October 18th, 2011
Does it really make sense to use audiovisuals in every presentation? Find out why you need them and how they’ll help you create a more powerful impact.
Why Use AV Supplementation?
Nearly two-thirds of the population includes people who learn visually. In other words, you cannot grab and retain an audience if you rely only on the spoken word to convey your message. Conversely, too much visual information can cause your audience to become distracted from your message, which is why audiovisuals must be used in moderation, where appropriate, and with a sense of balance.
Ideally, you would incorporate audiovisuals (such as slides, or a PowerPoint presentation on a rental projector) to emphasize key points in your presentation, and to really drive home your takeaway bullet points.
 How Many is Too Many?
The short answer is: it depends. You would want to take all of the following into consideration:
- Is your data highly technical or visual?
- Is it complex to understand?
- Is there supporting information in the form of charts, research results, or illustrative graphs?
- Is your audience already familiar somewhat with the material, or will the presentation be more educational in nature?
- Are you presenting a variety of concepts, or one central theme?
- Is your audience on the same level with regards to prior understanding and knowledge, or will you be speaking to a broad spectrum of participants?
- Is your presentation one-sided in nature, or more interactive?
- Are you presenting on a highly technical topic with complex supporting data and statistical support?
- Are your audience members more analytical in nature?
- Is your presentation more subjective or objective?
Answering these kinds of questions will help you determine the extent to which you will need to supplement your oral delivery with visual images.
What Format Is Best?
Handouts have advantages in that they allow your participants to make notes and interact with the data, as well as having a tangible resource to take with them. However, this is not a “green” option as it requires a great deal of printing and paper waste, especially for larger audiences.
Charts that display statistical data or graphs can be very useful, but only if they are easily visible, portable, and designed for clarity and visual impact.
A slide show is perhaps the most versatile format, as it allows you to move fluidly through your data, as well as to showcase key points and incorporate charts, graphs, images, and video. The easiest way to incorporate a slide show is with a PowerPoint rental projector and a laptop.
If you choose a slide show for your next presentation, be sure to rent a projector from the industry leaders: Projector123.com. Click here to learn more.
February 16th, 2011
Whether you need to create a presentation from scratch, or you simply want to jazz up your current speech or talk with some eye-catching audiovisuals, here are some tips to help you get started without appearing amateurish or sophomoric.
 Keep It Simple
Perhaps the number one rule in using audiovisuals is to keep things simple. There’s no need to add an audiovisual for every point you make, or even for every slide. When putting text on your slides, you especially want to keep it simple because you want the slide to enhance and reinforce what you’re saying – not to replace your spoken presentation. Either include a few bullet points with 2-3 words each, or a single, powerful summary sentence. Otherwise, your audience is busy reading your slide or taking notes, instead of listening to what you are saying.
Use Restraint
Coco Chanel once advised budding fashionistas (long before that term existed, in fact) to look in the mirror before leaving their house and remove at least one accessory. In fact, when she died, there were just nine items hanging in her closet in Paris – this comprised her entire wardrobe. Consider that the same principal applies when adding audiovisual support to a presentation. Each image, audio sample, sound bite, or video clip should merely support your point or illustrate a key topic. You don’t need an audiovisual for every slide, or for every point you make. Certainly, you don’t need sound effects for your slides, and keep your visual transitions (from slide to slide) simple for any professional presentation. PowerPoint includes many bells and whistles, most of which are totally unnecessary and have no place in a professional’s presentation.
Make It Timely
Audiovisuals should only be displayed or apparent at the time that they are needed – in other words, when their presence serves to support or illustrate the speaker’s main or current point. Therefore, if you are explaining a slide that contains a detailed graph, that graph should only be visible to your audience while the graph is being discussed. When you change the topic, or move on, or field questions about some subject other than the graph, you should activate your screen saver or switch to a blank screen. This is essential in order to maintain the whole purpose of your audiovisuals – to support (not to upstage) your spoken presentation.
