PPB December 2019

During The Meeting Briefly refer to the agenda and then get started. Be sure that you or someone on your team takes thorough and accurate notes throughout the presentation. These will be critical in determining your follow-up actions. Encourage attendees to ask questions during the presentation rather than waiting until the end. You will be better prepared to respond in the moment. Conclude by asking if there is anything else they would like to learn about you. If you feel comfortable, ask how your services and account philosophy matches their needs. Post-Meeting Always send a thank-you note to each attendee. Use the notes taken during the presentation to bring certain highlights to their attention or to respond to specific concerns or questions. This is also a great time to supplement topics you may have addressed briefly. Handouts, Visual Aids And Leave-Behinds Samples, graphics, charts and photographs can bring your ideas to life. But managing visuals during a presentation can be distracting. Bind your papers in order and keep pages numbered and information in chronological order. If you bring samples, decide how best to transport them. Pack apparel neatly, so it shows well when presented. Think about what items or information you will leave behind. Leave the attendees something that summarizes what you have presented and reminds them about your strengths. Possibilities include the appropriate service materials, a corporate fact sheet and/or a specific summary about the topic of your meeting. Have enough copies for all attendees and make sure your name, company name, phone number and email address are clearly displayed. Business Elements That Improve Your Image How do you look to your client? Buttoned up and professional or cluttered and confusing? Our clients and prospects form opinions and make decisions based on how we present ourselves. Each of these categories is a building block toward an overall image. So, what do the following say about you? Your business card Your website Your promotional product giveaways Your appointment preparation We make an impression on our networking contacts and prospects starting when they receive our business card through our first in-person meeting or appointment. Take a critical look at these factors that silently say so much about your business and ask a trusted client or objective person their opinion, too. It’s a truism. Success is in the details. Source: Tango Partners “Encourage attendees to ask questions during the presentation rather than waiting until the end. You will be better prepared to respond in the moment.” | DECEMBER 2019 | 39 GROW