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Suggest You - Talking Head Business and Marketing Plans
So you have decided to start your own business - congratulations! It's a huge leap from letting someone else take care of taxes, accounting, payroll, inventory, and/or a myriad of other activities necessary to run a business. However, running your own business has its advantages, too. You get to be your own boss, set your own hours and days to work, and are responsible for your own success. It can be a great way to free yourself from the tedium of 9-5 and work at doing what you love, but you have to begin by asking a few questions:1. Are you doing what you love, or just doing something you’re good at? A desire to get away from the regular working world can be a good motivation to work for yourself, but you h
Be Brutal:
Never, ever allow a senseless error to make its way into a final plan or presentation.
Become fanatic about math, logic and language accuracy.
Tie It Together:
Make sure all presentation materials are taken from a unified plan. The executive
summary, plan body, appendices and presentation slides need not tell the entire
story as stand-alones, but together must capture absolutely everything pertinent.
Ask Your Own Questions:
Know what your audience will ask and what you want them to ask. It is critical that
all key subjects are covered.
TEST | TEST | TEST:
Run your plan by as many different people as possible before taking it live.
Seriously, your mother, grandparents, kids, friends and “whoever” can help. Be
certain of what they do and do not understand.
Considerations:
Executiv
A major company proclaims "Employees are our most important asset!" Yet, the same company's culture communicates something much different. It's top-down, command-and-control all the way and employees, like good children, are expected to be seen, not heard.In cases like these we come face to face with the odd couple of communication: explicit and implicit communication.Explicit communication refers to the things we say or write, often messages intended to influence the behavior of others. "Do this" and "Don't do that" count as examples of explicit communication. They leave as little room as possible for interpretation or ambiguity.Implicit communication, on the other hand, refers to the things we do,
The rapid transfer of information by online and wireless means has conditioned us to expect talking head presentations delivered in sound byte bursts. Under such conditions plans adhering to rigid guidelines emphasizing X pages on Y subjects written in droll “biz-speak” will increasingly lose appeal. Thus planners must strive to produce customized output that guides diverse audiences through engaging stories to quick buy-ins of desired conclusions and solutions.
All of which can tend to leave presentation preparers struggling to find a plan for the plan. Available tools run the gamut from experts, online examples, software packages, informative web sites and books to courses, consultants and more. The multitude of recommendations flowing from this resource mass can prove confusing.
So, how does one come up with winning presentations in a period where the old rules are outdated and new guidelines are rapidly evolving? In my opinion success requires that responsible parties view each project with a mindset comprised of the following Concepts and Considerations:
Concepts
End Someone’s Pain:
It’s been said before. A business needs to solve something of significance and all
plans must tell that story.
Compel:
A good story told professionally is mandatory. Stimulate your audience and cause
questions you want to answer to be asked. This should initiate verbal exchanges,
which is generally a very good thing.
Reason Why:
Always, always be sure you know the reason why you’re including something in your
plan. The reason why will always have at its heart a customer benefit.
Always Market:
Absolutely everything about a plan is a marketing device – tout them as frequently
and professionally as possible.
Simplify Numbers:
The executive summary and body of a plan should provide bottom lines only. Use
one table in the ES and as few as possible in the BP body. They must say much with
as little folderol as possible and appear simple. Your audience needs to focus on
your business case not how you did your math.
Be Minimalist:
Use clear and concise language – never overstate anything and attempt to eliminate
passive words and statements.
Be a Business:
Nothing sells like sales. If possible be in business before writing a plan – you’ll know
more when you’re operational and it shows.
Watch Your Language 1 - Tech Talk:
Stay real as defined by your audience - inside terms can go over their heads and
leave them in your dust.
Watch Your Language 2 - Sensationalism:
Let business performance or a skilled press agent create the sensational. Include the
amazing, astounding, marvelous only if from an unimpeachable outside source and
do so very sparingly.
Watch Your Language 3 - Buzz | Lingo | Acronyms:
Limit buzz, never use lingo or slang without qualification and watch out for
acronyms. Hyping the hip can be confusing and is usually just plain wrong.
Stay On Task:
Know your subject and stay with it - don’t wander.
Highlight The Customer:
Business customers are everything. Treat them like the gods they are or soon will
be.
Use Creative Repetition:
Don’t be repetitive but state the same key details frequently through creative
wording and emphasis.
Be Brutal:
Never, ever allow a senseless error to make its way into a final plan or presentation.
Become fanatic about math, logic and language accuracy.
Tie It Together:
Make sure all presentation materials are taken from a unified plan. The executive
summary, plan body, appendices and presentation slides need not tell the entire
story as stand-alones, but together must capture absolutely everything pertinent.
Ask Your Own Questions:
Know what your audience will ask and what you want them to ask. It is critical that
all key subjects are covered.
TEST | TEST | TEST:
Run your plan by as many different people as possible before taking it live.
Seriously, your mother, grandparents, kids, friends and “whoever” can help. Be
certain of what they do and do not understand.