Let It Pop!
When you do use audiovisuals, don’t be afraid to incorporate color, bold and clear fonts, and impactful images. This, combined with the proper use of audiovisual support, is how you can truly stand out, while still looking professional and polished.
Incorporate these tips into your next presentation and your audiovisuals will be effective, without being overbearing.
Certainly, you’ll need a method for displaying your audiovisuals, and that’s where Projector123.com comes in – click here to learn more or to reserve a rental projector for your next power presentation today.
November 1st, 2010
Today we continue our ongoing series on the Psychology of Sales. This month’s topic is a biggie: goal setting. If you’ve been in the sales industry any reasonable amount of time, you’ve likely been exposed to goal setting, and may already use this valuable practice. However, you might be surprised to learn that many people are using goal setting strategies improperly (or ineffectively), thereby producing results that fall short of their true potential. In this installment, we’ll look at strategic tips for powerful goal setting.
Be Specific
All too often, a person may set a goal that is not specific or measurable, thereby making it not only difficult to hit the goal, but to know when it’s been achieved. For example, if you’ve ever set a goal to “be healthy” or gain “financial freedom” it’s unlikely that you actually achieved this goal, because it’s far too vague to focus on as an end result. If you did desire to improve your health, you could pick a specific benchmark to measure, such as the distance you can run, or lowering your cholesterol to a number under __ (some specified number), or being able to climb three flights of stairs without becoming winded, etc.
Set Goals and Targets (and Know the Difference)
A mistake made by many sales professionals involves setting targets and mistaking them for goals. A target is a task or a to-do item to achieve; a milestone or marker en route to a bigger goal. A goal is an end result, and one that inspires and drives you. For example, you might have a goal to buy a brand new BMW, and you might set specific sales targets to get you there. Setting targets without a goal is like trying to win a race when you’re blindfolded. If you can’t see where you are, and you don’t have measuring points to check your progress, you have no idea whether or not you’re winning (or even close to the finish line). Your targets should support your goal.
Infuse Passion and Emotion
Your goals should excite you; they should light you up and inspire you to press onward. Never set goals to “get by,” get out of debt, or pay your mortgage. Assume that you can achieve what you need, plus a whole lot more. Focusing on your passions is what will keep you going when the going gets tough, and it keeps you from getting bogged down in life’s “have-tos”. What are you most passionate about? It might include material possessions like clothes, a car, or a new house, or it might include intangibles such as vacations, time spent with family, or being fit and healthy. You might be passionate about contributing to a particular organization or community. Whatever excites you most is what you should focus on when setting goals.
If you’ve got a specific sales challenge you’d like assistance with, post a comment here and we’ll do our best to address it in an upcoming post. In the meantime, put your best, most professional foot forward at your next sales presentation with a rental projector from Projector123.com. Our high quality rental projectors will ensure that you create the most polished, effective presentation possible. Click here to learn more now.
October 27th, 2010
Every speaker knows that the best public speakers are the ones who truly know their audience. But what can you do if there doesn’t seem to be any time or method for learning about your audience ahead of time? Never fear – it’s Projector123.com to the rescue with simple tips for getting to know your audience when there doesn’t seem to be any time.
 Know Your Audience
This is perhaps the cardinal rule of speaking: know your audience. But at today’s breakneck speed of business, these traditional ways of getting to know your audience aren’t always feasible or practical:
- Arrive early for meet and greet
- Talk to the meeting planner about the expected audience
- Spend some time in the organization’s culture, getting to know the business itself
When you can’t do any of the above, there are still ways that you can get to know your audience. Try these tips on for size:
- Review the company’s/organization’s/event’s website. As you read the web copy, see if you can get a feel for what kind of person they’re targeting, as well as what they stand for.
- Do a quick online search for demographic information. What kind of search you do depends on what kind of information you do have about your audience. For example, if you’re speaking on location to mainly locals, you can do a demographic search about the city or the neighborhood. If you’re speaking to local real estate agents, you can search for current information about the local market. Check local news listings, etc.
