Powerful,Presentations,Build,Y DIY Powerful Presentations Build Your Business

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*Article Use Guidelines*Use in opt-in publications, or on Web sites, but please includethe resource box. Please send me a copy, if possible. Many thanks.**Summary: Take the time to create presentations for your meetings, and sign up more business.Category: Small BusinessWords: 1050Powerful Presentations Build Your BusinessCopyright (c) 2003 by Angela BoothYou've set up a meeting with a potential client. You've dressedappropriately, your shoes are shined. You've got your portfolioand your business cards, and you have an idea of what you wantout of the meeting. In a word: you want business. This is the way 95 per cent of small business people approachmeetings. However, if you spend a little more time preparing yourpresentation, you'll make a more powerful impact and will getmore work.The major rule is: when you've landed a meeting, always make aproposal. Have a clear idea of exactly what you want. You presentyour proposal via a carefully scripted, and rehearsed,presentation. This is not the time to leave anything to chance,or to wing it. Before you can create your presentation, you need to know whatyour proposal is. For example, let's say you're a freelancecopywriter approaching a graphics design agency, with a view tobeing considered as a sub-contractor.Remembering "WIIFM", (What's In It For Me), you realize that youwill need to create your presentation's proposal from the view ofthe agency.Before you do anything else, make a long list of What's In It ForThem. Why does it make sense for them to sub-contract work out toyou?What's In It For Them is the heart of your proposal. On yournotes, make sure you put WIIFT on each page, so that it stays atthe front of your mind. It's easy to make the mistake of talkingabout what you want, but please don't. You can leave a CD copy ofyour presentation with the prospect, but again, it MUST focus onhow you can help them.==> Preparing your presentationThe easiest way to prepare your presentation is to usepresentation software. If you own Microsoft Office, then you alsoown Microsoft PowerPoint, it's part of Office. It's worth takingthe time to learn to use PowerPoint. It makes creating aneffective presentation easy.What do you put into a presentation? Your proposal, andsupporting material. Remember the agency wants to know what's init for them --- how you can help them make money, save money, andmake their lives easier and more pleasant. Everything you includein your presentation --- the kind of work you do, items from yourportfolio, testimonials from satisfied clients --- must relate to*them*. Think of the presentation as being a combination of a speech, anadvertisement for your services, a showing of your portfolio, anda proposal, all rolled into one. Aim to make it around 10 to 15minutes long. Have some fun with creating the presentation.Include plenty of slides with bullet points, and graphics. You can get double-value out of your presentations. Just copyyour basic all-purpose presentation onto a CD, and send it toprospective clients. You can also make your basic presentation adownload on your Web site. It's also a good idea to print out some of the slides from anypresentation you give personally, so that you can leave the slidecopies with the client after the meeting. (Note: don't hand outcopies before the meeting. You need to make sure that everyone ispaying attention to your presentation.)==> Control your nerves: rehearsal is everythingMany people hate public speaking. However, if you prepareyourself, you'll be just fine, and each presentation you givewill enhance your confidence. Write your speech out completely. Ask someone else to read it andhelp you brainstorm ideas. Then leave the speech for a week for agestation period. You'll find that other ideas will come to you,and you can incorporate these. As you prepare your speech, you can also prepare the slides inPowerPoint. Use photographs and other graphics, to bring yourpresentation to life. When you're happy with the speech, learn it. Practise giving thespeech in front of a mirror, then practise giving it as you clickthrough the slides in PowerPoint.If you don't have a notebook computer to take with you, take yourPowerPoint file along on a disk or CD. You may be able to borrowa computer. If you can't, then give the presentation without thefile, but leave the presentation CD and notes with the decisionmaker. ==> Who will be at the meeting? Pitching to decision makersBefore you set a date and time for the meeting, ask who will beattending the meeting. You need to be sure that you'll be makingyour presentation to a decision-maker in the company. If youcan't get an assurance that the decision maker will attend,postpone the meeting until she can attend. ==> Get an agreement before you leave the meetingYou've given your presentation. You've made your proposal. Nowwhat?Now you get an agreement. This is the "close" in sales-speak. It's the most important partof your presentation, aside from the WIIFM aspect. Many otherwisecompetent people skimp on the close, because it makes themnervous. However, no matter how nervous you are, you must ask forthe sale.So, in our scenario, as you wind up your presentation, you wouldask to become a sub-contractor for the agency. This will lead todiscussion, but unless you get an immediate agreement to sign youup, make sure that you attempt to close at least three more timesbefore you leave.In the best of all possible outcomes, you won't leave thebusiness before you have a check in your hand. This is your aim.So when the decision-maker says: "Yes, that sounds fine, we'dlike to put you on our books as a sub-contractor", you say:"Great, can we make a deal now? I'd like a retainer, and _______(mention the terms of your services agreement). A deposit of $Xwould be fine."Good luck with your presentations. They're a sure-fire way tobuild your business in a hurry.***Resource box: if using, please include*** Veteran multi-published author and copywriter Angela Booth craftswords for your business --- words to sell, educate or persuade.E-books and e-courses on Web site. FREE ezines for writers andsmall biz: http://www.digital-e.biz/ Article Tags: Presentations Build, Make Sure