Considerations:
Executiv
We live in a world full of lies and deception. Most of us (or all of us?) lied or were forced to do so, in a small or larger scale, because of some circumstances. Unfortunately, some individuals use to prevaricate or lie deliberately. They use to do it frequently in every aspect of their life.So the question is how can you detect people who lie or how can you trace the lies in general? There is not a magic recipe for that but you can use some fundamental rules to do so:- The person who lies will make little or no eye contact. A person who is lying to you will do everything to avoid eye contact.- He is reluctant to face his accuser and may turn his head or shift his body away.- He tries to mov
So, how does one come up with winning presentations in a period where the old rules are outdated and new guidelines are rapidly evolving? In my opinion success requires that responsible parties view each project with a mindset comprised of the following Concepts and Considerations:
Concepts
End Someone’s Pain:
It’s been said before. A business needs to solve something of significance and all
plans must tell that story.
Compel:
A good story told professionally is mandatory. Stimulate your audience and cause
questions you want to answer to be asked. This should initiate verbal exchanges,
which is generally a very good thing.
Reason Why:
Always, always be sure you know the reason why you’re including something in your
plan. The reason why will always have at its heart a customer benefit.
Always Market:
Absolutely everything about a plan is a marketing device – tout them as frequently
and professionally as possible.
Simplify Numbers:
The executive summary and body of a plan should provide bottom lines only. Use
one table in the ES and as few as possible in the BP body. They must say much with
as little folderol as possible and appear simple. Your audience needs to focus on
your business case not how you did your math.
Be Minimalist:
Use clear and concise language – never overstate anything and attempt to eliminate
passive words and statements.
Be a Business:
Nothing sells like sales. If possible be in business before writing a plan – you’ll know
more when you’re operational and it shows.
Watch Your Language 1 - Tech Talk:
Stay real as defined by your audience - inside terms can go over their heads and
leave them in your dust.
Watch Your Language 2 - Sensationalism:
Let business performance or a skilled press agent create the sensational. Include the
amazing, astounding, marvelous only if from an unimpeachable outside source and
do so very sparingly.
Watch Your Language 3 - Buzz | Lingo | Acronyms:
Limit buzz, never use lingo or slang without qualification and watch out for
acronyms. Hyping the hip can be confusing and is usually just plain wrong.
Stay On Task:
Know your subject and stay with it - don’t wander.
Highlight The Customer:
Business customers are everything. Treat them like the gods they are or soon will
be.
Use Creative Repetition:
Don’t be repetitive but state the same key details frequently through creative
wording and emphasis.
Be Brutal:
Never, ever allow a senseless error to make its way into a final plan or presentation.
Become fanatic about math, logic and language accuracy.
Tie It Together:
Make sure all presentation materials are taken from a unified plan. The executive
summary, plan body, appendices and presentation slides need not tell the entire
story as stand-alones, but together must capture absolutely everything pertinent.
Ask Your Own Questions:
Know what your audience will ask and what you want them to ask. It is critical that
all key subjects are covered.
TEST | TEST | TEST:
Run your plan by as many different people as possible before taking it live.
Seriously, your mother, grandparents, kids, friends and “whoever” can help. Be
certain of what they do and do not understand.
Considerations:
Executiv
I just happened upon an article that entices us to speak about customer transactions as “experiences.”Suddenly, I feel I’m emerging from a time capsule, back to the 1960’s (most of which really happened in the 70’s according to people who were there.)Everybody is barefoot, dangling love beads, and singing “If you come to San Francisco, wear a flower in your hair!”I’m a little uptight, in my London tailored suit, custom shirt and way too conservative necktie.This doesn’t go unnoticed by the hippie chick that has been giving me the eye; or is she really scowling? I can’t tell; maybe it’s this funny Kool-Aid they gave me when I sat on the grass…(Is my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth?
Always Market:
Absolutely everything about a plan is a marketing device – tout them as frequently
and professionally as possible.
Simplify Numbers:
The executive summary and body of a plan should provide bottom lines only. Use
one table in the ES and as few as possible in the BP body. They must say much with
as little folderol as possible and appear simple. Your audience needs to focus on
your business case not how you did your math.
Be Minimalist:
Use clear and concise language – never overstate anything and attempt to eliminate
passive words and statements.
Be a Business:
Nothing sells like sales. If possible be in business before writing a plan – you’ll know
more when you’re operational and it shows.
Watch Your Language 1 - Tech Talk:
Stay real as defined by your audience - inside terms can go over their heads and
leave them in your dust.
Watch Your Language 2 - Sensationalism:
Let business performance or a skilled press agent create the sensational. Include the
amazing, astounding, marvelous only if from an unimpeachable outside source and
do so very sparingly.
Watch Your Language 3 - Buzz | Lingo | Acronyms:
Limit buzz, never use lingo or slang without qualification and watch out for
acronyms. Hyping the hip can be confusing and is usually just plain wrong.
Stay On Task:
Know your subject and stay with it - don’t wander.
Highlight The Customer:
Business customers are everything. Treat them like the gods they are or soon will
be.
