By Sharon Saylor

In my work as a women’s executive coach and behavioral communications specialist, I’ve long advocated the use of visual communication strategies to communicate important messages, especially during presentations.

Visual communication strategies support your words. Your body language, written language, environmental cues (such as logos, pictures, signs, colors) and even the location the visual is placed can all be used to support your verbal message.

Visual communication strategies create mutual understanding and are used to communicate one or more of these PERFECT Messages™ during a presentation.

Persuade: Use visuals to show relevance or emphasize your message.

Explain:   Use visuals to clarify the meaning.

Recall:     Use visuals to boost memory. (People retain 10% of what they heard, 35% from a visual only and 65% from a combination of the two: a presentation using both visual and verbal.)

Feature:   Use visuals to set the tone.

Enhance: Use visuals to expand or add value to your words.

Connect: Use visuals to create familiarity and build mutual understanding.

Train:       Use visuals to demonstrate or show a sequence to complete.

For example, Step 1: Remove the cap, Step 2: Measure one teaspoon.

Even knowing all of the above, as I’ve trained how to use visuals to support your message for years, when Angelique asked to see my capability brochure*, it was one of those embarrassing “DUH” moments when I had to say, “I don’t have one. Would you like to see my media one-sheet?”

In only the way Angelique can, moments of gracious silence pass….

“Why don’t I have one?” I ask myself. Well, honestly, I never thought about it. “How funny is that!”  I continue arguing with myself.  “Seems like one of those obvious things to have, similar to the media one-sheet really, but for your prospective clients….” As a result, over the last couple of weeks, I’ve diligently perfected my capability brochure.

Now that it is complete, I realize a capability brochure is the perfect visual.  It contains all the P–E-R-F-E-C-T Message elements: It explains what I do (persuade); tells the reader what they will receive working with me (explain); creates a visual memory (recall); sets the tone of what to expect from working with me (feature); shows the value you will receive (enhance); shows a mutual understanding of what they want (connect); and shows them how to work with me (train)….  Thanks Angelique.

Want to learn about more incredible, useful tools?

Join me when I cherry-pick Angelique’s brain on capability brochures and her other “magic tricks” for getting your message out to corporations and companies looking for services just like yours on Messages, Meaning and Money Radio with Sharon Sayler, May 23^rd at 1pm PDT / 4pm EDT.

Tune in at http://sharonsayler.com/Listen-in-MMMRadio

* Capability Brochure: A clear, concise services profile in brochure (or PDF) visual format. It is just the ticket to substitute for or reinforce your verbal messages to show how you can be just the ticket they need. (Ask Angelique Rewers, The Corporate Agent. She knows.)

Sharon Sayler is on a mission to support professional women to become the leader who achieves influence at the table and gets the meaningful relationships they desire. As a behavioral communications expert, executive coach and the founder of Competitive Edge Communications, a multi-national consulting and mentoring practice, she’s dedicated to teaching women professionals how to use words to change minds and what behaviors will change outcomes.

Her expertise in verbal and nonverbal communication, gender and learning style communication differences, group dynamics, managing conflict, and negotiations brings out your natural charisma to construct meaningful relationships. Sharon’s latest book, published John Wiley and Sons, What Your Body Says (And How to Master the Message): Inspire, Influence, Build Trust, and Create Lasting Business Relationships, has been released in five languages. It is suggested reading in universities around the world. Learn more at http://www.sharonsaylor.com.

If you liked today’s article, you’re welcome to use it in your own ezine or blog as long as you include the following blurb:

Known as The Corporate Agent, Angelique Rewers, ABC, APR, teaches micro business owners and solopreneurs around the world how to grow their small business by working with Big Business. Get her FREE CD and articles at www.TheCorporateAgent.com.

Whether you are selling your services to small business owners or big corporations, one of the best ways to get face-to-face with your ideal clients is by sponsoring and exhibiting at events.

But because sponsorships and exhibits require a significant investment of your time and money, it’s important to make sure you plan carefully so you see a worthwhile return.