- Interview someone – anyone – at the company or organization. If you can’t get face time with the CEO, don’t sweat it. In many cases, a secretary has her finger on the pulse of the organization, especially when it comes to the corporate culture or what’s going on with the employees.
- If the meeting or event planner isn’t connected with the people who will attend, see if you can get contact information (or at least a name) of last year’s speaker.
- Ask for a sample of the company’s product or service. Talk to satisfied customers. Find out whatever you can about what the company does and how it’s doing overall.
- If you can only ask key personnel (or the meeting planner, or anyone of significance) one question, make it this one: What is the number one question or concern of the people who will be attending this presentation? In many cases, this provides you with everything you need to know to craft a great presentation.
Got other great ideas for getting to know your audience when there seems to be no time? Share them with a comment here – we love hearing from you.
As presentation day approaches, remember to order your rental projector from Projector123.com. We’ll help you put your best foot forward with a slick, professional grade LCD rental projector – plus we deliver to any U.S. location you specify. Click now to find out why people are raving about Projector123.com.
October 25th, 2010
Even “regular people” (non-speaking professionals) find themselves in a position where they have to make a presentation from time to time. These simple tips can help.
Be Yourself
As tempting as it might be to mimic a professional speaker you’ve loved or admired, it is essential to be yourself. For starters, it removes a lot of tension (because you don’t have to think about how to be or who to act like), and secondly, it automatically endears you to your audience, who can smell a phony a mile away.
Know Your Material
The more thoroughly you know the material you’re presenting, the easier it is to relax and deliver a great presentation. When you know the material inside and out, the words flow more naturally, you’ll rely less on your notes, and you’ll be completely prepared for any questions that arise.
Be Enthusiastic
It’s true – enthusiasm is contagious! Can’t you recall a beloved teacher who once taught you a subject you could have otherwise cared less about? Enthusiasm makes even the driest of material seem enlivened and interesting. But careful — don’t fake it! There’s no bigger turnoff than false enthusiasm, and it can appear as condescending.
Make Eye Contact
Forget the old advice to picture the audience in their underwear — it doesn’t really work anyway. Just remember to make eye contact with individuals in the audience — a single person is far less intimidating than a whole group of people. And remember after all — they’re just people, like you. Many of the folks in your audience may have never had to give a presentation in front of a group, and if they have, then they want to see you succeed all the more.
Don’t Tell Jokes…Unless You’re Good at It
Humor is a great way to break the ice…unless you stink at it. So don’t tell over-rehearsed jokes, avoid blue humor, and don’t work jokes into your presentation unless you can really rock the punch line. Most people have a natural sense of humor that’s far more personal and inviting than preselected jokes, so if you remember to be yourself, you’re sure to win them over.
There you go – now you’re ready to rock your presentation! If you’ve got additional tips, be sure to post them in the comments below. Remember to rent a projector from Projector123.com. Audiovisuals will help you get your message across, create a lasting impression, and put your most professional foot forward (even if you’re not a professional speaker). Using a rental projector is as easy as 1-2-3. Click here to get started.
October 20th, 2010
We know that all speakers – whether brand new or seasoned professionals – are always looking for ways to improve their presentation skills and style. That’s why we couldn’t resist passing on this excellent article from Toastmasters. Toastmasters is an international organization that helps people become more competent and comfortable in front of an audience. Here are 10 Tips for Public Speaking from Toastmasters International. Enjoy!
10 Tips for Public Speaking
 How to find your confidence.
Feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural and even beneficial, but too much nervousness can be detrimental. Here are some proven tips on how to control your butterflies and give better presentations:
- Know your material. Pick a topic you are interested in. Know more about it than you include in your speech. Use humor, personal stories and conversational language – that way you won’t easily forget what to say.
