Successful Marketing Tools Blog

Give More Sticking Power to Your Resolutions!

Growing Your Business by Adding More Sticking Power to Your Resolutions

If you are like me, a new year brings dreams of a fresh start for your small business. Hopes abound for the New Year. But, in the back of your mind, you may remember your past resolutions, resolutions which were swallowed up in the bus-i-ness of daily life. By February, you have already moved on, with January’s resolutions only a vague memory.

Here’s a quick and easy way to grow your business by making your business resolutions last longer than the end of January! Make your resolutions from a customer perspective. By focusing on your customer’s interest, you give a new purpose to your business resolutions. You give your resolutions more sticking power and more opportunity to grow your business!

Step One--Go with the Customer Winners “Go with the Winners.”

Create a list of ten customer successes you had in 2008. These could be customer sales on a particular product; lead generation successes; selling model successes; customer follow up processes; different product or service offerings. These winners could be a more customer friendly website or an internal process that made it easier for customers to buy or buy more often from you.

If you are having difficulty identifying these customers winners, focus on areas where customers made nice comments about your business; places where they sang your praises; activities or areas where customers where delighted with your business efforts. Now take three of these winners and do them again in 2009. They were customer winners in 2008; you can make these winners again in 2009. Create a simple plan. The plan should include what you are going to do, how you are going to do it and when are you going to do it. Write it down and post it where you can see it every day.

Step Two--Drop the Customer Losers Every business has losers.

You have losers. What are customer related activities that cost you money, lost time, or lost productive energy in 2008? Make a list of ten customer losers. You may find your losers in the same areas where you found customer winners. These could be areas of products or services, lead generation, selling models, customers follow up. They could be either internal or external activities that were not customer successes.

Dropping losers is hard. You may have sacred cows you are afraid of dropping. If you need courage to drop a loser, remember your customer perspective. If it wasn’t a winner for them, why do you want to keep it? Besides, if you don’t eliminate the losers from your business, there will be no room for more winners. If you are unsure about what losers to drop, ask yourself what are your customer’s biggest complaints? Where did they express disappointments? Where did they say you could do better?

Like the process you used for the winners, pick your top three customer losers and plan to eliminate or reduce these losers in 2009. Create a simple plan. The plan should include what you are going to do, how you are going to do it and when are you going to do it. Write it down and post it where you can see it every day.

Step Three--One Customer Innovation

Small businesses face the danger of doing just what you did last year or doing what all the other businesses in your industry are doing. This is a form of incest. Over time, this weakens your “business stock” and hurts your growth. Just as you need to stretch your physical muscles, (you know the resolution you made about going to the gym three times a week), you need to stretch your business muscles if you want to grow and develop. Pick one area that will stretch your business. This could be a financial stretch, a time or energy stretch.

You could create a new product, improve a product or service, or provide new operating procedures that make it easier for customers to buy. If you are having a difficult time deciding what to do, take your clue from your customers. What innovation addresses a customer’s benefit? By using customer benefits as your criteria for an innovation, you will grow your business in the right direction.

Now create a plan. What you are going to innovative, how you are going to get this accomplished, and when will you do it? Write it down and post it where you can see it every day.

Conclusion

Looking at last year’s business winners and losers from a customer’s perspective will give you more sticking power with your 2009 resolutions. You begin to realize these resolutions are not some internal agreement you made in your head--with yourself. The resolutions become a commitment to your customers. Everyday you must respond to your customer commitments. Complete this exercise and find how your business resolutions stick long after January and how they grow your business!

Copyright Al Hanzal, 2009. All Rights Reserved al@successfulmarketingtools.com

Marketing Not Selling!

Is This Your Biggest Mistake?

Is your business making this mistake? You believe your small business is all about selling products--a fatal mistake! Put your time, energy and money into this belief and you will not make any real profits! If you want your small business to succeed, your fundamental activity must be marketing. Putting time, energy and money into marketing activities will make you real profits.

The change from selling to marketing reflects the change in today’s world of business. Let me explain. Selling Selling is about you! When you concentrate on selling, you concentrate on your selling skills. How to get sales leads. How to build customer rapport. How to makes sales presentations. How to handle objections. How to close the sale.

