Follow this 3-step method for building a self-generating list machine.
Ever wonder how they do it? Seems that every day you run across internet marketers who clearly have extensive email lists. And it appears to be to working for their business, because they use the list again and again. It’s impressive, but it’s not a secret. It’s actually quite simple – and easy!
This system is used and promoted by David Frey, the Founder of MarketingBlogger.com and the author of the best selling book, “The Small Business Marketing Bible”. (David Frey is a marketing guru. He must be, because he graduated high school 497th of 512, with a D-average – but wrote a book on how to make straight A’s in school “MaketheGrade.com”!) Here’s how he builds lists:
#1 Create a Lead Magnet
A lead magnet solves a very big problem for your target audience. That makes sense, right? What do you do when you sit down at the Google search bar? Well, you type keywords for the problem you’re trying to solve. For example, you’re in the skin care business. What are people looking for? A solution for clearing acne. A solution for covering acne. A way to save money on acne treatment. You could name a dozen more. These are all Lead Magnets. Now write an article or other informational content about it that you can offer online, simply by asking for your visitor for their email address.
Content can be in the form of:
Videos
eBooks
Articles
Blog posts
Podcasts
Audio
Frey suggests that you give it a catchy name, then write 3-4 bullet points about what this product will do for you.
#2 Create a Landing Page
Use a very simple landing page to showcase your product. According to Frey, it should contain:
A very compelling headline
A few bullets about the magnet
An optin form (email address only)
A graphic of the lead magnet
(optional) A call to action video
Admin info (address, legal stuff…)
#3 Drive Traffic to the Page
Now this is where you’re going to be relieved. It’s simple! According to Frey:
“Now that you have a simple, but high converting landing page, all you have to do is drive traffic to that. There are a gazillion ways to drive traffic, but you should focus on mastering only 2 methods.
Just pick 2 methods that work and focus ONLY on those 2 methods.
Here’s a list of possible traffic tactics…
1. Pay per click
2. Article marketing
3. Blog commenting
4. Video submissions
5. Forum marketing
Just pick 2 and focus, focus, focus on those 2 methods. Before you know it, you’ll have thousands of people joining your list. That’s it.
Easy, simple, fast.”
So, there you have it. If you enjoyed this approach, you may want to check out Frey’s other simple marketing techniques that work. He’s gone from D- to Philanthropist!
For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Marketing and Social Media.
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ABOUT Lisa M. Chapman:
Ms. Chapman’s book, The WebPowered Entrepreneur – A Step-by-Step Guide is now available at:
Lisa M. Chapman serves her clients as a business and marketing coach, business planning consultant and social media consultant. She helps clients to establish and enhance their online brand, attract their target market, engage them in meaningful social media conversations, and convert online traffic into revenues. Email: Lisa @ LisaChapman.com
(By the way, I know some trainers use toys in icebreakers and throughout their training, but I’m not going to address that here. Maybe later.)
Some trainers and some employers expect these toys: stacks of pre-packaged company-tested programs. Other trainers and employers expect a personalized, yet professional assessment and work experience, which may or may not include toys. It doesn’t matter how they receive it. You probably know where I stand.
However, you have me asking, “What is the trainer good for? Telling the employer what program he needs” Or, is he or she using the well-known programs (the toys) to impress the employer as a way of gaining entry to the company?
That trainer still has the nerve to call it “customized training.” Here’s where we part ways. I remember receiving correspondence from a company planning a convention that wanted me to put together an entire day of various sessions centered around the topic of return on investment. That’s great! Can do topic! Exotic locale. Luxury hotel and airfare on them.
Here’s the problem for the “Cave Man:” the planning company wanted me there in two weeks. In the letter, it said literally to “pull my training off the shelf.” Since I customize or become terribly creative at times like this I don’t keep much on the shelf, I did a lot of pacing and wondering–for a few minutes–if I should find some off the shelf programs.
That exercise lasted just a few minutes. I’m a customize training kind of guy.
That is not to say, others that use these “toy” don’t have success. I’m sure they have some measure of success or they wouldn’t make a living or be recommended by others. I live outside the “cave.” I see change everywhere. Big change is happening everywhere and in every industry. People are changing, too. Change can mean success–often super success; however, some things never change. Like trust. Like understanding from the companies point of view. Like becoming accepted as one of them. It takes patience, but it’s worth it.
