by Lisa Wedmann | Jun 26, 2013 | Advertising, Business Success, Creative, Latest
Some guy in a suit is yawning, another guy in the back is asleep, a woman in the front is reading notes, another looks at her nails and everyone else is checking their phone.
And then there’s you, standing at the front of the room, nervous and starting to sweat, trying to hang on to their attention.
You’re feeling frustrated and don’t know whether you should speed up your presentation or slow it down. Maybe you need to add a little humour? You could tell a few jokes, but maybe the topic of your presentation can’t be made light of.
Is it you? Is it your subject matter? Or is it your PowerPoint? You rack your brain thinking about what could you have done differently to be more effective?
All this to say, if it’s your delivery, well that’s an issue for another blog. If it’s your subject matter, there’s not much you can do about that. But if it’s your PowerPoint presentation, I can help.
In fact, I can provide you with two killer tips for powerful PowerPoint presentations.
All you have to do is follow these two simple rules when you create and design your material and your PowerPoint presentations will not only look better, your audience will be more interested and more engaged.
ONE, ONE, TWO
It’s an easy rule of thumb: One idea, one slide, two minutes. It’s the most basic formula. 1+1=2. Simple to remember, easier to use. The reason for this is also simple. When you create content heavy slides with more than one idea per slide, your audience is unable to determine what message you want to deliver. Your slide is high in noise and low in message.
Your audience is thinking to themselves, “And the point is…?”. The result: Yawning and nail inspection.
Ideally, you need to design your presentation so that you spend approximately two to three minutes per slide. Yes, that means you must know your subject matter well. Any more than three minutes and your audience will get bored and end up losing interest in your presentation.
THIRTY-SIX OR TWENTY-FIVE
I can’t count the number of times I have seen PowerPoint slides with far too many words. Oh yes, I can count. More than 36 words per slide is too many.
The slides are there to support your comments, to act as reinforcement and to keep you on track with your presentation; they are not there to chronicle your entire speech. No, they don’t replace the index cards of the past.
I know we all hate presenting, but If you’re reading this it means your career is dependent on giving presentations at some level – so you’re going to have to get over it. I digress, back to the presentation and the number of words…
There are various rules for the number of words per slide but one of the easiest to remember is 6 x 6. That means six bullets each with six words for a total of 36 words. Some will even say 5 x 5. You can decide which makes the most sense to you. So, another simple formula: 6×6=36 or 5×5=25.
If you must have a slide with more than 36 words, take a few well chosen words from that slide and consider putting additional information in the Appendix that you leave behind. The audience can read about it more in depth at their own convenience and without yawning in your face.
THOSE WHO CAN COUNT
These two rules are very simple, but rarely will you find anyone who follows them. But as I always say, there are three types of people in this world, those who can count and those who can’t.
by Lisa Wedmann | Jun 20, 2013 | Advertising, Business Success, Latest, Social Media
I finally got a “round twit”.
Sure it’s an old joke, I hope that it’s so old nobody has heard it and it seems fresh again and people will think I’m incredibly funny.
But even if you don’t think I’m funny you may have guessed it’s a joke about procrastination.
There are two types of people who procrastinate.
Those who fear failure and those who fear success.
Afraid of Failure
Those who fear failure think of all the things that could go wrong. They worry about what people will think when they fail and as a result of their worries; they think it’s better not to try.
Afraid of Success
On the other hand there are those who fear success. To me, it seems counterintuitive to fear success. What is there to fear in success? Isn’t that what we want – to be successful? I wish I was successful in everything. That would be great. Sadly I am not. But I am fortunate to say I am not afraid to try.
People who fear success may be overwhelmed by the fear they will have new responsibilities. They may be afraid they can’t handle these new responsibilities and people will expect more of them. Consequently they don’t try.
Procrastination can be serious and could require professional help. But for those who simply need a bit of a push following are my top 3 tips on how to avoid procrastination.
