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Video is a great tool for anything from marketing to in house training as video content starts to replace written content. The way we digest and interact with media is changing and video is playing a huge part in this – you are more likely to see a video go viral than an article. Today’s blog looks specifically at video for training purposes and how it can benefit your company.
We offer comprehensive Video for the Web Training to help you produce web-friendly video content and comprehensive Adobe Premiere Elements Training to help you edit your videos to a professional standard.
However, a lot of people don’t have the time to produce their own video – and there are some great production companies out there who can help you.
In this post Guest blogger Andy Havard explains the benefits of using video for training.
Andy is a Marketing Executive at Skeleton Productions, a UK based corporate video production company.
Why Training Videos Are Becoming A Huge Benefit To Businesses Of All Niches
Andy Havard
Training videos aren’t a new revolutionary training tool, in fact they’ve been around for years and years. What has became revolutionary though is video itself. Gone are the days where only blue chip corporates could afford to create training videos and long gone are the days of having to train groups of staff by a worn out VHS tape on a battered old TV. This article explores the great new benefits of using training video in the 21st century and how it can become an essential tool for employees of any business.
1. Video Is Very Flexible
Video as a media is incredibly flexible. It can be burnt onto a DVD disc, copied onto USB sticks, embedded on Power Point presentations, emailed to staff and hosted on the Internet. Videos ability to be both digital and physical in format allows it to become a very versatile training material. It can be viewed on virtually any platform from phones and tablets to TV’s, computers and projectors. This makes your training video content adaptable to meet the needs of both your staff and your business. Read the rest of "Training Videos – Benefits for businesses"
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Posted by Guest Blogger in Internet Marketing Training on September 30th, 2011 | No Comments »
“A business without a blog is a business without a heart”
Social Media Training course excerpt 4
This is the fourth video blog from Silicon Beach Training’s Social Media Training session which runs regularly in Brighton, on its own or discounted as part of our new Social Media and SEO Training package.
In this first video Heather Buckley (one of our directors and co-founders) explains that a regularly updated blog will form the backbone of an online marketing strategy and that a business marketing online without a blog is really a business without a heart…
Read the rest of "Social Media Training: why bother blogging?"
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Posted by Natasha Stone in Social Media Training on June 1st, 2010 | 3 Comments »
The Top iPhone Business Apps
When it comes to business users, there’s an Apple iPhone app for just about everything, including many great free apps. There are actually thousands of the things, so it’s no easy task picking the best. However, some clear favourites have emerged from our own research and survey of our Twitter followers.
Of course these apps are nothing if you lack to business skills to use them effectively! If you need Business Skills Training, Leadership and Management Training or Project Management Training in Brighton, Sussex, check out our many courses including PRINCE2 Practitioner training courses and Time Management training.
Tricky as it may be, we’ve had a go at picking the ten best iPhone apps for professionals. Best of all, some of them are free! There are so many that we’ve broken our list down into “best iPhone apps for project managers”, “best iPhone apps for networking” etc. Whether you fancy an app to find a restaurant, write a blog, work out a font or change a PowerPoint slide there’s an app for all! Read on for our best iPhone app lists…
Image: Self Portrait by Heather Buckley (Director of Silicon Beach Training)
Read the rest of "Best iPhone Apps for Business"
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Posted by Natasha Stone in Management Skills Training, Social Media Training on March 31st, 2010 | 8 Comments »
People often wonder whether they could be a sales person or how they could improve as one. Here are some of the key attributes a good or even great sales person will have.
Belief in what you are selling.
Before you can ever effectively convince anyone else in your abilities or product you must first already have this conviction yourself. In order to get a sale you’ve got to be fully convinced of your product, service.
Belief in yourself.
This goes hand in hand with the previous statement. When you are selling something you are trying to convince the buyer that not only is your product of value but that you are trustworthy. If you do not show confidence in yourself your buyer is unlikely to have confidence in you.
Determination.
Getting a sale is not an easy thing to do and there will be plenty of days when it seems like nothing goes right and you are faced with challenges. The trick is to weather the storm and not get disheartened. You will not succeed at every sale and try to learn from each attempt. Long term success is taking the good with the bad and being able to handle both effectively.
Ambition.
Ambition and self motivation are vital in sales marketing. You need to set yourself goals and not be afraid of going after success, or indeed of failing. Do not rely on others or leave it “up to fate.” Life is what you make of it.
Knowledge.
Make sure that you know as much as you can about your chosen field, this does not just mean you product or your business but you should also your environment, i.e. your competitors, your clients or customers . What you need to really succeed where others have failed is an edge, something you can offer that others can’t.
Check out Silicon Beach Training’s Sales and Marketing courses
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Posted by Aaron Charlie in Sales Resources on April 24th, 2009 | 3 Comments »
A company will often try to generate more sales by “networking”, this will generally involve going to a small business networking event, Chamber of Commerce business card exchange or a peer to peer meeting in which they then promote their services.
However very rarely is anything either bought or sold at these events and it is you may often get the feeling that very little headway is made. In the following three sub-sections will show you what techniques you need to make the most out of these opportunities.
Getting The Right Perspective.
Firstly it is important to realise that networking is not the same as selling. Although it is true that the vast majority of people are there to sell their products, services or business, the art of networking is subtle. For instance: when you meet a potential buyer don’t be overbearing and bombard this person with reasons why they should buy your product/service, this will only push the potential customer away.
The idea is to get to know people who are influential so that they use and refer you in the future, and they will be far more likely to do this if they don’t feel hassled and you make a good impression. One way of achieving this is by listening and giving them advice or help.