When your selling activities don’t produce results, you put time, energy and money into improving yourself. You improve your motivations. You listen to sales tapes. You attend expensive sales seminars. This model of selling—persuading the customer to buy your product was the way selling was done 100 years ago.

The world has changed. Customers have changed. The rules have changed. Marketing Marketing is all about the customer! It means uncovering what the customer wants and how they want it. It means creating solutions that solve the customer’s problem. When you do these things, customers are drawn to you. It is your job to show the customer how your solution solves their problem.

Look at a different business model. You have a family doctor. Did he find you or did you find him? He is perceived to be an expert in his field. You sought him out because of his expertise. He did not use any sales techniques to get you as a client! What would your business be like if you drew customers to you rather than chasing them? What would it do to your sales, to your psyche, to your profits? I am not talking about rocket science.

Try this simple five step approach to begin market based thinking.

Step One--What does your market want?

I am not asking you to explain what you think the market needs. (That’s your judgment of what you think is good for the customer!) What is the pain in your market place? What bothers potential customers most in your market? What do they worry about? What motivates them to action? Find what’s hot in the market and go there!

Step Two--Understand your customer.

Who are they? What do they think? Where do they buy? Why do they buy? The key to Step Two is to uncover the conversation that is going on in your customer’s mind. If you can reflect this conversation in your marketing efforts, they will recognize you as a source for helping solve their problem.

Step Three--Carve out your own niche.

The market is a crowded place. Your potential customer will have many options to solve their problem. You must be different; you must stand out; you must have a unique selling proposition. If you are not unique, you will be lost in the crowd. If you do not have a unique way of packaging your solution, you will be left behind.

Step four--Fashion your message.

What do you want to tell people about your solution? How is your solution different? What will it do? What are the benefits your customer will receive from your product or service? How will it make their life better? Give them testimonials from others who have used your solution. What guarantees do you offer? Do you deliver what you promise day in and day out? These are the elements in your marketing message.

Step Five--Find a marketing medium.

You have a market; you have a message; now you need to identify a medium for matching the message to the market. Do your customers use TV, radio, internet, magazines, direct mailing, postcards, flyers, newsletter or other mediums? What is the best way to contact them? There are a variety of techniques for grabbing people’s attention. The point is to match the medium to your market.

Conclusion

These are not difficult steps. They do produce a different way of doing business. Do these five steps, write them down, put time lines to your activities and create a budget to match. You now have a plan that will help you eliminate the biggest problem of small business owners. You have a plan to change your small business thinking to market based thinking.

Your comments are welcomed…

Create a USP in 30 Minutes

Create a Powerful USP in less than 30 Minutes!

In this blog entry, I am going to show you an easy to use exercise that will help you create your own business brand, your USP in less than 30 minutes.

A few months ago, when I began the transition from my day job to selling on the internet, I was feeling smug. I had written my first e-book, How to Find Security in Tough Economic Times. Things were looking good. At a party, a friend asked me about my new business. "Exactly what are you selling?" I found myself mumbling some pious platitudes about the merits of small businesses.

I realized that while I was excited about my new business, the heart of that business was still deep inside my head. I was embarrassed. My explanation was boring and did little to satisfy my friend’s curiosity. I needed something more. I needed to express what was special and unique about the products I was offering to my clients. I needed a brand for my business. I needed words that would excite my clients about their own small business.

As the article will demonstrate, you do not have to be an expert to create your own brand, your own USP. In30 minutes, you will produce a written form of your core business beliefs and values that will shape other decisions in your small business. You can build a powerful USP 30 Minutes! Do you need a unique selling proposition for your small business? Absolutely! You may accidentally get some business, but without a USP, you will be just another "me too business."

A unique selling advantage is the soul of your business. It is what distinguishes you from your competitors. It is the answer you give when a potential client asks "Why should I buy from you?" Dominos Pizza distinguished themselves from their competitors by promising "Fresh, hot pizza in 30 minutes or the pizza is free!" They made a promise (USP) and they kept it. They built a very successful business around their USP.

