Tag: Marketing

Visualizing Data for Better Marketing Presentations

Data Visualization

Marketing

Apr 09, 2020

Marketing is about analyzing and applying data to provide consumers with the products they want.

Advancements in technology and computer science have been providing marketers newfound access to incredible amounts of data to capitalize on. However, it emphasizes the need for marketers to effectively visualize their data to better express their messages.

For most people, raw data can be overwhelming and unappealing to look at. Not everyone is a data wiz, after all. 

Visualized data amplifies key pieces of information and communicates clearer messages, saving both time and brainpower.

When there’s just too much data for any ordinary person to handle, visualizing it can make things easier to swallow. People need to understand what they are seeing for them to start acting on it. In this article, we will break down the best practices when visualizing your data.

Tell a Story 

You must be thoughtful in your use of data. Look at each bit of information as if they were carefully placed pieces in the overall narrative of your presentation.

Having too much information risks muddying your desired message. This is a common issue that many marketers fall into.  

Having a concrete narrative structure to your presentation helps audiences follow the flow of information. Visuals, especially when used to extrapolate large chunks of data, greatly improve the audience’s ability to internalize what is being conveyed in front of them.  

Adjust for Your Audience  

As you craft your presentation, consider to whom you’ll be talking. Potential consumers or C-level investment partners? Or maybe it’s just your internal marketing team? Whoever it may be, each of these groups have their own sets of expectations and level of understanding. 

The average Joe has no immediate concern about current spending trends in the market. He wants to know how a product can significantly improve aspects of his daily life. The data you provide must match accordingly with the type of people you will be talking to.

Design for Comprehension  

The beauty of graphic design is that it can make big data more digestible. However, there’s no “one size fits all” when it comes to effective visual design. Charts are a good example for presenting data, but it’s important to know about the various types and their best uses.

  • Bar – for comparing discrete examples  
  • Line – for continuous data sets
  • Pie – for illustrating pieces of a whole  

Here are some tips for making more effective designs: 

  • Label everything featured on the chart. Audiences must know what all the pieces are before they can understand the whole. Someone who needs to clarify what data set is being talked about will always put a halt on your presentation.  
  • Use colors to create cohesion in your design. Contrasting colors will make elements stand out, thus helping audiences pinpoint the specific information they’re looking for. Be wary of the associated meanings behind certain colors (e.g. red as a signifier for danger), depending on your intended message.  

Create Greater Context  

It’s good to assume that your presentation can (and will) be passed along to others without the benefit of accompanying verbal narrative. Having this in mind means that it rests heavily on the visuals to communicate as much information as possible in a manner that can be understood on its own. It’s important to create designs with enough context so the impact of your message can be felt with or without verbal support. 

For example, let’s say you are charting marketing-qualified leads (MQL’s) over time. Plot that against other variables which may drive fluctuations in MQL’s, like website traffic, paid investment or frequency of events. This might help you determine whether overall web traffic is irrelevant, but paid investments are critical.

Don’t Mislead Your Audience 

Be consistent with how you present data. Once you start using graphs that show zero as the baseline, then all graphs that follow should be uniform to that standard. Don’t change your scale unless it’s pertinent to the data set, and then call it out. While it can be tempting to make that 3% increase look like 50%, it can come off as deceitful. 

If you (or your team) is pulling data from tools like Google Analytics or Hubspot, be sure you fully grasp the details of your data points (e.g. what’s included in the site conversion rate, how you’re categorizing a new user, what is the criteria for SQL versus MQL.) Having a better understanding of data will ultimately lead to better designs.  

SlideGenius is Your Presentation Expert 

Need help visualizing data?

We are the world’s premier PowerPoint presentation design agency. With over one million slides for +3,000 global clients under our belt, we’ve amassed a wealth of experience about creating winning presentations. 

Our team of presentation designers, writers and animators collaborate diligently to ensure every presentation is a successful sales tool. Let us help you inject new life into your presentations and raise your business towards new heights. Contact us today! 

Closing a Deal Without Assuming a Salesperson’s Role

business

custom powerpoint

Marketing

pitch deck

presentation science

Rick Enrico

sales

Salesperson

SlideGenius

May 29, 2017

Closing a deal can feel intimidating, especially if you don’t consider yourself a traditional salesperson. However, closing a deal doesn’t have to involve high-pressure tactics or aggressive sales pitches. In fact, you can successfully close deals by focusing on building relationships, understanding your clients’ needs, and offering genuine solutions. This approach allows you to be persuasive and professional without coming off as overly salesy.

Here’s how you can close deals effectively without assuming a stereotypical salesperson’s role:

1. Focus on Relationship Building

The foundation of any successful deal lies in building a strong, authentic relationship with your potential client. Instead of jumping straight into the sales pitch, take time to connect on a personal level and understand the client’s needs and challenges. Building trust is key, and clients are more likely to engage with someone they see as a partner rather than just a salesperson.

How to Do It:

  • Listen Actively: Show genuine interest in your client’s goals, challenges, and pain points. Ask open-ended questions that encourage dialogue, and listen carefully to their responses.
  • Be Empathetic: Put yourself in the client’s shoes. Empathy helps build rapport and shows that you care about their success, not just closing a deal.
  • Maintain Regular Communication: Keep in touch with your clients through consistent, meaningful communication. Even outside of sales conversations, share relevant articles, insights, or updates that demonstrate your ongoing support.

Example:

If you’re working with a client on a marketing project, instead of diving straight into what your service offers, ask questions about their current strategies, what’s working, and where they need help. This shows you’re interested in solving their problems, not just making a sale.

2. Position Yourself as a Problem Solver

Rather than pushing a product or service, position yourself as someone who offers valuable solutions. Focus on how you can help the client achieve their goals or overcome their challenges. When you demonstrate that you understand their needs and can provide tailored solutions, you naturally become a trusted advisor.