Like the coaches I talked about in last two articles, as I establish a relationship and trust with the company I discover what it needs. I become accepted; there is hope and optimism. A morale boost. Good things. I concentrate with a positive crew by my side anxious to achieve the same goal: positive return on the investment–the company way.
Had the overseas company given me more than a couple of weeks and a contact to give me more information, I would have loved to have accepted its offer. I could have my “dynamic” (he blushes) self given my audience the training it deserved on my terms. It was the only way. My way.
I know this story could have had a better ending, but sometimes we are fixed in how and why we do things. We do what works for us. We defend it to the death as the right thing to do. But this is commentary. As the “great Forrest Gump” would have said, “Life is a box of chocolates. You don’t know what ya git but ya always like the same one.” Or… “Custom is as custom does.” And, I’m not even from the South. Well, Southern California, but that doesn’t count.
This blog came about because I joined with a trainer on LinkedIn and upon looking at his credentials, I noticed that he listed all the pre-packaged training that he used as well as the training he received to allow him to deliver it. So, that’s a different kind of trainer. By listing his number of packages, he was quite impressive–a good selling point. I always hated the selling. Isn’t that ironic? I depended on word-of-mouth recommendations, my website, and my commentary to sell my training. Even later as a speech coach.
Then, I worked most often with companies (not corporate giants that have in-house staff to do what I do) that generally wanted their company name and senior management kept secret. With a few exceptions, for example, when an executive came to me personally and wanted to improve on his own. If you happen to look at my webpage you will not see the Fortune 500 companies or other privately owned well-known companies, or non-profits where I assisted high-level executives with their speeches or assisted in training efforts. By then it was habit I think.
Most training organizations or individuals want a list of companies to show employers as a demonstration of credibility. The companies I worked with, however, didn’t want anyone to know that the “big guys” had a professional speech coach giving them pointers on most of their speeches.
So, what do you do when you have a confidential client list? You give a fair amount of free time to the client first to see if their is a fit…until the client sees value in your work and wants to draw up a contract. Risky, I know, but my earlier life as an actor was even riskier so what the heck.
As always, an acknowledgement to all, please don’t force yourself on a company as the only way to do things. As you see here, I do try to point out the differences. I welcome guest writers anytime. Keep it generic so you talk about all others like you and not just your company (you don’t have to name names) and your name and link will appear. All we ask is that you link back to us.
A disclaimer. This commentary is mine and mine alone, and the opinion expressed here is not influenced by The Free Management Library in any way.
As the Host of the Blog site, I do get to ask that you take a look at my new blog that focuses on other topics than training. My training/speech blog is still out there, but I’m letting it die in cyber space. My best selling e-book, The Cave Man Guide to Training and Development is out. I need to tell you that I know Cave Man is not spelled that way and that is on purpose. The Cave is where we work, play and live. Read the book and you’ll get it. I hope to have two more following it soon. I also have a futuristic e-novel, Harry’s Reality, a look at what happens when society gives up control of the mismanaged dying planet to an evolving artificial intelligence.
We all know the difference between an issue and a risk, right? Well, if we’re not clear, let me explain.
Think of an issue is an event which wasn’t planned to occur on your project but it has occurred and now requires management action. One of your project team quitting mid project; your sales director requesting a change to the requirements; a bug in the software which preventing a database being updated correctly are all examples of issues. Each one will need to be resolved one way or another by someone with authority.
When deciding what do to about an issue, it’s important to weigh up the pros and cons of taking a particular action i.e. what will be the benefits versus the costs of taking the action?
A risk on the other hand is an event which hasn’t yet happened. It might happen at some point in the future, or it may not. Risks therefore are about uncertainty. Perhaps there is a risk of your supplier going bankrupt, a risk of your business critical system software not working properly, a risk of you crashing your car on your way home from work.
If the risk event does eventually happen however it will have an impact on the project, usually in terms of cost, time and benefits, but maybe also on scope, quality and other risks. It’s therefore important to try to qualify these impacts before they occur. If your supplier does indeed go bankrupt during your project, you will need to find an alternative supplier which will likely incur additional costs and might well delay the project.
