Relationship Marketing in Your Presentations
You want to market more effectively and reach prospective clients. You want to build your credibility in the marketplace. One of the best ways to accomplish that has been talked about for years by making presentations.
That sounds good (and it is) but there is a lot more to it. Just standing up there and yakking about what you can do is a sure-fire way to turn off audiences. So, how can you leverage presentations to building business and do more effective relationship marketing?
Make it meaningful to the listener.
It goes back to the old WII-FM – What’s In It For Me? This is the question you want to see tattooed onto the forehead of everyone in your audience. They are there to learn, be entertained or to hear what you have to say for some other reason. Make sure that what you say is relevant to them.
Here are some handy tips that can help make your next presentation memorable – and a new tool that is a breakthrough device for presenting.
Know Your Audience. You have to know who they are, what their needs are and what pain they are going through. What are their current challenges? As you can relate your presentation to a solution for their problems, you are much more likely to be successful.
Connect With The Audience. You want to make sure you connect with them. This has a side benefit of decreasing the natural fear that comes from public speaking. The more you focus on them, and building a strong relationship with them, the less fear you’ll have. As your fear decreases they will feel better about what you have to say. Sounds like a good win-win situation!
Involve Your Audience. Getting feedback from them and answering their questions is one of the best ways to connect. Strive to be the solution-enabler who helps to bring the answers out of the crowd more than the all-knowing wise sage who dispenses pearls of wisdom. This requires you to act more as a facilitator.
Provide Value For Your Audience. This is most important. Find what they need and make sure they get value for their time with you. Giving a valuable handout – not just your brochure – can help to lock in the information you have.
As you get to know your audience and their needs you’ll find that you become more in demand as a presenter. You will reap the rewards of those communicators who connect in a powerful way.
Technology Tool For Presentations
One of the tools many presenters use today is Microsoft PowerPoint. If it is used properly, it can make a great impact. Used poorly, it leads to the old “Death By PowerPoint” that has plagued corporations.
Recently I got my hands on a new remote control that is the best I’ve ever seen. It is small enough to fit in your hand, does the normal advancing of slides and even has a “blank screen” command (like the letter “B” in PowerPoint).
This remote, from Keyspan at www.keyspan.com, is the first I’ve seen to also control audio. This is more important than ever as we are blending more video and audio components into our presentations. I’ve used this in a variety of situations and it has worked flawlessly. It also has a range of up to 100 ft. Powered by 2 AA batteries, you can carry extra fresh batteries with you to avoid the challenges of power outages.
Another nice feature is the USB connector can be slid into the unit for carrying. This helps prevent loss which can be a nightmare when you’re on the road presenting.
To compare the Presentation Remote Pro with other devices I put together a video for you on YouTube. You can view it at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=MHBCQSrb10Y and see a comparison. This can help if you’re in the market for a new device and want an objective opinion on what is available.
The Presentation Remote Pro retails for $79.99 and is available on their website and through retailers. It is a good tool to examine if you’re making presentations and want to connect with your audience more effectively.
________________________________________
Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and columnist who helps businesses market more effectively, leveraging technology. He shows busy professionals how to squeeze more out of their days using time-honored rules and practical technology tools. He can be reached at 407-363-0505, by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.
Copyright © 2007, Terry Brock, All Rights Reserved Internationally. No portion may be reprinted or used in any way without prior written permission
That sounds good (and it is) but there is a lot more to it. Just standing up there and yakking about what you can do is a sure-fire way to turn off audiences. So, how can you leverage presentations to building business and do more effective relationship marketing?
Make it meaningful to the listener.
It goes back to the old WII-FM – What’s In It For Me? This is the question you want to see tattooed onto the forehead of everyone in your audience. They are there to learn, be entertained or to hear what you have to say for some other reason. Make sure that what you say is relevant to them.
Here are some handy tips that can help make your next presentation memorable – and a new tool that is a breakthrough device for presenting.
Know Your Audience. You have to know who they are, what their needs are and what pain they are going through. What are their current challenges? As you can relate your presentation to a solution for their problems, you are much more likely to be successful.
Connect With The Audience. You want to make sure you connect with them. This has a side benefit of decreasing the natural fear that comes from public speaking. The more you focus on them, and building a strong relationship with them, the less fear you’ll have. As your fear decreases they will feel better about what you have to say. Sounds like a good win-win situation!
Involve Your Audience. Getting feedback from them and answering their questions is one of the best ways to connect. Strive to be the solution-enabler who helps to bring the answers out of the crowd more than the all-knowing wise sage who dispenses pearls of wisdom. This requires you to act more as a facilitator.
Provide Value For Your Audience. This is most important. Find what they need and make sure they get value for their time with you. Giving a valuable handout – not just your brochure – can help to lock in the information you have.
As you get to know your audience and their needs you’ll find that you become more in demand as a presenter. You will reap the rewards of those communicators who connect in a powerful way.
Technology Tool For Presentations
One of the tools many presenters use today is Microsoft PowerPoint. If it is used properly, it can make a great impact. Used poorly, it leads to the old “Death By PowerPoint” that has plagued corporations.
Recently I got my hands on a new remote control that is the best I’ve ever seen. It is small enough to fit in your hand, does the normal advancing of slides and even has a “blank screen” command (like the letter “B” in PowerPoint).
This remote, from Keyspan at www.keyspan.com, is the first I’ve seen to also control audio. This is more important than ever as we are blending more video and audio components into our presentations. I’ve used this in a variety of situations and it has worked flawlessly. It also has a range of up to 100 ft. Powered by 2 AA batteries, you can carry extra fresh batteries with you to avoid the challenges of power outages.
Another nice feature is the USB connector can be slid into the unit for carrying. This helps prevent loss which can be a nightmare when you’re on the road presenting.
To compare the Presentation Remote Pro with other devices I put together a video for you on YouTube. You can view it at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=MHBCQSrb10Y and see a comparison. This can help if you’re in the market for a new device and want an objective opinion on what is available.
The Presentation Remote Pro retails for $79.99 and is available on their website and through retailers. It is a good tool to examine if you’re making presentations and want to connect with your audience more effectively.
________________________________________
Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and columnist who helps businesses market more effectively, leveraging technology. He shows busy professionals how to squeeze more out of their days using time-honored rules and practical technology tools. He can be reached at 407-363-0505, by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.
Copyright © 2007, Terry Brock, All Rights Reserved Internationally. No portion may be reprinted or used in any way without prior written permission
posted by Terry Brock @ Thursday, August 16, 2007
<< Home