How to Do It:

  • Understand the Client’s Pain Points: Ask questions that uncover their core challenges. Once you’ve identified the problem, offer specific solutions that directly address these issues.
  • Customize Your Offering: Avoid a one-size-fits-all approach. Tailor your pitch to highlight how your product or service can meet the client’s unique needs.
  • Provide Real-World Examples: Share success stories or case studies that demonstrate how your solution has helped others in similar situations.

Example:

Instead of saying, “Here’s our software, and it does X, Y, and Z,” focus on their specific pain points: “I understand you’re struggling with managing remote teams. Our software can help streamline communication and ensure everyone stays on track, just like it did for one of our clients in a similar situation.”

3. Educate and Empower the Client

Many clients appreciate an educational approach, where you provide them with valuable information and insights rather than simply pitching your product. By educating the client, you empower them to make informed decisions and position yourself as a knowledgeable resource they can rely on.

How to Do It:

  • Share Industry Insights: Offer helpful industry trends, data, and knowledge that are relevant to their business. This shows you are not just focused on the sale but genuinely care about their broader success.
  • Offer Guidance: Help your clients understand how different solutions might impact their business. Offer pros and cons, helping them weigh options—even if it means your product or service isn’t the best fit.
  • Present a Clear Value Proposition: Provide a clear explanation of how your solution adds value in the long term, ensuring the client feels empowered to make the best decision.

Example:

Rather than just offering a product demo, take the time to explain why certain features will be beneficial to the client, how they solve specific problems, and the overall ROI they can expect. For instance, “This automation tool can save you 10 hours of manual work per week, allowing your team to focus on more strategic tasks.”

4. Create a Collaborative Decision-Making Process

Closing a deal doesn’t have to be one-sided. Involve the client in the decision-making process, making it feel more like a partnership rather than a traditional buyer-seller relationship. Collaboration fosters a sense of ownership and trust, which naturally leads to smoother deals.

How to Do It:

  • Encourage Dialogue: Ask for the client’s input and feedback throughout the process. Frame your discussions around how you can work together to find the best solution.
  • Present Options: Offer multiple options for how you can work together, allowing the client to feel in control of the process. This could include different pricing models, project scopes, or timelines.
  • Be Flexible: Show that you’re willing to accommodate the client’s needs, whether through customizations, pricing adjustments, or flexible terms. Collaboration means working together to find the right fit.

Example:

Say something like, “Let’s discuss what works best for you in terms of budget and timeline, and we’ll figure out how we can adapt the project to meet those needs.”

5. Gently Guide the Deal to a Close

When it’s time to close the deal, you don’t need to apply high-pressure tactics. Instead, gently guide the conversation toward a conclusion by recapping the key benefits, addressing any final concerns, and providing a clear path forward. A natural close often comes when the client feels informed, comfortable, and confident in the solution.

How to Do It:

  • Summarize the Value: Recap how your solution addresses the client’s needs and why it’s the best fit. Reinforce the key points discussed earlier in the conversation.
  • Address Objections: If the client hesitates, gently ask about their concerns and address them calmly. Sometimes, a simple reassurance is all they need to move forward.
  • Provide Next Steps: Clearly outline the next steps in the process—whether that’s signing a contract, scheduling a follow-up meeting, or starting the implementation process.

Example:

After a thorough discussion, you could say, “Based on everything we’ve talked about, it seems like this solution fits your needs well. Would you like to move forward with the next step?”

Final Thoughts

Closing a deal without assuming a salesperson’s role is about being authentic, helpful, and collaborative. By focusing on building relationships, solving problems, educating your client, and creating a comfortable decision-making environment, you can successfully close deals without relying on aggressive sales tactics. Remember, your role is to provide value and support, guiding the client toward the best solution for their needs. This approach not only leads to successful deals but also fosters long-term client relationships based on trust and respect.

Marketing Through LinkedIn: Tips and Tricks

custom powerpoint

digital marketing

LinkedIn

Marketing

online marketing

pitch deck

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

Apr 24, 2017

LinkedIn has become an indispensable tool for professionals and businesses alike. Whether you’re looking to network, promote your brand, or generate leads, marketing through LinkedIn offers unique opportunities to connect with decision-makers and grow your business. Here are some tips and tricks to help you make the most of LinkedIn’s marketing potential.

1. Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile

Your LinkedIn profile is often the first impression you make on potential clients, partners, or employers. Ensuring your profile is professional, complete, and optimized for LinkedIn’s search algorithm is crucial for effective marketing.

Why It’s Important:

  • Builds Credibility: A well-optimized profile establishes you as a credible and trustworthy professional or brand.
  • Improves Visibility: Optimizing your profile increases the likelihood of being found by people searching for your expertise or services.

How to Do It:

  • Use a professional profile picture and a custom banner that reflects your brand.
  • Optimize your headline with keywords related to your industry or services, and fill out the summary section with a concise description of what you offer.

2. Leverage LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn Groups provide an opportunity to engage with professionals in your industry, share knowledge, and demonstrate your expertise. Participating in groups can help you build relationships, share valuable content, and promote your services in a less promotional and more organic way.

Why It’s Important:

  • Increases Engagement: Active participation in groups helps you connect with potential clients or partners.
  • Showcases Expertise: Sharing your knowledge and insights positions you as an authority in your field.

How to Do It:

  • Join groups relevant to your industry and participate in discussions by answering questions, sharing articles, or offering advice.
  • Avoid overtly promotional content—focus on adding value to the conversation and building relationships.

3. Use LinkedIn Ads

LinkedIn Ads allow you to reach a highly targeted audience based on job title, industry, company size, and other professional criteria. This makes LinkedIn Ads an effective tool for B2B marketing, lead generation, and brand awareness.

