How a Presentation Binder Can Help Land Your Dream Job

It may be hard to imagine how something as simple as a presentation binder can make the difference between landing the job of your dreams and getting a “thanks, but no thanks” letter from a potential employer. However, in this competitive job market, you may be surprised at what a difference little details like this can make during the interview process.

Imagine the following scenario: You get invited to interview for the perfect job for you – the right company, the right location and the right level of compensation. The problem is that there are several other qualified candidates vying for the same position. Without question, you will need to distinguish yourself from your competition and the creative use of a presentation binder is a great way to accomplish this.

Here are a Couple of Unique Ways to Use a Presentation Binder During a Job Interview

Customized Brag Books. Often, you will need to demonstrate your achievements in prior positions during the interview process. Therefore, it is a good idea to keep records of any sales awards, performance reports or any other job-related accomplishments. Further, you will want to store, organize and present these materials in a clear, easy-to-read format. A sleek, high-quality presentation binder is a very professional way to share this information with the hiring manager. Not only will this show that you are a top performer in your chosen field, but it also shows that you are organized, prepared and respectful of their time. Further, the presentation binder will protect these valuable (and often irreplaceable) documents from getting lost or damaged.

Interview Projects. For many job openings, the interview process spans over a series of face-to-face meetings. In some cases, the interviewer will ask the job candidate to gather additional information related to the job or company in question. They do this to ascertain whether the candidate is serious about pursuing the position and to see the quality of work he or she will submit. Some candidates will remove themselves from the interview process by not completing the task at all, while others will take advantage of this opportunity to shine. If a hiring manager asks you to complete a task, think of ways to go above and beyond his request to really create an outstanding first impression. Organizing and presenting your findings in a spiral-bound presentation binder will show that you took the time to do a complete and thorough job.

This, in turn, is a great indicator of what kind of employee you will be should you accept the position.
In this tough economic climate, there are a lot of qualified people looking for work. Therefore, you’ll need to come up with creative ways to show potential employers that you are the ideal job candidate for the position you want. The effective use of a quality presentation binder is a great way to stand out from the crowd and show that you are professional, organized and ready to get down to business.

Use Your Head But Speak From Your Heart During Your Next Presentation

While you can’t go very far in public speaking if you do not know your material well – and that means inside and out – what will capture your audience is your delivery. A colorful, dynamic delivery determines whether your audience will pay attention to you or not. That is not to say that your words, your actual material, are not important. They are. Many people are aware that a dynamic delivery sells. My question for you, however, is whether you should speak from head or from your heart?

In order for people to listen to you, to learn from you and possibly to buy from you, you need to speak to them with the words in your heart and not with the words in your head. Your words are only the vehicle; what comes from your heart is the power for those words.

Speaking from your heart means honesty because if it is coming from that area which distinguishes right from wrong, then it must be true. Speaking from your head does not require honesty and usually says little about you as the speaker. When you speak from your head, you will say what you think the audience wants to hear. While that may be good for your business in the short run, it is a poor investment in the long run.

By keeping your delivery conversational, your heart will speak from the knowledge that is in your head. Your audience will value your openness and a personal connection will develop. Just as in good article writing, including anecdotes and true stories relevant to your topic in your presentation will help solidify that connection.

Your audience must believe that you care about them. If you are speaking from your head, that message is not coming through.

It is important to understand that no matter what your service or your product, it will not be right for everyone. Knowing your limitations in that respect will be better for your business because as you become more established in public speaking, more invitations will result due to referrals. Word will spread. A delivery intended just to sell product is not the image you want to project. Speaking from your heart will establish the honesty, the credibility and the accountability that will further your success in your field.

Use the material in your head but speak from your heart.

The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, group and corporate training in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. Visit her website at Voice Dynamic and watch as Nancy describes the best means of controlling nervousness in any form of public speaking.

How to Price Your Product for Retailers

Millions of inventors and entrepreneurs set out every year with good ideas and great products, but what separates the many from the few is executing the fundamentals. One of these basic tenants that many businesses struggle with is setting the right price on your product and achieving the delicate balance between making a profit and keeping merchandise competitive.

There are many factors that go into pricing your product. Many companies will over-estimate or under-estimate how much a retailer is willing to pay for a quality product, as well as what the end-consumer will pay.

Here are a few key tips to competitively pricing your product to retailers:

1. Know your target consumer – Who are you selling to and why would they want your product? Take your time to do thorough market research before deciding the value of your product. Many companies will hire outside companies to help in this crucial step.

2. Know all your costs – This includes expenses like your sales and marketing team, cost of labor and materials, salary expenses, as well as your company’s future growth plans, your expected profit margin, and a realistic revenue goal.

3. Know your competition -Making a head-to-head comparison between your competition’s prices and costs can be very helpful when determining how to price your product. You can bet that any retailer you are selling to will check out your competition to gauge your prices.

4. Know your market – Are there new laws being considered that may affect your business? Or maybe the price of your materials has been on the rise? Consider the future stability of your market when making price decisions.

Everyone wants to sell to big-box retailers like Wal-Mart and Best Buy, but don’t forget that bigger retailers might mean a higher sales volume, but don’t expect to make a high profit off of them. Smaller retailers, on the other hand, will accept higher prices, but offer small sales revenue. Knowing who you are selling to is key to setting the right price for your products.

Lastly, after you set the right price, don’t forget to continuously monitor your prices after you get into stores. Keep an eye on the market, your competitors and the profit of your products. Be ready to shift the price of your product when it is necessary.

Striking the right balance between earning a profit and remaining competitive can be difficult, but with the right tools and know-how the task can become a little less daunting and help set your business up for success.