- Practice. Practice. Practice! Rehearse out loud with all equipment you plan on using. Revise as necessary. Work to control filler words; Practice, pause and breathe. Practice with a timer and allow time for the unexpected.
- Know the audience. Greet some of the audience members as they arrive. It’s easier to speak to a group of friends than to strangers.
- Know the room. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids.
- Relax. Begin by addressing the audience. It buys you time and calms your nerves. Pause, smile and count to three before saying anything. (“One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand. Pause. Begin.) Transform nervous energy into enthusiasm.
- Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear and confident. Visualize the audience clapping – it will boost your confidence.
- Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative and entertaining. They’re rooting for you.
- Don’t apologize for any nervousness or problem – the audience probably never noticed it.
- Concentrate on the message – not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties and concentrate on your message and your audience.
- Gain experience. Mainly, your speech should represent you — as an authority and as a person. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. A Toastmasters club can provide the experience you need in a safe and friendly environment.
Visit a Toastmasters meeting!
Toastmasters groups meet in the morning, at noon, or in the evening in communities and corporations all over the world. No matter where you live, work or travel, you’ll likely find a group nearby.
October 1st, 2010
If you’re a sales professional, you might have noticed that there are some days when you wake up just raring to go, and then there are other days when the telephone seems to weigh 1,000 pounds. Yet making sales calls (whether to book sales appointments and meetings, or to close sales by phone) is an essential part of the job for most sales professionals. Learn some simple tips for combating “call reluctance.”
 Step #1: Set clear and specific goals.
Too often, the difference between stellar sales representatives and mediocre ones is as simple as what lies in their goals. Setting clear, powerful goals will always lead to more specific (and dramatic) results than having a laissez-faire attitude. Additionally, when you have a specific purpose that you are setting out to achieve, it helps combat call reluctance, because you are moving with a mission.
Step #2: Write out and post your goals where you can see them.
Did you know that people who write down their goals are ten times more likely to achieve their goals than people who don’t write them down? There is power and commitment in writing your goals, and posting the goals in an obvious place means you’ll see and review them frequently (as opposed to having them filed away in a drawer or journal). The more you read your goals, the more the desired outcome is impressed upon the subconscious mind, and the more quickly the result can manifest.
Step #3: Remember that people love to say “yes.”
When you are focused on creating a win-win scenario, people love to say yes. They may require your assistance in getting their questions answered, or finding a reason to say yes today instead of someday, but people love to say yes, love to buy, and love to have their problems solved. If you need proof of this, just pay attention to the other cars on the road the next time you venture out to a sales call – notice how many temporary license plates you see on new and nearly new cars. People are buying, and they are buying every day! When you keep this fact in mind, it makes it easier for you to pick up the phone and find the folks who are ready to say yes today (as opposed to dreading talking to those who want to say no).
Step #4: Take a moment to clear your mind before picking up the phone.
Notice, we recommend “a moment.” If call reluctance is creeping in, it would be easy to take an hour, a coffee break, or a “I think I’ll reorganize my desk” break but really all it takes it just a moment to clear your mind, and make your calls without a lot of background noise inside your head. Many sales professionals find it helpful to read their goals silently before picking up the phone to dial a prospect.
When you’ve got important appointments scheduled with key prospects, remember to rent a projector from Projector123.com. We are the trusted name in rental projectors for sales professionals, to ensure you put your best foot forward during any sales presentation. Click here to get started now.
September 29th, 2010
In this second segment of our ongoing series on the psychology of sales, we’ll cover a core characteristic that most successful sales people share: authenticity. Learn what it is, how to use it, and why it works.
In a nutshell, authenticity can be defined as “undisputed credibility.” When we’re speaking of people and conversations, authenticity refers to that appealing characteristic that truly honest people of integrity possess. Authenticity allows you to speak the truth, not from a place of righteousness, rudeness or ego, but from a place of truly intending to improve the situation for everyone concerned.