Why It’s Important:

  • Targets Decision-Makers: LinkedIn’s ad platform allows you to reach key decision-makers in specific industries or companies.
  • Increases Lead Generation: LinkedIn Ads can drive high-quality leads to your website, product, or services.

How to Do It:

  • Use Sponsored Content to promote blog posts, whitepapers, or webinars to engage your target audience.
  • Create Sponsored InMail campaigns to send personalized messages directly to prospects’ LinkedIn inboxes.

4. Share High-Quality Content

Consistently sharing high-quality, relevant content is one of the most effective ways to engage your LinkedIn audience and establish your brand as a thought leader. Posting insightful articles, industry news, and company updates keeps your network engaged and positions you as a go-to resource.

Why It’s Important:

  • Builds Authority: Regularly sharing valuable content helps establish your brand’s authority in your industry.
  • Engages Your Audience: High-quality content encourages likes, comments, and shares, increasing your reach and visibility.

How to Do It:

  • Post industry-relevant articles, how-to guides, and thought leadership pieces regularly.
  • Use LinkedIn’s Publishing Platform to write longer articles or blog posts directly on LinkedIn, showcasing your expertise to a broader audience.

5. Network with Decision-Makers

LinkedIn’s advanced search filters allow you to find and connect with decision-makers at specific companies, industries, or locations. Building relationships with these individuals can open doors to new business opportunities.

Why It’s Important:

  • Drives Business Opportunities: Connecting with decision-makers increases your chances of securing partnerships, clients, or job offers.
  • Expands Your Network: The more relevant connections you make, the more opportunities you’ll have to grow your network and business.

How to Do It:

  • Use LinkedIn’s advanced search to filter for professionals by job title, company, or industry.
  • Send personalized connection requests and follow up with a message introducing yourself and explaining how you can help.

6. Post Consistently

Consistency is key when marketing on LinkedIn. Posting regularly keeps you top of mind with your connections and increases the chances that your content will be seen by more people.

Why It’s Important:

  • Builds Visibility: Regular posting ensures that your profile and content remain visible in your connections’ feeds.
  • Increases Engagement: The more often you post, the more opportunities you have to engage with your audience and grow your influence.

How to Do It:

  • Aim to post at least once or twice a week, sharing a mix of content such as articles, videos, and company updates.
  • Use LinkedIn’s Analytics to track which posts perform best and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Final Thoughts

LinkedIn is a powerful platform for building professional relationships, promoting your brand, and generating leads. By optimizing your profile, sharing high-quality content, and engaging with your network through groups and ads, you can leverage LinkedIn’s full potential to enhance your marketing strategy. Consistency and authenticity are key—focus on adding value to your network, and the results will follow.

Why Listening Is the Most Important Communication Skill

communication

Communication Skill

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Listening

Marketing

pitch deck

public speaking

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

Apr 10, 2017

In the realm of communication, listening is often overlooked, but it is arguably the most crucial skill to master. While speaking clearly and effectively is important, active listening fosters better understanding, builds stronger relationships, and enhances overall communication. Whether you’re leading a meeting, giving a presentation, or engaging in a casual conversation, listening is essential to effective communication. Here’s why.

1. Builds Trust and Rapport

When people feel heard, they are more likely to trust and respect you. Listening actively—without interrupting or jumping to conclusions—demonstrates that you value the other person’s thoughts and opinions.

Why It’s Important:

  • Encourages Openness: People are more likely to share their honest thoughts and feelings when they feel genuinely listened to.
  • Fosters Stronger Relationships: Listening helps build rapport, which is crucial in both personal and professional relationships.

How to Do It:

  • Focus fully on the speaker, making eye contact and giving them your undivided attention.
  • Use verbal and nonverbal cues (like nodding or brief affirmations) to show that you’re engaged.

2. Improves Understanding

Listening carefully allows you to fully understand the speaker’s message. Without active listening, you may miss key details, misinterpret the speaker’s intent, or make incorrect assumptions.

Why It’s Important:

  • Prevents Misunderstandings: By truly listening, you can avoid confusion and ensure that you understand the message as intended.
  • Leads to Informed Responses: Listening helps you respond thoughtfully and accurately, rather than giving off-the-cuff remarks.

How to Do It:

  • Summarize or paraphrase what the speaker has said to ensure you’ve understood their points correctly.
  • Ask clarifying questions if something is unclear.

3. Enhances Problem-Solving

In collaborative environments, effective listening is key to identifying issues and finding solutions. When you actively listen to all perspectives, you gain a broader understanding of the problem, which helps you come up with more effective solutions.

Why It’s Important:

  • Gathers All Perspectives: Listening to various viewpoints helps you consider all aspects of a situation before making decisions.
  • Fosters Creative Solutions: Hearing others out allows for collaborative brainstorming, leading to more innovative problem-solving.

How to Do It:

  • Encourage others to voice their opinions and ideas.
  • Withhold judgment or counterarguments until you’ve fully understood everyone’s perspective.

4. Encourages Respectful Dialogue

Active listening can de-escalate tensions and create a more respectful conversation. By listening rather than dominating the conversation, you create an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their views.

Why It’s Important:

  • Decreases Conflict: Listening can help defuse misunderstandings or disagreements before they escalate.
  • Promotes Mutual Respect: Respect is cultivated when people feel that their views are acknowledged and valued.

How to Do It:

  • Practice patience by letting the speaker finish before responding.
  • Avoid interrupting, even if you disagree with what’s being said.

5. Strengthens Leadership Abilities

Strong leaders are often those who listen the best. By listening to your team’s concerns, ideas, and feedback, you demonstrate empathy and foster an environment of collaboration and mutual respect.