Use Creative Repetition:
Don’t be repetitive but state the same key details frequently through creative
wording and emphasis.
Be Brutal:
Never, ever allow a senseless error to make its way into a final plan or presentation.
Become fanatic about math, logic and language accuracy.
Tie It Together:
Make sure all presentation materials are taken from a unified plan. The executive
summary, plan body, appendices and presentation slides need not tell the entire
story as stand-alones, but together must capture absolutely everything pertinent.
Ask Your Own Questions:
Know what your audience will ask and what you want them to ask. It is critical that
all key subjects are covered.
TEST | TEST | TEST:
Run your plan by as many different people as possible before taking it live.
Seriously, your mother, grandparents, kids, friends and “whoever” can help. Be
certain of what they do and do not understand.
Considerations:
Executiv
I encourage you using controversy to differentiate your business from your competitors. But when you do, you’d better know what you are doing.A Mitsubishi dealership in Columbus, OH recently decided to run “A Jihad on the automotive market” ad campaign that declares, “Our prices are lower than evildoers’ everyday, just ask the Pope”.I don’t think everybody who hears the message on the radio takes it well. However, the dealership accomplished one goal — they got everybody’s attention. National media picked up the news and talked about the incident and it’s obviously making them more famous but not necessarily popular.Being controversial does not demonstrate your advantage. Those who hear the marketin
Watch Your Language 2 - Sensationalism:
Let business performance or a skilled press agent create the sensational. Include the
amazing, astounding, marvelous only if from an unimpeachable outside source and
do so very sparingly.
Watch Your Language 3 - Buzz | Lingo | Acronyms:
Limit buzz, never use lingo or slang without qualification and watch out for
acronyms. Hyping the hip can be confusing and is usually just plain wrong.
Stay On Task:
Know your subject and stay with it - don’t wander.
Highlight The Customer:
Business customers are everything. Treat them like the gods they are or soon will
be.
Use Creative Repetition:
Don’t be repetitive but state the same key details frequently through creative
wording and emphasis.
Be Brutal:
Never, ever allow a senseless error to make its way into a final plan or presentation.
Become fanatic about math, logic and language accuracy.
Tie It Together:
Make sure all presentation materials are taken from a unified plan. The executive
summary, plan body, appendices and presentation slides need not tell the entire
story as stand-alones, but together must capture absolutely everything pertinent.
Ask Your Own Questions:
Know what your audience will ask and what you want them to ask. It is critical that
all key subjects are covered.
TEST | TEST | TEST:
Run your plan by as many different people as possible before taking it live.
Seriously, your mother, grandparents, kids, friends and “whoever” can help. Be
certain of what they do and do not understand.
Considerations:
Executiv
My wife and I wondered across the high school parking lot next to our home this afternoon and watched a girl’s soccer game. We heard shouts like:“That a girl, Cindy!“Go!“Watch out!“Move your…”If there was a verb in a sentence, it was an action verb.Most sentences had no more than 3 words.I thought, we’re out here with a bunch of copywriters!We know that we should not use passive verbs in our ads and promotion copy. Well, watch out for the helping verbs too. They will instantly turn a steel spike into that proverbial wet noodle.If you don’t remember the 23 helping verbs, here they are as I memorized them about sixty years ago: be is was were, am
Be Brutal:
Never, ever allow a senseless error to make its way into a final plan or presentation.
Become fanatic about math, logic and language accuracy.
Tie It Together:
Make sure all presentation materials are taken from a unified plan. The executive
summary, plan body, appendices and presentation slides need not tell the entire
story as stand-alones, but together must capture absolutely everything pertinent.
Ask Your Own Questions:
Know what your audience will ask and what you want them to ask. It is critical that
all key subjects are covered.
TEST | TEST | TEST:
Run your plan by as many different people as possible before taking it live.
Seriously, your mother, grandparents, kids, friends and “whoever” can help. Be
certain of what they do and do not understand.
Considerations:
Executive Summary:
Two pages maximum, 15 concise paragraphs, one key table or chart, one on-point
quotation (maybe), all of which briefly summarize the entire plan. This is your
elevator presentation and it must generate an invitation to provide a full
presentation.
Plan Body:
Eight pages that expand ES details, touch on all key subjects, provide needed
highlights and inform enough to secure audience buy-in.
Appendices:
Provides necessary support and nothing more.
Presentation Slides:
Carefully prepared set of graphics configured to subtly add color and life to a
presentation. Must be no more than 10 slides that augment, not repeat, written
materials. Extra slides should be available to cover questions or other issues that
the audience may wish to see or that you may want them to see if the “mood” is
right.
Product or Service Demo:
Go live with the real thing. Impress and dazzle with a live demo and let your
audience get their hands on what you have to offer. This must be a guaranteed
success.
Ultimately there are as many ways to prepare planning documents and presentations as there are people or enterprises needing them. I’m hopeful the preceding assists in establishing a proper mental checklist for potential plan preparers before writing or selecting tools or specialists takes place.
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