Authenticity is even more powerful when combined with positivity (see our prior segment on this).
Take client testimonials, for example.
Real, authentic expressions of praise from an actual client are always more powerful than solicited, contrived testimonials. It’s almost as though the energy behind the words is more powerful than the words themselves.
Here’s an example from famed marketer Joe Sugarman:
 “Have you ever wondered why companies such as Procter & Gamble and General Foods have been running those contests asking people to write down ‘Why I like (product)’ in 25-, 50-, 100 words or less?”
“Because, for the chance of winning valuable prizes, droves of people are willing to go on record as liking the product. This, in and of itself, is extraordinary because it creates countless glowing testimonials. But what’s even more amazing is that the hundreds of thousands of people who testify in writing to the product’s benefits consequently believe what they have written – and this curious phenomenon fuels unprecedented sales of the product!”
“When you use psychological devices like the one used in the above example, you glide ever so smoothly over people’s natural predispositions that it’s practically effortless for you to generate sales. This spells the greatest difference between the ethical form of mind control used in marketing, versus its evil stepbrother – the kind involving covert behavior modification techniques.”
Getting testimonials for your product or service is easy – rather than directly asking your existing clients for a testimonial, just ask them what they like most about the product or service, or have them explain why they love using it. Once they’ve explained, ask if they would be willing to allow you to share their comments with other potential clients, and you can even offer to keep their names and businesses confidential (for example, list the statement as made by “Marcus P.” as opposed to “Marcus Peterson of Dynamix International”).
To take this authenticity even further, ask your existing clients if they would be willing to refer some friends or colleagues to you. It’s completely up to you (or perhaps, your company) whether you offer any kind of incentive or reward for such referrals.
Besides gathering powerful testimonials, you can harness authenticity by practicing honesty and integrity in your everyday communication.
Stay tuned to this blog for more psychology of sales tips, designed to help you close more sales.
In the meantime, be sure to rent a projector from Projector123.com for your next sales presentation, sales meeting, or sales training event. A professional grade rental projector from Projector123.com will help ensure that you make the most polished presentation possible, and that you take advantage of using pictures worth 1,000 words each! Click here to learn more or reserve your projector today.
September 22nd, 2010
For decades, the psychology of sales have been studied and scrutinized to decipher what makes people buy. By incorporating these simple tips into your sales meetings, telephone calls, and presentations, you can see for yourself and test some simple methods that have been proven to increase the number of closed sales.
From time to time, you’ll see a new “psychology of sales” tip posted on this blog. You can always share your own tips by leaving a comment here. We love hearing from you!
But first, a disclaimer.
These techniques are very powerful and have been proven to work. These are not manipulative strategies designed to coerce a person into buying something they don’t want or need – these methods work best when the sales person truly has the customer’s best interests at heart, and feels a genuine desire to solve the client’s problems with viable solutions in the form of quality products and services.
In other words, if you continue reading this post and begin using these techniques, please use them for good and not for evil!
Tip #1 – Always Keep It Positive
No, we’re not talking about “positive thinking” here, we’re talking about getting the prospect speaking about what they like about a particular product or service, and why they like it. This helps you to frame your pitch in such a way that it hits the key points and features that the customer is most interested in. While it may seem obvious not to belabor any negative aspects of what you’re selling, it’s worth mentioned here that it’s never appropriate to badmouth another company or their product or service. If one of your competitors should arise in conversation, it’s best to merely draw a contrast between what they’re offering and what you’re offering. Notice the difference:
Negative slant:
Customer: “I’ve used Company X’s widgets in the past, but I wasn’t particularly impressed with them.”
Salesperson: “Their quality is very poor, I can’t tell you how many clients I’ve had switch over to us because they were so dissatisfied with the complete lack of organization at that company.”
Positive slant:
Customer: “I’ve used Company X’s widgets in the past, but I wasn’t particularly impressed with them.”
