Creative Idea+Social Conscience+Good Story= Knockout Video Presentation

On the way back from a healthcare company where I gave a presentation demo, I heard an interesting interview on the radio. Two entrepreneurial brothers decided that they wanted to do something with toys that would be creative, safe, foster imagination, and make a socio-economic impact in a third world country. I found the story so interesting that when I arrived at my destination, I plugged in www.tegu.com. I watched the video on the homepage to see what the product was all about. This 3 minute 31 second video starts with a clear purpose statement and introduces the two entrepreneurs who run the company. The video presentation grabs your attention immediately as you see the photo of the two brothers  on the screen. They share the story of their visit to a third world country and how they were inspired to remove children from working in dump sites and place them in school. The voice over continues as video footage of children and the site are projected on the screen. They continue to tell the story with print, illustrations and lots of video scenes.  All of this is set to light music which adds more emotion to the video presentation. It ends with a strong call to action-"Connect to Tegu and together we'll work to change a nation."

My purpose is to identify a knockout video presentation. I have no investment in this product so I am not endorsing it. I don't even have children. But the video presentation was so well done that I wanted to buy their product.  The lesson: Have good content, tell a good story, provide good editing, add music, and keep it brief. You'll have the formula for a persuasive Knockout Video Presentation.

Get Your Message Across with Knockout Video Marketing

Video marketing is hot.  That's probably because most people are visual and nothing tells a story better than video.  I receive many requests for coaching and public speaking from my youtube channel. But videomarketing success depends on how well you present your message.An email  popped up in my inbox this morning. It was for an online template to make  the process of social media easier. I decided to give it a look and clicked on their  2 minute video. I watched the entire video because it kept my attention.

It started with a musical opening and company name. I usually look for the scroll button to fast forward during most introductions but this time I didn't. It was only 3 or 4 seconds long. The video spoke directly to the audience and didn't bore me with the usual company history and "why we're the greatest company since sliced bread" pitch. Instead, they dove right into the  customer's problem and the solution provided by their product.  The graphics in the demo were large and simple and the voiceover was energetic and moved quickly. The call to action was to sign up for the free service.  Your video presentation should tell a story from the listener's point of view, touch on the pain points, and quickly present a solution. End with a call to action and remove any barriers to entry by providing a free sample.  I haven't used this tool so I can't endorse it.  But I can tell you that this is a good example of a well produced video. www.roost.com What do think? Send me your favorite video marketing sites.

How to Give Good Phone-Six Tips for An Effective Audio Conference

Nothing beats face-to-face communication. But it seems that we're communicating more often by audio conference. My clients are continually challenged by this medium. It's no wonder. Visual communication, which is 55% of the message, is missing. So here are six tips to get the results you want from an audio conference.

1. Send the agenda in advance to all callers. It will give introverts or international participants time to digest the material.
2. Set the expectations at the beginning of the call. Tell them to mute their phones, announce their names before speaking, hit the keypad if they have a question.
3. Assign a room monitor. Conference calls can be chaotic. To keep control, ask each site to select a point person. That person will speak for the group when there are technical difficulties or communication challenges.
4. Test equipment by calling in 10 minutes early. This will give the technical person time to troubleshoot.
5. Count to four before you answer. There may be audio delays. People need a pause to absorb what you just said. Rapid speaking will cause listeners to lose the message.
6. Engage the listeners. If you're a talking head for 30 minutes, they'll be checking email. Check in periodically and ask for questions and feedback. Require them to do something. Example: "Draw a circle. Put your project in the middle. Now draw 6 spokes around the circle. Write each module on the spokes." Having more than one speaker will keep their attention longer.

And don't forget to recap the follow-up steps so nothing falls through the cracks. Remember an audio conference is a presentation.

Take our audio conference survey and get a free podcast - How to do Video Media Interviews.

Face-to-Face or Virtual? Which is Better?

Communication is 55% visual. Most speakers would agree that face-to-face contact is the most beneficial form of communication. Even on the phone, you're losing the important non-verbals that add richness and meaning to the message. Yet, when it comes to workplace productivity, virtual may be more effective than on-site. Compared to office employees, tele-workers experience higher job satisfaction, less work-life conflict, fewer interruptions, and less stress from meetings and office politics, according to researchers from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and Northwestern University.

The main benefit from the study was work-life balance. Virtual workers had more flexibility and as a result were more productive. Although there were concerns about getting accurate information in the absence of face-to-face communication, this was not the case.

It appears that constant communication is unnecessary. Working virtually enabled employees to focus and get their work completed.

So what are the implications for speakers? Are webinars or online learning methods more effective than face-to-face events? If the purpose is to convey data and facts, online learning can be very effective. But in many cases, it can never replace the relationship, connection, and learning that comes with face-to-face communication.

The role of the speaker is to model, inspire, make meaningful connections to the workplace, stimulate thinking, and facilitate community. High tech does not trump high touch; rather, they are a partnership. Technology is the servant of the speaker. What have you found to be most effective?