All Freelance Work is a Community for Freelance Workers Including Free Portfolios, Job Search, Job Posting, Helpful Articles, Forums, & More for the Self Employed.

Powerful Presentations Build Your Business

by Angela Booth

Take the time to create presentations for your meetings, and sign up more business.

You've set up a meeting with a potential client. You've dressed appropriately, your shoes are shined. You've got your portfolio and your business cards, and you have an idea of what you want out of the meeting. In a word: you want business.

This is the way 95 per cent of small business people approach meetings. However, if you spend a little more time preparing your presentation, you'll make a more powerful impact and will get more work.

The major rule is: when you've landed a meeting, always make a proposal. Have a clear idea of exactly what you want. You present your proposal via a carefully scripted, and rehearsed, presentation. This is not the time to leave anything to chance, or to wing it.

Before you can create your presentation, you need to know what your proposal is. For example, let's say you're a freelance copywriter approaching a graphics design agency, with a view to being considered as a sub-contractor.

Remembering "WIIFM", (What's In It For Me), you realize that you will need to create your presentation's proposal from the view of the agency.

Before you do anything else, make a long list of What's In It For Them. Why does it make sense for them to sub-contract work out to you?

What's In It For Them is the heart of your proposal. On your notes, make sure you put WIIFT on each page, so that it stays at the front of your mind. It's easy to make the mistake of talking about what you want, but please don't. You can leave a CD copy of your presentation with the prospect, but again, it MUST focus on how you can help them.

==> Preparing your presentation

The easiest way to prepare your presentation is to use presentation software. If you own Microsoft Office, then you also own Microsoft PowerPoint, it's part of Office. It's worth taking the time to learn to use PowerPoint. It makes creating an effective presentation easy.

What do you put into a presentation? Your proposal, and supporting material. Remember the agency wants to know what's in it for them --- how you can help them make money, save money, and make their lives easier and more pleasant. Everything you include in your presentation --- the kind of work you do, items from your portfolio, testimonials from satisfied clients --- must relate to *them*.

Think of the presentation as being a combination of a speech, an advertisement for your services, a showing of your portfolio, and a proposal, all rolled into one. Aim to make it around 10 to 15 minutes long. Have some fun with creating the presentation. Include plenty of slides with bullet points, and graphics.

You can get double-value out of your presentations. Just copy your basic all-purpose presentation onto a CD, and send it to prospective clients. You can also make your basic presentation a download on your Web site.

It's also a good idea to print out some of the slides from any presentation you give personally, so that you can leave the slide copies with the client after the meeting. (Note: don't hand out copies before the meeting. You need to make sure that everyone is paying attention to your presentation.)

==> Control your nerves: rehearsal is everything

Many people hate public speaking. However, if you prepare yourself, you'll be just fine, and each presentation you give will enhance your confidence.

Write your speech out completely. Ask someone else to read it and help you brainstorm ideas. Then leave the speech for a week for a gestation period. You'll find that other ideas will come to you, and you can incorporate these.

As you prepare your speech, you can also prepare the slides in PowerPoint. Use photographs and other graphics, to bring your presentation to life.

When you're happy with the speech, learn it. Practice giving the speech in front of a mirror, then practice giving it as you click through the slides in PowerPoint.

If you don't have a notebook computer to take with you, take your PowerPoint file along on a disk or CD. You may be able to borrow a computer. If you can't, then give the presentation without the file, but leave the presentation CD and notes with the decision maker.

==> Who will be at the meeting? Pitching to decision makers

Before you set a date and time for the meeting, ask who will be attending the meeting. You need to be sure that you'll be making your presentation to a decision-maker in the company. If you can't get an assurance that the decision maker will attend, postpone the meeting until she can attend.

==> Get an agreement before you leave the meeting

You've given your presentation. You've made your proposal. Now what?

Now you get an agreement.

This is the "close" in sales-speak. It's the most important part of your presentation, aside from the WIIFM aspect. Many otherwise competent people skimp on the close, because it makes them nervous. However, no matter how nervous you are, you must ask for the sale.

So, in our scenario, as you wind up your presentation, you would ask to become a sub-contractor for the agency. This will lead to discussion, but unless you get an immediate agreement to sign you up, make sure that you attempt to close at least three more times before you leave.

In the best of all possible outcomes, you won't leave the business before you have a check in your hand. This is your aim. So when the decision-maker says: "Yes, that sounds fine, we'd like to put you on our books as a sub-contractor", you say: "Great, can we make a deal now? I'd like a retainer, and _______ (mention the terms of your services agreement). A deposit of $X would be fine."

