notices.
- Trust Isn’t a Given So How Do You Get It
Trust is vital in any lasting business relationship. In fact, the level of trust you establish determines how successful you will be in selling a product or proposing a solution. If the level of trust is strong, managers will feel you are the right person for the task. Customers will have faith that you will […]
- How to Understand Your Customer
Customers today are a lot more demanding and a lot savvier than they used to be. They know they have many choices. They are often in a hurry, confused, multi-tasking or have English as a second language. When they get you on the phone, their expectation is that you will: Fix the problem quickly. Make […]
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