Precisely because risks are uncertain, it’s important to estimate the likelihood of the event to occur i.e. that your supplier will go bankrupt? You will need to make an assessment based upon your understanding of the situation.
Depending upon the likelihood of the event occurring and the impact if it does occur, you can then plan one or more mitigating actions in response. Whichever actions you plan however, must be in proportion to the level of risk. In other words, for risks which have a low impact and medium or low likelihood, you might decide to accept them i.e. do nothing about them.
For risks which have a high impact (let’s say on costs), and medium or high likelihood, you might decide it’s worth spending a reasonable sum to reduce the chances of the risk occurring. If by selecting the cheapest supplier, you run the risk of them going bankrupt, you might decide to choose another (and potentially more expensive) supplier if you consider there is less chance of them going bankrupt.
So can a risk become an issue? Absolutely. Let’s say your supplier did indeed go bankrupt during your project. At that point there is no uncertainty any more. The fact now is that the uncertain event (the risk) has occurred. We didn’t plan for the supplier to go bankrupt but we now need to do something about it. It has now become an issue and a suitable decision will need to be taken by someone with authority.
As you can see, risks can become issues, but they can stay as risks forever if they never actually occur.
Brainstorming risks early on your project, putting in place mitigating actions and tracking these consistently throughout the project are all part and parcel of being a project manager. Keeping track of issues and taking sensible decisions accordingly are also part of the day to day work of the project manager.
What were some of the biggest risks which you had to deal with on your projects? Looking back, could you have dealt with them any better? I’d be happy to hear your stories.
Although everyone knows that benefits are extremely important in a government grant proposal, I am constantly astonished at how many proposals are all features and few, if any, benefits. This is a serious omission because the lack of explicit benefits almost always means that the proposal will be unpersuasive to reviewers.
Everything in your proposal has to answer a simple question – “So what?” Features are an important part of proposals but they cannot answer this important question. You need benefits to provide a compelling answer.
A feature relates directly to your services, for example:
• We have been a nonprofit organization for 15 years.
• We will allocate ten key personnel in the first year of the grant period.
In contrast, benefits are some aspect of your service that addresses an issue or problem of your funder. It provides some sort of value.
Creating Benefits
The first step in creating benefits in a proposal is to identify the government agency’s most pressing issues and needs. Next, you must reach a common understanding about these issues and needs. Why is the funder concerned about them? What parts of our services address these issues and needs? And how can we make our benefits compelling and persuasive to the funder?
Then you must clearly link the features and benefits in your proposal’s text and graphics. A great place to begin would be the Executive Summary.
Below is an example of how you would link a feature to a funder’s benefit (efficiency) in family planning.
Bad: We have provided family planning services for 15 years. Marginal: Our family planning services are very efficient. Better: Through our social marketing programs, our family planning services recover approximately 70 percent of their costs. Great: Through our social marketing programs, our family planning services recover approximately 70 percent of their costs. Of all major family planning organizations, we have the lowest average cost per Couple Year of Protection (CYP) – less than $1.00.
Emphasize the Benefits Again and Again
Government grant proposals are 10,000 details, and so it is understandable why they often become little more than laundry lists of features. But features in and of themselves are a means to an end, not an end in themselves.
Your end is what benefits the funder and only what benefits the funder. It does not matter what you offer, only how you can address a funder’s issues and needs. After all, if there were no issues and needs you would not be reading grant guidelines from a government agency.
Focus on the benefits at the beginning of the proposal and tailor your most important features to address the government agency’s issues and needs. This will make your proposal more persuasive and more likely to be funded.
Remember – features tell, benefits sell. Benefits are very important because they tell reviewers why you should receive a grant.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Dr. Jayme Sokolow, founder and president of The Development Source, Inc.,
helps nonprofit organizations develop successful proposals to government agencies. Contact Jayme Sokolow.
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Look for Jayme’s ebook on Finding & Getting Federal Government Grants.