Why It’s Important:

  • Builds Team Morale: Team members feel valued and respected when their input is genuinely considered by leadership.
  • Improves Decision-Making: Leaders who listen gain valuable insights that can inform better decisions.

How to Do It:

  • In meetings, give everyone an opportunity to speak and ensure you listen attentively to their input.
  • Make it a habit to seek feedback regularly and act on the insights you gather.

6. Boosts Emotional Intelligence

Listening is a key component of emotional intelligence (EQ). It helps you understand not only the words being spoken but also the emotions and underlying needs of the speaker. High EQ is essential for successful communication, conflict resolution, and leadership.

Why It’s Important:

  • Enhances Empathy: By listening closely, you can better understand how the other person is feeling, which strengthens your ability to empathize.
  • Improves Interpersonal Relationships: People with high EQ are more effective in their interactions because they can connect on both intellectual and emotional levels.

How to Do It:

  • Pay attention to the speaker’s tone, body language, and nonverbal cues to fully understand their message.
  • Respond with empathy by acknowledging their emotions and validating their feelings.

Final Thoughts

Listening is the cornerstone of effective communication. Whether in a professional setting or personal relationships, listening improves understanding, builds trust, and strengthens connections. By practicing active listening, you can enhance your communication skills and become a more empathetic, effective, and respected communicator.

WWE and Marketing: Exploring the Common Ground Between

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Marketing

marketing tips

pitch deck

presentation science

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

WWE

WWE and Marketing

Apr 03, 2017

The WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) may seem like a world away from traditional marketing, but the reality is that the two share significant common ground. WWE is a masterclass in branding, storytelling, and audience engagement—core elements that are also essential to successful marketing campaigns. By looking at how WWE captivates its audience, brands can gain insights into how to build loyalty, create compelling content, and establish a strong market presence.

Here’s how WWE and marketing share common principles and what businesses can learn from the wrestling giant:

1. Storytelling is at the Heart of Both

WWE’s success is built on its ability to tell captivating stories. Each match is part of a larger narrative, often featuring ongoing rivalries, character development, and plot twists. Similarly, in marketing, storytelling is essential to engaging customers and creating emotional connections with brands.

How WWE Does It:

  • Character Development: WWE creates larger-than-life personas for its wrestlers, allowing the audience to invest in their stories. The backstories, motivations, and conflicts keep fans engaged.
  • Ongoing Storylines: WWE’s storylines continue over time, with matches building on past events and foreshadowing future ones. This keeps fans hooked and eagerly awaiting the next development.

Marketing Takeaway: Build a compelling brand story. Just as WWE develops characters, companies should craft brand identities that resonate with their audience. Whether it’s through product development or content marketing, brands should create an ongoing narrative that customers want to follow.

Example: Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign isn’t just a tagline—it’s part of an ongoing narrative about perseverance, excellence, and pushing limits, much like WWE’s stories of overcoming adversity.

2. Build and Leverage Brand Loyalty

WWE has an incredibly loyal fanbase, with fans who continue to support the brand and its superstars year after year. This loyalty is a result of WWE’s ability to create emotional connections through its content and consistent engagement with its audience.

How WWE Does It:

  • Fan Engagement: WWE keeps its fans engaged through regular content across multiple platforms, including live events, TV shows, social media, and merchandise.
  • Fan Participation: WWE encourages fan participation through live chants, fan votes on match outcomes, and opportunities to interact with superstars at events.

Marketing Takeaway: Engage with your audience consistently and offer them opportunities to participate in your brand. By creating two-way communication and making your audience feel involved, you can build deeper connections and brand loyalty.

Example: Brands like Starbucks use social media to engage with customers, solicit feedback, and even crowdsource ideas for new products. This involvement helps strengthen customer loyalty.

3. The Power of Consistent Branding

WWE’s brand is instantly recognizable—from its logo and color scheme to the distinct personalities of its superstars. Everything WWE does is consistent with its core identity of entertainment, action, and drama. In marketing, consistent branding is key to creating a strong and memorable brand image.

How WWE Does It:

  • Visual Consistency: WWE’s logo, fonts, colors, and ring designs are always consistent across platforms, reinforcing the brand’s identity.
  • Character Branding: Each superstar has a distinct brand—whether it’s John Cena’s patriotic persona or The Undertaker’s dark, mystical character. These brands extend to merchandise, social media, and appearances.

Marketing Takeaway: Develop a consistent brand identity across all touchpoints. From your website to social media, your branding should be cohesive to create a strong and recognizable image.

Example: Coca-Cola has maintained consistent branding for decades. From its logo to its red-and-white color scheme and iconic bottle shape, Coca-Cola’s brand is instantly recognizable worldwide.

4. Create Spectacle and Memorable Moments

One of WWE’s strengths is its ability to create spectacle. Whether it’s a dramatic entrance, an unexpected plot twist, or a climactic title match, WWE knows how to deliver moments that fans will talk about for years. In marketing, creating memorable experiences can elevate your brand and leave a lasting impression.

How WWE Does It:

  • Big Events: WWE builds up to its major events, such as WrestleMania, creating hype and excitement leading up to the spectacle.
  • Surprises and Twists: WWE is known for its unexpected moments—returns, betrayals, or surprise victories—that create buzz and excitement among fans.

Marketing Takeaway: Create memorable moments in your marketing campaigns that stand out. Whether it’s through experiential marketing, a viral social media moment, or a creative product launch, brands that deliver spectacle capture attention.

Example: Apple’s product launches are legendary for their spectacle, often featuring new innovations that are unveiled in dramatic fashion, creating a sense of excitement and anticipation.

5. Leverage Multiple Platforms for Maximum Impact

WWE understands the importance of being present across multiple platforms. From television and live events to social media and streaming, WWE ensures its content is accessible everywhere, keeping its audience engaged across all channels. Similarly, in marketing, using an omnichannel strategy allows brands to reach their audience where they are.

