August 10th, 2011
It’s true – we tend to buy from people we like and trust, which is one of the reasons successful networking is so important to growing your customer base. In this three-part installment, we’ll look at best practices for creating a successful networking event where everybody wins.
A Clear Purpose
Know the purpose of your networking event, and think of it from the angle of everyone involved. For example, if the purpose is for everyone to get more leads or referrals, then consider the best approach to take so that everyone gets what they need. Creating a networking event should not be for the sole purpose of recruiting new customers from the group – rather, you’ll want to build trust and give people the space to get to know each other. The purpose of your event may simply be to help everyone expand their network of contacts – whatever purpose you have in mind, allow that to be the guiding force behind decisions you make with regards to the logistics of the event.
 Set the Scope
By scope, we mean size and industry. How many people will you include in the event? Are you looking to create more of a sit-down environment where people would take turns going around the circle, explaining what they do and what kind of new clients they are in the market for? Or do you envision a large group gathering, with freestyle networking and a massive exchange of business cards. Perhaps a speed networking event is more your style. Are you considering regular monthly gatherings, or just a one-off event? Any of these types of networking events can be highly successful, but when you’ve set the scope, it will help you plan the details accordingly.
Save the Date
If you’re planning a mid-size to large event, you’ll want to give folks a heads-up so they can save the date on their calendar. Do not underestimate this step – everyone is busy nowadays and the sooner you can let people know when the event will happen, the more likely they will be to share the invitation with a friend or colleague or two.
Secure a Location
Now that you’ve decided on the purpose, style and scope of your event, the next step is to book a venue, and you’ll want to do this as early as possible. Looking to keep your event low-cost (or free)? Smaller groups can gather at your home (or someone else’s home), or perhaps at a restaurant or coffee shop or gelateria. Alternatively, if you need audiovisuals, you might secure the banquet room of a restaurant, a hotel meeting room, or local meeting facilities in your community, such as a library (some public libraries have rooms that are perfect for such a gathering) or neighborhood clubhouse (if you live in the community and pay HOA dues, your cost for reserving a facility may be lower than you think). If you choose an outdoor venue, be sure to have a backup plan in case of inclement weather, and let folks know that plan ahead of time.
In our next installment, we’ll tackle ways to get folks to come to (and commit to) your event. In the meantime, as soon as you’ve set the date, we recommend hopping onto our website to secure your rental projector. Projector123.com can provide you with a professional grade LCD rental projector for just $95 including round trip shipping.
Welcome back to part two of our four-part series on creating a successful networking event. In this installment, we’ll address ways to get people to attend your event.
 Spread the Word
It may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people start planning an event with the best of intentions, but then it turns out to be a “secret meeting.” In other words, nobody knew about the meeting except for you and a couple of close contacts. Don’t worry about over-inviting right now, just get the word out. If you find you’re having a very high number of commitments and approaching maximum capacity, then you can ease off the inviting for a bit. Create some flyers or handouts to distribute not only to your contacts, but also for your contacts to pass along to their contacts. Depending on the size of your event, you may also want to purchase targeted Facebook pay-per-click ads or post flyers around the area. If your event is open to the public, be sure to add your event to sites like Meetup.com.
Refreshments
Remember, this is a networking event, not an entertaining event. People are here to meet and greet and find new business contacts, not to pig out. Keep the refreshments light and easy to eat (a good rule of thumb is: nothing that requires a fork or sticks in your teeth). Avoid any hors d’oerves with garlic or onion, or any other strong flavors that would make attendees self-conscious about speaking in close proximity to others while networking. Most people will do nothing more than nibble, so keep the snacks simple: water and coffee, crackers and cheese, perhaps a bit of fruit. This expense should be minimal.
