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Speaking is one of the top ways to get new clients/customers. People get to know you and you instantly start building a trusted relationship. Now that’s the way to grow a business quickly! I made the following 3 mistakes when I first started putting together presentations. I don’t want you to do the same, so here we go!

Mistake #1: Didn’t Have a Presentation Template: Duh. Each time I put together a talk, I started from scratch staring at a blank page in Word. Now I have a system I use every time. While I don’t use Microsoft Powerpoint to give the presentation, I do use it to create my presentations. I can print out the “slides” to use as my notes. I like this system because it allows me to keep just one point per page and is large print for my over 40 eyes.

1. Create Your Title. Be sure it’s clear and enticing. Tell yourself in one sentence, what you want the audience to leave with at the end of the presentation -this is for your eyes only. It helps you have a clear intention for the presentation which will keep you focused on the end goal.

2. Get their attention right away. Have an opening that is powerful and tells them what they will leave with. I’ll use my upcoming teleseminar on “How to Create an Information Product That Sells” as an example. I’ll open with this “By the end of our time together today, you will be able to create your first information product in a week or less.”

3. Give them a roadmap of where you will take them. For example, “in the next hour, I will give you 3 powerful strategies that will tell you exactly how to complete your information product in a week or less.” The 3 strategies are: #1 choosing your topic, #2 choosing the format of your product and #3 resources to use to get it done.

4. Be real. I am authentic when I present. Yes, I position myself as an expert, but I’m an expert who learned from experience and I am there to help them shortcut many of the mistakes I made. While I rarely have jokes prepared, I do naturally weave in humor and warmth into my presentations. Be yourself. This will build relationship with ideal clients who want to work with YOU.

5. Have a strong close. Don’t say “In summary.” People tend to shut you off when you do. At the end of my talks, I give the audience a “call to action.” I ask a few participants to tell us what they plan to do as a result of the talk they just heard. And then I close with a final, powerful point.

Mistake #2: Didn’t Use Stories: I thought I had to give a presentation chock full of facts to show folks I knew what I was talking about. Boring! The next time you are in the audience, count how many stories the presenter tells. If she is good, when she feels the audience’s attention wander, she’ll pull out a story. A story captivates us. I now know the power of weaving in success stories of clients I’ve worked with. This not only gets the attention of the audience, it also reinforces that when they work with me, they too can have similar successes.

If you are just starting out and don’t have many of your client’s stories to tell, you can share stories from your own experiences and the stories of others. The Chicken Soup for the Soul book series is one place to collect stories. Keep your eye out when reading magazines and newspaper articles in your topic area and collect stories to use in future talks.

Mistake #3 Didn’t Collect Testimonials: Testimonials are another great marketing tool that don’t cost a dime! Have you ever purchased a service or product after you read some great testimonials? You can place a testimonial form in each person’s handout packet or on their seat. At the beginning of your presentation you can say that “if you feel you’ve benefited by this presentation, I’d appreciate it if you’d jot down a few specific things you received and what you will now do as a result of being here today.”

Or, if people come up to you during a break, or after your presentation, and say glowing things to you, jot down what they’ve said and ask if you can use their statements as a testimonial. Get correct spelling of their name and ask permission to use their city/state. Ask if they’d like free publicity by adding their website to the testimonial or their email address if they don’t have a website. Getting their photos is a powerful tool to add to the testimonials. And now, for those of you with websites, video testimonials are the newest thing. You can purchase an inexpensive video camera like the Flip Video Camcorder to do this.

The third and last part of this article will focus on how to market your presentations without spending a fortune.

The sales negotiation process can seem like a miserable chore when the parties involved resort to underhanded tactics and sneaky methods to get what they want. But one of the most important aspects of effective negotiation is that everyone leaves satisfied, not feeling like they’ve been swindled out of a good deal. To prevent this cheated feeling, you need to follow a strategy for your negotiations.

No matter what you’re selling, or to whom, you need a reliable negotiation strategy that enables both parties to succeed in the deal. Think of your strategy as your master plan, or systematic approach. Since any strategy is only as strong as the techniques and tactics you use, think of tactics as the tools for implementing your negotiation strategy.

Without a solid strategy in place and the right tools for the job, you are likely to succumb to ineffective negotiation tactics and may end up losing sales or not getting the best outcome for you and your company. Use the following five strategies to negotiate effectively.

1. Always be Prepared

You wouldn’t jump out of an airplane without a parachute, and you wouldn’t climb a mountain without prior preparation, so why should negotiating be any different? All effective negotiations start before you actually sit down at the bargaining table. So don’t jump in without any research or planning. Take time to consider your counterpart’s situation. Ask yourself what they need from the deal, and know what you can and cannot compromise.

Negotiations for a year-long service contract will obviously require more preparation than for a one-time purchase of a product. But regardless, use preparation to gain a comprehensive view of the situation. Preparation and planned alternatives will help you stay relaxed through the negotiation. And remember that the more you know about the deal in question, the easier it will be to arrange the best solution for everyone involved.

2. Set Objective Negotiating Standards

If you want to reach a mutually beneficial agreement, everyone has to play the negotiation game by the same set of rules. Objective negotiating standards are like a set of rules established before the process starts. Many times, these standards are set by the organization, or by a government law. For example, most banks won’t grant a loan to someone buying a home until that house has been inspected and declared structurally sound. This rule is a standard that must be met before the bartering can even begin.