It’s part of The Fundraising Series of ebooks
They’re easy to read, to the point, and cheap 🙂
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We take a break, here, for the Labor Day Weekend,
and we’ll resume our twice-per-week posting schedule
on Tuesday, September 3rd.
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Over 50% of respondents in recent poll still not using social media for crisis management
Living and breathing crisis management as we do, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that most organizations simply are not up to date or proficient when it comes to the tools and tactics they’re relying on to carry them out of an ugly situation.
According to PwC’s survey, more than half of the respondents – 57 percent – do not officially use social media as a crisis management resource. For companies that have begun integrating social media into their crisis management efforts – Facebook and Twitter cited the most often – not all are seeing improvement in their capabilities. Thirty-eight percent of survey respondents are modestly leveraging it as a tool, but not necessarily seeing improvements in their capabilities, whereas eight percent of respondents believe that social media has become an enabler for their organization to proactively identify and respond to crisis events.
We’d like to address a couple of points here, starting with the majority of organizations that still do not use social media as a crisis management resource. To be frank, if you’re not at least monitoring for mentions of your name and associated keywords online, you must really want trouble. There are several entirely free and automated tools that can do this for you. Not using them is the social media equivalent of removing the batteries from all of your smoke detectors.
That point leads us right into the companies that are “modestly leveraging” social media as a crisis management tool, but not seeing improvements. What this response is indicative of, more than anything, is a lack of understanding as to A) how to set up social media for crisis management and B) how to use the information that’s being pulled in.
Like any new tool, social media requires planning, training, practice and preparation in order to make use of it to your full advantage. Put the time in and you’ll reap the benefits; half-ass things and you could easily join the ranks of respondents saying they don’t see any difference.
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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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People who do voiceovers–hereafter known as VO–come from a variety of places, wherever good voices are found. Think about how many products you use everyday that has a voice attached to it, for example, a customer service automated voice on the telephone, the voice on your Global Positioning System (GPS), and all the other obvious devices like television and radio commercials, video games, etc. Who does the cartoon voices? Some are famous, but many aren’t. Audio books are big now.
So the market is exploding with voiceover wannabees. Not really a problem, except with that explosion come some “entrepreneurs” who while they themselves may be good at the craft have figured out how to sell what they know. Since it is an art to be sure, and being “cast” in a voice role is like being cast in any kind of acting role–not at all guaranteed. When radio first came to everyone’s home, then television, there were schools everywhere to teach you to be a glamorous announcer and train you for your all-important radiotelephone third-class license, which made it “official” and you could be on the air. But first there had to be a job, then an audition… It didn’t happen as easily as people thought. Without the benefit of today’s technology, many of the radio/tv announcing schools closed down. By the way, the “third ‘phone” is no longer required to be on the air.
When I came back from the Marines and assorted acting jobs in California, I was determined to have a sensible job like something in radio or television. I sent out resumes and a demo tape a friend helped me make at the base radio station. Through a local station that had no openings I learned about a small radio station outside of town that was the perfect place for a college student to work. I had flexible hours because the other part-time DJ and commercial announcer was a student from another college, which meant we had different test days and schedules. This was my training ground to apply my acting and mixing skills to create a commercial until I got the result I wanted (or the client wanted). No pressure though. I even found over time that I could do a commercial off air, while I played music on-air and not miss the end of the song. Later, I would work at different stations, including one where I was the news director and another where I had a talk show–all very different forms of “narrating” or communicating, depending on your context. I had time, facility and guidance to start. I even found time for some theatre.
That’s my friend and colleague, Joy Blatherwick and me, of course, in PLAY ON! Photo by Dave Gold.
So that’s my story. Everyone has a “how they got there.” How they learned to mouth the words correctly, find the rhythm, read phrases instead of words, emphasize this or that, add variety and color to your voice, sell the product, and I might say act the script given to you. Some of that I knew already. I was taking acting classes, but even then, voiceover acting is a different medium and there are things to unlearn as well as learn.
Many coaches are accused of wanting money up front. That’s plain wrong for any coach. I don’t even pay my personal trainer (when I had one) until after the workout.As a speech coach, I would wait until my clients announced we were a good fit and were ready to draw up some kind of contract. They might ask what I usually charge and I would tell them; naturally some asked before we started, but I assured each client, no money would exchange hands unless we both thought my services would be helpful. Sometimes it took a few weekly meetings. Chemistry.
