How to Use Your Printed Material During a Business Meeting

How to Use Your Printed Material During a Business Meeting

You have created a powerful leaflet for a specific product or service, or a presentation brochure describing your business range. Some of these will be distributed by mail or provided after a request, perhaps even gathered at trade shows and the like. Each should be able to accomplish the task that this sets them, in terms of effective content.

Another way these may be used is when you are making a sales call to a specific customer, either regular or potential, regarding your products. Equally, you might be meeting with an executive to discuss how the services you offer can be of value to their organisation. In such situations, how you use the printed material you have can be the difference between success and frustration. Here are two keys to help you make the impression you want, and gain the response you need…

Learn to tease and control

Think of a magician presenting a trick. These are the two key elements in its success: the audience must want to know what’s going to happen, but the “reveal” has to be completely in the control of the performer. It’s the same in these business situations.

The tease means that you grab the other person’s interest by showing them that you have something intriguing and of value. This allows you to introduce the printed material into your presentation. However, the first element of control is that you never hand it over. The moment you do, the conversation then depends on what the other person finds in that brochure or leaflet. They are in control.

Introduce and then move on into making the key points you wish to. This is the second element of control. You use your printed material to emphasise key points, show products or a service in action, but while still retaining possession. Seated across a desk, imagine a line drawn horizontally across its centre. Keeping the majority of the printed material on your side of the line, in your hands, allows you this control.

Handing over possession

There will come a time when it is right to hand your material over, maybe at the completion of your business, or when you actually want to keep quiet and let the other person examine the information. Knowing that moment, and working to it, allows you to make maximum use of the leaflet or brochure you have worked so hard to create.