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Browse every published article connected to Milly Sonneman, with exact attribution and full-archive search.
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Simply grabbing a marker and running up to the whiteboard isn’t going to produce fantastic results. Here are 5 little-known pro tips to boost your skills in whiteboard presenting. If you want to give successful whiteboard presentations, you must learn how to plan, prepare and perform. In short, you must make it easy for your audience to understand what you have to offer.
Ever wonder how your sales team is really doing using a whiteboard in sales with customers and prospects? If your staff is dispersed in regions or working remotely, worrying about performance standards could be keeping you up at night. Sleepless nights? If nightmares about performance are causing you anxiety, it’s no wonder. Many sales directors struggle with this very issue: how to guarantee a professional level of selling skills across their entire sales force.
All eyes are on you. Yes, it's true. In business presentations, you are in charge. You are the leader. As the leader in a presentation, you are in charge of the pace, flow, and impact of your story. In business presenting, a lot of professionals confuse their audiences by multi-tasking. This is a really bad idea. Instead of giving your audience a clear direction, multi-tasking points them in 15-directions at once. Let's look at the common (but awful) practice of talking while changing PowerPoint or Keynote slides.
Big presentation coming up? No doubt you are wracking your brain, and quite possibly tearing your hair out trying to plan the best way to present your story. If you have any leeway in your presentation, here's how the process usually goes: You take a huge amount of data and toss it onto your desk or desktop. Then while wrestling the elephant, you remember a bit of news that should be added to the mix. On top of it, you most likely have some urgent additions and 'must-haves' from your boss or team. Now, in addition to a huge mess, you have an extra huge mess.
What's the worst horror story you can imagine for a presenter giving a marketing presentation? Falling in love with his or her story! Recently, I coached a presenter. He was 'all over' stories. And truthfully, his storytelling ability was great. If you wanted to sit around the campfire for hours and hours on end.
Brring. The alarm is sounding. Wake up. Your audience doesn’t want to hear your data. So, what should you do about it? Scientists, subject matter experts and researchers know this truth. The audience is overloaded with information. They will check out faster than you can say, “Boo!” if you show them all your research. Even knowing this, many smart people go ahead and do it anyway. They often say things such as: “I know you don’t want to hear all the background data, but…”
Whiteboard sales conversations are hot. If you’re seeing your peers and competitors jumping onto this trend, there’s a reason why. It works. Find out the 5 truths for effective whiteboard selling skills. Recently, many small business owners, entrepreneurs, Internet marketers and sales professionals have switched to whiteboard presentations. Why? It is the fastest way to customize messages and simplify complex stuff. If you want to make the most out of this powerful medium, here are 5 core truths you must know. 1. Simplifyr
Are you frustrated with giving business presentations - and having your recommendations being ignored? Are you often cut off or interrupted by competitive peers or an impatient boss? If you've had it with not getting the attention you deserve, you don't have to take it anymore. Now, it's easier than ever to get your ideas and suggestions noticed. Use your presence, body language and voice to command respect and get noticed.
Crazy busy? Business executives often tell me: "I have a nuts schedule and I'm crazy busy. I know I should stop to take a presentation skills training -- but I can't seem to find the time." There's only 24-hours in a day. And let's face it. It's insane to have back-to-back meetings, urgent projects, and staffing challenges. Still there must be a way to make time for professional education and specific skills training. Let's pause for a moment.
What’s the real secret to land appointments with insanely busy customers? How can you deal with postponements, excuses, unanswered emails and missed calls? Here are 4 must-have tips to get appointments with your crazy-busy clients. While searching for a cure to nail down appointments with your super-busy customers, it helps to understand their world. Just like the classic saying, “walk a mile in another man’s shoes” once you understand how your customers think, you’ll understand how to appeal directly to their needs. 1. New Products And Services Are Riskyr
Worried about making mistakes in front of important clients? If presenting and selling with a whiteboard is in your future, it helps to know what to watch out for…and how to recover instantly. Many subject matter experts worry about appearing professional and poised in front of decision makers. It makes sense, really. We’re all trained to speak with polish and aim for perfection.
In B2B sales, the writing is on the wall. World-class sales skills are critical, but just not enough to guarantee your success. Find out the top 7 tips to get ahead. Discover what it really takes to engage busy clients in a real-time conversation. More and more sales professionals are realizing that pitching is dead. And even if the skills are still taught in your organization’s training room, things change with clients. Use these 7 tips to master the moves you need in a constantly changing marketplace. Tip 1. Learning Is Constantr
Looking for a simple and easy way to motivate employees and drive more business? Offer fun and entertaining presentation skills training. Whether you are a small business owner or a manager in a global organization, it's important to help your employees think and act like business owners. But how? Some consultants advise creating complex compensation plans and sales incentive packages. This may help some employees. But in my experience, there is something more basic - and less expensive that you can and should do first. Provide fun and useful specialized training.