Coaches aren’t there at the beginning like radio/tv schools of the past; however, I suppose there are some broadcasting schools still around; there has to be. I know Defense Information School still trains radio and tv on-air people for the Department of Defense and “DeeJays” pop up all over the place. Not all of them stay DJs. Not all of them want to be. Not all of them want to move around station to station to get a raise until they make major market, but it is good experience. If you’re into acting, all the better; however, you may find you have to overcome “mic fright” like I did. Ever wonder what the mirror in the control room is for. It’s not because DJs are “so vain.” It’s so the DJ feels he’s really talking to someone. It’s an eerie feeling at first. It was fun, but as many who start in radio, some for love of music and some for other reasons, we take different roads.
My road was military and government, and then corporate speech coaching and training. I still get the occasional question or job offer–usually from overseas, but I came to a point where family was more important than moving around. I still love the art of speaking, of acting, of writing and so I do it when I can. I’m previewing (not reviewing) a musical tomorrow. Smart of the director to ask for that while there is time to make changes, but if she’s that savvy she’ll probably won’t have to.
Voiceover actors or artists as some prefer (and some are on those sound boards) must have the voice and someone said to them, you should be doing this. If someone said it to you, and you aren’t doing community theatre or practicing a lot of commercial scripts, you should be. Find out if you can quickly analyze copy, memorize it and act entire phrases, create characters and sell the products. And, make it bigger than life!
Other actors will be willing to listen offer advice, even direct you or tell you where to go for help in developing your vocal artistry. Actors even take lessons from acting or on-camera coaches to sharpen those particular acting skills. You may even find you like stage acting; however, if voiceover work is still your passion, I would bet there are actors there, some who have worked in L.A., N.Y., or Chicago, and done the commercials and voice-overs who may be willing to coach you personally. This is all for free–except for the professional lessons the others take as well. Of course, that’s up to you.
A voice-over coach who coaches beginners on equipment will be a great help.
I found a casting director in my area that charged newcomers to the area a $100 session to sit down and she would give you an assessment of where you were in the market. Every market is different. She told me the types of characters she would recommend for me, agents to whom I should send headshots and resumes, a photographer for headshots, and a production studio to make my demo. Don’t worry no kick-back. Each session is tailored to the individual. I was told to use her name when contacting the agents and I had two immediate offers.
The hard part is either buying studio time with producer on a regular basis to make it worth your while or building the mostly soundproof, recording system somewhere in your house or garage. For that you will need a professional.
At this point, a voice-over coach who coaches beginners on equipment will be a great help. There are some who sell or recommend equipment themselves; the equipment is probably what you need. What you really need is how to use the equipment to make the best sound and market it. That’s what the voice-over artist coaches know best. Find a reputable one and a good fit as discussed above and check references. No guarantees.
I am willing to listen to you read and give you feedback for free as I noticed others were in these comments. I’m on the East Coast now (Philadelphia area), but I am a Southern California guy. Good luck.
For the voiceover folks who became offended. I recognize experience as a great factor and I don’t think any of my voiceover work would have happened without my experience in radio and television. I have over 40 years professional stage and commercial voiceover and on-camera acting experience. I have an interdisciplinary dual Master’s degree in Performance Criticism (English, Speech and Theatre) and am a working theatre critic.
Bottom line here. Coaches are not for novices. They are for someone who has pretty much to offer no matter the field. When I was a professional speaker, it was a common practice to have a coach watch your delivery and evaluate your work. Smart people do it no matter how good they are. One slip can bring that reputation down.
What does this have to do with business coaches? Absolutely everything. Don’t try to bullshit your way into the boardroom; you’ll just embarrass yourself. If you are in a position of giving advice to a contact, make sure it is good advice. Don’t shove coaching down his or her throat if it’s training they need or a consultant, or a motivator to raise morale. You’ll raise points and gain credibility by doing the right thing. It’s a code all coaches should follow. Give potential students the advice they need before giving them a class that should be down the road.
My response to an email from an Executive Director….