Prepare the Participants
It’s a good idea to let your attendees know what to expect. For example, if you’re planning a small event in someone’s home, you might let the participants know how many people are coming, so they can plan to bring enough business cards plus any flyers, brochures, samples, etc. that they would like to share. A possible agenda might look like this:
7:00-7:15pm Meet and greet
7:15-7:20pm Welcome and introduction
7:20-8:30pm Each participant gets the floor for 5-7 minutes, round robin style
8:30-9:00pm Freestyle networking
Alternatively, for a larger event, you may choose to have refreshments provided by a sponsor or local company (or food vendor). Even if your event uses freestyle networking only, you would want to make an announcement about 30 minutes into the event, to introduce yourself, thank everyone for coming, thank the sponsor for providing the food and drink, and encourage everyone to mingle.
Don’t forget to secure your audiovisuals for the event. A DVD rental projector from Projector123.com is the perfect addition to any sized networking gathering, and at $95 per rental, you can’t beat the price. Click here now to visit Projector123.com.
August 5th, 2011
Welcome back to part two of our employee retreat planning series. In the prior segment, we looked at the many benefits of planning a staff retreat, as well as how to determine the focus and choose a desired outcome. In this installment, we’ll look at specifics to include in planning your retreat.
Relax, Everyone
 It’s essential to create a relaxed environment where employees can loosen up a bit, as this will stimulate the flow of creativity (and it’s kind of the whole point of getting away from the office for the retreat). You can create a comfortable environment with:
- a venue away from the office. This can include a hotel, a retreat center, a resort, a beach house, etc.
- allowing staff to dress down for the event – shorts, tennis shoes, jeans, etc.
- relaxed food and snacking options – continental breakfast, chips and fruit and cookies, sandwiches, etc. Coffee and tea are always appreciated.
- planned free time and social time – be sure to allow some room in the schedule for unstructured socializing and relaxing together
Let’s Get Connected
There’s no point holding a staff retreat if you’re only planning to provide one-way communication the whole time. Employee retreats should be fun, engaging and interactive. Here are some tips for doing just that.
- use activities that relate to the topics at hand, but are also fun and interesting. Problem-solving exercises and teambuilding activities are far more impactful than merely talking about teambuilding.
- let group members work on the issue at hand, but in a different way or with a new dynamic
- ask for feedback – and listen when you get it! You won’t necessarily incorporate all the comments and suggestions you receive, but take these messages to heart and do whatever you can to make improvements that serve the entire team. Search for the win-win scenarios.
- give prizes – these don’t need to be expensive or elaborate. You can use anything from colorful note pads to candy bars or granola bars, to “drink tickets” or coffee mugs, etc. Get creative and reward participation.
Stick to Your Focus
You may find it makes sense to alter the agenda or schedule during the retreat, but stick to your focus no matter what. If your focus is to build team cohesiveness, then continue to work on that. If your focus is to solve a particular problem, you can certainly change an approach that isn’t working, but stay committed to the focus no matter what. Otherwise, people will leave the retreat feeling like nothing was accomplished, and all your planning and hard work may be for naught.
Plan some icebreakers, and be prepared to step in and get things going. At the end, clarify the takeaway so that everyone departs feeling like the time was well spent. People are busy and like to know that they have made good use of their time.
Most importantly, be sure to include a rental projector for your staff retreat. You may use it to demonstrate key points, showcase a photo slide show at the end of the retreat, and show DVD movies during down time. Audiovisuals go a long way towards holding people’s attention and helping them stay focused. Visit Projector123.com today to reserve your rental projector.
August 3rd, 2011
Employee retreats (also called “staff retreats”) have become increasing more popular over the years, as business and corporate culture have put a higher emphasis on relationships, team-building, and employee retention and buy-in. If you’ve been put in charge of coordinating your company’s annual employee retreat, here are some tips to help you get started.
