Receiving a gift is one of those times that you truly feel special. You can hardly wait to rip open the wrapping and uncover the treasure inside. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by the gift and other times, somewhat underwhelmed depending on what you were expecting. One thing that stays constant however is the presentation of the gift in the first place. If it was wrapped you knew someone took the time to conceal the item and add some fun to the festivity, if unwrapped, there is a slight hesitancy of what could be inside. Unless, for women that unwrapped box is a “Robin’s Egg Blue” with a small white ribbon. For the uninformed men out there this is the distinctive packaging from Tiffany’s. Think presentation means something now? Buy an empty Tiffany’s box online and place something other than Tiffany jewelry in there and see what happens…

Like Tiffany’s, many upscale department stores use a similar approach by utilizing much heavier wrapping paper and their own designer boxes. Jewelry comes in crushed velvet boxes for a reason, who wants to receive a ring or bracelet in a plastic bag? If you think about it, you can remember the last time you received a gift wrapped in heavier paper or presented to you in a unique fashion? You expected more and usually were rewarded for those expectations. All of these examples lead back to our title – Many Times it’s the Presentation that Makes the Sale.

Presentation is probably one of the most over looked facets in the marketing world. When it comes to delivering the product a lot of work goes into the packaging: design, color, shape, functionality, etc. This is great for when the product is sold but what about the initial contact with the prospect, many times weeks or months before the product is even ready for sale? What about the beginning of the overall sales cycle when you are introducing your company as a viable source for your prospect to turn to for their needs? Brochures, folders, web content and white pages provide much needed information but what impact do they make on the recipient, no matter how carefully they are prepared or colorful to the eye. In the recipients mind these are only words chosen to represent your product or service, nothing memorable to take away.

Right now you are probably asking “if the packaging the product comes in and the brochures and web information are not part of the presentation – what is?” To get to that let’s look at what is pretty common knowledge when it comes to first time meetings. They say that the average person gathers their first impression about someone in the first three to ten seconds that they meet. How much can the average person read in three to ten seconds? Sure they see the colors and design but they get things like this everyday in the mail that they never read. How can you really pull them in?

Promotional products have always had a stigma to them, often called “Chotchkies, Trinkets & Trash and just plain Giveaways” and in the context that most businesses use them these titles are rightly earned. However, if used correctly and given in a manner that they should be used, many of these items can become the key to anchoring your name and that of your product and service to the minds of your prospects and clients.

Just to give a product away with your company name on it means little to the recipient, those that see the product in use will see your company name but gather little information, if any, beyond that.

Let’s look at another scenario. Mr. or Ms. Prospect is attending a trade show where you have a booth and are handing out the holy grail of promo heaven – a t-shirt with your logo on it. Mr. /Ms. Prospect stand patiently in line to get their badge scanned. A line that is most pleasing to the marketing director, as people are coming to the booth. Mr./Ms. Prospect have their badge scanned, using political correctness, ask to have information sent to them, grab the loot and stuff it into their bag and are off to find their next treasure. Upon returning home they pull the shirt from their bag and stick it in the laundry to be done later. A few days or weeks go by and they pull out the shirt they so gallantly waited for and triumphantly wear it to the gym. If they wear it regularly the company logo will be viewed almost 60,000 times in a single year, a marketing coup. What about Mr. /Ms. Prospect, they do not see the logo that often, what did it do to help them purchase your product? How were they really affected by the free giveaway?

Now scenario two is set up in a similar way, Mr. /Ms. Prospect wait patiently to get their badge scanned, request info and place the shirt into their bag, etc. Only this time your marketing team has attached an “anchor card” to the shirt label. A simple card that reminds Mr. /Ms. Prospect of the product or service you were at the show promoting. Nothing too wordy, a mention of the product name and three or four bullet points of the things it does best and on the other side a memorable tie in to the show or the product name. Now Mr. /Ms. Prospect return home pull the shirt out of their bag and toss it… wait, what is this attached to the shirt? Can’t wash it with this card attached. Enterprise Content Manager… yeah saw that demo at the show; let me keep this as a reminder to follow up. SPLASH! The anchor has been dropped and they still wear the shirt and give you 60,000 logo views. Big difference between scenario one and two and scenario two cost you far less than a load of laundry to add. Scenario two could have even been carried out further by adding a call to action to the tag to visit your web site to sign in and see if they won a prize. Anchor aweigh.