How WWE Does It:

  • Multi-Platform Content: WWE creates content for TV, YouTube, social media, and its own streaming service, WWE Network. Each platform has unique content tailored to that audience.
  • Fan Interaction on Social Media: WWE uses social media to interact with fans, share exclusive content, and build anticipation for upcoming events.

Marketing Takeaway: Ensure your brand is present and consistent across multiple platforms. Tailor your content for each platform, but maintain a unified message and brand identity across all of them.

Example: Brands like Nike and Adidas create different types of content for Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube while maintaining a cohesive brand message. This approach allows them to engage with their audience in different ways across platforms.

Final Thoughts

The common ground between WWE and marketing lies in their shared focus on storytelling, audience engagement, and consistent branding. WWE’s ability to build strong fan loyalty, create memorable moments, and leverage multiple platforms offers valuable lessons for marketers looking to connect with their audience. By adopting WWE’s approach to storytelling, brand consistency, and engagement, marketers can create campaigns that are just as powerful and captivating as a main event match.

6 Ways to Effectively Communicate Ideas at Work

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Business Communication

communication

Idea

ideas

Marketing

Office Communication

pitch

powerpoint designer

presentation

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

Feb 12, 2017

That brilliant idea you have which can affect positive change in the workplace is largely useless until you communicate it to someone who can bring it to life. However, pitching an idea to a colleague is easier said than done. It’s not easy to explain a concept to someone who has a different background. You’ll need to bridge a knowledge chasm that separates you from your intended recipient. You also have to watch your manner of speaking since you can’t afford to insult your recipient with the faintest hint of condescension. In the same way, you can’t be too naïve to assume that the other person is on the same page as you.

Presenting an idea to a coworker, whether it be a superior or an equal, is always a risk. There’s a possibility of your proposal getting turned down, or worse, ignored. This is why you need to be fully prepared before making your business pitch. Make sure you possess not only flair and poise but also valuable content—a worthwhile idea that can sell itself. Keep in mind what Dorothy Tannahill Moran from Next Chapter New Life, said: “There is a difference between a great idea and an idea that will truly advance the cause of business.”

Know the Recipient's Hot Buttons

Know the Recipient’s Hot Buttons

People have different ways of processing information. Some learn best with visuals while others prefer one-on-one talks. Others are still more comfortable with written exchanges. Conduct a research that will allow you to learn what’s best for your audience. You should possess a heightened sense of contextual awareness if you are to thoroughly understand your recipients. Be astute in sensing their moods, values, and attitudes. Develop a contingency plan that will allow you to align your objectives with theirs. After all, the pitch is not for you but for the company as a whole.

Direct and Concise Pitch

Make Your Pitch Direct and Concise

Trim the fat from your pitch and go straight to the point. Don’t bore your recipient with unnecessary details. Instead, stick to what your idea will do for them and the organization. “Managers want solutions to the problems that are keeping them awake at night,” said Leigh Steere from Managing People Better. He couldn’t have said a truer statement. When delivering your pitch, make sure to keep the buzz words out. Cut to the chase before your recipient tunes out from your smooth talking. Remember, substance should always come before form.

Gain the Recipient's Trust and Confidence

Gain the Recipient’s Trust and Confidence

People don’t usually open up to those they don’t trust, so you should try to gain your audience’s confidence before asking them to accept your idea. You can gain your recipient’s trust by displaying a level of authenticity and transparency. Be relatable when delivering your pitch by telling stories, using examples, and applying humor in appropriate situations. Speak to your recipient’s emotions, and let your message take deep root with them. Engage in a meaningful conversation by encouraging a dialogue. Surely, you can learn from them as much as they can learn from you.

Assert Yourself and Speak With Tenacity

Assert Yourself and Speak with Tenacity

When speaking with superiors and senior colleagues, you should talk and act like they do. Treating them like peers will encourage them to do the same to you. Respect their authority and position, but don’t be deferential and submissive. Show them that you’re thinking in the same level as they are. This will give them the impression that you can stand by your idea and defend it when the need arises.

Prepare and Practice Diligently

Prepare and Practice Diligently

No matter how great your idea is, if you don’t practice how to deliver it, your pitch will likely prove unsuccessful. To maximize your chances, have someone to practice your pitch on. This person should have a total lack of knowledge regarding your idea. He or she should also be willing to provide you with honest feedback. You can practice your pitch on more than one person to take more perspectives. Presenting your pitch to a test audience will help you pinpoint the aspects of your presentation that need improvement. If the test audience understands and approves of your idea and the manner by which you present it, you’ll know that you’re starting off on the right foot.

Find the Right Time to Make Your Pitch

Find the Right Time to Make Your Pitch

Let’s say you’re ready with your pitch. You have a cutting-edge idea and an innovative way of presenting it. The only concern that remains now is, when is the right time to deliver your pitch? There isn’t one answer to this question since every circumstance is different. You’re on your own to assess whether your recipient is ready to participate in your presentation. Perhaps Tannahill Moran’s words can help you. She said, “If the house is on fire, a new idea tossed into the mix may not go over well unless the idea helps the immediate crisis. You want to present an idea when the ability to focus and plan exists.”

The Aftermath: How to Brace Yourself for Responses

The Aftermath: How to Brace Yourself for Responses

Prepare yourself for the many kinds of responses you may receive. There’s a high possibility that your recipient will pepper you with questions to test your thinking. Think two steps ahead and formulate a response to every possible concern. When you’re faced with antagonism, keep an open mind. A dissenting opinion can help you improve on your idea. If, however, your pitch is ignored, follow up until you get an answer—just do so in a non-imposing way. After all, your audience don’t owe you their participation. It’s up to you to get them engaged.

