When it comes to pitching for new business, it can be a tough job to stand out from the crowd. The potential client will have seen a number of pitches and presentations, so how can you really grab their attention and make sure it’s you that they choose? Not only will they have seen many and had more to see, but they also will have been in your shoes at some point and will know that you’re trying to impress. So what is going to make them either part with their money or choose you over anyone else?
Have Some Humility
It’s all well and good telling the people from the business you’re pitching for how great you are and why they should pick you, but remember that they have seen a number of egos so you will stand out by showing some humility. Highlight the obvious challenges or risks your business faces and show that you are prepared for this. Show that you have and know the strengths to overcome them.
Get Personal
A personal story, anecdote or reference will be unique and something that no one else can offer. This can humanize the experience and give the potential clients something they can relate to.
Simplicity Is Key
Don’t overwhelm people with graphs, charts, data, and jargon. Make sure your presentation is visually pleasing by using presentation software. Be selective with the data that you show and keep your charts and graphs readable.
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Get To The Point
Get your most compelling points across early as you won’t have that much time in the pitch, so you want the panel to learn the two or three most important things early on. Not only will this keep them interested but will mean that you won’t forget to include them.
Demonstrate
Including a brief demonstration of what your offering is can be really useful if it’s done right. Not some cheesy role play, but something where you can involve the potential new clients will definitely make you memorable and stand out from the crowd.
Do Your Research
Read up on who you’ll be pitching too and align your pitch with the strengths and weaknesses of those people. Make sure you keep strong eye contact throughout the pitch and use whatever prior knowledge you have to your advantage. Show them that you are interested in who they are, without; sucking up’ you can still show admiration for work they have done in the past or interest in something you know they have been a part of.
Practice, Practice, and Practice
You need to know what you’re saying, not just learn it, but know it. That way you will know the answer to any questions and just know what you’re talking about. Look for inspiration from events where entrepreneurs, experts, and venture capitalists meet. You can learn from watching other pitches and researching the tactics and strategies that are needed for you to hone your skills and perfect your pitch.
When you run a small business, one thing that you really need to focus on is brand exposure and raising brand awareness. You want your brand to fall into the spotlight. You want everyone to notice it. After all, the more people who notice your brand, the more sales you will make in the long run. But nowadays, we are operating in an increasingly saturated market. It feels like almost everybody is trying their hand at creating products and selling them to the consumer market in a bid to escape from the rat race and employed positions building someone else’s dreams on their behalf. Who can blame them? There’s no need to be intimidated or put off by this competition if your products are actually good. It’s just a matter of getting your brand to stick in consumers minds, so that they come to you time and time again. How can you achieve this? Read on to find out!
Apps
Think of how much time the average person spends on their smartphone a day. We tend to take them everywhere with us. We’ll pick them up at any opportune moment. Whether we’re keeping ourselves occupied by watching a video on the way to work while we’re sat on public transport. Whether we’re replying to messages from friends while we’re walking down the street. We’ll probably give someone a call when we’re sat with little else to do. Then there’s the hours the majority of us spend aimlessly scrolling through social media feeds. Now, whether this is all healthy and productive or not, it’s what most people do. So, if you’re looking to grab people’s attention, it’s probably a good idea to set yourself up as a permanent feature on their phone’s home screen. This way, every time they unlock their phone, you’ll be in the back of their mind or they’ll be reminded of your brand’s existence. Now, very few people are so dedicated to any given brand that they’ll set its logo as their lock screen. So, how can you get into this space? The answer is to develop a custom, branded app that customers and potential customers can download to their phone. Your logo will appear as an app icon on their home screen and they’ll see it on a daily basis. The actual purpose of the app can also benefit you and you have a lot of choice when it comes to deciding what your app will provide consumers with. They could purchase products through it, it could serve as a digital loyalty card, or it could simply be a form of catalogue or look book that lets people browse your products. The main focus for now, however, is simply getting your logo in a space that customers will look at multiple times a day!
Free Gifts and Promotional Merchandise
You’ll have definitely come across branded free gifts or promotional merchandise at some point in your life. The majority of small businesses will engage with this tactic at some point or another. Essentially, by giving customers something free with your name on it, you’re making a loss in that you’re giving something away for nothing (despite not getting it made for free yourself). However, when you hand this item over, customers are likely to use it or keep it in their homes and are going to be exposed to your brand name and logo every time they use or look at the item. So, if this sounds like something you’re into, choose your items wisely. Think of things that many of us inadvertently look at on a daily basis. Something like custom car air fresheners would be a great example. We see a car air freshener every single time we get in our vehicle. It’s there for the duration of every trip we take. We glance at it every time we look in the rear view mirror. So, if it has your brand on it, people are going to look at it multiple times a day – during their commute, when they head out to get groceries, when they do the school run, when they head out to see friends… the list goes on and on. Other items that are useful are items that will also be seen by other people. Think of tote bags. People are much more likely to use tote bags nowadays in a bid to reduce their plastic consumption. They’ll take tote bags with them to the store and they may simply use them on a day to day basis to cart their belongings about. But when they are using a tote bag, they are generally taking it outside of their house. They are carrying it along on their shoulder, outside of their outerwear like a coat. So, everyone they pass sees it. If your logo or brand name is on it, this person becomes a walking form of advertisement for your brand!