Benefits of Employee Retreats
There are many advantages to coordinating a retreat for your staff, which makes the experience a worthwhile expense in time, effort and funding. Here are some of the highlights:
- Team members gain a sense of appreciation, especially if the retreat is well-done, the environment is relaxed, and the employees are well cared for
 - Fosters a sense of team unity, which can have a positive impact on the commitment level of the team and its individual members
- Promotes a sense of cohesiveness (especially when the focus is for a particular project or aspect of the business) which typically can’t be achieved under normal working circumstances in the office environment
- More effective strategic planning and long-term vision and goal setting
- Increased boost in team creativity and problem-solving strategies
- The resulting catharsis of the team makes the team more effective, with improved conflict resolution (and reduction in overall conflicts) and more effective teamwork when returning to the work environment
- Improved interpersonal relationships among team members, and typically, an improved perspective on the company and its mission, vision and goals
- The opportunity to escape the daily routine and focus completely on teambuilding and the current focus, project or strategy without distractions
Narrowing the Focus
Now that we’re clear on the benefits of regular staff retreats, the next step is to define the focus of this upcoming retreat. What is the ultimate desired result? Here are some possibilities:
- Solve a specific problem, for example a chronic problem that requires input from key players and lots of problem-solving skills and ideas
- Launch something new – this can include a new product, service, vertical, internal program, etc.
- Build a cohesive team and foster cooperation and loyalty – this is ideal for newly formed teams or teams that have recently changed members or taken on new members or a new primary focus
As you mull over the possibilities for your upcoming staff retreat, remember to reserve your rental projector from Projector123.com. A weekend rental will allow you to reinforce key points, post results from previous brainstorming sessions in an interactive way, use mind-mapping, or provide entertainment for off-hours. Visit Projector123.com today to rent a projector.
July 15th, 2011
In this installment of the Psychology of Sales, we look at reasons why people buy. When you fully understand the motivation behind a person’s decision to buy, you can more easily close the sale and create more happy customers.
People Buy to Meet a Need
Perhaps the most basic and straightforward reason people buy is to meet a basic need of food, shelter, water, health care, connectedness, etc. Products and services that meet basic needs are often the ones with the most competition. If your product meets a basic need, you will find yourself spending less time answering the question “Why should I buy this?” and more time answering the question “Why should I buy yours?” Be prepared to answer that question – whether spoken aloud or not – fully and completely in order to close the sale.
 People Buy to Fit in
Unfortunately, peer pressure doesn’t disappear completely once we survive our teenage years – it continues on well into adulthood. This motivating factor is related to what looks good, makes us feel attractive or successful, what’s in style, or what everyone else is doing. This is where testimonials and “social proof” come in very handy during a sales presentation.
People Buy to Make Life Easier
This motivating force is evident by the number of “As Seen on TV” products – gadgets and gizmos designed to take the stress and struggle out of everyday activities like chopping vegetables or watering plants. If you can show a potential customer how a product or service will make their life easier, you will be halfway to closing that sale.
People Buy Because It’s Fun or New
Some enjoy buying because the act of getting something new is fun – others love to buy experiences, items and games for the entertainment value. If you’re selling business-to-business, this may not be the key motivating factor in your sales pitch. However, most people (including business owners and decision makers) are drawn to the “new” which means if there’s anything new or improved about your product or service, you’ve got a good angle for holding the prospect’s interest.
People Buy to Avoid Pain
Even more powerful than the pursuit of pleasure is the avoidance of pain. People (including your prospects) will go to great lengths to avoid pain. However, keep in mind that using this motivating factor in sales requires you to make the prospect feel a little pain…remind them of what happens (or could happen) when things go wrong and then show them how your product or service helps avoid that discomfort or stress.
People Buy to Get a Good Deal
Social coupon sites have positively exploded in the past year or two, and that’s largely because people hate to miss out on a good deal. Nearly forty percent of online purchases are impulse buys, and daily deal sites play to that spontaneity. If you can show your prospect why what you’re offering is a deal that is too good to pass up, and give them a reason to buy right now, then you’re surely close more deals, more quickly.
It’s a well-known fact that people also tend to buy when they can see, feel and experience the product or service (or what it will feel like when they do). Renting a projector and including a slideshow presentation can help close more sales by using audiovisual support to put your prospect in a buying frame of mind. Click here now to rent a slideshow projector from Projector123.com today.
July 6th, 2011
Trade shows offer an excellent way to gain additional exposure for your product or service, to network, to learn more about what’s going on in your industry, and to amass huge amounts of leads. Here are our top tips for getting the most out of your next trade show booth rental.