Let’s get started. Get some paper and write your answers to the following 10 questions. It will take less than 30 minutes and can help you develop an USP or refocus your existing USP. (To help you answer the following questions, keep in mind the areas where differences can be found: selection, price, client assistance, convenience, location, access, product quality, speed, installation, services beyond the basics, warranties or guarantees.)

1. What client problem do you solve? Describe in one sentence, the problem you are solving with your product or service. Write it in terms a 10 year old child could understand!

2. What voids, gaps in service or typical complaints do clients have about businesses in your industry or service area? List ten. (Numbers 8,9,10 will probably be your best insights!)

3. What would be a client’s perfect product or service in your industry?

4. List five benefits your client receives from your business solutions. These are not the features of your product or service but the benefits the client receives from your product or service.

5. Write a draft paragraph describing your USP—the client’s problem you are addressing, your unique solution and the benefit the client will receive. For example, my first draft read like this: I want to help small businesses find tools that will provide more profits for their business.

6. Look at two or three of your competitors. Write a sentence that describes their USP, i.e. their unique offering. How does it differ from your own?

7. What does your favorite client like most about your business solutions? What are the words they use when they praise your efforts?

8. Look at other industries. Are there innovations or processes in these industries that you could apply to your business? For example, I looked at McDonald’s and saw how they use systems to make things more efficient and effective. How could I develop systems in my business to be used by other small businesses?

9. Now rewrite your business brand. Write it in clear language your clients can understand. (Try using the words they used to compliment you!) Make a simple message. Make it specific. Make a bold promise (adding little value gets little money; adding great value, gets you big money) Make it stand for one distinctive thing. Write this in paragraph form and also in a shorter one sentence version that can be easily repeated.

10. Start using this business brand in draft form.30 days later repeat the above exercise. Revise your brand based on your experiences. Complete the same process in 6 months and you will have a winner. Being brutally honest about your business brand will be your greatest challenge.

You think everyone should want and love your products or services. Is your idea different or better than what others are offering in the market place? What value does it add to your client’s life? Why should a client buy from you? Answer these questions honestly. If your business brand does not meet the above criteria, then find aspects of your industry, client dreams and expectations, or gaps in your industry where you can meet a customer need that is unique and different from your competitors.

Go there and create your product or service.

Clarity is power!

Now, here’s the real power I found with this simple exercise. Every Sunday morning for one month, I completed the 30 minute exercise. Over that period of time I watched my USP change and grow in clarity. Clarity is power! My goals became clearer. My customer focus became sharper. The commitment to my new business became stronger and more exciting. Clarity is power! Now, I love going to parties and telling others about my new business!

You can achieve the same benefits!

Your comments are welcomed...

Networking that Works

Networking That Works!

Do you belong to one or more networking groups and attend networking events as part of marketing your small business? If you've been part of a networking group for some time, but haven't had a lot of success with leads and referrals, it could be that you belong to the wrong group. But if you're confident the networking group you belong to is the best one for your business, it could be you need to revisit the approach you're taking.

Networking presents opportunities for small business owners to boost their business. But, just because you show up, talk to everyone and pass out all your business cards doesn't mean your phone will soon be ringing off the hook. Networking that works, demands a different approach than the "How much can I get out of this networking function?" mentality too many small business owners seem to have. The approach that makes networking work is very similar to the approach you must take in marketing your services...give first to get later.

Networking only works if you're able to build relationships -- genuine relationships, not "drive-by" introductions and "relay-race" style business card swaps. And the only way to build relationships is to focus on how you can have an impact. In return, you'll receive benefits from your efforts. So how can you make the most of the opportunities networking presents?

How can you start to build mutually beneficial relationships with other members? Start by recognizing that everyone is in the same boat when it comes to networking and meeting new people. For most, meeting strangers can feel a bit awkward and uncomfortable. Sound familiar? You'll never start to build beneficial networking relationships just by hiding out in the corner waiting for others to approach you. If you really can't muster up the courage or energy to start conversations with other members first, you're not networking -- you're simply wasting your time.

You need to make yourself stand out, by taking the initiative to approach people first and make them feel welcome. If you need some inspiration, try imagining the networking function you're attending is a party -- and you're the host! You want people to feel welcome and comfortable at your party, so you go out of your way to be friendly to everyone who walks through the door.

