Get rid of the butterflies and generate applause

Feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural and even beneficial. But too much nervousness can be detrimental. Here are some proven tips on how to control your butterflies and give better presentations:

• Know your material. Pick a topic you are interested in. Know more about it than you include in your speech. Use personal stories and conversational language, that way you won’t easily forget what to say.

• Practice. Practice. Practice! Rehearse out loud with all equipment you plan on using. Revise as necessary.

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Strategize to find a specific target market

A question I get asked by many people is what is the most important factor when it comes to marketing my business? Is it my unique selling proposition (USP), the offer I provide, or even how impressive my marketing materials look?

Actually it is none of these and the answer is quite simple. It is targeting the market you are aiming to sell your products or services to. When businesses hear this, the usual answer is that “everybody or anyone can use my product or service”. Although they are correct, they are not realizing one important thing. Everybody buys from your business for a different reason, so how do you expect to appeal to all of your potential customers at the same time?

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Make your prospects happy with better Bullet Points

What is a piece of copywriting without bullet points?

Bullet points are the magic little lists of lines that sit to the right of a “bullet point” that sum up the benefits and features of the offer you are presenting.

Bullets work because they:

• get attention
• break up the text
• are easy to read
• give the reader the “meat”

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Surround yourself with a network of competent professionals and add more value to your client relationships. Joining referral networks like BNI or local chamber groups can be a great way to help you network and generate referrals. The most powerful way to use this strategy, however, is to grow your own.

Almost any business can benefit from having a group of trusted providers effectively marketing your business like a referral sales force. When you build your own private referral network your business benefits in two very powerful ways: you experience an increase in leads and you have additional resource to bring to your client relationships. In some cases, this second benefit may produce the greatest long-term impact of this approach.

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