Good luck with your presentations. They're a sure-fire way to build your business in a hurry.

Angela Booth may be contacted at http://www.digital-e.biz/ angela@zip.com.au. Click here to view more of their articles.
Australian author and journalist Angela Booth writes for print and online publications, and for businesses large and small. She'll craft words for your business --- words to sell, educate or persuade.

Veteran multi-published author and copywriter Angela Booth crafts words for your business --- words to sell, educate or persuade. E-books and e-courses on Web site. FREE ezines for writers and small biz: http://www.digital-e.biz/

HOW TO SET YOUR FREELANCE RATES - A GUIDE FOR FREELANCERS & CONSULTANTSThere are many factors which business owners must consider on a daily basis as it relates to the running of their business. Things such as how to find good help, where to acquire supplies and how much to pay one's employees are all pertinent matters which must be addressed. There are a few ways to go about figuring out your rates when it comes to how much to charge the customers.

Apr 01

		SPOTLIGHT CONSULTANTS FROM OUR FREELANCE COMMUNITY

MARKETING PLANS : A Collection of Articles for How to Outline and Write a Marketing Plan for Freelancers Starting a Home Business or a Small BusinessA solid, well-prepared marketing strategy is the foundation of success in business. The freelancer or any type of business owner must become informed on the development of an effective marketing plan. The following links will focus on marketing plan articles for the freelancer to have a successful business.

Mar 20

Category: Getting Started - Self Promotion - Marketing | Trackback | No Comments »

BUSINESS PLANS: Business Plan Examples, Samples, Templates, Software and ToolsIn any type of the business including those people that perform freelance work, the proper tools are necessary to become a success. The following links consist of selected online tools for the freelancer to develop an effective business plan.

Mar 18

Category: Getting Started - Freelancing & Self Employment - Lists - Freelance Resources | Trackback | No Comments »

MAR 03

FREELANCING AND FINDING WORK AT HOME JOBSThe difficulty lies not in the fact that there aren't plenty of work at home jobs available but rather in the fact that genuine, quality, money-earning work at home jobs are all mixed up with work at home scams. This makes finding a work at home job that's legitimate a not-so-easy task for people who are just breaking in to the freelancing business. But don't worry; once you learn the lingo and know the basics, finding a work at home job gets a lot easier!

Mar 16

BUSINESS PLANS : A Collection of Articles for How to Outline and Write a Business Plan for Freelancers Starting a Small Business

Business plans are necessary in all types of businesses … and this also includes freelancers. Writing an effective business plan will help you plan out the success of your future business. Factors such as customer base, profit potential, as well as many other factors will be placed in this document. The business plan will help you, the freelancer, think through every aspect of your future successful business. We found the following business plan articles to be very helpful and we hope that you will find them to be useful too.

Category: Getting Started - Lists | Trackback | No Comments »

FEB 25

HOW FREELANCER WRITERS CAN DEFEAT WRITER'S BLOCKHelpful hints and tips to overcome the dreaded White Page Syndrome - There is probably nothing more dreadful and problematic for a writer than not being able to get going, being stuck on a menacingly white page. Read on for more ideas on how freelance writers can overcome Writer's Block.

FEB 19

WAYS TO GET MORE CUSTOMER REFERRALS FOR YOUR FREELANCE BUSINESSThe amount of customer referrals will often determine how successful one's freelance business can really be. As word spreads quickly, having customers refer others to you and your services is a wonderful way of gaining new freelance business and making more money. There are a few distinct ways to get more client referrals for your business.

FEB 18

FREELANCE HOME OFFICE DISTRACTIONS VS DISTRACTIONS WHEN WORKING IN AN OFFICEOf course, distractions are different depending on whether you are freelancing from home or working in an office. Both kinds have their pros and cons so let's take a look at some of the basic ones so that you can start getting a grasp on good vs. bad distraction behaviors for freelancers.

FEB 08

WORKING FULL TIME WHILE RUNNING YOUR FREELANCE BUSINESSThe key to being able to make the transition to full time freelancing is in setting goals that allow you to focus on moving away from working full time for someone else and towards putting more hours in to your freelance business.

FEB 06

20 WAYS TO PROMOTE YOUR FREELANCE SERVICES USING ONLINE FORUMSThere are a few distinct ways in which freelancers can market their services through forum marketing techniques.