Take the same approach to networking, and you'll be amazed how quickly you start to form relationships with other business owners -- the kind that will help you gain more clients in the long run, for years to come. While you talk to networking group members, go out of your way to listen carefully to what they say - about their business, their clients and themselves. This is the first step in building a relationship, and demonstrating you're eager to do so will make a positive and lasting impression on other members.

Following up with people you've met-either by phone, email or a hand-written note -- is another powerful way to ensure that your time at an event is used to its fullest. Did you meet someone interesting that could be a good power-partner for your business? Then after the networking event, why not call and invite them to coffee to discuss how you can potentially work together?

Remember networking only works if you work at it. There's a reason it's called net-WORK...not net sit, net eat, or net don't talk to anyone until they talk to you first. During this holiday season, think about how you can approach networking from this different perspective to ensure results from all the people you meet.

Copyright © 2008 Jeanna Pool. All Rights Reserved. WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR WEBSITE, BLOG OR NEWSLETTER? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: "By Jeanna Pool. She is an author, speaker and marketing consultant who helps solo small business owners attract more clients consistently. Visit her website, www.marketingthatworks.com now to get FREE marketing tips that will jump-start your marketing efforts and success. (Make sure the link is live if placed in an eZine or on a web site.)

Your comments are welcomed...

Transitions to a Niche Business

Customers often ask, “How can I make the transition from my current business? I cannot afford to just give up my existing business. Here’s a story that will help answer that question. The customer told me, “My immediate goal is to get more customers into my business. My second agenda is to move slowly towards becoming more specialized as a business.” Here are the six steps we used with this business owner to make his transition to a niche business.

Marketing

We completed an exercise that evaluated his current marketing efforts. (Yellow page ads, brochures, networking, professional referrals and other forms) What was working? What was not working? We dropped the losers. As part of the marketing analysis, we implemented 2 new marketing approaches. The result of these efforts identified his best marketing strategies.

Customer Analysis

We completed an exercise that identifies his current customers. Who are they? How do they buy? How many are there? What do they buy? Where do they come from? Why do they buy from him? The result of these efforts was an understanding of his current customer base and the foundation for his new business niche.

Customer Referral Program

We worked with the business owner to develop a customer referral program. Th customer referral program added another tool to increase the current customer base. The result of these efforts was in increase in his current customers.

Unique Marketing Message

We developed with the business owner a unique marketing message. Why and how did he differ from his competitors? Why should customers buy from him and not his competitors? What benefits do customers receive from his services and products? The result of these efforts was a marketing message that was unique and special. This will be used as a foundation for future marketing efforts.

Customized Selling Model

We completed an analysis of the current one on one selling model he was using with customers in their home. What materials did he use? What was the sales presentation? What were the words used? How can this sales model be made more effective? What materials will help to distinguish his business from other bidders? The result of these efforts customized a sales model that made him more effective in his current selling situations.

Management System

We create a simple management reporting process. This involved record keeping, goal setting and testing the different strategies being used by the business owner. The result of these efforts will be ongoing data on what is working and what is not working for his business. By using these six steps over a 3 month period of time, the business was able to increase the number of customers and create the foundations for building a business niche.

Your comments are welcome...

Niche Building the Natural Way

Grow Your Business the Natural Way

Did you know that many of the internet references to the word, “niche” deal with the biological and physical sciences? Nature has been niche building for years! Take the example of the humming bird. Over the years, its beak has been modified to pollinate certain flowers. The cardinal flower has a long tube which has adapted to the humming bird’s long beak. This flower went so far as to make itself a color not appealing to bees. The humming bird and the cardinal flower have discovered a niche where they can survive the crowded world of birds and flowers. Or what of the tiny bird that eat insects off the skin of the giant hippopotamus? The bird picks bugs from the hippo’s skin and is provided with food. The hippo is rid of pesky bugs.

Nature has again provided a wonderful survival niche. In  last blog entry,  I addressed the topic of small business niche building. I believe niche building is the fastest and only way to take your business to the next level. In this entry, I will continue exploring how small businesses face the same survival issues found in the natural order of things. What is nature teaching us about small business niche building? What is Small Business Niche Building? Niche building in a small business starts by narrowing your focus.