Where many small business owners fall short, however, is not giving enough thought to what they should be doing both before an event as well as after an event in order to boost their results. In today’s article I share with you six proven strategies pulled straight from my days years ago as a trade show manager. There are two for each stage of the planning process.

Pre-Event Strategies

1. Establish your one primary goal for the event. Surely it has to do with generating new business. But you want to think more specifically than that. For example, do you want to sell a lot of low-cost information products while you are at the event? Or are you looking to schedule phone appointments for a high-end consulting or coaching program? Once you know what your chief goal is, let that be the driver in how you plan out your exhibit and sponsorship materials.

2. Build excitement ahead of time. If you wait until you arrive at an event to start driving traffic to your exhibit booth or table you’ve missed a lucrative window of opportunity. You want to begin your promotions to attendees at least several weeks ahead of the actual event. Build excitement by dangling a compelling reason why they should stop by and see you — such as fabulous free samples or an irresistible giveaway.
    
   And how exactly do you contact attendees ahead of time? Once upon a time you had to rely on the event organizer to sell you access to the registration list. (You can still negotiate that, by the way.) But nowadays, thanks to blogs and social media sites, it’s easier than ever to get in front of attendees before they arrive.
    
   Bonus Tip: If part of your sponsorship agreement includes your logo on the event website, be sure that your logo links back to a special page on your website dedicated to your exhibit. Use videos, sales copy and photos to tell attendees about all the exciting things you have planned for them at the event!

In-Event Strategies

3. Line up help. This is a non-negotiable. It’s impossible for you to focus on having meaningful conversations to qualify prospects at the same time you’re collecting contact information, handing out giveaway items and scheduling follow-up calls. If you decide to invest in an event, then don’t cut corners. Even with a tight budget you can hire an intern or “temp” in the city where the event is taking place.

4. Do something exciting! The biggest problem I see with sponsorship tables these days is that they are a total snore. But exhibits are the time to let loose, have a little FUN and be CREATIVE! Give out yummy food samples. Hold a crazy contest — and award the winner something fabulous. Rent a photo booth. Hire a chair massage therapist. Just do something out of the box!!!! If you need some inspiration, check out www.exhibitoronline.com to see what professional trade show managers are up to these days. (Hint: It’s always important to check with the event organizer if what you’re doing involves fire, water or noise!)

Post Event Strategies

5. Follow up fast. It’s critically important that you block out two full days on your calendar immediately following the event… when interest levels are at their highest (and before your memory begins to fade). In addition to making phone calls to people who I feel I can really help grow their business, I also like to get an email message out within 24 hours to everyone who stopped by my table.

6. Make a “lessons learned” list ASAP. This may seem trivial. I promise you that it’s not. Your memory will fade. So if you don’t quickly capture all the lessons from your event, you will be destined to repeat the same mistakes again. Pay special attention to the total amount of your expenses and the amount of sales you generate within one week of the event. Ask yourself: what changes could I make to drive even more sales? By focusing on continuously improving your strategy you’ll be able to drive a higher and higher return on your financial investment.

Want to go deeper into planning your exhibit and sponsorship strategies so you can gain visibility, establish yourself as a thought leader and drive your revenues up, up and away? Contact my team today to learn how you can schedule a one-on-one VIP strategy day with me.

If you liked today’s article, you’re welcome to use it in your own ezine or blog as long as you include the following blurb:

Known as The Corporate Agent, Angelique Rewers, ABC, APR, teaches micro business owners and solopreneurs around the world how to grow their small business by working with Big Business. Get her FREE CD and articles at www.TheCorporateAgent.com.

By Leslie Shreve

Over the years, in your endless search for work day bliss, I imagine you’ve established your routines at work for getting things done. You may have followed the advice of the hottest gurus or just created your own way to balance all the demands made upon you from moment to moment.

So how’s your routine working?

Are you stuck in a few work day ruts? Do you recognize when you’re stuck? Have you been buried by an avalanche of information, succumbed to multi-tasking and gotten sucked into the greatest source of an unproductive work day – reactivity?