JAN 24

60+ UNIQUE LOCAL & OFFLINE MARKETING IDEAS FOR YOUR CONSULTING BUSINESS Although online promotion is important for your freelance business, it's crucial to remember to go back to your basics and do offline promoting as well locally, nationwide, and worldwide depending on who you are marketing to. Here are over 60 ideas to market your consulting services locally. Let Freelance work find you.

JAN 22

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE GOOGLING INFORMATION ON YOUThis can be an issue for freelancers whose customers google them and try to find out information relating to them and their business. The following is a list of what to do when your customers are googling information on you.

JAN 19

26 THINGS TO DO WHEN BUSINESS IS SLOW AND IN DOWNTIME MODESome freelancers are anxious to work day in and day out which may present a problem for them when business is slow. However, there are many things which freelancers can do to bide their time while waiting for new freelance work to come in. Here are 26 ideas for staying productive during your consulting business downtime.

JAN 15

ONLINE CUSTOMER SERVICE TIPS FOR FREELANCERS & THE SELF EMPLOYEDThere is a casual attitude about communication that takes place online and that creates an environment in which customers sometimes don't take your work seriously, leading to problems with projects and payments. In order to avoid those problems, you need to make sure that you are conducting all of your online work in as professional a manner as possible. Here are some tips on how to do that.

JAN 02

TOP 150 PLACES TO TRAVEL WITH YOUR FAMILY WHEN YOU STILL NEED TO GET WORK DONEWhen you are self-employed, there is no vacation time to save up, and there is no one to cover for you when you're away. For many that mean giving up on vacations altogether, and this is what I have been doing for awhile. Most of These All-Inclusive Family Resorts Have Kids Clubs in Which Your Child can enjoy supervised and fun activities while you and your spouse can have fun or get freelance work done. Take a look below and enjoy!

DEC 30

LIST OF ARTICLE SITES, BLOGS, AND INFORMATION DIRECTORIES FOR FREELANCERS, CONSULTANTS, AND THE SELF EMPLOYED Do you ever get frustrated when you can't find the information that you need about freelancing? Well, I've just compiled a list of the best article sites, blogs, and directories for freelancers, consultants, and the self employed.

DEC 30

DECIDING WHETHER OR NOT TO FREELANCE OFFSITE OR ONSITE Deciding to work onsite or offsite sounds like a relatively simple decision, but it's actually one which isn't easy to make. Sure, when you're lying in bed just after the alarm has gone off and you see that it's raining outside and all you wish was that you could go back to bed for ten minutes and then do your freelance work from home, working offsite sounds ideal. But there are as many cons to the offsite work job as there are pros and you need to weigh them carefully when making the decision about whether to work onsite or offsite.

DEC 21

IS FREELANCING RIGHT FOR YOU? Freelancing, a term introduced by Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), is when you work without being committed to an employer. With development of internet and communication technology, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of people going their own way and leaving behind the cubicles. You are reading this book, so you must be contemplating becoming a freelancer, but before you make your move there are a few things to consider.

DEC 20

FREELANCER'S GUIDE TO TIME MANAGEMENT The most common problem that freelancers face is figuring out the balance between work and the rest of life. While there are a few freelancers out there who don't work as much as they need to in order to pay their bills and improve their business, most freelancers have the opposite problem - they work ALL the time. And that's why there are a great number of freelancers who "burn out" after a short (or if they're lucky, a long) time. In order to make sure that you aren't one of those people who "used to freelance but got burned out", you need to set limits on how much you work. Then you need to stick to those limits.

DEC 16

SHOULD I TURN DOWN FREELANCE PROJECTS? As freelancers, we often feel as if we have to say 'Yes' to every single job out there. However, we as freelancers are in a position where we can choose to say 'No' if we want to. Believe it or not, there are certain projects that you probably shouldn't accept. Turning down work is probably the hardest decision you will need to make when running your business, but sometimes turning down a gig is necessary. In this article I will explain to you the details that you need to consider when you aren't sure which route to take. Consider the following:

DEC 12

COOL IDEAS FOR YOUR BUSINESS CARDS As freelancers, we need to promote ourselves with business cards. How about putting yourself ahead of the rest of them by designing and printing completely unique business cards? You are about to take a look at the coolest and most innovative business cards that you have ever seen.

DEC 10

LIST OF FREELANCE FORUMS & MESSAGE BOARDS Looking to get together with other freelancers? Want to network? Want to ask questions about freelancing that you can't find the answer to anywhere else? Look no further than the freelance forums that we have listed below. Feel free to let us know about forums that we have missed.