By creating a narrower business focus, you actually increase the number of customers rather than decrease the number of customers. Within this narrower business focus, you become an expert. You develop or obtain the expertise for this narrow business focus. You become recognized as the authority in your area. When you have created the narrow focus and developed expertise to match your focus, you begin to attract customers—instead of chasing them. Do you think the heart surgeons of the world are out chasing clients? When your niche has been developed, you find you are no longer competing on price.

Niche Hunting!

Many assume you must go outside of your current business to find your business niche. In fact, you can buy online programs that help you find a niche. They will show you 50 or 100 of the hottest niche areas to pursue outside your business. Going outside your business is not necessary. There are ways that you can look at your current business operations and find niches that are already present. Every aspect of your current business, your customers, your products and services, your operations, your strengths and weaknesses, your personal preferences, each one of these areas may be a potential niche for your business in the future.

Niche building is not always going outside your business to find something new. Your current business may contain the seeds of very profitable niches. You need to begin seeing your business from a new perspective! Here’s an example.

Gift Shop discovers new revenue

A hospital gift shop discovered a new source of revenue. Instead of treating customer phone orders (phone calls coming into the gift shop to order flowers for patients in the hospital) as an accommodation service, they used these phone orders as a sales opportunity. They offered the caller a broad variety of gifts rather than the traditional vase of flowers. Customers were delighted with the personalized options; patients were happy with the gifts they received and the gift shop doubled their average phone purchase. By looking at their current operations from a different perspective, they were able to create a profitable niche for one part of their business.

What potential niches lie waiting in your business?

Your comments are welcomed...

Building a Business Niche

Niche Your Way to Profits

I am convinced that building a small business niche is the only way to success. I share my beliefs about small business niche building. My own thoughts continue to evolve in a direction that say, “Niche building is the only road to small business profits!”

Your customers have changed their buying habits Today, customers are better informed. They have better education. The internet has made them more informed. Some people buy items from the internet; but many more use the internet to get information before they buy on the street. We live in an age of customization, again dominated by the internet. People want things. They want it their way. They want it now. Did you know that you can custom order a car and have it delivered in two weeks? What do you think about the furniture dealers that still say it takes 6-8 weeks to get your furniture? They are a dinosaur!

Our buying culture is being dominated by big retailers, Home Depot, Wal Mart, Sam’s Club and other national chains in various forms. They dominate both price and product selection. Today, people buy products and services differently. You and your family buy differently. Customers have multiple buying options. This has a dramatic effect on small business profits. Old solutions no longer work! In the past, small business owners used a variety of solutions to make themselves successful in the market place. Ask yourself if they are working today?

Small business owners have used mass media advertising to get in front of their customers. Radio, mailers, TV, Cable TV, newspapers were popular. Today these media are effectively dead for small businesses! Passion for your business and personalized services were competitive tools used by small business owners. Big business could never match the zeal of a small business owner. What happens if you are never given a chance to show your service and passion for the business?

Here’s what is happening in the flooring industry. People who purchased carpet at Home Depot were interviewed. They asked, “Why did you shop at Home Depot?” Most people said they would prefer shopping at a smaller store to get better service. But where are these stores? And if you find one, how do you know it is any good? Home Depot is convenient. It’s on the way to work. You can be there getting plumbing supplies and stop to look at carpet at the same time. You know they have good prices because they advertise them everywhere!”

What’s the Answer? As good as these tools were in the past, they are not good enough to compete in today’s market place. There is a strategy that can be used successfully in today’s market place. It is called Niche Building. Find your own special spot in the market place and go there.

If you try to be all things to all people, you become all things to no people! Niche Building Niche building flows from four fundamental principles:

1. By narrowing your business focus, you create more business.

2. You must become an expert in at least one area of your business.

3. Customers find you when you are an expert in a one business area. .

4. Price is not an issue in a small business niche.

When you apply these principles to your business operations, you will see the magic that can happen with small business niche building. Your business will be transformed; you will be transformed with new energy. This is an exciting solution to today’s crowded market place.

Your comments are welcome...

Branding your Business

What Can You Learn From Branding?

