How to make your presentations better than your competitors!

Thanks to Deborah Carlier for this suggestion (and we hope you enjoyed the Hotel Chocolat prize!). Deborah’s suggestion struck a chord with us, as it’s something we frequently see clients struggling with.

We’ve all sat through meandering PowerPoint presentations which leave us feeling uninspired (if not asleep!). So what makes a good presentation? Here’s some key pointers:

1. Content is king.

   Before you consider the look and feel of your presentation, make sure you understand its purpose and the audience expectations. Why are you giving the presentation? What’s the desired outcome? Once you understand this, you can generate the content.

2. Engage, Engage, Engage

   85% of a good presentation is associated with the personal delivery, 15% is associated with the visual presentation. Steve Jobs, Apple CEO, is world renowned for his engaging presentations. Yet if you took his visual presentations at face value, they are often single word prompts on simply laid out slides. In terms of preparing your presentation, spend more time on practicing the personal delivery than creating the slide designs themselves.

3. Stick to the intended purpose

   Good presentations can go astray when authors adapt presentations to suit too many purposes, i.e. as well as a presentation, it also has to be a detailed hand-out or a version of the company brochure or a detailed technical specification. Use other support materials to communicate any additional information, don’t try and cram it all into your PowerPoint.

4. Don’t become a design criminal

   With its infinite colour, font, background and transitition options, it’s easy to get carried away with the possibilities. However, the best presentations work off a simple master slide, which reflects the brand. If you decide to use additional graphics, insert video clips or animations, make sure you can justify their use, avoid visual clutter and eliminate excess information. Always include titles, diagram labels and source tags for your ‘exhibits’…. and avoid clip art and flashing Vegas signs at all costs!

5. Get interactive

   Don’t be afraid to switch off the projector and engage in two way interaction. The nature of PowerPoint means that authors are required to simplify often complex concepts into brief bullet points. By interacting with your audience, you’ll ensure they have opportunity to ask questions and fully understand the concepts you are presenting.

Finally, after hours poring over your own presentation, it’s easy to become jaded and look at competitors’ presentations with envious fresh eyes. Just remember, your audience will be hearing your presentation for the first time, as they will your competitors’. Follow the steps above and you won’t fail to deliver a great presentation!

If you’d like to avoid ‘PowerPoint catastrophe’ then please give us a call on 0117 907 9930 and we can help. We can guide on content, design, and presentation—we can even give you some handy hints on managing other aspects of your presentation meeting to ensure you leave a lasting impression!

Uncover your value

Being in business is tough and it’s commonplace for businesses to buckle under the constant pressure to negotiate on price. But there are businesses out there that don’t concede and sell products or services at the higher end of the market—and do very well from it.

So how can the ‘bun fight’ on price be avoided? The key is not to sell on price, but to sell on value.

Selling on price is one-dimensional; it’s your price against your competitors’ and the cheapest wins. Selling on value is multi-dimensional; it requires identifying the value that is sought by customers in the market place and tailoring your communications to address this. Sound easy?

The truth is, selling on value is challenging for three reasons:

1. Value is in the eye of the buyer, not the seller

   We see it time and again. Businesses tend to be inward-facing, making assumptions about what customers are looking for, without taking time to look outwards at the market. Don’t get caught out by thinking that what you are providing, at the price you are selling, will be considered ‘value’ by the customer. Take time to understand your market, understand the value that customers are seeking and define your value proposition based on your findings.

2. Value is a prerequisite. What buyers really want is VALUE-ADDED.

   Buyers automatically assume that what they are going to pay for something will be a ‘fair equivalent’ for what they will receive. Therefore, what they are really looking for is good value. This means looking for additional things you can offer which can add exclusive, yet relevant, value within the price.

3. Value is hidden.

   Once you’ve identified value which is both relevant and exclusive, the key is to communicate this clearly to the customer, so they understand exactly what they are paying for. Yet clear communication is where many businesses fail to deliver. Value is often hidden in bad or over-complicated communications. At the end of the day, if a prospect doesn’t understand what they are paying for, then why should they choose you?