You indicated that it is your “goal to eventually turn over all operations to [your VP] and assume a position as Board Chair … [so] that [you] might be able to continue to form the basic direction of the intended purpose of the organization.”
Non-profit organizations go through distinct stages of “life,” much as we do. The first, which I refer to a the Childhood of an organization, is the period beginning with the (usually small) group of volunteers who have the “vision,” and where those volunteers do it all. They give of their hearts and their time, and often sacrifice to make it happen.
In the final stage of an organization, which I call Maturity, the mission is clear and ingrained, Board Members are selected for their expertise in various areas that allow them to formulate/evaluate adherence to policies, oversee corporate finances, engage in strategic planning, and help to provide/obtain much of the funding for operations.
The stage in between those two, the period of growth and painful change, I refer to as Adolescence. Part of what makes this period painful is that the 501(c)(3), in order to qualify to keep its IRS status — and probably its State non-profit status, must have a functional Board of Trustees.
By law, it is the Trustees who are responsible for the proper operation of an NPO and for oversight of its mission, policies and finances. That raises the question of who gets to be Board Chair.
Most State laws require a vote by Board Members (or members of the corporation — if you have such) to select officers. Most States also require term limits for Board Members, and for officers.
I often note that the phrase, “Founder’s Syndrome,” is used in the context of describing what’s wrong with an organization. That “syndrome” is characterized by the founder acting to dominate/control the activities/mission of an organization.
The law, however, gives that authority to the Board-as-a-whole — a Board that can change the organization’s mission with a (majority) vote. And a founder who “bullies” Board Members or doesn’t allow them to give all they can, creates an environment that weakens the NPO and doesn’t allow it to meet its potential.
The very nature of a 501(c)(3) organization is that it meets the needs of its community as determined by a Board that represents that community.
A large percentage of the horror stories told in the non-profit community involve a “founder;” but, there are also those founders (not all are evil) who are comfortable playing the limited role allowed by law. Either as Executive Director/CEO or as a Board Member serving a limited term.
Like a child, NPOs also have to be allowed to grow — to change their nature — to mature. If someone (like a founder) with the vision can adapt to a changing world, the community benefits from that person’s wisdom and from an evolving NPO serving its needs.
You’ve helped to create something of great benefit to your community…. But the hardest concept to accept is that a NPO is not the property of one individual, but of the community.
And, again, “Who gets to be Board Chair?” — the person elected to that position by the other board members !!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Have a comment or a question about starting, evaluating
or expanding your fundraising program? AskHank
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Have you heard about The Fundraising Series of ebooks.
They’re easy to read, to the point, and cheap ($1.99-$3.99) 🙂
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The attitude “I don’t give a rip about my job” happens every single day. Is it happening in your company? Did you know that 5o% of workers today would rather be someplace else? And another 20% take out their frustration every day and may be doing more harm than good. What about your people?
I have found that employees get this way when they are bored with their job, or feel like a faceless cog in a big wheel or don’t know how “what they do” specifically contributes to the goals of their department or business unit. How can you, as a manager or business owner prevent “It’s not my job” from happening within your team or department?
Three Strategies to Connect and Engage Employees
1. Communicate the importance of what they do. Every supervisor should be able to state a meaningful purpose for his department and the work that is being done. Here is a short but powerful statement that was developed by a manager for her five-person benefits group.
“Benefits are about people. It’s not whether you have the forms filled in or whether the checks are written. It’s whether the people are cared for when they’re sick, helped when they’re in trouble.”
It is a statement with the focus on the end result—serving people—rather than on the means or process—completing forms. How well do you communicate the importance of what is being done in your department?
2. Recognize the importance of recognition. The motto of many supervisors is: Why would I need to thank someone for doing something he’s paid to do? Workers repeatedly tell, with great feeling, how much they appreciate a compliment. They also report how distressed they are when their supervisor is quick to criticize mistakes but not acknowledge good work.
A pat on the back, simply saying “good going,” a dinner for two, a note about them to senior executives, some schedule flexibility, a paid day off, or even a flower on a desk with a thank-you note are a few of the hundreds of ways supervisors can show their appreciation. Money may get people in the door but it doesn’t keep them motivated to go the extra mile.