You might only have one shot at presenting your newfangled idea. Make sure you put your best foot forward and deliver a pitch that is worthy of your recipient’s time.

Resources:

Baxter, Susan. “Learning Styles: Three Ways to Process Information.” Top Ten Reviews. n.d. www.toptenreviews.com/software/articles/learning-styles-three-ways-to-process-information

Boitnott, John. “How to Pitch Your Brilliant Idea Without Making the People You Need Feel Stupid.” Entrepreneur. October 10, 2014. www.entrepreneur.com/article/238176

Bonilla, Christina. “Want to Be Taken Seriously? Communicate Like a Boss.” Smart Like How. October 13, 2015. www.smartlikehow.com/blog-native/2015/10/12/l0d6fzogavxj6p72p0yucsuzvdpd9w

Cohan, Peter. “5 Ways to Communicate More Clearly.” Inc. December 4, 2012. www.inc.com/peter-cohan/five-ways-to-improve-your-communication-success.html

Edinger, Scott. “If You Want to Communicate Better, Read This.” Forbes. March 20, 2013. www.forbes.com/sites/scottedinger/2013/03/20/if-you-want-to-communicate-better-read-this/#59a3132b2281

Groth, Aimee & Lockhart, Jhaneel. “7 Smart Ways to Come Up with More Ideas at Work.” Business Insider. January 21, 2012. www.businessinsider.com/7-smart-ways-to-come-up-with-more-ideas-at-work-2012-1

Herrity, Joseph P. “Communicating Ideas Effectively.” Preferred Visions. n.d. preferredvisions.com/publications/thought-provokers/communicating-ideas-effectively

Madden, Kaitlin. “Have a Great Idea? How to Tell Your Boss.” CNN. March 16, 2011. edition.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/03/16/cb.tell.boss.good.idea

Myatt, Mike. “10 Communication Secrets of Great Leaders.” Forbes. April 4, 2012. www.forbes.com/sites/mikemyatt/2012/04/04/10-communication-secrets-of-great-leaders/#1b42d2021e06

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Infographics: Helping Businesses Attract More Clients

infographics

Marketing

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

Feb 05, 2017

Today is the age of images of any form. Memes, videos, portraits, selfies, etc. There are many statistics that support their effectiveness. Imaged tweets are retweeted 150% more than regular tweets. Facebook posts with pictures are engaged by users more than twice than without. Infographics are shared three times more than other kinds of content.

The last part is very interesting. What is it with an infographic that makes it shared more than videos and memes? Perhaps it’s because of the visual manner that quality information is presented or because of how a really good one looks. There are many examples of great infographics, each different from the other, used for different purposes.

In your case, you’d want it for your business. But why an infographic? There many benefits to using one. Below are some.

Infographics: Cater to the Visual

Caters to the Visual

As is often said, humans are visual creatures. It’s how the human race survived for millennia. Seeing the world and decoding, deciphering, and learning from the information allowed us to be wary of our surroundings and determine whether there was imminent danger or not. Dark? You bet. But it also works on the positive side.

How humans interpret color and design plays a huge part on the overall perception of an object. If it’s aesthetically appealing, then chances are it will be treated better. This is especially true for an infographic. The better its design, the more positive the reaction it will solicit. Pair that off with great content and you’ve got on your hands a powerful medium that can turn situations around.

As with everything in life, there’s a caveat with using either too many or too few elements: they, respectively, can be grounds for over- and underwhelming the viewer. Having too many runs the risk of losing focus on subjects that are supposed to be focused on; having too few—but not being minimalist, per se, or a bad impression thereof—can be seen as just plain at best. You don’t want to create a bad one, don’t you?

Infographics: Good Way to Dump Information

Information Dump … in a Good Way

Look back on the roots of infographics. There’s a reason why it was made into the visual-oriented image it is understood today: it’s a better way of presenting data that would otherwise have been plain, dull, or outright boring.

Imagine graph upon graph, chart upon chart, of cold numbers and percentages, and you can’t make sense of it because you only have a vague idea of what they’re about. Infographics fix this by masking all the data behind creative use of design. How about long texts that are otherwise bothersome to the point of difficult to read? Appropriate and powerful images can do the same for a fraction of the time.

There are many different ways you can replace text with images. And if you can do that exactly with facts and figures, then you’re a step closer to using infographics to your greatest advantage.

Infographics: Shareable Online

Social Media Shareability

This is where the word “viral” comes in. When your infographic is exceptionally great, it will receive more attention than a subpar one. And when it gets more attention—and reaction, as a direct result—people are more likely to share it on social media to spread the good news. Think of it as digital word-of-mouth. The more your piece spreads, the farther your influence and reputation can go. The more people you will reach thus prompting another round of shares. Then you’ll be known in different parts of the world.

Your infographic becoming viral is more than just about creating one of the better ones, though. There’s a meticulous process that follows, but that part is more on you and how you follow through. Don’t let it do all the work. You’re just as responsible for its relevance and maintenance as you are with its shareability.

So, back to your business. How is it affected by those three above? It leads to a wider base of people that get to know your brand. Think of it as a brand reputation manager/expander/propagator. That’s the very least you could gain. But imagine the consequences.

Once you’ve got more people thinking about your brand, you’ve got more choices for leads—and eventually, conversions. All because of a viral infographic. An exaggeration, perhaps, but it’s plausible. And that may be the biggest push you need to work that much harder, that much better. You up for it?