Getting this right can propel a business forward with fantastic effect. If you’re interested in knowing more, then give us a call on 0117 907 9930. We’re experts in uncovering the value in businesses and communicating that value in a way which is compelling to the chosen markets.

Working with an Agency

Part 1: CHOOSING THE RIGHT AGENCY

This may seem a strange topic to cover, particularly if you are already an Essential Marketing client. However, it’s a question we get asked regularly by new prospects, who are worried about making a decision on selecting a new agency. This information will hopefully also confirm to our current clients that they have made the right decision!

Why do you need an agency?

Most companies and organisations outsource the execution of their promotional activities. There are a number of reasons for this, the two main ones being:

• It’s not cost effective to employ a full creative team in-house.
• An outside agency will bring fresh ideas to your company from experience gained in working with other companies in different industries.

What type of agency do you need?

There are many types of creative agencies and specialists, including:

• Design studios
• Marketing agencies
• Brand specialists
• Advertising agencies
• New media specialists
• Promotions agencies
• PR agencies
• Full service agencies

…and more! There is a huge cross-over between the different types of agency, but choosing the right agency for you boils down to you clearly understanding your own requirements and choosing the right type of agency to meet those needs.

Choosing the right agency

When you meet an agency for the first time, it may help to draw up a checklist of key criteria, for example:

• Creativity
• Project management systems and skills
• Experience
• Professionalism
• Integrity
• Track record
• Client list
• Technical facilities

In addition to the above list of quantifiable information, it may also be worth evaluating the following factors, which have come from a recent study of 100 leading brands, who were asked for their reasons why they choose one agency over another.

1. Good chemistry
2. Demonstrates strong creativity
3. An understanding of our needs
4. Keeping to the brief (not going off on a tangent!)
5. Having a sound strategy to complete the work on time and budget
6. Being innovative
7. Challenges the brief
8. Having evaluation processes
9. Possesses rich insights from research
10. Strong commitment to deliver results

Why is good chemistry most important?

Working with an agency is a partnership that requires working closely together. They need to get under the skin of your business to really understand the requirements and therefore you need to trust and feel completely comfortable with the people that you are working with. Good chemistry is important for the success of any marketing project.

Next month, look out for part 2 of our feature on working with agencies ‘HOW TO MANAGE YOUR AGENCY’.

Working with an Agency

Part 2 : MANAGING YOUR AGENCY

Here’s part 2 of our feature on working with agencies. Once you’ve appointed your agency,it’s important that the relationship is managed in the right way. Here we look at managing your relationship with an agency to ensure that it is successful and harmonious.

Invest in the briefing

Any agency focused on the success of your business, rather than creating pretty work for their portfolio, will ask lots of questions and really get under the skin of your business.

Giving them access to this information will provide untold value to the process. The information may take the form of a formal project brief, or maybe discussed in detail at a briefing meeting. However it is communicated, the following checklist will be helpful to ensure that nothing is missed.

About the business:

• Organisational Profile: Company overview, structure and synopsis of its activities.
• Strategies: Short and long term strategies, company values and ethos.
• Current Situation: Background to your market, market position, strengths and weaknesses.
• Market Analysis: Information on your market; size, structure and segments within which you operate.

About the project:

• Objectives: Detail the project objectives and strategies they support.
• Target Audience: Specify the target audience/s.
• Benefits and Perception: Describe the benefits and customer perceptions.
• Project Specifics: Take into account any production and distribution issues.
• Success Criteria: Consider how the success of project will be measured.
• Budgets: Either specified exactly or a range.
• Timescales:  Schedule milestones, reviews and final deadline.
• Approval: Identify the approval process and how many people will be involved.
• Contacts: Confirm the main point of contact and any other key personnel.