Jingles
Jingles are one of the oldest tricks in the book when it comes to getting something to stick in consumers’ minds. It is a short and extremely catchy song or tune that is played at the same time as an advertisement, encouraging listeners to associate the sound with a particular company or brand. As you can imagine, they are most commonly used in either television commercials or radio commercials. So, if you have a little larger budget, this could definitely be an area worth investing in. While many of us automatically assume that jingles are a little old fashioned, they really do work to the same extent today. If someone says or whistles to the tune of “bada ba ba ba”, others will automatically say “I’m lovin’ it” and all involved will think of McDonalds. Some companies have even managed to rework classic songs to be associated with their brand. Cornetto managed to rework traditional Neapolitan song “O Sole Mio” so that many people now sing along “Just One Cornetto” rather than “O Sole Mio”. Many people can no longer hear the Rocky training theme song “Gonna Fly Now” without singing “118, 118” and thinking of two branded characters running around in training gear promoting a directory enquiries provider. In fact, studies suggest that the average person spends around fifty hours a year with a jingle stuck in their head. They are specially designed to infiltrate your memory and stay in your mind for years to come!
These are just a few different areas where you can really take control and imprint your brand on consumer minds. Each will entail a fair amount of work. You will have to invest time, effort, and money into these ventures to bring them to light. But collaborating with web developers for apps, designers and manufactures for merchandise, and musicians for jingles will prove all more than worth it in the end! Consumers really will begin to associate your brand with more than the products you sell alone. They will associate it with their smartphones. They will associate it with a lovely smell when they get in the car or saving money and the environment with an eco-friendly tote. They will associate it with certain musical notes that they hear. When it comes down to it, you really can use all of these things to create positive associations with your brand and to help your brand to maintain a regular presence in consumers lives. This can all help towards raising brand awareness, establishing yourself as a major player in your specialist field, and even making more sales!
Being a manager of any level can be extremely stressful. Not only does it cause stress while you are at work, but it can also cause you to be stressed at home, and long hours can put a strain on personal relationships. Sometimes it is helpful for managers to get some support through therapy to learn how to cope with their stressful existence.
However, especially for managers getting counseling might prove to be extremely difficult. With most in-person counselors working typical business hours, it can be extremely difficult to find the time or inclination to actually follow through, even if you know that a therapist can help you. For this and many other reasons, many managers are turning to Telehealth for counseling.
Scheduling
Scheduling is the number one reason that managers do not follow through with seeking out a counselor or therapist. When you work a lot of hours and most of those hours are during the typical business day, it can seem impossible to make time for therapy. In addition to your management responsibilities you also likely have obligations in your personal life to consider.
Telehealth counselors are often available much more frequently outside of business hours. You may be able to meet with your therapist through telehealth before your work day starts, or after your work day is over, regardless of when that may be. You may also be able to get help on a flexible schedule that allows for the occasional missed session time due to unexpected management duties.
Confidentiality
Some people prefer that no one knows that they are seeing a therapist, and managers are even more likely to have this point of view. If you are a business owner or have a prominent position in your company and community, you probably don’t want people to see you entering the building of mental health professionals.
With telehealth counseling you can see a therapist from literally anywhere. You can lock the door of your office, sit in your car in an abandoned parking lot, go into an unused meeting room, or go into your bedroom or office at home. All you need to participate in counseling through telehealth is a smart device like a phone or tablet, or a laptop, connected to data or the internet. Most managers have these tools available to them at all times and locations of their choosing. If you’re using a business device for the session you can delete your browsing history when the session is over for additional protection.
Short-Term Services
Many therapists prefer to keep patients in therapy for several months or more. However, with telehealth you have much more flexibility. It is very easy to use telehealth to talk to a therapist to get advice on a certain situation in your life without committing to long-term therapy services. This is often the most convenient way for managers to get help during particularly stressful periods, such as around the holidays.
Marie Miguel Biography Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health-related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.
Whether you are lower management, middle management, upper management, or a business owner, managing people and money can be extremely stressful. Those who have been in management for some time have their own tricks and tools to relax at the end of a hard day or week.
But those who are new to management often struggle with coping with the stress that can cause physical and mental health. Whether you are a new or seasoned manager, these tips for coping with the stress of management will improve your health and outlook.