You have heard of power brands like Harley-Davidson, Nordstrom, and Domino’s Pizza. Their names evoke specific emotions and feelings. Each of these brands stands for something special. They are the modern day version of original branding, “burning a unique mark”. Can these power brands teach you how to get more clients or increase profits from your own business?

In this blog, I will share two of Rob Frankel’s branding standards from The Revenge of Brand X. Compare your business efforts against these two standards and see what you can learn.

The first Law of Big Time Branding: Brands are not about you. Brands are about them.

(1)Tell me about your brand. Were you going to tell me about the products and services you developed? Were you going to tell me about your qualifications and what you have to offer your clients? Were you going to tell me how you identified the needs of your clients and how you convince, prod or otherwise sell them your products and services?

Branding is all about them, not you. Your brand must be about solving the client’s problems, their wants, their pains. Do you know what they really want? Knowing your client is more than knowing demographics, i.e. how many people eat chocolate; it knows why they love eating chocolate!

Branding is all about finding solutions to your client’s problems. Power brands do this extremely well. Think of the brand, Head and Shoulders Shampoo. It clearly communicates the purpose of eliminating your dandruff problem. There are many brands of shampoos on the market shelves. But if you want a shampoo that gets rid of your dandruff, where do you turn. Does your product or service do the same for your clients?

Branding is not about getting your targets to choose you over your competition. Branding is about getting your prospects to see you as the only solution to their problem.

(2) Now here’s a challenge! In today’s crowded market place, does your product or service command this position? Let’s look at how power brands do this. Federal Express understands the fear of not delivering a package on time. Other overnight services have come into the market place, some even cheaper than Federal Express. But if you absolutely had to get a package there on time, who would you trust?

Becoming the only solutions for a client’s problem builds loyalty. Clients become evangelists for your product. Compare the Microsoft brand with the Apple computer brand. Microsoft is larger and spends more money on their business. But ask any Mac/Apple user and you hear how loyal they are to their brand! They will never give up their Mac!

I have compared my own brand with Frankel’s second branding standard. My business “eliminates business frustrations for small business owners.” My business mantra tells you what I do and with whom I do it. But do I have the power of being the only solution for my clients? No. I need to add something more. Perhaps, I could add the word, “guaranteed” to my business brand. Can I fulfill such a promise?

Now I am challenging my abilities and the abilities of my company. Power branding raises the bar of your company. Branding is not just being cute or clever or having a logo. It is about challenging your business to be a business for the client. It is challenging your business to be the only solution for the client’s problem.

Are you up to the challenge? Are you willing to stretch your business muscles and make sure every aspect of your business matches your brand? Are you willing to go the extra mile to make sure your brand achieves the power it needs in today’s economy?

Rob Frankel’s The Revenge of Brand X Recommended Resource: www.robfrankel.com

Networking and 60 Second Commercials--Non-verbal Communications

Step Five

We’ve been talking about the components to make better 60 second commercials. This week I want to talk about the final component—the non-verbal skills used in your commercial.

Did you know that only 7% of communications is accomplished by words? The way you use words is 38% and the remaining 55% is done by visual and non-verbal communications. Let’s look at this non-verbal ways of communicating with others.

Smile

It starts with a smile. Everyone responds to a smile. A smile encourages other to open up to you--makes you more likeable. A non-smile encourages others to move away from you. Smile with your eyes. Research has shown that people find smiles to be most genuine when your eyes scrunch up a bit.

Eye Contact

Making good eye contact with another person shows respect and good manners. The eyes have been called the window of the soul. Make frequent eye contact with a variety of people in the group. Never talk to a group, always individuals in the group. If you need practice do it with stuff animals around your kitchen table!

Dress

The rule of thumb is to dress one or two steps about your prospects. You want people to feel you would be the type of professional they would like to do business with. Some people adopt a signature look by getting noticed and being memorable with a fashion flare. A signature look can be a color, an accessory, a style (for example, 1950s glam), or a special haircut.

Shaking Hands and Posture

How you shake someone’s had tells a lot about you. The hand cannot conceal messages like people’s words. Good posture, standing tall reflects confidence.

Your Voice

Your voice is a powerful tool in getting attention and recognition. Speak loudly, clearly, and at a natural speed (not too slow or you'll be dull and not too fast or people will think you're nervous).