In most cases, you can set your own rules. For example, if you’re negotiating a carpet cleaning service contract, you may approach your client with the competitor’s price and what the client currently pays for regular cleanings as some standards for the process. By setting guidelines prior to the negotiation, you ensure that everyone operates under the same standards and everything runs smoothly.

3. Work With, Not Against, the Other Party

Good negotiations mean all parties leave the table feeling good about the agreement and about each other. In order for this to occur, everyone involved must strive for mutually beneficial solutions. When you approach the situation with this attitude of mutual satisfaction, the other party will usually disarm. Most people only get defensive when they feel like you’re out to swindle them. But if the other party knows you want to play fair, they try to play fair as well.

However, you may come across some people who don’t agree with the concept of fair play. Unfortunately, some people, regardless of how you approach negotiations, won’t play by the same high standards. No matter what you do, these individuals are prepared for battle and may bring out the heavy artillery, such as intimidation and manipulation. But you can’t stoop to their level, no matter how tempted you may be. Keep the possibility of an unfair counterpart in mind, but don’t abandon your strategy for fair play.

4. Finalize All Agreements

Keep in mind that the point of negotiation is to arrange the best deal for everyone, so ask plenty of questions. Don’t let important details slip through, and perhaps more important, listen to the client’s responses and concerns. If they are worried about customer service, or the contract length, or routine repairs on the product, then address these issues with care. When the terms are settled, make sure everyone’s perceptions match, and recap all the important details.

Depending on the impact of the deal, you may decide to put the terms in writing, such as a sales contract or agreement. Keep a copy for your records, and give the other party a copy as well. Then if any questions arise, you’ll both have a copy of the answers. And don’t sign off until both parties understand all the key points. Don’t leave any details hanging, and make sure everyone agrees to all the terms and knows what is expected.

5. Follow Through

Once you’ve negotiated the sale, developed mutually beneficial solutions, and signed the agreements, you must follow through on your part. This means you do what you said you would do, when you said you would do it, and in the manner you said it would be done. For example, if you said you’d deliver a product or service on a certain day, then make sure it’s there. If for some reason you can’t follow through as expected, make sure you contact the other party and discuss alternative arrangements.

Also, make sure the other people involved in the agreement follow through as well. Unfortunately, at some time in your sales career, you’ll inevitably run into some people who blow off agreements. In this case, you must protect yourself. But as a general rule, for everything you give, you must expect to get something in return.

Negotiating Conclusions

Negotiation is a process of give-and-take for everyone involved. When you follow a strategy, you can focus on finding solutions, rather than winning a position. Preparation gives you a comprehensive view of the situation, and standards serve as guidelines for compromise. Remember to work with, not against, your counterpart, and then finalize all the details you’ve agreed upon. Most important, once you’ve completed the negotiation process, keep your word and follow through with the deal.

As a salesperson, you naturally want your customer to be satisfied, but you also need to benefit from your hard work. When you use these strategies every time you negotiate a sale, both parties will come away pleased, and you’ll win more clients in the process.

Biography

Christmas is a time when you exchange or present Christmas gifts to everyone who is near and dear to you and who plays an important role in your life. These gifts represent your warm wishes, to send across your feelings and for motivating and inspiring. Thus, this is the best time to present gifts to your employees, partners and bosses.
 

If you do not want to spend time in engaging yourself in selecting and placing a bulk order for a personalised or corporate Xmas gift and do not want to spend much money on them either, then there are few great and simple ideas for you in store. Without spending much time and money on ordering a bulk of personalised gift items, you can still find amazing options and methods to convert affordable yet useful gift items into personalised gift items which show your gratitude and warm wishes towards your employees and co-workers on this Christmas.
 

Corporate Christmas Gifts Ideas:
 

Employee Gifts: Christmas shows your appreciation towards the hard work and efforts put by your employees throughout the year. Thus, in a sense it’s a payback time, therefore the gifts should be special. However, mostly the gifts handed out by corporate are usually predictable and non-exciting. Therefore, select an innovative and fun way of presenting creative yet practical gift items.
 

Corporate Party: organise a corporate Christmas party for your employees and co-workers. These parties do not necessarily need to be a grand and an expensive affair. However, it does not even needs to be dull and boring like a conservative buffet style dinner parties and a sit down gossip session after dinner.
 

Include seasonal music, decide some theme or arrange a fancy dress competition and award the winner. You can also arrange a Santa Claus Fancy dress competition where the contestant who looks and acts the best like a Santa gets the prize! Select a good array of food that goes along with the festive mood.
 

Gift Distribution: try an innovative way of gifting Christmas gifts this year around.Make different gift baskets and hampers like yummy gourmet hampers containing scrumptious cookies, or selection of dark chocolates, Christmas cakes of different flavours, etc. You can also get some wine baskets, book baskets containing, most selective bunch of books, a collection of DVDs, Music, gardening tools, sport gears, etc.
 

Arrange these kits on a display and allow your employees to take a pick from them according to their own preferences and taste! Make sure you get a good number of each type of gift baskets. Or, if it is possible for you, try to find out the hobbies of each of your employee and gift them a gift basket accordingly.
 

Personalise the Gifts: To personalise these gifts add a certificate to them to give them an intimate feel.
 

Every company hands out Christmas gifts to their employees, however, the way and the manner in which they are presented makes all the difference.