Business

Presentations are the key to securing clients and funding. The art of public speaker has been discussed for thousands of years, and new books are still being published today. In some cases, however, people can over-think their presentations. In reality, presentations do not have to be too complicated. Here are five tips for engaging clients in a presentation.
 

1. Eye Contact

The psychology of business presentations has been discussed endlessly, and much of this advice deals with engaging those who attend and building connections with them. One of the best ways to start to build this connection is to maintain eye contact throughout the meeting. Staring should be avoided, but eye contact can help make one’s message clear and encourage those in attendance to pay close attention. Eye contact also shows confidence and a willing to engage on an individual basis.

2. Charts, Graphs and Projections

Presenters are often focused on the present, but potential clients think about the future. While it is important to relay why choosing one’s business would be helpful in the short term, long-term projections are useful to encourage clients to make a commitment. Chart and graphs can help provide great material to capture the attention of the audience, and future projections are necessary to captivate them. Presenters may wish to take some time to make these graphical elements as attractive as possible.

3. Modern Ideas

When giving a presentation, it helps to show clients that the business is engaged in modern trends in a productive manner. These days, social media, smart devices and the cloud are all useful topics to capture the attention of prospective clients. Incorporating these ideals into a presentation alleviates clients’ fears that the business will become obsolete or outdated in the future. It is important, however, to ensure that these elements do not come across as contrived; they should seem to be natural parts of what the business provides.

4. Personal Stories

Many books on presentations emphasise addressing numbers, the potential for profit and other hard data as quickly as possible. However, it is also important to connect on a personal level with clients. While telling long stories can come across as pandering, it helps to share inspirational stories when seeking to engage potential clients. In particular, how the business started and what its guiding principles are can help relay what makes the business the best choice for those watching the presentation.

5. Ask Questions

Adaptability is a crucial component that prospective clients look for in businesses. One of the best ways to demonstrate adaptability is to ask clients questions and have answers prepared. These questions give clients a chance to test the presenter, so the presentation team must be equipped to deal with any questions that might arise. By carefully preparing beforehand and thinking of as many potential questions as possible, presenters can be prepared to impress potential clients with their ability to think of effective solutions. If members of the audience do not have questions, it can help to have some demonstration questions prepared.
Brett Kelly is an inspirational figure after attending one of his business presentations. Follow Brett Kelly on twitter @brett_kelly1

Starting a business can be a hugely challenging and rewarding at the same time. You’ll be your own boss and the effort you put in will be the determining factor in the success or (hopefully not) failure of your business. That’s really what it comes down to – Are you willing to put the time and effort in that it takes to run a business? Running a business becomes more than just a 9 – 5 job and will require plenty of work after hours.
On the plus side, you’ll be able to enjoy the flexibility that running your own business carries. While the work you put into getting things rolling initially may outweigh the benefits, it’s important to remember that the extra effort will pay off later on a personal level (sense of accomplishment) as well as financially.
If you’ve decided that entrepreneurship is for you, here a few tips to turn help turn the dream of owning your own business into a reality:
1.) Choose the right business. You’re going to be devoting a sizeable chunk of your time to running this business, so it’s a good idea to choose an area that you find interesting. It’s important that you also choose an area that you’re skilled in. For example, if you’re interested in the world of finance but useless at maths, starting a business in this area is probably not a good idea. The added advantage is that if you choose an area of business that you’re both skilled and interested in, it will be that much easier to put extra effort in because you enjoy it.
2.) Decide on a business entity. There are a few to choose from including: sole proprietorships, partnerships and companies (Public or private). It’s definitely worth taking some time making this decision as each option has its own set of rules and regulations including, registration fees and annual tax. In some countries the business entity known as a “close corporation” has been discontinued. The main advantages of forming a CC were cheaper start-up costs and a lower company tax bracket. It is possible to change your business entity (from say private to public) at a later stage but it’s a fairly complicated process, with plenty of paperwork. Best choose wisely then….
3.) Draw up a business plan. Not only will a business plan make it easier to obtain funding, the information gathered while compiling the report will help you establish any potential problem areas. Conversely, you may decide to enter a different industry altogether based on your findings.
A full business plan usually includes eight sections and will outline to investors what your idea is and how you plan to get there. Areas covered include competitor analysis, company description, market analysis, financial analysis and more.
More information on business plans can be found here.
4.) Don’t quit your day job first. Start your business while you’re still employed. It can sometimes be a while before a new business starts to turn any profits. You may have to burn the candle at both ends but the advantage is that you’ll still have money coming in if things move more slowly than you expect.
5.) Start small in the beginning. One of the best things about starting your own business is that you’re able to control how fast it grows. Taking risks is fine, just try and make sure that they’re controlled risks. Try any new ideas you get on a smaller scale first and if they show promise, expand on them.
6.) No matter how small your business is, always be professional. Business cards, phone numbers and email address are a must and will make your business look more credible. When you can, try to go the extra mile for clients and always respond as promptly as possible if an issue arises. Your clients will appreciate it and it will help with referring business.
When it comes to deciding on which industry to enter, many prospective entrepreneurs opt to start their own business in the same field. For example a legal consultant who has built up years of experience working for a cost consulting firm, may decide to leave and start his own company because he has the expertise to do so.
License: Creative Commons image source
This article was written by Stephanie Zecca who is an avid social envagalist and loves the outdoors. She writes on a range of topics but has preference for business and finance related matters. Follow her at @StephanieZecca