Marketing for entrepreneurs is always a challenge, especially with no budget for someone else to do it. Here’s a summary of simple best practices that will help you out-think the competition.
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Surviving Q&A
For the last two months, we’ve done a deep dive into the rough seas of audience questions and discussed several strategies for when to handle them. Now, dive even deeper to discuss how to handle them. What you do with audience questions has a critical impact on your results, often more than the overall content itself. Here are some Best Practices to help you Survive and Thrive during the Audience Q&A.
What if You’re Not the Prospect’s Best Choice?
As regular readers may recall, I’m a resident expert on sales pitches for Cleveland’s Council of Smaller Enterprises ‘Mind Your Business’ blog. I recently responded to a question from R.G. in Beachwood about what you should do if you conclude you’re not the client’s best choice during the fact-gathering conversations.
How Good is Your Greeting?
I’m tired of ranting about this issue often in ‘Communicate ‘Confidently!’. Unfortunately, the problem still exists and I wonder if I’m the only communicator who cares. So, here I go again … and don’t try to stop me.
Choose Wisely!
When you need to send a message via the medium of the written word – email, text or hard copy memo – make sure that it’s the best medium for your particular situation, not the first thing you thought of or the thing you usually think of. To Choose Wisely, review the Workplace Communication Planning Process thoroughly:
Pitch Business with Style & Class!
If you own a small business, then you need to know how to sell. A reader recently asked about the specific objective of an effective sales pitch versus the goal.
Why I Hate Note Cards
I recently encountered two different authors of presentation skill-oriented books who recommended using 3×5 note cards for preparing speaker notes. Whoa! Couldn’t disagree more. So, please allow me to respectfully disagree and rerun one of my favorite rants.
How to give your boss feedback
You give your boss feedback in the same way and for the same reasons as he or she should be giving you feedback – to reinforce improvements and enhance performance.
Maximizing Your Q&A!
Last month, we asked if your Q&A sucks and described two strategies for handling audience questions – holding them until the end and handling them anytime. Both approaches work but each has some disadvantages.
The piece ended with an intriguing offer of two hybrid strategies that involve the best features of both approaches. So, here are two solution to the Q&A dilemma.
That’s Really a Dumb Question!
And speaking of questions, let’s look at questions in a networking context. You know that old adage, ‘There’s no such thing as a dumb question’? Sorry to spoil your fantasy, but that’s wrong.