Leave Work at Work
One of the best things you can do as a manager is leave work at work. Unless it is specifically required by your employer, do not take work home with you. When you leave the office or place of business, you should be putting all of the day’s activities, worries, and functions behind you. It could be helpful to consider yourself two different people, one who is a manager, and one who is just the relaxed and normal you.
It can be difficult to leave a stressful day behind. Your mind will try to bring you back to the same problems that you faced throughout the day over and over again. You may worry about decisions you made or what you could have done differently. However, this does not allow you any time to unwind. By training yourself to leave work at the door, you and your family will be much happier and relaxed.
Don’t Second Guess Yourself
Many managers second guess themselves throughout the day or week ahead after making a decision. Often in the management of a business decisions must be made immediately with little planning or forethought. It is only natural to wonder later when you have more time whether or not you made the right decision.
Second guessing yourself in this way is akin to ruminating, which is the practice of rehashing thoughts and events over and over again. This is not productive, but more than that it is actually detrimental to your mental health and self-esteem.
Instead of second guessing yourself after the decisions of the day, make the decision and put it aside. If there are consequences to the decision or other problems arise you can deal with them when the time comes, if it ever does. Worrying about the effects of your decision after it has already been made and executed will only lead you into a spiral of depression and anxiety.
Seek Help When Needed
It is not uncommon to have the need to talk with someone about your work to help you relieve stress and examine how it is affecting your life. Many managers turn to their spouses or friends for this support. However, many spouses resent talking about work all the time, and friends may not have the insight to be able to help.Instead, you might want to turn to professional counselors or therapists to assist you. Therapists are well versed in the stress that managers face, and they can give you helpful tips and tools for coping with the stress. They can also give you advice and support that will not only improve your personal life, but make you a better manager.
Marie Miguel Biography Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health-related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.
The three rules of real estate are location, location, and location. Even though this has become cliche, it is cliche because it is true. But, what does that really mean in the context of commercial real estate and what other factors are critical for successful investing? Here are several keys we at Eidi Properties focus on in order to cultivate the best conditions for success.
Location isn’t simply where the property is, but what immediately surrounds the property. For example, we prefer hard corner, particularly signalized, lots. Traffic signals provide better ingress and egress and are self-promoting. People waiting at traffic lights take in the scenery, which includes the corner commercial real estate. Getting those eyes positioned to see the signs of the stores is built-in advertising. Curb appeal is also key in drawing attention to the plaza. Eidi Properties takes particular care in ensuring that the Shopping Centers are well manicured, clean, inviting and safe for the customers.
We look for locations that are single-story buildings. Most of our tenants are retailers and easy access to their stores and their neighbors is essential. This is different than an office model where building up instead of out is a good use of space. For our purposes, access and ease make the location valuable.
Businesses that have strong anchor stores with a national presence can draw significant traffic. This also means these properties with large national and regional well-known tenants draw interest from other tenants who want to be near them. Smaller mom and pop stores provide great variety and local flavor.
Sometimes, commercial real estate has all of the qualities we want, but needs a little TLC. For example, we had locations without signalized access, otherwise it was a great location. We worked with local authorities and invested in creating a traffic signal that helped provide safer traffic conditions and upgraded our location’s ingress and egress. Many locations need upgrades to their parking lots, facades or other aesthetic elements. We often purchase distressed properties, upgrade their infrastructure and curb appeal, which increases the value to our tenants as well as to Eidi Properties.
Yes, the three rules of real estate are location, location, and location. But, as simple as those rules are, success comes from understanding the complexities of those simple rules.
Stay with us. In our next piece, we will talk about the importance of CAP rate and occupancy.
As soon as you take those first nervous steps into adulthood, the costs seem to start piling up. Who knew it, that as soon as you turned 21 you’d have a list of bills to pay that was longer than your arm, and you had all of the stress of working all of this out to come with it, too? No matter how old you are, your monthly outgoings never stop being daunting. Whether you’re one to sit around surrounded by receipts, or you’d prefer to avoid looking at your bank balance and work this out, there are some ways to dramatically cut your monthly outgoings, and we’ve noted them down here.
Challenge yourself
A great way to save yourself a bit of cash each month is set yourself little money-related challenges. OK, we get it, this seems ridiculous, but stay with us. Why not set yourself a budget of, say, $30 of spending for a week, and see whether you can stick to it? Instead of going out for food you’ll have to be creative with what you have in your cupboards and the ingredients that you can buy from the store, so see what you can do when it comes to challenging yourself. You don’t have to live on a really low budget for the rest of your life, but doing the odd cheap week here and there will really help you to cut back on your outgoings.