Let me share with you 3 common road-side ruts you may find yourself in these days and the easy solutions to get you out. Are you ready to get back on the road to peak productivity?

Rut #1: Treating everything on a “first come, first served” basis

I have clients who have told me they “live from their Inbox” or they complete things as they show up, making it a priority. Do you do that too? Do you drop what you’re doing now so you can do something else just because it’s quick and you’d rather not put one more thing on your to-do list?

If you’re bouncing through your day from task to task as people, phones, and e-mails make more demands on you, you’re treating everyone and everything on a “first come, first served” basis. Then, because everything is a priority, nothing is a priority and your time can easily disappear. Before you know it, you’ve taken care of all those tasks and requests at the expense of your priorities.

Easy solution: You’ll feel good about accomplishing a really big, important task or a few little important ones regularly once you learn how to set boundaries, protect your time and keep your focus. Your work day is not a short-order deli. It’s your work day, with an emphasis on your. You never want to lose too much time focusing on what others deem important, when it’s not one of your priorities… unless it’s your boss making the demands. Then you’ll have to weigh the priorities.

Don’t always have an open-door policy. Don’t pick up the phone every time it rings. Don’t check your e-mail or succumb to the e-mail alerts you have enabled. At other times you will do all of these, but please…. allow yourself at least two hours each day that are all yours, quiet and uninterrupted, to get… things… done!

Rut #2: Your task list is on a cocktail napkin

When it comes to getting to-dos out of your head, it’s true: anything to write on will do. But it shouldn’t stop there.

I’ve seen clients use napkins – both the lunch and cocktail varieties – and even a barf bag from an airplane for writing down to-dos. My client said, “That’s all I had to write on!” Hey, that’s ok with me. It’s is a good first step, but it is not the end of managing those tasks, nor is it even possible to prioritize those tasks with everything else on your plate.

Easy solution: Create a “Mission Control” for yourself, electronically. There should be one place in your computer, hopefully within your e-mail system, that you feed all your tasks, reminders, and to-dos so that no matter where or how you collect these, you bring them back to the mother ship. Then you can reduce the reminders around you and you won’t lose tasks and priorities among the mass of information on your desk.

Rut #3: Following the “Touch it once” Advice

You’ve heard that age-old advice “touch it once” for your papers, files, e-mails, etc. so you can be most efficient and save time later by not touching it again?

Hogwash! Forget it! If you’re failing at doing this and you feel bad about it, let it go. I hereby free you from the guilt! It’s the most  ridiculous bit of advice I’ve ever heard. Well, almost, but that’s for another article. This one is near the top of the charts though.

Easy solution: Every time you’re touching something, make a decision on it. That’s the most important point here. You may touch something 10 times in its lifecycle as a task because you’re not always going to resolve it immediately. Not for tasks that require e-mails, calls, research or getting consensus from others. So every time you touch something, anything, make a decision on it and get everything one step closer to done.

How to Take it Further: Making decisions, tracking tasks and protecting your time are not always easy without a system you can count on and processes to follow every day, so if you’re looking for the solution to the productivity road blocks you could be encountering you’re invited to join Leslie for the 6-week Taskology™ Boot Camp starting May 2, 2012. Click here to reserve your seat and find out how to get to peak productivity faster and easier.

About Leslie Shreve

Leslie is a productivity expert and founder of Productive Day. Combining more than 13 years of corporate experience and more than 8 years running her own business, Leslie created Taskology™ – her system to teach business owners, executives and driven professionals how to get clarity, control and confidence back in their work day so they can enjoy more freedom, focus and success.

 For more helpful products and unique services, visit www.ProductiveDay.com and start your transformation today.

Did you hear the news? I’ve been recognized in a very special way… I’ve won an Espresso Award!

Right up front you need to know…there’s no posh ceremony…no corny canned jokes or awkward moments at the podium… but there is some swag… for you!

First… what the heck is an Espresso Award?