Vary the speed of your commercial - meaning you have parts of your presentation that are faster and other parts slower. Why? Because this is how you stress importance. A varied tone of voice and volume are very important if you want to keep your prospect’s attention and have them understand what you say. It’s what gives your prospect a clue about what is important and what is very important.

Creating Emphasis

Use set-up words that prepare people for what you’re about to emphasize. Like “If you learn nothing else out of tonight’s presentation…” or the “the only reason…” “Because …”. These are great set up words to strength parts of your commercial.

Take a side. Rather than worrying about offending people and choosing a middle of the road position, take a stance. People will respect you for it and it will show your conviction and courage.

Conclusion

Why are these items important? Commercials are communications. We communicate to others most directly with our non-verbal communications. We buy from people we know and like. Improving your non-verbal communication skills can add to your bottom line and it will not cost you one dine to make the changes.

Your comments are welcomed...

Networking and 60 Second Commercials--Non-verbal Communications

How to Give a Dynamic Presentation

Would you like to experience the benefits of being a good speaker? Speaking before groups offers a tremendous opportunity for personal and professional development. Never before have excellent communication skills been more important than they are today. This article contains fifteen elements for making a successful presentation. Use these ideas, and you will speak with greater self confidence and ease before a group of any size.

1. BUILD RAPPORT AND TRUST.

Talk with-not at --your audience. Establish some common ground. Communicate with sincerity and warmth, and make eye contact. In speaking to a large group of secretaries, I established rapport quickly by telling them about my mother's success as a secretary and how much I admired her. I gave them examples of why competent secretaries are the backbone of my successful organization.

2. DEVELOP AN EFFECTIVE OPENING.

Grab your audience's attention from the start. Use a dramatic or startling statement, a human interest or personal story, a question, an anecdote or illustration, a relevant quote-or a humorous opening, if appropriate. I recently heard a speaker open with, "I wrote that great introduction you just heard. It gives me something to shoot for when I speak."

3. DEVELOP AN EFFECTIVE ENDING

Close with a bang. Use a relevant quote, a poem, or an appeal for action. Give your audience a sincere compliment, a powerful story, or a summary of your main points. Make sure your closing---whatever it is---is relevant to your topic. Also, your entire speech and the ending should be tailored to your audience.

4. REDUCE NERVOUSNESS.

According to the book of lists, public speaking is the number one fear, greater even than the fear of death. Before presenting: Thoroughly prepare and rehearse before your speaking engagement. When you are about to begin, take several deep breaths. Visualize yourself giving a relaxed presentation. During the presentation: Focus on your message and your audience, not on yourself. Give yourself opportunities for physical movement. Don't try to be perfect. Make nervousness work for you. Channel your nervousness into enthusiasm; let your adrenalin take over. Butterflies in your stomach? Let them soar, taking you with them.

5. MAKE YOUR PRESENTATION COME ALIVE.

Talk to the audience in terms of their interests, problems, and concerns. Communicate with vitality and conviction. Talk to, and make eye contact with individual members of the audience. Change the pace with vocal variety and humor, using pauses to emphasize points. Use inspiring human interest stories, making only a few points and supporting them with examples, illustrations, anecdotes, and analogies. Use natural gestures; physically move from time to time instead of remaining behind a podium.

6. USE VOCAL VARIETY.

Variety speed, volume, and pitch. To emphasize points, speed up or slow down, speak more softly or loudly, and allow your voice to rise and fall. Speak conversationally to an audience, but with greater force and energy. Appropriate vocal variety and gestures will naturally occur.

7. VISUAL AIDS, HANDOUTS, OTHER AIDS:

Use visual aids only when needed to clarify a point or idea. Don't show a visual aid to the audience until you are ready to use it. Use visual media as an aid, not as crutch or a substitute. Visual aids should be large, clear, legible, and brief. Avoid talking toward your visual aid or turning your back to the audience. You might provide a brief outline of your objectives, the topics to be covered, and information about yourself. Then supply handouts that reinforce your points. Distribute most handouts at the end of your presentation so that participants maintain eye contact and keep their attention on you during the presentation.