Strapped for time with a crazy-busy schedule? No time to learn new presentation skills? You've got an important presentation to give, but can't add another minute into the day for learning. How to overcome this dilemma? No time to learn new presentation skills? This reminds me of a story. A guy is driving to work and notices the red light come on. No gas. Instead of stopping to fill up, here's what he says: "I'm late for work. No time to get gas." Not too smart, right?
After a recent presentation skills training, I had an interesting question from one of our participants. What is a truly collaborative presentation style? I found it fascinating because we can learn so much from people who present in a collaborative manner. I recommend you take a moment right now. Think about the presenters and public speakers you admire. Spend a few minutes considering their presentation style. Is it collaborative? Is it directive?
Recently, a Fortune 500 company asked for a presentation skills training on virtual collaboration. In our jam-packed 2-day course, new presenters learned specific skills for highly interactive virtual presentations. What we found may surprise you. More and more organizations are gravitating towards virtual collaboration and educational webinars. The reason is simple. Save travel costs. Streamline communication. Stay connected between the regions and corporate headquarters.
Curious how to find your personal best in business presentations? Follow the lead of star performers and you can achieve greatness too. Star performers share a single trait: they challenge themselves to always strive for their personal best. Whether in business, sports or the arts, masters are at the top of their game because they never stop seeking to get better. For a professional role model for performance, consider Michael Jordan. Even if you're not a basketball fan, Jordan was famous as the top player when he was playing for the Chicago Bulls. How did he stay at the top?
Ready to grow your business, network, share and communicate ideas? Giving persuasive and powerful marketing webinars is one of the fastest ways to let clients and prospects know more about why they should do business with you. Today's buyer is looking for extra value, extra learning and extra motivation. Where can they find all those extras? In targeted webinar events. But, what if you're not technical, hate virtual meetings and don't have a clue how to communicate effectively online? No worries. Follow these 6-steps to get started right away. 1. Speak Directly To Your Customersr
Aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners are always looking for an edge to get ahead. That’s why presentation skills training starts with this 3-step system to get the edge. More and more entrepreneurs and small business owners know that it’s no longer enough to have a cool idea or awesome technology. In addition to the heart of your business, you must have the skills and training to present your ideas. While business school or the school of hard knocks may not have prepared you for speaking in public, your skill determines whether your business flies or fails.
Too much to do? No time to do it? You're not alone. Participants are often overloaded, overworked, and preoccupied. They are often distracted by urgent business issues, family matters, sick pets, or other pulls on their attention. As a presenter, it's up to you to focus their attention. By giving clear directions, you can focus attention. Learn how to build a message that is easy for people to remember.
Projecting confidence can make any presentation a success. Your audience always can spot when you are confident. Use basic principals to be persuasive and confident. True confessions time. Corporate leaders around the world confess to a singular dread of presenting in front of groups. It's shocking, really. Grown men in dark blue suits. Successful women who have smashed the glass ceiling. They should be confident. They should feel great and ready to jump up and take center stage. But, it's not the case.
Are you the hero when you present in front of people? Are you consistently chosen as the person to open minds and close deals? If you want to be the hero in your business, these 5 tips show you how. In presentation skills training, experts explain exactly the difference between being the best and being the hero. This distinction eludes many professionals. But the distinction is critically important—if you want to achieve top results.
How can you look like a pro selling with stories at the whiteboard? To achieve results, you’ll want to use whiteboards to increase interaction and get people talking. Learn the top 3 secrets to gain a competitive edge. Top sales performers are selling more using whiteboard presentations. Are you ready to gain this skill and gain an almost unfair advantage? Caution: this skill is not for the faint at heart. If you’d rather keep doing the same thing you did last quarter or last year, go ahead. But don’t come crying when your numbers plummet—and your teammates fly past you.
More and more teams are working remotely. With new tools and technology, this is now easier than ever before. Yet one thing can derail highly effective teams. Find out how to guarantee success of your remote teams. With the evolution of tools and technology, distributed teams are becoming more and more commonplace. It’s possible to work from anywhere and connect with a click. Among the hottest tools for team communication are tools, which simplify mobile connection:
Far too many professionals focus on preparing slides, handouts and details of their speech. They forget to focus on preparing themselves for authentic, confident and masterful delivery. Sell more with this easy 4-point plan. To truly succeed in all kinds of business setting, you need to prepare your message and yourself. Whether you are presenting over lunch, in a conference, at a panel, or addressing a small group of decision makers, you’ll need to be ready for anything. Let me tell you a story.