The same scenario can be carried out with virtually anything you present to clients and prospects as a gift, a simple reminder of why you are there and what you can do for them. Warming up the dreaded cold call is another opportunity to let presentation set the stage for a successful reason to meet. Presenting a thought provoking package with a value added gift and message inside will go much farther than a blind call and rambling on about what you do and why you are the best. Ask a question on the outside of the box and then simply answer it on the inside with the inclusion of an item that ties into your offering. Remember the three to ten second rule; this is where first impressions are made. The packaging and presentation get you in the door; the included gift merely greases the wheels of progression. With thousands of products to carry your logo and brand, choosing one that anchor’s your message and presents the most thought provoking reaction is key to the outcome of your marketing and sales actions. Presentation makes the target a prospect and helps sales capture a new customer. When you meet the parents of your prospective mate or partner you look your best – should business courting be any different?

Movies in the present time are generally considered as one of the most entertaining media and there are millions of people around the globe who spend 3-4 hours on weekends with their family and friends getting entertained at their homes, theatres or internet. Even if these are considered as being stress buster, still for your kids, too much of movies can always have negative effects as it overloads your brain with images and thoughts. The fact is that movies have the power to manifest all its ill effects on our minds, but these can be controlled by implementing a few changes. The first and the foremost ill effect is that it has the tendency to eat up too many hours from your daily routine.

If your time is precious, then it is important that you need to spend it performing the right task. In case you are having work to accomplish then it is never advisable to quit your work for some of your favorite movies. There are also times when you need to understand that watching movies should never be your first priority. In case you are having little free time from your busy schedule, then it is best to try and spend it with your family and friends, rather than watching movies alone. There are people, who prefer watching movies for long hours of the day, and this is the considered as its ill effects.

Besides simply watching movies, it is also important that you get indulged in other activities along with your family and friends. You also have to ensure that your kids are just not exposed early to unsupervised movies, as this act might in fact also affect the development of their brain. There are also a number of studies that have proved that watching movies for long hours can create different types of attention deficit disorders.

What does living in the present mean to you? Does it sound like a quaint idea and something you should probably do more of? I’m sure you’ve heard of books like The Power of Now, which help you be entirely in the moment, instead of fearful and worried about your past and future. This is easier said than done for many people. As we all know, when you’re feeling low, you could be on a private jet and it wouldn’t make you feel any better. That’s the power of our minds and emotions.

I think the number one thing that can help us live in the present and savor each wonderful moment is to be mindful of our mood the moment we get wake up in the morning. This is such a critical time of day for many reasons. Perhaps you’re vulnerable because you had a bad dream. Or you have something important happening that day and your stomach is in knots. Maybe you have a personal issue that’s been weighing on your mind and it becomes that much more unbearable first thing in the morning. That’s why unless you make the conscious decision to decide your mood then and there, you might end up having a terribly messy day.

My advice to you is the next time you wake up in the morning, no matter what is happening in your life, or how you’ve been feeling lately, tell yourself this:

“I feel amazing right now. This is going to be an amazing day. Wonderful things will happen to me all day long. I’m super excited!” Once you say it, however ‘untrue’ it might be, you will really start to feel it and your mood will change almost instantly. Sure, you may encounter unpleasantness, but if you start your day off right, the odds are in your favor. And in terms of living in the moment, this will undoubtedly help you.

Since your mind will be at ease, you’ll be able to take your time and appreciate the world around you. When you’re on the subway, you’ll focus on an adorable little kid, instead of the overweight person in the seat next to you that’s squishing you into the corner. Just the fact that you’ve convinced yourself that you’re feeling awesome will have a wonderful effect on your day and future days to come. Just try it for a week if you don’t believe me – what do you have to lose? For 7 days straight, wake up saying the sentence above and repeat it throughout the day. I will be shocked if you don’t notice any difference.

I remember this one time I was in an extremely foul mood and it consumed me. I took that sadness with me throughout my day. Then I drove to see a movie and almost got into a devastating car accident. Luckily nothing happened, but I’m almost certain that I attracted that moment because of how I was feeling. Sure, bad things can happen at any time. But the fact that it happened on that particular day when I was feeling especially low, it goes to show you. We must be mindful of our words, our thoughts, and our feelings as they have real, tangible repercussions.