Cathy Demers, who interviewed me for her popular weekly education series – the Business Success Cafe, has hosted 50 Cafe events (yep…50!)

To celebrate she’s recognizing 7 of the “best of the best” presenters to receive an Espresso Award.

The Business Success Cafe events, each only 20 minutes long, are the perfect 20- minute coffee break for busy business owners. Since espresso packs the biggest punch in a tiny little cup…the name “Espresso Award” seems most appropriate.

And the swag? Not what you might expect… but better!

You are invited to attend, at no charge, a virtual version of our “walk down the red carpet!

All 7 award winners will be strutting their stuff (without the tuxes and sequined gowns) during the…

Business Success Cafe Marathon!

On April 5, once per hour for 7 hours, Cathy will re-broadcast one of the 20-minute award-winning, education- packed webcasts…and you get to attend…for free!

Check it out and choose the award-winners you want to watch.

If you liked today’s article, you’re welcome to use it in your own ezine or blog as long as you include the following blurb:

Known as The Corporate Agent, Angelique Rewers, ABC, APR, teaches micro business owners and solopreneurs around the world how to grow their small business by working with Big Business. Get her FREE CD and articles at www.TheCorporateAgent.com.

Whenever I speak to a group of micro business owners or solopreneurs about selling to high-paying corporate clients, there’s one “objection” I hear more than any other: “Angelique, doesn’t it take a loooooooong time to land corporate clients?”

My answer to that is always the same: “That depends on YOU.”

That’s right. The power to slash the sales cycle to virtually nothing depends entirely on the decisions you make and the actions you take.

In this article I share with you four strategies you can use to get to the sale immediately. (And by the way, these strategies work no matter what size company you’re targeting — from the self-employed professional all the way up to the global conglomerate.)

1. Sell the fire extinguisher to put out their fire. There are two expressions that are used on a daily basis in the corporate world: “fire drill” and “running around with your hair on fire.” Both statements refer to the same thing — a chronic sense of being in a state of emergency.

   This creates an atmosphere where corporate people are so insanely busy that the only thing they have time to deal with in a given day is the ONE thing that’s so urgent it’s practically on fire. Your goal in your sales conversations and marketing materials is to show how what you do will be the perfect fire extinguisher to put out that fire.

2. Chase ambulances.There’s a very good reason why personal injury attorneys earned the reputation of being “ambulance chasers.” In reality, they’re simply being smart sales people by targeting their services to the right people at the RIGHT time. (Why on earth would anyone need a personal injury attorney if they weren’t hurt?)

   You can put this same strategy to work for you in the corporate marketplace. By approaching potential clients at precisely the moment they most need you, you can eliminate the competition and dramatically cut the time it takes to close the sale.

3. Speak music to their ears. No, I’m not talking about corporate gobbledygook or jargon. I’m talking about saying the right things — the things that will grab their attention, RESONATE with what’s happening in their workday right now, and make them feel like you’re practically reading their minds. The more closely you match your words to what’s relevant and timely to them, the more easily they’ll see how your services (and the benefit of those services) are just what they need — and they’ll make it a priority to talk with you.

4. Think “who” not “what.” You know the expression: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”  So when you’re trying to bring in clients (and revenue) fast, your best bet is to focus on the relationships you already have in your network – friends, family, neighbors, former coworkers, parents of your kids’ friends, other small business owners… Even if the people you know aren’t in a corporate decision-maker role, they can still point you to the right person in their company, saving you a tremendous amount of time and energy trying to track down the information yourself.

Are you stuck trying to apply these sales strategies to your business? If so, let me help! Simply schedule your one-hour private Opportunity Call and we’ll zero in on the immediate corporate client opportunities that are available RIGHT NOW for you and your business.

If you liked today’s article, you’re welcome to use it in your own ezine or blog as long as you include the following blurb:

Known as The Corporate Agent, Angelique Rewers, ABC, APR, teaches micro business owners and solopreneurs around the world how to grow their small business by working with Big Business. Get her FREE CD and articles at www.TheCorporateAgent.com.