Presenter-Pro Now Available Online

Presenter-Pro, the first online, video-based presentations skills workshop is now online (December 10,2006). Not only is this the most effective way to learn to write and structure your presentation to be highly persuasive, but we're offering an outstanding opportunity to the first 25 purchasers - a FREE half hour telephone consultation with the the "Presentation Pro," Peter Temple. So, if you're working on a presentation, Peter will spend the time with you to make sure it's properly targeted, to suggest highly effective visuals, help to cut down on your preparation time or anything else you'd like to discuss. Want to ace that difficult presentation and look like a star? This is your opportunity!

Why are we giving so much away right off the bat? Because, even though Presenter-Pro has been tested and received extremely high ratings from everyone who's taken it, we want MORE TESTIMONIALS! And, we want to RULE the online presentations training market.

True, we already have a series of testimonials. And, they're really good ones! But, since those testimonials, we've added to Presenter-Pro greatly by updating all the printed documentation and providing narration and visuals (multimedia) to guide you through the exercises.

So . . . what we'd really like are ADDITIONAL testimonials from anyone taking our online multimedia workshop in its present form. And for that, we'll ALSO provide you with an additional written module (a downloadable PDF) - with lots of tips on how to improve your performance - absolutely FREE!

Keep mind that it's backed up with my personal guarantee, that if you're not completely satisfied with the value you've received, I'll glady refund the full amount of your purchase.

Now, if you need ADDITIONAL incentive, view the introductory module and the first habit online now FOR FREE. Just go directly to this location. Or, for more information on what the workshop is about, visit our Presenter-Pro Workshop page.

This Month's Articles
(just click on an article name to go directly to that article)

Ally Relationships - FREE Webinar
We are in the process of moving our live, video-assisted workshops to the web in an interactive classroom/webinar environment. Here's all the information on our last webinar before Christmas - "Ally Relationships."

The Power of Persuasion
Being successful today requires that you influence people. Nowhere is this more important than in the presentation situation. Here are some things you should know.

The Rule of Reciprocity
Here's an interesting phenomenon that will have an influence in ANY presentation you do. People are obligated to you in certain instances. Learn how you can use it to your advantage.

Previous Articles and Links

Past Articles on Persuasive Presentations

Presenter-Pro Workshop - FREE TRIAL - first two modules

Video-Assisted Webinars - Schedule

We're in the process of taking our free webinars online - into the Webex environment. These will be the first soft skills, video-assisted workshops available on the internet.

In order to demonstrate the attractiveness of this medium, we've developed a series of FREE introductory webinars, each an hour in length, to allow you to experience the power of both the Webex environment and the effectiveness of these internationally acclaimed programs.

Current Schedule:

Ally Relationships - THIS TUESDAY, One Hour Interactive Webinar (Webex)
December 12 from 12 - 1 pm EST (10 am Mountain). To attend, please email Peter Temple for details.

As well as being the subject of a new book, "Ally Relationships" is a one day live workshop that we offer that will help you retain clients over longer periods, but more importantly, become one of their "inner circle" of coveted business relationships. What this means is that they'll call you first - any time they have an issue of any kind that requires high calibre input.

Success in a service business is hard to achieve, and harder still to sustain. Ally Relationship takes you behind the scenes of a typical business relaionships to see exactly how the most successful service providers build and sustain their success.

The recently published book by Tony Putman can be purchased online at Amazon.

Sales techniques have changed little over the years since the concept of “Needs Satisfaction Selling” was introduced in the late ‘50s. New names have appeared such as “Strategic Selling”, “Consultative Selling” etc; new software enhancements proliferate, but the basic selling model hasn’t changed — seek the need, and then sell to it.

Ally Relationships breaks new ground. It replaces the old selling/persuasion model with one that results in the Client initiating the buying activity. With Ally Relationships, you stand out from the crowd. The result is more satisfying for both parties and is ultimately a more collaborative way to conduct business.

Ally Relationships is designed for Professional Service providers, and for Key Account Reps who sell Products to major accounts.

This one hour, online webinar will show actual video from the workshop and walk you through a module to let you experience key concepts from the program. Hosted by Tony Putman himself, you'll have the opportunity to learn from the "master!" So, if you or your associates are involved in high level sales, you owe it to yourself to attend this one-of-a-kind, FREE online seminar.

You will learn:

• What is your crown jewel asset, and why it is under attack.
• How you can consistently stand out from your competitors when your clients decide to buy.
• How to take your business relationships to the highest and most valued level quickly and effectively.
• Keys to success, and traps to avoid.
• Specific Operating Principles for developing an Ally Relationship and the business that goes with it.

Testimonials

"This book is intended for professionals who want to operate at the top of their game. It focuses on developing Ally Relationships - one of the most important skills a professional can learn. As an Ally you are on the field, helping your clients tackle their most important challenges, instead of merely yelling advice from the stands. Bottom line: it's the difference between being engaged or just responding to RFPs."

Jack Russi, Vice Chairman and Regional Managing Partner
Deloitte & Touche USA LLP

"Ally Relationships is a quick and fun read, but don't be deceived - this is an important and genuinely original book. This is not the same old sales training with a new glossy package. It's a powerful and practical way to build and sustain success. Following the Ally Relationships model will surely give you an unfair advantage over your competitors."

Gordon Hecker, Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer,
Nationwide Financial

"I have been selling professional services for years and Tony Putman's book was so good I read it through twice in one sitting. When I was done I not only felt eager to use his techniques, I had written down my plans for two new clients, five prospects and three old clients. What an empowering book! Now I need five more copies of the book for my partners!"