Get it in writing

If you give a good brief, ask for a written quote with details of what it does and does not include. Make sure you know what you are paying for up front.

Be there

Be a pilot not a passenger. Respond quickly to answering queries and making decisions. It’s a partnership, which means it relies on both parties to fulfil their end of the bargain.

Listen and learn

You’ve hired the agency because of their skills and expertise, let them use these to meet your objectives. That said, never be afraid to ask for an explanation. An experienced creative professional will always challenge your preconceptions (after all, if you could do it yourself, surely you would!) and always be able to provide valid reasoning for their creative decisions.

Respect the time it takes

Agencies sell experience and time. Their quote for the work will be based on this and a number of working hours will be allocated to your project. Make sure you use those hours wisely and respect the fact that the time allocated to your project is not unlimited.

Agree on process

Ask the agency to define the way they do things and ensure it suits your own processes. If the agency has effective processes, they are more likely keep on track with the budget and make best use of their resources.

Meet the schedules

If you are asking your agency to deliver something at break-neck speed, then make sure you keep to your own deadlines. A good agency will turn themselves inside out to meet your deadline, make sure you are not hampering the process!

What makes Customers Tick?

So how often have you asked yourself that burning question? After all, without customers you have no business. The thing is, it’s all too easy to take customers for granted; to assume that they’ll always be there—especially when you are really busy.

I guess that if we put our minds to the question of what makes our customers tick, we can all come up with good answers. But it’s worth taking the time to remind ourselves.

Customers buy from us because they feel that our goods or services represent what they want at a value for money price. This means that we have to market our products and services in order for our customers to know what we have to offer. So now ask the question—how effectively do I do that?

Customers also expect you to actually deliver great products and great service at a value for money price. They should expect nothing less, after all that is what you want from your suppliers. So do you meet that criteria too?

Remember though, that there is another key ingredient. You have to keep your product or service relevant. Otherwise your business will fall out of step with the market, appearing stale and uninviting.

So whilst you are delivering on customer expectations with your existing offerings, you also need to think about how you can maintain your appeal to customers in the future and keep them coming back. This means you need to think about and talk to your customers. Consider their future needs and be creative and proactive in responding to them.

It is a bit like going to your favourite restaurant or shop. You go there because you know you will not be disappointed, however when they have a new item on the menu or a new product in the shop, you will be encouraged to go again in the future.

At EM we understand the need for businesses to keep fresh and stay in tune with their markets, and we’re full of good ideas to help you do the same. Why not give us a call on 0117 907 9930, we’d love to find out how your business is doing and see if we can help you along the way.

Telephone Angel or Telephone Devil—which are you?

Do you become frustrated when you make a phone call and the following happens…?

• You reach a recorded message with a series of call options that seems to take an age to get through to the right option.
• You manage to speak to someone directly who transfers you to someone else who then cannot help you.
• It takes an absolute age before anyone answers the phone, or you are left in limbo whilst being transferred.
• When your call is answered, you are treated as an intrusion or an irritation rather than a valued customer.
• Your contact promises to call you back but never does!

Does this sound familiar? Does this make you frustrated and angry? Don’t let it happen to your company.

You can gain a competitive advantage by always doing the following:

• Make sure that it is everybody’s responsibility to answer telephone calls.
• Answer the telephone within a maximum of 5 rings.
• Have a ‘cheery’ voice and make the caller feel welcome and valued.
• Have a notepad handy to note the callers name and message.
• If you have to transfer the call, make sure that it is your responsibility to connect the caller. If there is no reply take a message and make sure that you pass it on.
• If the call requires a reply, MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO.
• When the office is closed, make sure that there is an out of hours number that customers can call. Not everyone works the same hours as you!

Want to see how it’s done? Then why not test us out! We’re generally pretty good on the phones, but every one of the Essential team will now be going the extra mile to achieve ‘Angel’ status!

Customer Service—The 10 Commandments

I know that we keep banging on about good customer service but it really is the key business principle that separates the winners from the losers. So we thought that we would list our top 10 customer service commandments that you might like to pin up on your wall!