Salesperson: “I see. The thing that really sets our company apart from others is our commitment to quality. We actually triple check each widget for quality control before it ever leaves the factory, plus we offer a 100% money-back guarantee or hassle-free replacement for any part that might sneak past our tight quality standards.”
Can you see the difference? By keeping things positive, the sales rep in the second example stays focused on the main point: why his/her product is the best choice. In the first example, the sales rep takes a negative approach, making the other company look bad in the hopes that it will in turn make his company look better.
The bottom line is this: people almost always buy from someone they like. Staying focused on the positive rather than delving into negativity always creates a more attractive, likeable impression.
Likewise, if the prospect should mention something negative about your company, product or service, it is imperative that you keep things as positive as possible, without making excuses, and with complete integrity. For example:
Negative:
Customer: “I called to ask a technical question recently, and the person I spoke with wasn’t able to help me at all.”
Salesperson: “Oh, that was probably Suzy. She was horrible, and she’s been let go. Rebecca is our new technical expert, you’ll love her.”
(Notice how that doesn’t address the real concern the customer has – whether or not they will be able to get their questions answered when they call for assistance.)
Positive:
Customer: “I called to ask a technical question recently, and the person I spoke with wasn’t able to help me at all.”
Salesperson: “Really? What was your question? Perhaps I can answer it.”
Now the sales person can engage in a productive conversation, possibly answer the client’s question, or call someone who can answer it.
In the positive scenario, the sales rep might mention new initiatives that have been put in place (or will soon be put in place) to address any chronic issues. For example:
“We’ve just implemented a new training program for our technical staff. In fact, every technical rep we have must spend two weeks on the factory floor, training on every aspect of production, to help them better understand the process used to create our finished product. I think that the next time you call for assistance, you’ll find that the knowledgeability of our technical staff has improved dramatically. And, you can always call me, and if I don’t know the answer, I will find out from someone who does.”
See how the positive scenario actually addresses the customer’s true concern?
Look for more ways you can use positive language and the positive angle to win more sales (and get more repeat business from your existing clientele). Positivity can go a long way in closing more sales.
Know what else can help you close more sales? A sleek, professional grade rental projector from Projector123.com. To begin a hassle-free projector rental experience, click here to get started now.
September 20th, 2010
If you do a lot of public speaking, you know that you’ve got to keep your audience engaged in order to win them over and hold their attention. One of the ways you can do that is by shaking things up a little bit and keeping your audience on their toes. Here are some easy, fast tips for doing just that.
1. Be unpredictable
For example, instead of opening with, “How’s everybody doing today?” open with a funny line that doesn’t start off sounding like a joke. For example, one of the funniest opening lines I ever heard from a speaker went like this:
“Hey did everyone see my jacket?”
(Audience answers “yes.”)
“Good, now I can take it off.” (And he removed his jacket.)
/>2. Alter your voice and intonation
Avoid a monotone voice – use a variety of inflection, emphasis and intonation to keep the audience engaged. A trick used by many grade school teachers is easy to adopt: when you suddenly lower your voice to a hushed tone, you immediately grab attention, and people listen more closely.
3. Inject humor
If you’re not a joke teller, don’t worry – you can relate a funny story, insert a cartoon into your slide show, or ask for volunteers from the audience to tell their best clean, funny joke.
4. Add surprises
If you’ve got a wild or outgoing personality, don’t be afraid to use props, funny hats, or whatever other surprises you can add to your presentation. Alternatively, you can bring some advertising specialties (note pads, pens, gadgets, toys, etc.) and give them to folks who participate, ask questions, jump out to share, volunteer, etc.
5. Audience participation
If you want your audience to participate, just ask them. Ask for volunteers, for assistants, for jokes, for feedback, for brainstorming, for questions, etc. The more you ask them to participate, the more participation you’ll get, and the more engaged your audience overall will be.
Keep your audience on its toes with a powerful visual presentation and a rental projector from Projector123.com. Click here to get started.
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