Loading the searchable article library…
Browse published articles attributed to Milly Sonneman, with full-archive search.
Presenting personal can be a challenge. It is easy to loose the connection to your audience. These seven rules can help anybody to stay on track and become more effective in getting your point across. Blow a big deal? Trash an important pitch? Ouch. It hurts. But you will recover. Star presenters around the globe have the ability to bounce back and keep going. And here's the good news.
In today’s quickly changing market, more and more work is done virtually and collaboratively. Tools constantly change. But core skills guarantee success. Are your skills up to par? Anytime, anywhere. Virtual collaboration is the way of the future. It’s the secret to unlock tremendous productivity with global partners, distance teams, and even co-workers down the hall.
You need to work on client projects. You have a business to run. You have urgent issues to deal with. How can you find time to present your company to clients and prospects? “I don’t have time to present my company.” I understand. I’ve heard this from many consultants, coaches and professional service providers. You’ve got better things to do. You can’t spend time building your presentation skills—and talking about your business. Think again. The truth of the matter is that while you’re not presenting your company to clients and prospects…your competition is.
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
It’s ‘round midnight. You have to present to the CEO. Have you been putting this off? No clue what to say. No idea where to begin. Don’t worry…use this 8-step plan to get past confusion and get ready. It’s tough to figure it out when you’re staring at the blinking cursor. Getting confusing advice. Too busy to start over from scratch. Too tired to feel creative. No clue how to win attention. And the stakes are high! I’ve seen this in myself and in thousands of professionals. No wonder so many people say… “I hate presenting!” What can you do to get to a whole new level, fast?r
Are you preparing an important sales pitch? Are you searching for the best data, current statistics and impressive quotes? Find out how the 5 most important secrets to make a great impression. Whether you are connecting with clients or prospects, your success depends on how you communicate. More and more sales professionals know that communication is the key ingredient of success. In fact, sales communication training is growing by leaps and bounds. The reason why? Sales norms, sales standards, and sales practices have changed.
Countdown to a big client pitch? Are you struggling to get organized, focus on benefits and answer tough questions? Lea 5 top tips to be a super star sales communicator. If you’ve ever faced an important client presentation with increasing anxiety, there is an alte ative. Sales communication training shows exactly how to become confident and master the skills you need to sell effectively. Use this checklist to get prepared, feel ready and ace your big day. 1. Adapt To Your Audiencer
To take a common example from business life, consider the job interview. Let’s picture the situation together. You have advertised for sales associate and gathered resumes. Now, you must interview each candidate up close. This experience can be daunting. To prepare yourself and the candidates, set up the situation for success. You may want to work with an objective executive coach to plan your interview process and refine your presentation interview strategy.
Many professionals, academicians and business owners know the hard facts: confidence in public speaking boosts your career. Follow these 7-steps for unstoppable success in front of every audience. Many smart people make foolish choices when it comes to public speaking. Instead of taking a presentation skills training, they rely on habits gathered over many years to prepare an effective presentation.
What’s the toughest part of business presenting to important clients and prospects? How to handle difficult questions with poise. Curious how the pros make it look so easy and natural? Find out how to handle questions under fire with complete ease. With more and more subject matter experts presenting directly to clients and prospects, answering questions on the spot is an increasingly important issue. In my presentation skills training, this is consistently the number 1 area of concern. Why is handling questions such a hot topic?
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
Academic and business presentations can be scary. Job interviews, investor pitches, sales calls all involve presenting. Presenting on video, in person, at a conference or as part of a panel discussion can be nerve wracking. To ace any and all of these situations, one must find out how to feel confident, be at ease and communicate with power. Ready to take the challenge? Recently, I coached a brilliant consultant. She needed to present in front of a tough interview committee. Competition was stiff. Stakes were high. Time was short. I’m going to tell you what I told her.
In a rut? No clients on the horizon? If you are stuck in a business slump, now is the time to get new strategies to bring in business quick. Here are 5 tips so you can bring in business—fast. Routinely presenting to clients isn’t going to build a rock-solid stream of business. If you want to guarantee growth, you must learn how to present ideas so everyone can understand. You must discover how to make any problem clearer—so your clients instantly understand. How can you set up your presentation for success? Find out right now.
Working with virtual teams and global partners? Ever wonder how you’re coming across and if you are truly communicating effectively? Find out exactly how to know you’re spot on—with total confidence. As business continues to expand and teams increasingly work globally, many professionals have asked me about how to be effective. As we all know, it’s easy to become used to a style of presenting that may work regionally or nationally…but does not work with a global audience.