 

Resources:

Barkins, Kyle. “Infographic: Why Are Infographics So Shareable?” Tech Impact. February 19, 2016. blog.techimpact.org/infographic-infographics-shareable

Cleary, Ian. “How to Make an Infographic that Attracts Massive Attention.” RazorSocial.com. March 16, 2016. www.razorsocial.com/how-to-make-an-infographic

Doyle, Latasha. “Value Content over Creation: Make Your Infographic Useful.” Easely. January 6, 2017. www.easel.ly/blog/make-your-infographic-useful

Knopfler, Hack. “The Top 10 Worst Infographics of All Time.” Mammoth Infographics. July 21, 2015. www.mammothinfographics.com/blog/the-top-10-worst-infographics-of-all-time

Mawhinney, Jesse. “42 Visual Content Marketing Statistics You Should Know in 2017.” HubSpot. January 3, 2017. blog.hubspot.com/marketing/visual-content-marketing-strategy#sm.0001frknxr3k3dlkqq22lsqtd9h7a

McCue, TJ. “Why Infographics Rule.” Forbes. January 8, 2013. www.forbes.com/sites/tjmccue/2013/01/08/what-is-an-infographic-and-ways-to-make-it-go-viral/#4224ed16353c

Mineo, Ginny. “The Anatomy of a Highly Shareable Infographic.” HubSpot. May 12, 2014. blog.hubspot.com/marketing/the-anatomy-of-a-shareable-infographic#sm.0001frknxr3k3dlkqq22lsqtd9h7a

Patel, Neil. “5 Ways to Get Your Infographic to Go Viral.” Quicksprout. June 11, 2012. www.quicksprout.com/2012/06/11/5-ways-to-get-your-infographic-to-go-viral

Popovic, Aleksandra. “Another Way to Use Infographics: E-Courses!” Easely. September 19, 2016. www.easel.ly/blog/another-way-to-use-infographics-e-courses

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This is How Visual Marketing Grows Your Business

business

design

Marketing

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

Visual Marketing

Jan 08, 2017

In today’s highly competitive marketplace, visual marketing has become a critical component of any successful business strategy. Visual content grabs attention, communicates messages quickly, and makes brands more memorable. From social media posts to advertisements, websites, and presentations, visual marketing helps businesses stand out, connect with audiences, and drive conversions.

Here’s how visual marketing can grow your business and elevate your brand:

1. Captures Attention Instantly

In a world where consumers are bombarded with information, visual content is one of the most effective ways to cut through the noise. People process images faster than text, and a well-crafted visual can grab attention in seconds.

How It Helps:

  • Quick Engagement: Visuals, whether they’re images, infographics, or videos, catch the eye and make your audience pause and take notice.
  • Short Attention Spans: In the digital age, attention spans are shorter than ever. Visual content can quickly communicate your message before the audience moves on.

Example: A scrolling social media feed filled with text posts might make users lose interest, but an eye-catching image with a bold headline can stop them in their tracks and lead them to click or learn more.

2. Strengthens Brand Recognition

Consistent and well-designed visual content enhances brand recognition, making your business more memorable and easier to identify. This includes everything from your logo and color scheme to the style of visuals you use across different platforms.

How It Helps:

  • Creates a Visual Identity: By using a cohesive color palette, fonts, and design elements, your brand becomes more recognizable to consumers. Over time, this builds familiarity and trust.
  • Increases Memorability: Studies show that people are more likely to remember visual information than written text. Using consistent visuals helps imprint your brand in the minds of your audience.

Example: Think about brands like Coca-Cola or Apple. Their logos, colors, and overall visual identity are so strong that you can recognize them without even seeing the company name.

3. Builds Emotional Connections

Visual marketing appeals to emotions, helping to create a deeper connection with your audience. People are naturally drawn to images that evoke feelings, and emotional marketing can drive engagement, loyalty, and action.

How It Helps:

  • Tells a Story: Visuals are powerful storytelling tools. A compelling image or video can quickly convey a narrative, making your message more relatable and impactful.
  • Elicits Emotional Responses: Visuals that tap into emotions—happiness, nostalgia, excitement, or even concern—create a stronger bond between the brand and the consumer, encouraging them to take action.

Example: A nonprofit organization using an emotionally powerful image of people benefiting from their services can inspire donations and support more effectively than text alone.

4. Increases Engagement and Conversions

Visual content, particularly on social media and websites, drives higher engagement rates. Posts and pages with visuals get more likes, shares, and comments, and they often lead to better conversion rates.

How It Helps:

  • Boosts Social Media Performance: Social media platforms prioritize visual content. Posts with images or videos tend to receive significantly more engagement compared to text-only posts.
  • Improves Conversion Rates: Landing pages with relevant images or videos can lead to higher conversion rates. Product photos, demo videos, or infographics that explain your offering can guide customers towards making a purchase or signing up.

Example: An e-commerce brand featuring high-quality product images and videos on its product pages will likely see better conversion rates than one with minimal or low-quality visuals.

5. Simplifies Complex Information

Infographics, charts, and diagrams simplify complex ideas, data, and processes, making them more accessible to your audience. This is especially useful when you’re trying to convey technical or detailed information quickly.

How It Helps:

  • Enhances Understanding: Visual aids like infographics and charts break down complicated information into digestible, easy-to-understand chunks.
  • Boosts Retention: Audiences are more likely to remember information presented in a visual format than through text alone, making your message more impactful.

Example: A company introducing a new software tool might create an infographic that explains its features and benefits in a clear, concise manner. This helps potential customers understand the product quickly without reading through a lengthy explanation.

6. Increases Website Traffic and SEO

Visual content plays an important role in SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Well-optimized images, infographics, and videos can help your website rank higher in search results, driving more organic traffic.

How It Helps:

  • Boosts Search Rankings: Search engines favor pages with multimedia elements. Adding optimized images and videos to your website can improve your rankings in search results.
  • Attracts Backlinks: Infographics and other types of shareable visual content often attract backlinks from other websites, which further improves your site’s authority and SEO performance.

Example: A blog post that includes a well-designed infographic is more likely to be shared by other websites, resulting in backlinks that improve your search engine ranking and attract more visitors to your site.