8. TRY USING HUMOR.

You don't have to be funny. But humor can be effective in changing the pace, relaxing the audience, building rapport, and supporting your points. If you are uncomfortable using humor, avoid it-or practice it on your friends and family until you become more comfortable with it. If you use humor, keep it brief, relevant to the topic, and appropriate for the occasion. Do not tell off-color jokes or racial, ethnic, or religious jokes. Don't say, "I'm going to tell you a joke"-just do it. Allow your audience to laugh before you continue speaking. Have a comeback if your attempt at humor fails. Never use humor at the expense of another. However, poking fun at yourself can let your audience know you don't feel superior or have an egotistical attitude. I often tell my audience the following story: A woman and her little boy came up to me after what I thought was one of my most inspiring speeches. The woman gushed, "That was a wonderful talk, and I am so full with your message!" Smiling with delight, I asked her little boy, "And how did you like it, son?" He replied, "Yeah, I got a bellyful of it, too!"

9. INVOLVE YOUR AUDIENCE.

Use stories and examples that relate to audience concerns. Keep your presentation lively, allowing time for questions. Ask if there are questions, and hold the silence a few moments. If no one responds, say, "If there are no questions, let me mention a question I am often asked"-and then answer it. You might also ask questions and request a show of hands.

10. APPEAL TO DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES AND PERSONALITY TYPES.

People think and learn in different ways. Some are more logical; some, more intuitive. Broaden audience response by varying your techniques. Use some human interest stories, appeal to logic, present general themes ("the big picture") and appeal to the senses, providing concrete examples. The success of an engineer often depends upon his or her objective analysis of a problem. If you're speaking to a group of engineers, appeal to their logical thought processes. Present a problem and a logical solution for it, perhaps using a graph based on statistical data. This is not to say that human interest stories or appeals to the emotions are lost on engineers. But they are most likely to be persuaded by logic.

11. MANAGE THE SEATING ARRANGEMENTS.

Being physically close to your audience increases your ability to build rapport. If the audience is scattered, it is more difficult to lead them as one unit. Bring them together, removing large numbers of empty seats. They will be less self-conscious if they are sitting close together. Arrange seats so the audience can easily see you.

12. DEAL WITH DISRUPTIONS.

If you encounter disruptive persons, keep control of your emotions. Do not show irritation. Wait until they finish talking; then use active/reflective listening. Lower your voice; don't try to shout them down. Sometimes humor can reduce the tension. If they continue to be disruptive and it is appropriate, ask them to leave or to meet with you later to discuss their concerns.

13. BE A LEADER.

Your audience expects you to create the atmosphere, set the tone, assume a leadership role, and be in control. They want to be treated with respect. Arrive early to make sure everything is properly set up and ready. Be yourself, allowing your unique personality to shine. Remember, you are there to make something happen, to move your audience in some way. It is up to you to inspire them.

14. KNOW YOUR GOAL.

Every speech has at least one of four goals: to inform or explain, to persuade, to inspire action, or to entertain. Know the goal of your presentation, and keep it in mind as you thoroughly prepare. Lack of preparation reflects indifference and insults your audience. Careful preparation is the only way to achieve the results you want. Use simple and clear language that communicates your ideas in a manner suited to your goal.

15. EXHIBIT VITALITY.

When Dr. Kenneth McFarlin, an outstanding professional speaker, was asked what is the most important quality of a speaker, he responded: "vitality." Vitality includes enthusiasm, energy, forcefulness, and aliveness. It comes from a depth of conviction-a deep belief in yourself and in what you are saying.

CONCLUSION

You will be amazed at the positive influence you will have on others by becoming a good speaker. Public speaking will enrich both your life and the lives of others. Take advantage of opportunities to speak to audiences no matter how small. Remember the words of Demosthenes, one of the world's greatest orators, who said, "Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises."

Copyright 2007. Raymond Gerson About the Author: Raymond Gerson has over 40 years experience teaching career and personal development. He is a former Toastmasters International speech contest winner and teaches college success strategy courses. Raymond is the author of five books including, How to Create the Job You Want. This ebook and an audio recording of Raymond speaking to a live audience are available as free gifts. Go to: http://www.raymondgerson.com/freeGifts_landingPage.html