Take the first step
We’ve heard this before. Break it up into tiny pieces. Focus on the first piece only. Once you complete the first piece, go to the next. Do not think about anything other than that first step. As soon as you begin to take action you are changing your mental attitude and you will become more positive and open and willing to try.
Set Appropriate Goals
There are tough jobs and there are even tougher jobs. Sometimes the job may seem impossible. Sometime we may feel there is no chance of success. To overcome this resistance, be realistic about what you can do and then set achievable goals. When you successfully achieve your first goal you can set the bar a bit higher. Each accomplishment will bring you closer to success.
Start with the Hardest or the EasiestJobFirst
This is a tough one. It’s tempting to start working with what we know is simple. But if we start with the hardest task and get it out-of-the-way we feel relieved and the rest seems easy.
Some people say to start with the easy things first so that you have confidence and this will move you forward. If that works for you then go for it but I find starting with the most difficult task works for me.
Procrastination is complex and it can take many tries to break you of bad habits. In the meantime if you would like to know more about procrastination … I’ll tell you later.
by Lisa Wedmann | Jun 13, 2013 | Advertising, Business Success, Creative, Latest
A few years ago I was having a conversation with a photographer friend of mine. We were talking about business and giving each other tips on how we could become more effective. At one point in the conversation he turned to me and said, “There’s always time to do it over but there’s never time to do it right in the first place.”
I wondered what point he was trying to make since this statement seemed contradictory. Then he told me his story. A long-time client of his was on a tight deadline and needed a high priority, rush shoot. His assignment was to go to a busy street and shoot the crowd. Sound easy? You would think so.
He rushed over, took the shot and raced back to the client. He couldn’t wait to show them. He was proud of himself and was positive they would be happy. At that time he didn’t know about his BIG MISTAKE, he was still caught up in the delight of meeting his deadline.
What he didn’t know was there was a large billboard in the background of the photo. So what, many busy streets have billboards. Well, it wasn’t the billboard that was the problem, it was the competitor’s name on the billboard that was. And do you know what happened next?
He had time to do it over.
If he had taken the time to think through his assignment this wouldn’t have happened. And the moral of the story… the client never hired him again.
When we are rushing to meet deadlines we often jump in without thought. When we jump in without assessing the environment we make big mistakes and the consequence is we have to do it over and like my friend you may lose a client. So how do you do it right when you are faced with seemingly impossible deadlines?
DON’T GET CAUGHT IN THE HYSTERIA
In order to do it right from the beginning do not get caught in the hysteria of the moment. You need a clear head to determine how you will get the job done. You look out of control when you run around screaming “I have to meet a deadline” and it can be infuriating for others who are trying to get their own work done.
As my friend felt about his photo, not a pretty picture. Instead, pause and take that spot of time where you would have been running around to plan your approach. Those few minutes can make all the difference.
ASK QUESTIONS
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Make sure that you know and understand what is required. Ask what is the purpose and what you are intended to accomplish. Obtain as much detail as you can. This information will steer you in the right direction and provide answer questions that you don’t have time to ask.
One question you might not think to ask is why is there such a tight deadline? Is this deadline final or is there any wiggle room? Is the deadline for a specific time of day? If it is at the close of one day you might be able to squeeze in some extra time by asking to provide your deliverable in the morning of the next day.
Just remember doing it right from the beginning will save you time in the long run.
by Lisa Wedmann | May 30, 2013 | Business Success, Latest
Influential at work
Let’s face it you can’t get anyone to do anything. Nobody cares. You’re a big loser and you get nothing done.
You’re not the boss and everyone knows it. It doesn’t matter that the Big Giant Head told you to make it happen. It’s not happening. They won’t listen. Just like the theme song for the TV show, Malcom in the Middle, your coworkers are telling you “You’re not the boss of me and you’re not so big”.
Sigh.
If only you had authority. If only you could put your foot down and make people do what you want. If only you were influential. Then it would be easy.
… double sigh.
You may think you are the only one who has this problem. You’re not.
We all do.
No matter where you are in the organization, each one of us needs the help and cooperation of others in order to get results.
The challenge for you and for each one of us is how to get results without being the Big Giant Head?