Buy second-hand
So many of us are guilty of this, and we all know why we do it. We like to have things that are brand new, that only we have owned, and we know that there are no problems with the new items that we’re purchasing. However, shopping second-hand has a bad name for itself, and we can’t really work out why. It’s cheap, you can get some really good deals this way, and you also don’t have to beat yourself up about the repercussions for the environment as a result. Fast fashion brands are increasingly coming under pressure to clean up their acts, so it can make you feel like you’re doing a pretty wholesome job by rejecting this in favor of the pre-loved garments.
Don’t buy at all
When you look through all of your monthly purchases, ask yourself this: did I actually need all of these things? The best way to kick excessive spending to the curb is to ensure that you’re only buying something if you really need it, or if it brings you some kind of joy, as Marie Kondo would say. Sure, this rule only works to some extent (that Burberry handbag would probably bring us all joy, but our bank accounts would say otherwise) but you get the gist. Ask yourself before you get your wallet out whether you will use this thing on a regular basis, and whether it is worth investing in. If you’re not too sure, put it back on the shelf, and save yourself the cash.
Look for companies that can save you money
We’re living in a time now where everybody is coming up with new ideas, and they are all competing to get the top spot in their field. For a consumer, this is brilliant news, as there are many ways that you can use this type of competition to grab yourself a bargain. Always be on the lookout for good deals from companies, and you’ll find things that you didn’t even know existed. From a cheap jail calling service to money off your phone and internet contracts, you’ll be glad that you had a little look around and snapped up something that has saved you a bit of cash. There are plenty of blogs that post deals, but a simple Google search will help you, too.
Budget well
Nobody ever succeeded at cutting the costs without having a well thought out budget, so if you’re one of those people who has never tried to allocate their money to the various costs in their lives, you should definitely think of giving this a go. There are plenty of budgeting apps out there, so you don’t need to sit down and plan it all out, and they will divide your income into what you can afford to spend on each thing during the month (such as meals out, bills, etc.) and it can also account for any savings that you want to have. This will give you the financial clarity to cut down your monthly outgoings, so look into how you can make a realistic budget.
A few of us out there will happily admit that we avoid looking at our bank accounts at all costs. Whether this is because a) it is a traumatic experience, or b) because we don’t really care much about finances, there are many people who just don’t want to look their outgoings (or income) in the face at all. However, doing so could help you to see where you’re spending most, so getting a banking app would be a good idea here. Not only do most of these apps give you advice about where you’re spending most, but they also allow you to check your account with ease every day, and it is a lot easier than other forms of banking in most cases. Try it out!
Look at things that you can do for free
When the weekend comes around, your friends will be messaging you (or your kids will be pestering you) about going out to all of these fun – but super expensive – places. From bowling to a meal at that new restaurant in town, it can seem as though your friends have the highest disposable incomes ever, and it is easy to get sucked into all of this. However, why not throw a spanner in the works, and suggest that you go out somewhere that is free? From museums and art galleries to a picnic in the park, there are many ways that you can all get together, without it having a massive impact upon your bank account, so check these things out.
Have less data and minutes on your phone bill
Aah, phones. In the modern age, there are few people who are walking around without one of these things in their hands, but it could ultimately be what is sucking up most of your money. Instead of going for the highest costing package, with unlimited data, calls and texts, why not downgrade a little bit, and pay less due to this cut? The truth is that data only really serves to distract us from the things that we should be doing, and if you only have a little, you will save it for those emails that you know you have to read, and the research that you need to do sometimes (read: when you can’t remember that piece of information that is really annoying you).
Stop eating out as much
We don’t know about you, but we’re in the guilty party when it comes to eating out way too much each month, and it can be difficult to say no to this when your friends ask you out for a meal (or alternatively, when you’re just hungry). However, each time you go out you spend a lot of cash, especially if you’re getting drinks too, so try your best to keep meals out to something that you pay out for as a little treat to yourself. It can be tempting to go against this, but you really will notice a difference if you cook at home a little more, and this can also help you to try out different (and healthier) foods more often. Say goodbye to Five Guys, and cook at home.
Cut your shower time down
Another massive cost each month is how much you shower (or how many baths that you have) and of course, we’re not telling you to go outside without showering. We are telling you, however, that singing or acting out an entire rendition of The Titanic in the shower – dramatic effects and all – will not bode well for your water or heating bills, so try to cut it down to the final scene instead, you know? You can get shower timers if you want to know how long you’ve spent in there, or you can just make sure that you’re only going in the shower to do what you need to do. You’ll see the difference in your bills from doing so, so try this out to save yourself some cash.
So, if you’re looking to dramatically cut your monthly outgoings, why not try some of these simple tips? From looking out for companies that can help you to cut the costs, to eating out less and cooking more at home, there are plenty of ways to say goodbye to those expensive outgoings (and to ensure that you can actually face looking at them again). Within no time, you’ll have saved up enough cash to so something that you’ve always wanted to do, so enjoy your new-found cash!
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