Pardiman Productions to Present at Business Expo

Corey Lopardi of Pardiman Productions will be giving presentations -


12:00-12:20 Getting the most of of your Trade-Show Booth


12:30-12:50 Facebook for Event Promotion


Check out information about the event here.

Check Out Google+

Curious about what Google+ actually is? Watch this introductory video from Google.



Or check out this article "How to Get Started With Google+, Your Complete Guide" from Social Media Examiner

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Friend Recommendations Drive Local Business Visits

According to a recent article from eMarketer.com friend recommendations are the primary factor that influences US Consumers to try a local business.

Read the entire article Here

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Speaking to Groups - Tip #5

Continuation of Speaking to Groups

Don't forget why you are there to speak.

5.     Wow Us

This is your time and you’ve paid for it.  Why not give us a reason, or better yet, make us remember you and your business by doing something fun and unique related to your business or speaking topic. This can go a long way towards generating interest and being memorable.  In the words of Bonnie Raitt “give them something to talk about.”  Put on a show.  Inform us, excite us, and then make sure we leave with a way to get a hold of you, and something great to remember you by.  One of the best leave behinds for us has been our custom wrapped chocolates.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Speaking to Groups - Tip #4

Continuation of Speaking to Groups

The next thing to consider is your marketing message.

4.     Sizzle Not Steak

You’re not going to close any deals on the spot at a meeting or event where you are the speaker, so forget about selling and focus on the sizzle.  In other words, keep your message to the highlights and interesting parts of your business, products, or services to make it more desirable to your audience to contact you and find out more.  Get them excited about what's new, what you have to offer, and how you can help them fulfill a need.  Trying to sell to an audience like this is the number one way to lose their attention, and the sale.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Speaking to Groups - Tip #3

Continuation of Speaking to Groups


The next thing to consider is the content of your presentation.
 

3.     The Image is Mightier Than The Bullet

The saying “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words” is never more true than during a presentation.  Avoid the long bulleted PowerPoint.  No one goes to a business meeting or luncheon looking to read.  They may have come to hear you or someone else speak, but not to read.  Now I realize that not everyone is comfortable speaking for several minutes without some notes, but that’s where the benefit of pictures comes in.  Video is also a great tool that uses moving pictures to tell your story in a captivating way that encourages people to listen.  If you have information you’d like your audience to read, give them a handout they can take back to the office and read when they are avoiding doing something else.  You are paying for this time, so make sure you keep your audience captivated with shiny images and eloquent words.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Speaking to Groups - Tip #2

Continuation of Speaking to Groups


The next thing to think about is how you structure your presentation.

2. Tell Me 3 Times

Even though you may only have a few minutes to speak you can still get a lot accomplished in that time.  One of the best ways to aid memory retention is through repetition, and the format for using repetition in a presentation is: Tell your audience what you’re going to talk about, talk about it, and wrap up by telling them what you just told them.  A good format for this is a 30 second introduction, two minutes of information, and a 30 second conclusion.  If you are asked to give a longer presentation make sure to keep your introduction and conclusions short, and if possible add a time for questions at the end of your presentation.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Speaking to Groups - Tip #1

You may at some point in marketing your small business join a group that will allow you to get up in-front of tens if not hundreds of people to promote your business.  Over the next week, I'll be laying out some tips that will make you a better presenter, and hopefully help you see a return on your speaking investment.

Tip # 1.     Keep It Short & Sweet

You are given only a limited amount of time to speak for many reasons. The most important to you is your audience’s attention span.  You’ve probably got an arrangement where a good portion of the room has their back partially or totally turned toward you.  They’ve also just eaten, and are probably wondering if they can find a way to squeeze in a nap, or get in a little digital prayer (texting).  Keeping your presentation brief, to the point, and impactful will go a long way in being understood and remembered.  And that should be one of your main goals in speaking in front of groups, increasing brand awareness so that your audience thinks of you when the need arises.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Getting the Most Out of a Networking Group

If you've been looking for a way to boost the effectiveness of your online marketing and social media efforts you should really look at joining a local networking group.  If you are not familiar with what a networking, leads, or referral group is; it's a group that usually meets weekly to build relationships with other business people and to pass leads and referrals.  These types of groups come in all shapes and sizes from corporate run groups to chamber of commerce groups to free coffee clubs.  Whether you are new to this type of marketing or have been going for years, the following tips should make your experience much more enjoyable and profitable.

1. Build Relationships First - Your first goal in joining a networking group shouldn't be to gain new business.  If you join the group with the only intention of finding a new stream of potential customers, you are missing the point.  Just like you shouldn't engage in social media just to spam others with your latest offers (another topic by itself), you shouldn't join a networking group just to snatch up business cards to add to the pile (yet another topic for another post).  By focussing on building relationships, you ensure that you are not only a trusted member of the group, you prepare yourself to do a better job with step 2.

2. Give First, Then Get - Once you've got a good feeling for who the members of your networking group are, what makes them different from others in their field, and what would make a good referral for them it's time to start actively looking for ways to get them some business.  First look within your immediate group of family and customers for opportunity to generate some business for the members of your group.  After a few successful referrals to others, you can start to look to generate referrals for the members of your group no matter where you are.  As the other members of the group start to receive referrals from you, they will start to pass them back in return.  