1. Cultivate an obsession with the customer because your business is in customer’s hands.
2. Make sure that everyone in the business is committed to good customer care.
3. Make good customer service the number 1 priority in your business.
4. Aim to always exceed your customers expectations. And good news spreads fast!
5. Always keep your word to a customer as customer trust builds confidence.
6. No matter how busy you are, always make time for your customer and be patient.
7. Problems will occur from time to time (no-one is perfect), but treat problems as opportunities. Handle the problem with urgency, efficiency, and professionalism, making sure that you provide an acceptable solution. Remember it costs 10 times more to get a new customer than keep an existing one.
8. Remember to say ‘thank you’. Never treat your customer with indifference or take them for granted.
9. Encourage customer feedback. Make sure that you take notice of what your customer tells you and act upon it.
10. Recognise and celebrate customer service excellence. Share and celebrate with employees and customers alike.

If you remember and apply these rules, then your business will prosper—GUARANTEED!

Never Enough Hours in the Day?

Time management plays a key part in our business. As a service provider, we sell our expertise in blocks of time, so must ensure we work on each project with an awareness of this—particularly as a lot of our work is deadline driven. To achieve our goal of completing every project on time and on budget, has meant our whole team has had to learn the discipline of time management.

The first step towards effective time management is establishing a clear picture of your long-term goals. This will enable you to consider the overall perspective of what you are trying to achieve, and help set short-term goals and priorities.

Then, take a step back and review how your time is spent achieving these goals. You’ll be surprised at how much time can be wasted on unproductive work!

You’ll also discover how hard it is to set realistic long term goals! This will force you to confront decisions and issues you have been avoiding or delaying. But the process is invaluable in setting the right priorities to use your time more effectively.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you clear about the objectives and priorities of your role?
• Do you start each day with a clear view on what you aim to achieve? And do you generally deliver what you set out to achieve?
• Do you plan your work based on an objective assessment of the work you need to do—allowing for the inevitable interruptions?
• What unproductive things stop you achieving your objectives, and do you do enough to guard against them?
• Do you keep action lists and a diary that works for you?
• Is your workplace organised so you can easily find the things you need?
• Do you communicate effectively with those around you or do they have to try and guess what you want?
• Do you take time at the end of the day to clear up and review your to-do list?

Answer the questions (honestly!) and see if you are an effective time manager. Once you have mastered the art of time management, you will be amazed at how much more productive you will become—and aim to save some time for Fun Time!

Could you Make a Million?

When a group of millionaires were recently asked how they made their fortunes, a group of characteristics emerged:

• The ability to talk to people and sell ideas and products
• Ignoring criticism
• Having great energy and enthusiasm
• Spotting opportunities that others don’t always see
• Enjoying a challenge
• Being prepared to take financial risk for high returns
• Discipline and organisation
• Not afraid of hard work

If you are lucky enough to possess these characteristics—it’s only a matter of time…!

It’s a Numbers Game

It can be very tempting to believe that all is going well in your business when in fact you are losing money, through not really knowing your numbers! As explained by trainer and coach Teresa Bramwell of CoachMeNow:

“One of our clients rolled out a project last month and received 350 orders in the first month. The owner thought this was his break even figure, and any additional orders would be pure profit—or so he thought! By the following month he’d received a total of 440 orders, he was extremely pleased and looking to pay his team a bonus. However, when he sat down with a calculator, he discovered he hadn’t taken all costs into consideration. He actually needed 473 orders just to break even! Imagine what would have happened if he had only got those original 350 orders?

“The moral is to always know your numbers inside out! You should know ALL your costs and your break even points, your refund rates, conversion rates; in fact every measurable facet of your business. From this comes the confidence to make informed and well principled decisions. If your outgoings exceed your income it will be your downfall! It is obvious really but it’s amazing how many businesses don’t pay attention to this detail!”