One of the most important strategies to get results from others is influence.
Being influential is not manipulative or devious or taking advantage. It is about working with the team to overcome barriers that can stand in your way to get things done.
There are many ways to influence others. But in my view these are the top 5.
1. TAKE AN INTEREST IN OTHER PEOPLE
People do things for people they like. Become sincerely interested in other people. Smile, remember their names and be a good listener. Encourage them to talk about themselves. It’s that simple.
2. BE SENSITIVE AND PERSISTENT
What if they still say NO?
Don’t give up.
Many times no doesn’t mean no. It could really mean I need more information or I am lost. After you identify the underlying reason, do what you can to fix the objection and don’t hesitate to ask again. Be sensitive and persistent.
3. KEEP YOUR OPINIONS TO YOURSELF
Do not criticize your coworkers. Do not criticize management. And in particular do not talk about your personal beliefs. Do not discuss politics or religion. Criticism is insidious and will rip your team apart. Instead be professional and focus on the positive aspects of the job.
4. BE GRATEFUL
Everyone wants to be appreciated and noticed in a positive way. Acknowledge to them and to others the important role they are playing or have played. This is not about you and the praise you receive it is about recognizing others. If they think you won’t express appreciation then it is unlikely they will do anything to help you meet your goal.
5. STOP WHEN THEY SAY YES
And once they’ve said yes. Stop. Don’t continue to say why it is important. This is insulting and plain annoying. They understand, why do you keep telling them?
So now you have a strategy and some tools to work with your team and get the job done. The Big Giant Head will be proud.
by Lisa Wedmann | May 28, 2013 | Advertising, Branding, Business Success, Interactive, Latest, Social Media
Most of us are familiar with Morse Code, that mystifying alphabet where letters are represented by a combination of long and short signals mostly called dashes and dots.
Typically we’ve seen Morse Code used in movies where the distress signal S.O.S, three dots, three dashes, three dots is sent and a rescue is made.
What made Morse Code so popular in movies is that it could easily be sent in a short time and get an immediate response. The tool was adaptable. You could use a hammer on a pipe or a flashlight. Whatever worked.
Poignantly when Morse Code was retired in the nineties, the French Navy’s final message was “Calling all. This is our last cry before our eternal silence.”
Obviously they hadn’t heard about Twitter where silence has been replaced by a deafening roar.
And talk about immediate response.
In 140 characters or less, Twitter provides a quick and easy way to get your message out to clients and potential clients.
OK I’m sold. What are you waiting for? Let’s get tweeting right?
Not so fast, before you do anything else you must develop a TwitterMarketing Strategy and Plan.
Begin with your marketing objective and build a Twitter strategy around that objective. What do you hope to accomplish with your Twitter Campaign. This is the most difficult to establish since your objective will set the tone and your approach to tweeting.
On the plus side having a strategy makes it easy to manage your account since you do not have to second guess yourself when sending out a message. This also makes it easier for multiple people to manage an account while keeping it consistent with company goals and branding.
In creating your Twitter Strategy and Campaign consider:
How will your landing page look? Will it include photos?
What is the name of your Twitter account? Will it reflect your business name and brand in a way that makes it easy to remember? This may seem obvious but is it easy to spell?
How will you get followers?
What are the keywords associated with your account? This is an important element since these keywords will attract the right followers.
What type of tweeters will you follow? Will you follow only those who work in your industry or will you include others?
How often will your post?
What type of information will you post? Will you post about specials or sales, news events or other comments about your industry?
Will you be provocative to stimulate feedback?
Will you block irrelevant or spam accounts?
What is your policy on “Favourites”? This is strategically important since each time you favourite someone’s content they are notified and your name is in front of them.
What are the rules for abbreviations? Will you develop a lexicon of common terminology and abbreviations for your business that you will use consistently to promote your brand?
Will you retweet and if so what type of information will you share?
These are just a few examples of what to include in your Twitter Marketing Strategy.
This is your first step in a quick and easy way to get your message out and you won’t even need a flashlight.