To put it simply, just imagine that you were a participant in the trade show, and think about what would attract you to visit a particular booth or vendor. Consider the appearance and persona – these are the first two areas we’ll focus on in this article. Then, we switch over to the vendor perspective, and consider what makes the trade show appearance most valuable: viable leads. That’s where contact information capture becomes important, as well as follow-up and follow-through.
 Appearance
One of the key aspects to attracting more folks to your trade show booth is the appearance. Remember, you’ll be competing for attention with a lot of other booths, so it’s important to stand out and garner interest, while maintaining professionalism. This includes your personal appearance – dress appropriately for the event, but make sure your own appearance is neat and polished. Keep your booth tidy and orderly, and give passers-by a reason to stop in and learn more – you can accomplish this with a freebie, contest or giveaway, or an LCD flat screen monitor that showcases your product or service. At the very least, rent an LCD projector and a screen to display images or video about your company and its offerings.
Persona
It’s not only your persona, but the “mood” of your booth that can make or break your success at a trade show. You’ll want to remain enthusiastic (but not overbearing) and interested (but not intrusive). There’s a delicate balance to strike between being too over-eager, versus too laissez-faire. Think about trade shows you’ve attended – what made you feel most comfortable at your favorite booths? A warm, genuine smile and friendly conversation goes a long way.
Capture
If you don’t provide some way of capturing contact information for everyone who visits your booth, you are most definitely leaving money on the table. This can be as simple as a clipboard-and-pen system, or as complex as PC tablet rentals. Hosting a contest or giveaway (random drawing) is an excellent way to entice visitors to share their contact information, allowing you to collect valuable leads.
Follow up
This is perhaps the most overlooked step in any trade show experience. Once you’ve collected names and contact information (email addresses or telephone numbers) from the event, the next step is to go through and contact all these warm leads. Be sure to add a personal note or phone call to anyone with whom you made a live connection.
Remember to check back later in the month – we’ll be providing additional information on trade show follow-up tips, plus sample emails you can swipe or tweak for your own use.
In the meantime, why not take a minute now to secure your rental projector for your trade show booth? The process is quick and hassle-free – just click here now to rent a projector from Projector123.com.
June 22nd, 2011
Check out this excellent article from Rosemary Haefner on dressing down for the summer months (without looking like a schlep). Speaking of summer business, there’s no need to drag a heavy rental projector around with you while traveling, speaking or making sales presentations this summer – instead, rent a projector from Projector123.com and let us deliver to your final destination. Enjoy a hassle-free professional-grade rental projector from Projector123.com and this summer, you can save the sweating and heavy lifting for the gym.
Business Casual Tips for Summer
By Rosemary Haefner
 We’ve been waiting months to store away our away our scarves and sweaters. But there’s a down side to the balmy weather: Even if you take off your suit jacket, the shirt underneath it is plastered to your sweaty back before you board your train.
Business casual dressing is a challenge year-round, but figuring out what clothing is acceptable for the office — but comfortable enough for the heat — gets even harder in the summertime. Are polo shirts professional enough? Do you really need to wear pantyhose when it’s so hot you can barely pull them on?
Before you go shopping for your summer work wardrobe, consult your company’s dress code. You may have a formal policy on whether seasonal pieces like sandals and T-shirts are acceptable. If your company does not have a written dress code, ask yourself the following questions:
- What kind if industry do I work in? Is it typically very conservative?
- What is my office culture/environment?
- What image am I trying to portray?
- Do I have frequent contact with customers?
Some general guidelines
- Spring and summer clothing are defined by bright, cheery colors. Don’t be afraid to add some of this color to your work wardrobe. Even the most conservative wardrobes can look more seasonal with a colorful scarf or pin. That said, don’t go overboard. A pink shirt, skirt, shoes, scarf and handbag will have you looking more Easter egg than office chic.
- White and lacy clothing are especially popular this year, but if you choose to wear these fabrics, also make sure you’re wearing appropriate undergarments. A little overexposure can go a long way in souring your credibility.
- You should also always keep a cardigan or blazer at your desk. It can provide a quick cover-up if you get called in for an important meeting, and can also come in handy in an overly air conditioned office.