I wish you all a day filled with beautiful moments that fill your heart with joy. If you’re sitting on a bench on a beautiful summer day, waiting for your friend, please take a moment and enjoy. Don’t think about that friend who’s been getting under your skin or that comment your father made. Just breathe, relax, and feel the love all round you. The beauty is there if you’ll open your eyes.

Great news! The most important thing you can do to connect with your audience is (drum roll please) be yourself. No kidding. You don’t have to be beautiful, funny, or even charismatic. If you happen to be any of these things; congratulations! Use your gifts wisely. The rest of us will have to be content with just being ourselves. Frankly, it’s the most important thing you can be, and here’s why.

Whenever we meet someone for the first time, the first thing we’re determining, immediately and virtually unconsciously, is our level of trust. If the person we’re meeting makes eye contact, smiles warmly, even shyly, and feels authentic and sincere, we allow ourselves to trust him or her, albeit provisionally at first. The longer we come in contact with this person and the more consistent their behavior, the more trust develops. Conversely, if we meet someone who doesn’t make eye contact, doesn’t smile, doesn’t feel authentic and sincere, our guard immediately goes up. We will be skeptical and distrusting of that individual. What’s more, it will take a lot of time and effort on his or her part to negate our first impression.

What occurs in a one-on-one meeting is that same dynamic we experience when watching a presenter. Our first concern, before subject matter, length of speech or even viewpoint, is trustworthiness. In plain language the audience wants to know; “Are you for real?” “Do YOU believe what you’re saying?” “Are you willing to let us in?” “Do you really care about us?” If the answers to these questions are affirmative, they will let you in. They will trust you. They will listen.

Therefore, it is absolutely imperative that you be yourself. Trust your audience to accept you for you, unfunny, overweight, bald. Who cares? You’re not asking them to be you, you’re asking them to listen to you. One-of-a-kind, sincere, authentic, 100% you. Once they see that you’re the real deal, then and only then are they open to what it is you have to say. So take a deep breath, throw your shoulders back and be the only thing you and only you can be; yourself.

Copyright 2007 bespeak

In this competitive world, your product needs all the marketing horsepower it can get. Product presentations are about composing a powerful, intense exposure to the product and how it solves a problem for the viewer.

Multimedia combines 3D animation, video, music, voice-over and special effects to deliver clear, informative material. Investors understand your product. Your market can see it delivering a solution.

To stand out from the crowd, the presentation must emphasize the product or service’s primary value to the customer. And that value must be shown in context – in the real world. By using 3D animation, a camera can go inside a physical product while it is in operation. Or open the box and watch parts move, watch fluids flow, see concepts as if they were physical objects. Visual elements, such as glow effects or graphic symbols, can make invisible aspects of the product stand out to the viewer in ways that are difficult in a simple video. The animation camera can move in ways that are impossible for a real camera to move. The result is a unique viewpoint that can see details at any magnification, any angle and make important aspects of the product stand out to the viewer – something a simple video alone could never do.

Sound effects add reality to the visual experience. Notice the large difference between any action scene of a movie with the sound turned off or on. In the same way, a product presentation needs auditory context. If you add music that can overshadow the need for sound effects, but both contribute to the final effect.

Visual effects add impact, they are more than eye candy. They keep the viewer attention high. They even add beauty which is not a bad thing when you are trying to impress. And they set you apart which was our original intention.

Animation, especially 3D animation, is essential to involve the viewer in a unique experience. Often the produce is too complex to explain quickly, but a moving animation communicates the essential understanding you need to lead the viewer to the desired conclusion. The voice over doesn’t have to supply details about product operation that are needed with a simple powerpoint slide show.

A professional sound track is a great way to grab the viewer and lead them through the experience. Audio quality is important. No matter how good your voice is, you can’t just talk into a computer microphone and expect professional quality. It takes equipment designed for studio recording, software for audio processing and you don’t find that in a stock “multimedia” computer. It also helps to have an audio engineer with experience.

The final composition brings together all these various media types in a harmonious performance that is not a simple thing. It takes experience. And the media can be tailored for different delivery mediums. Websites need one thing, a CD or DVD for distribution needs something entirely different.

So, find a quality multimedia studio, like Lizard Fire Studios, with animation capability to set your presentation apart from the rest. And work with someone who understands your marketing goals. Success is about hitting the market with the most powerful sales machine you can create.