Steffie Allen, Board Chair, Women's Vision Foundation,
President, The AthenA Group, LLC

Anthony O. Putman

For the past 30+ years, Tony Putman has helped the leaders of service businesses gain and sustain competitive advantage in their market. His clients have ranged from one-person practices to some of the largest firms in the world, including IBM, Ford Motor Company, Deloitte & Touche, Nike, Health Partners, Bell Labs and the United States Department of Defense. His book, Marketing Your Services: A Step-by-Step Guide for Small Businesses and Professionals (John Wiley & Sons, 1990) is recommended on over 100 websites and is currently in its 18th printing.

The Power of Persuasion

Why should your presentation persuade?

Persuade: advise, urge, move by argument, reason earnestly

Because being persuasive is critical to your success!

Your job requires you to influence people. You might need to gain support among your peers, convince a subordinate that your project takes precedence over another’s, talk a colleague into staying late to meet a deadline, persuade someone to promote your ideas or simply get your significant other to drive the kids to work when you have an early morning meeting. All of these attempts to influence require a presentation by you, no matter how short. It may only be a conversation; a phone call.

Influence requires persuasion. Virtually ALL presentations contain an element of persuasion. The ONLY type that DOES NOT is a presentation developed to provide objective information, so that the audience can be fully informed and make up its own mind.

However, in business, this type of presentation is in the minority. The speed of today’s business environment generally requires presentations to further a way of thinking; to advocate a course of action. In other words, why do the research if you’re not going to draw a conclusion; take a stand; promote your opinion? As a result, it’s your job as a presenter to choose a side and persuade your audience to follow your train of thought – that it’s the right one - and get them to agree to take action. Here are a couple of examples:

• 1. In sales, persuasive presentations are a “given.” If you’re not persuading your customer to buy your product or service, you’re in the wrong profession! Even if you’re NOT in sales, you make several persuasive presentations every day.
  
  
• 2. As a manager, you’re judged by how much you accomplish. The more you can get subordinates to research a topic, reason effectively and present a persuasive presentation based upon the facts, the faster you’ll make decisions – the faster you’ll move up the ladder. Success is built upon your company’s employees being able to build a persuasive argument, communicate that argument effectively and prepare it in a minimum amount of time (ie. - efficiently).

You gain a tremendous amount of personal power from being able to influence people. You become known as “someone who gets things done” – exciting to be around. Being able to get things done enhances your career – it makes you much more successful, it make you more money.

If you want to get people to do things for you, or further your career, you need to know how to be persuasive; how to influence. There is no absolute "right way," but there are a lot of wrong ways. The fact is that many things come into play when trying to influence people – to get them to do what you want them to do.

Here’s a list of things to keep in mind:

• When people are unsure and the situation is ambiguous, they are more likely to rely on or follow the behavior of others
• People are more inclined to follow people who are similar (dress, mannerisms, appearance, etc.)
• People prefer to say ‘yes’ to individuals they know and like
• Praise can play a role, although if it’s blatantly transparent, it can do more harm than good
• People generally like to deal with experts, as long as they can trust the expert to be truthful (trustworthy)
• People are more willing to accept requests that are consistent with a prior commitment. Once a stand is taken, there is a natural tendency to behave in ways that are stubbornly consistent with that prior commitment
• Things difficult to attain are perceived as more valuable.
• Your audience will forget 50% of your presentation within 24 hours. 48 hours later, they will remember LESS THAN 25%.

There’s a generally accepted way to develop a presentation – based upon a logical structure and an argument designed to influence your audience. However, every audience is different and KNOWING or UNDERSTANDING your audience is KEY. There are lots of places to find this information. However, having a proven method of developing a persuasive presentation – using steps that work EVERY TIME in virtually EVERY SITUATION – that’s a scarcity!

So, if you want to increase your influence, gain more personal power in both business and your personal life, the ability to write and structure a persuasive presentation is critical to your success.

Here’s one more thing to keep in mind: The Rule of Reciprocity.
Virtually all members of society are trained from childhood to abide by this rule. It requires that one person repay what another person has provided. The allows you to give something to someone with the expectation on both sides, that the favor will be returned in kind.

How can these principles work for you? Reciprocity is based on the "Golden Rule" - do unto to others as you would have them do unto you. Part of it is in your presentation style – your performance. However, many of it relate to how you prepare your presentation; how you structure it in terms of its persuasiveness. And, the work you do in the background to make sure you truly understand your audience’s concerns can be even more important.

So, when you develop your presentation, keep the "Rule of Reciprocity" in mind. The extra special things you do for your audience will help put them "on your side" and make them want to provide something special back in return.

Here's my very blatant advertisement:

Being persuasive using the "presentation medium" is what Presenter-Pro teaches you to do efficiently and effectively. The "8 Habits of Highly Persuasive Presenters” give you a series of 8 simple steps you can follow every time you have a presentation to give.

Moreover, we don’t just tell you what to do to be more persuasive, WE SHOW YOU ON VIDEO! You get to watch two businesspeople with their own presentation challenges and how the 8 habits helps give them a tried and true system that's so easy to follow. We even provide a template you can use – simply fill in the blanks! You won’t find this type of information ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE WEB! And, you can take it at your convenience, any time, night or day!

But don’t take my word for it, take the two-module demonstration of Presenter-Pro and make up your own mind.