3. Be Ready to Refer - It's always a good idea to have a few cards from each of the members in the group with you at all times.  You never know when you might have the opportunity to pass along their card to a prospective customer.  This can also be a good way to get your card in the hands of others, as they see you as a connector, and someone beneficial to be connected with.

4. Give & Get Quality Referrals - Passing unqualified referrals, and not following up on the referrals given to you, are guaranteed ways to lose the trust of others.  If you pass a referral to another member of your group, make sure to give them as much information about the referral as possible.  Also, make sure that the person whose referral you are giving is expecting this person to contact them.  The last thing you want is a member of your group calling on the referral and having the person they are calling on be upset or caught off guard that they are calling.

Joining a referral group can be a great way to connect with people in person to strengthen relationships built online, or to create new social networks.  Just make sure to be social and respectful of the other members, and you might just have 20-30 other people selling your services for you.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

LinkedIn Now Has Company Pages

LinkedIn now has company pages similar to Facebook fan pages.



If you haven’t yet created your LinkedIn company page just click on companies in the top bar, and then just click Add Company.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Pardiman Productions is sponsoring:

 OMB's Monthly Associates'

Networking Breakfast!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

7:15 a.m. at The Viewpoint
 (below Tugboat Annie's)

at 2100 West Bay Drive, Olympia

The program this month is Response Oriented Advertising: Creating Effective Ads with Margo Fengler-Nunn from The Olympian.

  

Cost to attend is $15/person with an RSVP or $20 at the door.
Find out more about the event here

For marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672, or info@pardimanproductions.com, or online at www.pardimanproductions.com.

Writing A Better Profile Script

Ever wonder why no one is watching your profile video?

The profile video is unique among promotional videos.  This is typically the first video a customer will see introducing them to you or your company.  It's like a "Digital Elevator Speech" as Jeffrey Hayzlett calls it, or you might know it as a 30 second introduction if you belong to a leads group.

Customers might find it as a link on your email, or while searching YouTube, or looking at your social media profile.   What you put in the video, however, is vitally important in catching their attention and getting them to take action.  The following outline will help you to create a better script to use on video or at a networking event.


Step 1 - The Bait
This is where you grab the viewer's attention.  This isn't where you introduce yourself, talk about your accomplishments, or list what your business does.  This is where you spend 10-15 seconds painting a mental picture of how you can solve the customers known or unknown problem.  This is where you offer a solution to what ales them.

Step 2 - The Taste
Here is where you introduce who you are, and what you do.  Don't just list your name and services.  This is where you spend 15-30 seconds talking about your knowledge and passion for what you do.  Don't waste time name dropping, let them hear about who you are.

Step 3 - The Tug
Spend another 5-15 seconds describing your uniqueness in your industry, and why you're the best choice to solve this particular problem for the customer.

Step 4 - Reel 'Em In
The last 10-30 seconds should be your call to action.  Your audience needs to know what to do next, or they will move on and forget about you.  Be specific and instruct them to call your phone number today, click on a particular link on your web page, or direct them to a web page designed to move them through to the next buying process.  This is the most important part, and often forgotten, part of your script.

Forgetting to include the call to action is like cutting your line, and letting the fish swim away.  They're probably not going to bite again.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Pardiman Productions Sponsors Puyallup Chamber Networking Event

For the month of February Pardiman Productions is sponsoring the Puyallup/Sumner Chamber of Commere's Coffee & Doughnuts.  This networking event takes place every Thursday morning from 9am-10am at the Chamber conference room 323 N. Meridian Puyallup, Wa.

Put on your cross country skis and head on over to participate in the Winter Olympics . . . .Chamber style. Get the edge by jumping in the rink with local businesses when Wii Meet, Greet and Compete at Donuts & Coffee.

What to blog about

I often get asked, when talking to customers about social media, "What would I blog about?"

I often mention that they might receive articles in their e-mail from organizations they belong to, or have tips and tricks they have picked up along the way as experts in their feild they can blog about. However, what I've found recently in my own experience is that it's really good for people who have a blog or have customers that they wouldn't mind keeping in contact with to blog about the different types of things you do in your business. Maybe tell a story or give an example of some recent project, process, or service being provided for a customer. It's really surprising how finding out about the things you do will trigger in people unexpected connections to other people who might also need that service or product or process.

People want to spread the word and they have needs that may or may not be getting filled and they often overlook your company just because they don't realize that you do what you do.

A blog is a great way to keep the top of mind awareness on all the different products and services and processes that your company may provide that they themselves or people they know could take advantage of.


Corey Lopardi
Owner
Pardiman Productions

New Tool For Networking

I attend lots of networking events every week as I spread the word about the promotional and marketing services that Pardiman Productions has to offer. If you've ever attended a leads group or chamber of commerce event then you know that at each event I have to give a :30 synopsis of what we do.

I usually feel okay about my pitch, but sometimes I wonder if I could be doing a better job getting my message across to people.

Today I came across an online tool that was built just for that purpose. The Harvard Business School Elevator Pitch Builder. It's an online form that offers hints and advice on your pitch created by The Harvard Business School.

If you have to give a pitch at the next event you attend, you might want to check this out.