Are you planning a conference, meeting or presentation…but want to steer clear of boring, same-old, same-old PowerPoints? Find out 7 hot trends for sparking fresh ideas and lively interaction in conferences. In these times, more organizations are looking for value and return on investment for meetings. That’s why…
If you’ve been dreading online presenting but everyone is telling you, “You must do it!” there is hope. Use these 5-fast steps to feel confident and comfortable in online presentations. Entrepreneurs, small business owners, and professional service professionals are searching for new skills. They know that online presenting is a must to promote their business. Getting found online is essential to survive in today’s market.
Big presentation coming up? Are you confident that you visual message is clear and compelling? Visual impact is a key factor in whether your presentation will be a winner. Take a moment right now and ask a single question... Is your message instantly clear? If you have to think too long - more than a couple seconds - the answer is: no. The visual message of your presentation should be immediately obvious. If you are in doubt and think maybe there's something you don't know that you should - use these 5 tips to give your presentation a quick visual tune up.
Big presentation tomorrow? If you’ve been putting it off, have no clue what to say and no idea where to begin…you are not alone. No wonder so many people say, “I hate presenting.” Here are the most popular top tips from my presentation skills training to help you get confident and ready for your big day. Last week one participant in my presentation class cornered me on a break. “I’m really scared. I hate presenting,” she told me in a hushed tone. “My palms get clammy. My throat gets dry. And I’m so afraid that I’ll say the wrong thing in front of my boss.” Sound familiar?
Yes, it really is possible to deliver a dynamic and powerful webinar, even if you consider yourself technophobic. Just follow these 7 easy tips and you’ll be delighted at the dramatic results to your business.
Ready to impress your clients and look like a pro at the whiteboard?. In this short article, you’ll find out the biggest little secret to jumpstart your sales success. More and more sales professionals, educators and business leaders are using a whiteboard. Turns out, it is the fastest way to simplify complex ideas and involve any audience. A few years back, I worked with a copywriter and marketing consultant. While he helped me with marketing my business, I helped him with communicating to his clients.
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.
Unless you’ve been in the distant wilds and away from business presenting for some time, you are familiar with selling at a whiteboard. Discover what most experts won’t tell you: the very best times to appeal to you audience and sell more with less effort. Today’s PowerPoint saturated audiences are kinder and more forgiving to presenters who are willing to pick up a marker and relate directly in a seemingly off-the-cuff manner.
“All those slides, apps and tech solutions aren’t right for our audience. We need to show-and-tell at the whiteboard.” Get a 6-point selling success cheat sheet to guarantee you are ready for winning at the whiteboard. More and more sales professionals, consultants and pre-sales consultants are finding whiteboard selling conversations speed decisions. Sketching in real time is a fast way to simplify complex ideas. If you’ve been watching this trend but shying away because you don’t feel confident with a marker, now is the time to take a step forward.
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.
Far too often a generic sales presentation is the be-all and end-all for a busy sales team. A single presentation is supposed to work in any situation for any audience. But, let’s face it…does this really work? How can one sales presentation do the heavy lifting for every situation and every customer? It must work for a creative, equally to a numbers focused decision maker. It must work in 5 minutes and in an hour time slot. It must be highly effective despite variances in presenter style.
Working in global organizations, one thing is certain. You will get evaluated on your performance. Are your presentation skills putting you at risk for getting poor scores? A few weeks ago, giving a presentation skills training for a new team in a world-class company, I noticed a few participants hovering at the side. Turns out, they were worried about how they would be graded. (From 1 = poor to 5 = excellent is a big range…and your scores make a huge difference in getting ahead.)
Are you tired of struggling to create a world-class business... and spending more than you make each month? Many entrepreneurs, small business owners and Internet marketers face this problem. It’s tough to break into a market, attract new customers and escape the trap of self-employment: working like crazy but spending more than you make. What’s the solution? Find out right now.
Presentation skills training is critical to sales success. Whether you are new to sales or an experienced pro, great communication unlocks doors. Lea 7 master keys to get faster sales, bigger sales, and build strong relationships with loyal customers.
Looking to capture and develop ideas with your team, partners and creative people around the world? Visual communication is key. Get the low-down here with 5 powerful tips for powerful collaboration. Since early cave paintings, visual communication and visual storytelling have been central to how people connect. The early cave drawings show a record, told in pictures and words. Even across the distance of time, it’s easy to imagine early hunters telling their tales by firelight.
It’s easy to wait until the last minute. With a crazy-hectic schedule, insane clients and urgent requests…who has time to plan a business presentation in profound detail? Get ahead with 3 bold moves from an expert’s playbook. If it’s the night before your big day, and you just haven’t made time, don’t despair. Just use this short checklist to get ready for public speaking. This is a last minute playbook that is sure to win results.