Business presenting is a lot like professional sports. To challenge your competition, you must know everything about your opponent. How can you go into each presentation as prepared as a prize athlete? Find out here. In sports, information about your competition is often readily available. You can find out just about everything online. Check out your competition by tracking previous scores, watching videos, and getting the scoop on your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.
Why do clients say ‘yes’ to working with you? Find out the 4 myths that sink most sales presenters…right now. What’s the secret reason why clients love to work with you? Is it because you have the best logic, the most evidence and the most detailed timeline? Is it because you talk so much that they figure you must know your stuff? As it turns out, logic, evidence, detail and talking can work against you. Take a look at the 4 big mistakes that sink most sales presenters. Even the ones who should know better! Myth: Logic Is Greatest Forcer
Have you had it with your audience sleeping on you? Are you fed up with presenting to groans, moans, and snores? If presenting in front of a group is part of your career, it pays to know how to avoid this deadly fate. I have to break it to you. It could have something to do with your presentation. If your presentation is monotone, stiff, and tedious you are part of the problem. And this isn't all bad news. If you're part of the problem, you can also become part of the cure.
Whether you are new to your job, or a seasoned pro, continuous learning is the name of the game - if you want to stay on top. In my presentation trainings, I often work with mixed groups. Some folks have been with the organization for 20 years or more. Others were just hired the week before. When this is the case, I find many executives prefer to watch and wait.
You’ve seen the whiteboard advantage—complex problems are made simple. Difficult decisions are made easier. Boring presentations are transformed. Get 6 easy and quick tips to gain this almost unfair advantage. Want to attract business and engage new clients in a whole new way? Most people are nervous about drawing in front of peers or high-profile clients. We don’t want to look foolish. We don’t want to embarrass ourselves. And we definitely don’t want to blow the opportunity.
Ready to give your team everything they need for successful sales presentations? Every team needs skills and tools to succeed. Curious about the 7-critical components for success? Sales presentations educate your prospects on your company’s uniqueness. With targeted presentation skills training, your entire team gets crucial skills development. They’ll learn how to whiteboard while the audience watches, how to identify key issues, how to overcome obstacles, and how to ‘connect the dots’ so every client understands the value you are offering.
Looking for ways to wrap up an intense selling conversation with a bang? Discover this creative 7-step plan for whiteboard presenting. Use it to sell your ideas with poise, skill and professionalism. Working interactively at a whiteboard allows everyone to get involved. Plus, it’s a powerful way to support all the information, ideas and proposals that you’ve just covered. Think of whiteboard presenting in this use as the ‘frosting on the cake.’ You’ll plan your interactivity throughout your sales conversation or demo, and then end with a grand finale.
Need to give successful marketing presentations? Use any one of these 3 new rules to engage every audience and get results. Of course, you can use all three to attract customers, engage prospects and stand out in a crowd. Success in business starts with dynamite presentation skills for attracting customers, engaging prospects and standing out in a crowd.
What’s the one word sales professionals try to never, ever say? This single word unlocks all of the 4 cardinal rules to achieve ultimate sales success. Find out here… In my sales presentation trainings, a lot of people want a script. The reason? They want to know what really works in the field. They rely on a script to avoid having the embarrassment or suffering through the pain of saying the wrong thing.
How do you process information? By taking notes. In traditional classes, we learned to write down everything. But for powerful selling, visual note taking at a whiteboard is much more powerful. Curious how to pump up your whiteboard note taking? In talking with graphic facilitators, whiteboard sellers and creative visual story sellers, 5 practices consistently surface. It doesn’t seem to matter what the topic is. It doesn’t seem to matter what their expertise or role is.
Whether you’re a CEO or a full-time entrepreneur of a small business, you’ve got a story to tell. A new product. A powerful invention. A transformation. But how can you get other people to listen? It’s tough to win attention, isn’t it? Most professionals agree that changing the way people think, communicate and act is a tall order. But it all starts with winning attention.
Are your sales presentations falling flat? Do you have exceptional products, services and trainings…but no one ever seems to ‘get it’ and you don’t know why? If so, you’ll love these 5 easy steps. Many experienced and new sales presenters struggle with speaking the language of their customers. Recently, I coached a group of new sales reps. They were eager to learn exactly how to give presentations that really connected with their audiences. But after a short time, I noticed a few things that were standing in their way.
Are you following the 'rules' for presenting in your organization or industry? If so, you could be killing your career. The most exceptional leaders are known for breaking the rules. Get the recognition you deserve with these 3 easy rule-breaking tips. "A conservative is a person who does not think anything should be done for the first time." -Frank Vanderlip If you're just starting out in presenting, what's your first thought? How are things done? What are the rules?
Whiteboard sales conversations are transforming presenting around the world. How can you get the most out of your whiteboard presentation? Find out the 5 moves that alienate audiences and kill sales. For years, sales professionals have relied on PowerPoint to get their message across. This resulted in the common phrase: “Death By PowerPoint.” It’s not really the software’s fault. It’s the over-reliance on one medium to be the do-all, end-all savior for every situation.