7. Enhances Customer Trust and Credibility

High-quality visual content not only engages your audience but also builds trust and credibility. When your business consistently produces professional and well-crafted visuals, it conveys reliability and expertise.

How It Helps:

  • Demonstrates Professionalism: Well-designed visuals reflect the quality and professionalism of your brand, making customers more likely to trust your business.
  • Humanizes Your Brand: Videos, in particular, can show the people behind your brand, building a personal connection and fostering trust among your audience.

Example: A tech company producing how-to videos and tutorials with real employees speaking to the camera can help humanize the brand and build customer trust.

Final Thoughts

Visual marketing is a powerful tool for growing your business. By capturing attention, strengthening brand recognition, building emotional connections, and driving engagement, visual content can significantly impact your bottom line. Whether you’re designing eye-catching social media posts, creating infographics, or producing engaging videos, investing in visual marketing will help you stand out in a crowded marketplace and grow your brand’s reach and impact.

Persuasion: The Ultimate Essential Skill in Marketing

Customer Experience

digital marketing

Marketing

persuasion

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

Nov 13, 2016

You’ve had good sales, and you’ve definitely had bad ones. It’s a facet of a marketer’s life: successes and failures, closes and rejections, profits and losses. Who hasn’t experienced both? But the lesson there lies on the fact that you will do everything to minimize that ratio. Perhaps five yays to one nay? How do you do that?

Sales is a game of numbers—and persuasion, the latter more so since you dictate how that whole process goes. When the whole transaction arrives at that part, it’s just you and your potential customer—and ultimately them alone. It’s their choice; you’re there to make them see that choosing you is the correct one.

Good marketers will keep talking about what they’re offering non-stop, hoping that the service or product—its features, specifications, and the like—will entice the customer to buy it and letting it do the talk. Great marketers will relate with the following infographic. Let’s study up on persuasion, the ultimate essential skill.

https://www.slideshare.net/SlideGenius/persuasion-the-ultimate-essential-skill-in-marketing-68616836

There are many psychological effects at play when persuading. Take the scarcity principle and the backfire effect as examples. While one is advantageous, the other will break every bit of work you’ve done—maybe because they weren’t interested enough to begin with or they have a different opinion (even then, you really can’t pinpoint why).

This is a simple representation of how and why the human mind is tricky. Psychology, eh? There are a handful of shortcuts here and there, but while those can be a great help, none of them is a guarantee.

One reminder you always have to keep in mind is to be honest and genuine. When you say that you want to help, it should be the ultimate goal. It’s not just about closing a sale, not turning a profit, and not making money.

An honest marketer is often the best kind. No need for embellishments. No need for sugarcoating. Just genuineness. What maybe the ultimate trait you can have coupled with the ultimate skill you can hone may just be the best combination.

Resources:

Kessler, Doug. “6 examples of insane honesty in content marketing.” Velocity. May 12, 2015. www.velocitypartners.com/blog/6-examples-of-insane-honesty-in-content-marketing

Kessler, Doug. “7 Ways to Be Insanely Honest in Your Marketing.” Hubspot. May 15, 2015. blog.hubspot.com/marketing/insane-honesty-marketing#sm.0001frknxr3k3dlkqq22lsqtd9h7a

Lee, Kevan. “How to Win Friends and Influence Your Audience: 10 Theories to Know For Greater Persuasion.” Buffer. April 29, 2014. https://blog.bufferapp.com/social-media-influence

Wright Wiley, Kim. “The Persuasion Principle.” Selling Power. n.d. www.sellingpower.com/content/article/index.php?a=7825/the-persuasion-principle&page=1

Match Your Market: Knowing the Right Social Network for Your Business

Infographic

Marketing

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

social media

Social Media Marketing

Oct 25, 2016

Social media has become essential for entrepreneurs. Apart from allowing them to connect with clients and customers, it has also become a tool in expanding target markets and promoting a product or service. According to research, 96 percent of business owners use social media marketing, and 92 percent of those agree with the phrase, “Social media marketing is important for my business.” True enough, the form took the business industry by storm.

Using social media, however, isn’t as simple as posting a photo, video, or status update. It takes effort, especially for businesses that wish to target a specific audience and run a special campaign. Many steps are involved in creating a strategy for this kind of communication, including building your audience, determining competition, and, one of the most challenging, choosing a platform to host the tactic.

Through the emerging years of social, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn have proven their worth in reaching global markets. Facebook remains as the most used application, while every second, 6,000 tweets are delivered worldwide. These statistics do sound effective for a marketing strategy, but are they right for your business? Identify the ideal social media platform for your business with the infographic below.

https://www.slideshare.net/SlideGenius/match-your-market-knowing-the-right-social-network-for-your-business

Deciding on a social media network can be hard, especially for first-time marketers. Put the above-mentioned tips in mind and gradually build the attention and credibility your business deserves.

Whichever platform you choose, remember to use social media as a source of two-way communication with your audience. Posting content online won’t be effective without knowing how to interact with customers and clients alike. Use it as a bridge to many opportunities that can lead your business to major marketing success. Post with an objective and make sure to target the audience you would want to reach long-term.

Resources:

Pick, Tom. “47 Superb Social Media Marketing Stats and Facts.” Business2Community. January 19, 2016. www.business2community.com/social-media/47-superb-social-media-marketing-stats-facts-01431126#Kq740lvQJvMD3E83.97

De Mers, Jayson. “The Top 10 Benefits of Social Media Marketing.” Forbes. August 11, 2014. www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/08/11/the-top-10-benefits-of-social-media-marketing/#250ab8682a4d

Edgecomb, Carolyn. “Social Media Marketing: The Importance of a Two-Way Conversation.” Impact. June 7, 2013. www.impactbnd.com/blog/social-media-marketing-the-importance-of-a-two-way-conversation