3. Tap into the importance of involvement. There may be no single motivational tactic more powerful than asking for people’s input. An accounting manager presented a list of customer complaints at a staff meeting. She then broke the group into teams to find ways to eliminate these service glitches.
Getting every one involved in problem-solving accomplished three goals. It brought the customers to the center of the department’s day-to-day operations; it lead to greater ‘buy-in” when changes had to be made in a process, policy or procedures; and finally it said to everyone that they and their ideas are valued.
As one very proud production line worker in an automotive plant said to me: “They only looked at what we could do from our neck down…now it’s for what we can do from our neck up.”
Smart Moves Tip:
It is true that most people must work to survive and money is certainly a motivator — but up to a point. For your employees to commit to and achieve great things, they need to experience purpose, recognition and involvement. As a manager you can provide that. It costs you nothing. And you will gain engaged employees who are working together to increase productivity and profitability.
How are your presentations looking these days? Even the informal, across the table presentations can have an impact on how you are perceived and how well you are able to influence others. Here is a brush-up you can use to be sure your presentations are “in the pink.” Check to be sure you and your presentations are:
Presentable. How do you look? I recently presented to a potential client wearing a jacket that rode up in back and gapped in the front. Thank goodness I had worn a layer under the jacket, but even so, I was distracted and probably not all that presentable. Always wear clothes that fit and hang well, don’t wrinkle or gap, and are clean. Take time to check your teeth and hair in the mirror before you speak. And then forget about how you look or are coming across. Focus on the audience and your message.
Present. One of the biggest challenges we have in public speaking, formal or informal, is staying in the present moment. When we let our minds wander, we often lose our train of thought and end up with “ums” and “ahs” and a very unsettling feeling. We often allow distracting thoughts or worry that something is going to go wrong, or that the audience won’t like us, or that they aren’t reacting the way we expected. Any extraneous thoughts pull you out of the moment, and you lose focus and then your communication suffers. Stay focused, stay present.
Peer tested. Sometimes we get so attached to our subject matter that we have blind spots. We lose objectivity. When that happens we need a second set of eyes on our presentations. What do peers think about your premise, your conclusions, your call to action? What about your slides? Do they shed light, add meaning, or just muddy the water? How about anticipating questions? Ask a colleague to help you anticipate objections and questions ahead of time so you can be ready for them. Be sure to ask someone who really will give you honest feedback.
Prepared. Sometimes it’s a last-minute or fill-in-for-your-boss presentation and you don’t have time for thorough preparation. But whenever you can, however you can, try to find at least a little prep time. If you are caught in a time crunch, instead of scrambling to build slides, take a few minutes to think through the big picture: what is your purpose in presenting? What is your point of view or message? What are 3-5 key key facts or points that will make your point? What are one or two illustrations or anecdotes that would illuminate your point of view in a memorable way? If needed, use a single sheet of paper or a note card or two so you don’t forget those key points.
Following these 4 P’s can definitely make your presentations more pertinent, more persuasive and more professional. What other words come to mind to help you make an effective presentation?
Author Gail Zack Anderson, founder of Applause, Inc. is a Twin Cities-based consultant who provides coaching and workshops for effective presentations, facilitation skills for trainers and subject matter experts, and positive communication skills for everyone. She can be reached at gza@applauseinc.net.
Entrepreneurship is as invaluable to large organizations as it is to small ones, perhaps more so. While big companies often can provide the resources start-up businesses lack, they also typically provide all sorts of bureaucracy, slow decision-making and red tape that can stifle entrepreneurial spirits. This can apply to for profits or nonprofits, or for that matter, some departments of government agencies, such as driver’s ed programs, or gift shops at national parks.
The flip side of that is an entrepreneurial person or a group (sometimes called a “skunk works” team) that uses innovative and risk-taking strategies to convert an idea into a profitable finished product in a large organization. Those people are sometimes described as “intrapreneurs” as in entrepreneurs “inside” a big company. They pursue the goals of the organization, working hard to break through the innovation gridlock that prevents many large companies from taking best advantage of their resources. Continue reading “Intrapreneurial Business Plans”
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