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Marketing Tips
- Marketing Tip of the Month
- Creating Effective Small Exhibits
- Communicate Your Value With Every Contact
- Web Site Optimization
- Advantages of & Tips for Your Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Focus on Your Audience to Overcome Speaking Anxiety
By Sally Strackbein, Defining Story
Stage fright can hold you back. In business, we can be called on to speak to coworkers, customers, vendors at conferences, and other events. Being reluctant to make presentations can delay upward mobility and promotions.
People who suffer from stage fright voice some common concerns: "I'm afraid people will judge me." "What if I can't think of anything to say?" "I'm not any good." But these concerns are all focused on you, the speaker. The key to overcoming stage fright is to become audience-centered.
Audiences expect speakers to meet their needs. They expect to get valuable information, they expect to be entertained, or both. They don't expect regular people to perform like Tony Robbins. They don't sit in their chairs picking you apart unless they are insecure speakers themselves.
If you dread public speaking, here are a few tips to help you overcome your fear:
- Keep your focus on the audience.
- Notice a person who has a friendly expression on their face and speak to him or her first. Pay attention to what you like about him or her.
- Then, scan briefly for another friendly face and speak to that person, noticing something positive about him or her.
- Keep your focus on what you like about your audience.
- Then focus on the information you have to give them.
The more you focus on the positives about the audience, the less you think about yourself. You aren't a self-centered person, are you? Try thinking about other people when you speak. It works!
Sally Strackbein is a speaker and speaking coach. Email: Sally@DefiningStory.com or call 703.262.0361
Creating Effective Small Exhibits
by David Beach, CEO and Founder of Atlantic Skyline
Trade shows range in size from small hotel conferences to massive citywide events and everything in-between. Utilizing a small exhibit in an entryway, tabletop or even a shared booth forces you to maximize your impact while minimizing space.
There are several key considerations to take into account when creating an effective small exhibit. Know that on average, three seconds is the amount of time you've got to grab the attention of attendees and entice them into your booth. In order to accomplish this seemingly impossible task, your exhibit must first be objective driven. Click here to read the complete article. For more professional assistance for your exhibit, call 703-802-6800 or visit www.atlskyline.com
Communicate Your Value With Every Contact
by Jaqui Olkin, Olkin Communications
As business people, we all want to build relationships and gain customers, but we face some formidable challenges when approaching marketing communications. Our potential customers are busier than ever, and they are jaded about marketing. How can we stay in contact with them and keep our names in front of them without alienating or annoying them? This article (click through) shares an approach to customer communications that can help position you and your business as relevant, timely, and valuable. Olkin's contact information is 571-643-6020, e-mail jacquiolkin@hotmail.com or visit olkincommunications.com.
8 Steps to Web Site Optimization
by Meg Walker, Network Solutions
Does your company rise to the top of the list when your key words are Googled or Yahoo'd? If not, tweak your Web site and youll be there. If you want more customers, that's what you'll need to do. The presentation by Meg Walker of Network Solutions on the various aspects of Web site optimization can be downloaded herein. In summary, the steps she recommended are: (1) plan your Web site, (2) identify the right key words, (3) create or update your site, (4) submit it to search engines as well as (5) to search directories, (6) get inbound hyperlinks, (7) measure search engine changes and (8) keep your Web site fresh with updated content. Click to read. Or you may contact Meg at 703-668-4600.
How A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Can Fit Into YOUR BUSINESS PLAN
By Vickie Walton, Membership Manager, Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce
Frequently, a new business finds it desirable to announce its opening through a ribbon-cutting ceremony. We are happy to work with you should you want to have such an event. We recommend the following steps for staging a successful ribbon cutting.
- Choose a date and time that will be good for you and that is clear on the calendars of public officials you would like to have in attendance. Please also consult our online Events Calendar to assure you aren't selecting a date that conflicts with an established Chamber Event. We would also be delighted to place your Ribbon-Cutting event in our newsletter for the month prior to your event.
- Do a formal invitational mailing. The Chamber will give you a list of its members and a lis of VIPs and Media contact for business coverage representing the local and regional papers, radio, commercial and cable television stations.
- If your business lacks signage big enough to readily identify you in the hoped-for newspaper photo-op, we would suggest you have a banner with your name on it in place for the occasion (the Chamber has many businesses that can prepare signs for you.)
- Serve refreshments. Those always draw a crowd!
- Purchase a big ribbon; we'll bring an extra-large pair of scissors.
- Plan your event. One of the Chamber's officers would be happy to represent the Chamber at your event and to officially present you with your Chamber plaque as part of the ceremony.
For additional information about this, or any other business issue, please contact the Chamber at 571-323-5300 or by email via info@DullesRegionalChamber.org.
Click here to learn how the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce provides marketing opportunities via sponsorship choices.
We invite our members to consider authoring an article for this site. Articles will be rotated periodically. Contact our Communications Manager of the Chamber here or call 571-323-5307