People have been learning presentation skills online without getting the full benefit. Discover the top 10 tips for how to change all that…and get the most out of learning new skills, virtually. Sadly, many online training programs are passive. They rely on text-based classes that do not engage learners. There really isn’t much for the learner to do. It comes down to a few tasks. Reading. Watching. Scrolling. Listening. In an era of interaction, Web 2.0 technology, and video communication, this seems almost unfathomable.
It’s tough managing a team who is expected to do more with less. They’re stressed out and running fast. How can you be a great consulting manager—and be prepared for the onslaught of demands? What makes a great consulting manager? In interviewing my clients about this, I found several qualities consistently rose to the top. Let me share them with you right now. Top qualities for a great consulting manager include: 1. Listeningr At the heart of true consultative skill is listening. What are individuals saying? And most importantly, what are people expressing non-verbally?
So, your sales staff is still relying exclusively on slides. Dave is struggling with the new slide deck from corporate (the one that doesn’t target his market.) Mary is grappling with new graphic guidelines that prevent her from making adaptations. What’s the solution? What’s the best way to engage your audience? Whiteboard stories shift selling into high gear. A simple story, told with pictures and words while the audience watches radically boosts sales presentations.
Curious how to connect, engage, and persuade your remote audience? More and more business presentations are held virtually. Find out how to make a powerful connection--when your audience isn’t in the same room. Where are virtual presentations rising in popularity? Everywhere! Educational webinars. Sales presentations. Training sessions. More and more meetings and presentations are held with some or all participants participating remotely. With today’s economic pressures to reduce travel and slash costs, those who master virtual presentation skills can achieve tremendous success.
Are you getting ready for a critical presentation? Are you struggling to calm down, while your heart races and your face gets hot? Lea 5 top tips to answer these persistent problems. If you’ve ever faced a presentation with increasing nervousness and stage fright, there is hope. Presentation skills training shows exactly how to gain confidence, feel calm, and master the skills you need to be effective in front of groups. Use this checklist to get prepared, feel ready and ace your presentation. 1. Adapt To Your Audiencer
Do you present and speak in public with confidence and project credibility? The way a professional delivers a message has a dramatic affect on the outcome. Discover the top secrets for maximum impact. If you project authentic confidence, it comes through in all ways. Your attitude, demeanor, body language, style and tone all reflect your internal state. Your inner alignment shines forth and is immediately obvious to all who are listening. This comes through in any media: in face-to-face settings, virtual communications, and video.
If you are giving business presentations, no doubt you're working within a timeframe. Your clients and prospects are busy people. They want to get the most value out of time spent in your presentation. Professional public speakers often record their talks -- and practice delivering to fit within specific time slots. One hour? Got it. Twenty minutes? No problem. Ten? It's a snap. What is it that professionals know -- that you can use too? These 4 secrets can help you time your performance for perfect success. Secret 1: Time Your Opening
In presentations, as in life, you only have one chance to make a first impression. This is why the titles of your presentations are crucial. In this short article, let's examine how to title your presentation to immediately attract your audience. What's in a presentation title? If you look at most business presentations, strategy messages, and sales pitches, you'll notice one thing. Deadly boring titles. If you were giving an award for the most boring, the dullest, and the most tedious titles, you'd have to have a lot of ribbons to hand out!
As an entrepreneur, student or sales professional, you know the constant demands on your time. If you’re strapped for time, and frazzled with a crazy busy schedule, there is hope. Use these 7 tips for instant presentation skills training. These days, the heat is on. In every industry, in every business, the mantra is repeated over and over: Do more with less. Get more done with less staff. Get more sales with less support. Get more results with less training. It’s not fair, really. But it is the way things are in most companies—both large and small.
Escape artists. Retirees. Dream weavers. Can you really quit your job and live the good life? It’s unlikely that you’ll want to quit just yet…without the right set of skills. By now you realize that people promising ‘pie-in-the-sky’ deals to quit your job and escape the 9-5 are waving a magic wand. It’s not likely true. Unless you have the right skills. One of the most important things a lot of people do not talk about is presentation skills. Whatever you choose to do…from running a ski shop to managing a deli in a tropical harbor…you will need top notch presentation skills.
Lunch is a great place for successful business presentations. At least that's that's the word out of a recent survey by Robert Half Management Resources. Here's what 1,400 finance executives replied when asked for their most successful meeting place other than the office: * Restaurant (36%) * Trade Show Or Conference (25%) * Sporting Event (4%) * Golf Course (3%) * In A Car (1%) * On A Trip/Plane (1%) * Nowhere Else (24%), And Other/Don't Know/Refused (4%).