The gray area
When it comes to specific seasonal attire, employers’ policies vary greatly. Check with your employer before wearing:
Sandals and open-toed shoes — If your toes are going to be exposed, keep your feet clean and neatly pedicured.
Capri pants and gauchos — Some styles of these cropped and flowing pants can be quite dressy. If you choose to wear them, pair them with dressy, professional heels.
Polos and T-shirts — Stick to conservative, basic styles in a good quality material. Shirts should never be too tight or have large prints or logos.
Trendy jewelry — Big earrings, necklaces and belts are very popular right now, but use discretion when wearing them to work. Avoid wearing accessories — like large earrings that jangle — that can become distracting to others.
Leave these at home
Above all, avoid any clothing that is sheer, sloppy or revealing. The following are some of the worst offenders:
- Denim shorts
- Short skirts
- Halter, strapless or tank tops
- Flip-flops
- Workout attire
- Beachwear
- Midriff-bearing clothing
- Concert T-shirts or shirts with offensive slogans or logos
Bottom line: Go ahead and enjoy the season, but when it comes to office wear, always err on the side of conservative.
Rosemary Haefner is the Vice President of Human Resources for CareerBuilder.com. She is an expert in recruitment trends and tactics, job seeker behavior, workplace issues, employee attitudes and HR initiatives.
June 3rd, 2011
There is no denying that the use of visual aids can help facilitate the closing of far more sales than the use of a verbal presentation alone. But in case you’re inclined to skip the rental projector for your next major sales presentation, you might want to consider the following factors.
A World of Visual Learners
Nearly two-thirds of the population tend to learn visually, so if you’re relying solely on the spoken word to close your sales, you’re almost certainly leaving money on the table. Visual aids help cement the key points of your presentation, and also aid in retention of information. This can be especially helpful if you find yourself giving your pitch to a decision-maker who ultimately has to get approval from a higher decision maker. The more key fact they can relate, the better the chances of receiving the green light for purchase.
Problem Solving: Means to an End
It has often been noted that the best sales professionals are those who can truly listen to their prospects, discover the prospect’s most pressing problems, and offer feasible solutions for resolving the problems. In this way, problem solving is a means to an end for any sales professional worth his or her salt. Now just imagine how much more of an impact a sales representative can make with visual support. This makes it even easier to demonstrate the problem-solving features and benefits of the product or service in question, through the use of key facts, statistics, research, demographics, client testimonials, etc.
To Envision Themselves
The best sales professionals are well aware that one of the most certain ways to close a sale is to assist the prospect in envisioning themselves happy, and finally free from their most pressing problems. When the prospect sees themselves as happy as a result of using your product or service, the sale virtually closes itself. Visual aids assist in this mental envisioning process, also called “visualization,” which has been studied in depth for decades. The positive response is remarkable, and you will notice a difference in your closing rates when you can incorporate this envisioning process into your sales conversations with prospects.
/>Overcoming Objections
Preparing a presentation ahead of time allows you to address the most common objections, without feeling as though you are overcoming objections (which is considered a turnoff by most prospects). For example, if the most common reasons for someone not to buy from you include cost and time investment, you can easily refute these objections with clearly displayed data in your PowerPoint presentation.
The Polished Professional
Let’s face it – a sales professional who arrives and presents a polished, clear and informative presentation in a highly professional format (such as a portable LCD projector) appears far more polished than a sales professional who arrives with only a briefcase. Audiovisuals close more sales, period.
As if these aren’t reason enough to rent a projector for any key sales presentation, Projector123.com provides even more reasons: you’ll find only professional-grade, fully reliable, surprisingly affordable projector rentals, delivered when and where you need them. Click here now to learn more.
May 4th, 2011
We continue our Psychology of Sales series with a look at how images and visual support can impact your ability to close even more sales. You’ve heard the clichés: a picture is worth a thousand words, don’t just tell ‘em – show ‘em, have to see it to believe it, etc. These are more than just trite axioms you’ve heard hundreds of times – they are truths, and if you’re in the sales industry, it would behoove you to pay attention to visuals during your sales presentations.