Why try to fool ourselves? Presenting to a group is fraught with uncertainty. If you want to know exactly what will happen at every moment, you’d be better off hiding in the closet. Here’s the secret for feeling confident in every situation… In spite of extreme risks and rampant uncertainty, giving presentations and speaking in public are a part of every professional’s life. Certainly as you progress in your career, you can expect to give more presentations. And each public speaking event is likely to present more challenges and more uncertainties than the last one.
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:
What’s the secret for success in sales presentations and public talks? To dramatically improve the results of your presentations, build an emotional bond. Find out the fast and easy way to do this right now. Why are emotions are so important? Emotions drive our major decisions. You’ve heard and seen this in action. Maybe even in yourself, a friend, or a spouse. Let’s look at a classic purchase: buying a car.
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.
You may be delighted when a prospect calls to ask about your products or services. If you’re grabbing your dusty slide deck to get ready, you’re shooting yourself in the foot. Instead, use 5-easy steps to stop slide craziness and grow your business. In presentation skills training, using slides is often given top priority. Presenting with slides is commonplace that…well, everyone does it. From a 50,000-foot view, it makes sense. Corporate folks decide the message, prepare the slides, and send to sales reps. Sales reps use the slide decks to carry the word out to the masses.
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.
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.
How good at you at getting people to agree with you? Some people are a whole lot better at changing minds than others. Find out 6 secrets (rarely shared) that top sales performers use to be highly persuasive. Can’t get people to stop annoying habits? No one in your family has lost a pound? If you’re fed up with nagging, you may be interested in how persuasive people do it. Many sales professionals learn how to be effective in presentation skills training. Here are 6 tips to open up minds easily and ethically. Use these top tips to be more effective and convincing.
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.
Presenting, selling and training with a whiteboard is on the rise. But are your whiteboard presentations truly helping your cause—or hurting your credibility? Use this 10-point quiz to see. Score your skills to find out how you rate. We all dread business meetings with tons of bulleted PowerPoints, boring briefs and dull demos. But when you jump to the whiteboard and scratch out a solution, are you really helping or hurting your results? In many of the training classes I’ve taught, top executives and sales professionals alike share the same conce s. Here’s how it sounds:
Being able to present to a small or large group, speaking in public, and standing in the spotlight can bring even the bravest leader to his or her knees. Public speaking is the number 1 fear of most business professionals. Discover 5 easy secrets to move from fear to fearless. In today’s fast-paced environment, comfort and confidence in business presenting is a must. You must be able to present effectively to a group—whether it is a group of peers, your superiors, or important clients.
Are your presentations truly working? Great presentations inspire people, improve communication and help people create great things together. Lea 7 must-have tips to give awesome presentations. In today’s market, busy professionals are looking for tips and tricks to answer common challenges in business communication. With not enough hours in the day, it’s still important to expand on your skills or improve your existing communication skills. Keep these 7 tips in mind to improve, strengthen and deliver powerful presentations. 1. Focus on What’s Relevantr
Presentation skills are taught in corporate training classes, public workshops and college courses. But do they teach you the right skills to solve your workplace problems and achieve your career goals? In corporate training classes, public workshops and college courses, presentation skills are taught. But do they teach you the right skills to solve your workplace problems and achieve your career goals? The answer may surprise you. In many cases, the answer is a resounding "no."
Creating a high-impact presentation requires careful planning. It’s really easy when you know the steps of a typical workflow in advance. Here are 10 easy steps to an awesome presentation. 1. Outline Your Storyboardr
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.
Lights, Camera, Customers! In a still tough economy, many small businesses are giving video presentations to market themselves. Master presentation skills and you can attract new customers. Use your business video to educate, create awareness and advertise your services. Particularly exciting are the many ways to use video. For instance, you can create a high-definition video with a digital camera and turn it into an affordable advertisement. More and more small businesses are flocking to video for commercials, infomercials, documentaries and film series to attract new customers.
Hate the way you give presentations? If you’re kicking yourself over lousy performance, now you can escape feeling like the worst presenter in the world. Find out here… Many experienced presenters and new presenters berate their performance after the fact. If you had a hidden camera in the parking garage this is what you’d discover: “I never should have said that bit about our lack of experience.” “I could kick myself for forgetting to show the easy process.” “I can’t believe I forgot to explain why it mattered to them.” The list goes on and on.
Many people seek presentation skills training to learn how to sell to crazy busy buyers. If you want to set yourself apart from these common practices, lea 6 steps for holding a true conversation everyone values.
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.
Research should be the foundation of any business presentation. But what is the best way to go about researching -- especially when you're short on time? Contrary to popular practice, you don't have to do all the research before you plan your presentation. In fact, if you've been using this method, it could be contributing to why you haven't seen your family and don't remember what a weekend at home is like.