 Approximately two thirds of all people are visual learners, which means they must see something (images, people, film, etc.) with their eyes in order to fully understand and retain the information. If you don’t have a visual component to your sales presentation, you are certainly missing a beat.
Visual elements can be added in a number of simple, seamless ways, for example:
- hand the prospect a brochure, pamphlet, sample, or other visual representation or summary of your product or service
- direct the prospect to your website, where he or she can view statistics, testimonials, examples, specifications, research results, movies, etc.
- use some kind of dynamic visual during your presentation (projector and slide show, laptop, three-ring binder, etc.)
- have the prospect interact with you by instructing them to draw an illustration that makes your point more evident, details benefits or features in a line-by-line fashion, calculates simple (yet impressive) numbers realistically representing their cost savings or potential earnings, etc.
- show the prospect photos and written testimonials from other satisfied clients (this is sometimes called “social proof”)
- bring your product with you, and if you can’t give the prospect a sample, demonstrate use of the product so they can see how it works
- have the prospect close their eyes and imagine something (especially if you can have them imagine the solution to a problem they have, a solution that is preferably created by whatever you’re selling!)
By adding one of more of these visual selling methods to your presentation or pitch, you should notice an increase in your closing rate.
But what if you’re stuck with strictly phone sales? Don’t worry, you can still incorporate visuals by directing prospects to your website, having them write down your name and telephone number, emailing (or snail mailing) them a follow up message, shipping a sample or brochure, etc.
In the psychology of sales, we look at specific reasons that people buy, and visual support is definitely one of those factors. Many real estate agents have said that the easiest way to sell a house is to help the potential buyer see or imagine themselves living in the house. If they can “see” it, then they are much more likely to buy it.
To cinch your next sales presentation, why not arrange for a rental projector from Projector123.com? We provide only the highest quality rental projectors, and ordering is as easy as 1-2-3. Click here now to discover the Projector123.com difference today.
April 27th, 2011
We’re back with another installment in our ongoing series called the “Psychology of Sales,” and this time our topic is the mindset of success. It’s true – the most successful people all have something in common: they have trained their minds to focus on success.
Think about it, have you ever met a truly successful person who spent all their time focusing on problems, complaints, or what wasn’t working? Odds are, the most successful people you’ve met are focused on much more positive things: their goals or desired outcome, the action steps necessary to get there, problem solving, creating win-win scenarios, and much more.
 We’re talking about more than just positive thinking or a good attitude – we’re talking about cultivating the mindset of success. This means surrounding themselves with positive people and masterminding with winners — people who are focused and connected. Additionally, most successful people do not allow themselves to be subjected to a lot of negative communication. Instead, they prefer to watch positive, uplifting films and television, and read personal development or motivational books and magazines.
Put simply, successful people eat, breathe, speak, hear and surround themselves with: success.
Additionally, successful people typically feel fairly neutral about failure. They understand that some failures are inevitable, and that failure is part of learning. When they fail, they don’t need to be ashamed or fall into a deep depression, they simply realize that they just found one of the ways that won’t work, and now they can look for a way that will work.
So how can you cultivate this mindset of success? Here are some tips:
1. Start a media fast. It’s true – the vast majority of media content is negative in nature, especially the news. Try putting yourself on a media diet for just one month – no news, newspapers, gossip magazines, horror movies – nothing that falls outside of the “motivational media” description
2. Read inspiring or uplifting books and materials. Check out the “personal development” section of your local library or bookstore. If that’s too far outside your comfort zone, stick with motivational biographies and non-fiction.
3. Set some powerful goals. Check out earlier posts on this blog for powerful goal-setting tips.
4. Start a mastermind group. Find a handful of likeminded individuals who are also committed to their own success and meet on a regular basis to discuss ideas and help each other be successful.
5. Focus on success. Imagine what it will be like when you’ve already achieved your goal, and focus on your own imminent success.
Want to ace your next sales presentation? Click here now to rent a projector from Projector123.com today and put your best foot forward to close your next big deal.
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