One thing to understand is that the main focus of your conversation should be that of the customer.
Word Of Mouth.
This is one of the most effective and cheapest forms of advertisement and a great way to get more sales. If you have taken the last section on board you will be well on your way to creating word of mouth advertisement about your product, company or just you yourself.
As with the last section this technique is centered around getting to know the potential buyer better and making a good impression. Here are some questions you may want to ask the potential buyer if you are struggling:
- What is their name?
- What do they do?
- What do they like most about what they do?
- Who are their clients?
- Do they have to travel much?
- Where are they based?
These are the sort of questions that will allow you to gather the information necessary to redirect potential clients their way. News of your ability to generate good leads will soon spread people will feel that they should get to know you, your reputation will be boosted and it will be far easier to pitch a sales as favours are repaid.
The reason this method is such a good one is that if someone receives a third party endorsement of a company, i.e. you directing a potential client to a company, then they are far more likely to be receptive because of your endorsement.
The most important aspect of this technique is being able to consistently gather and record information about the people you meet. You will more than likely create your own style and way of doing this as you get use to it and if you do manage it you will vastly increase the word of mouth hype about your company.
Become An Expert.
Become an expert in your field.
One of the best ways to find customers for your company is to have a reputation as an expert in your field. Expert carries with it connotations of prestige and credibility yet it is not as difficult to obtain as you might think. Here is a simple three point plan showing you how to do this:
Find a niche
Instead of trying to be good at everything try and be great at one thing, concentrate your energies and intelligence into just one area and learn everything there is to know on it. It needn’t be an obvious area either.
Write about what you know.
Show off! Make sure that people can see how good you really are, every day there are literally thousands of newsletter publishers, web masters and editors looking for new and interesting articles to publish. If you could get your material published and liked back to your own website then it is like a stamp of approval, if done regularly the snowball effect makes you become more established and respected.
Speak whenever possible
The same principle applies to this point as with the last point. Although it can undoubtedly be a rather nerve-racking experience, public speaking is one of the best ways in which you can gain credibility as an expert. A competent speech can win an audience. Try to offer free advise and useful material that businesses can use rather than sell your product. As for nerves it’s bearing in mind is that nearly everyone of the audience will only have respect and admiration for you being able to stand up and talk.
More advice in giving a good presentation can be found in our presentation section
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Posted by Aaron Charlie in Sales Resources on April 24th, 2009 | No Comments »
Whilst the lowest bid will often win business, low biding contractors are now normally placed on a “short list”. In this short list the contractor may be invited to sell themselves and their company to prospective clients. The usual way that a contractor would do this would be to give a presentation.
Whilst there is no absolute way of making sure you win the business there are certain things that you can do to increase your chances significantly.
Know Your Audience
What you must never do is present your prospective client with an obvious, generic and bland presentation. Recognise that each buyer is different and that if you take the time to make your presentation specific to them then it will go a long way towards winning the client.
You will need to give the client another reason to choose you apart from price, put something else into the equation like the quality and standard of your work, your ability to meet a deadline, how easy it is for them to get in touch, how quickly you respond etc.
If you can prove that you are the right person for the job and that you know what you are doing you could make it to the top of the “shortlist.”
You could use a varied range of techniques such as: exhibits, pictures, quotes, trade journal articles or testimonials. Whilst contemplating which method to go for, remember that the bigger and bolder the evidence is, the more likely it is that you will be remembered. Letters of recommendation are also a good way of trying to set yourself out from a crowd and are often overlooked but take little time and energy.
When deciding what you think is most important to your buyers, i.e. safety etc, simply ask them what their preferences are. This will show a willingness to listen to your client and your intent to please, make notes.
Giving the Presentation
The most important aspects of giving a presentation is to appear confident and show that you have the necessary understanding and competence. First impressions are key, and will be made very early on in the presentation, so it is important to try and get start off strongly.
Your clinet will be interested in whether or not they feel that they could work well with you. Trust is an important element, if they choose you, they are putting themselves and their investment in your hands. With this in mind try to build a rapport with the client, build up a sense of trust whilst still being professional and competent.
For more helpful advice and tips on presentations visit our free presentation skills resource or see our 5 top tips for great presentations.
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Posted by Aaron Charlie in Sales Resources on April 24th, 2009 | No Comments »
Buyer resistance or selling stall occurs when client can see more reason not to buy than to buy. Your job is to change that. It is often the case that a person who could have been easily persuaded choose to wait, what you need to do is to be able to recognise this and convince them to buy now rather than later.
Do not be too aggressive or lie to the potential buyer. Both of these tactics apart from being morally dubious will only put a consumer off and damage your reputation. Even if you get away with lying in the short term you will be setting up real problems long term.
If you have a service or product that a buyer cannot see, touch or feel, it is far easier for a buyer to convince themselves not to buy now, as they do not feel there is any need for them to rush. If this is the case then try and make your product more logical, vivid or emotional, try to make the buyer feel the need to buy your product now, not wait till later. (This is further explained in the subcategory “for services.”)
Selling Goods
If your product is something that the consumer can see and touch then here are some questions that you might find helpful to ask the buyer:
- What aspects do they like about their current product?
- What don’t they like, or like least?
- What would they change?
- What are they looking for in a new product, why they feel a change is necessary?
One way for you to do this is to relate your product or service to the wants and needs of your buyer, show them why they need you product. Talk to the buyer and find some common ground on which you can sell your product.
Don’t be too pushy though as this will only make the potential buyer feel uneasy and more unlikely to buy anything. Make a sound and reasoned argument as to why they need your product but don’t force it, make it as though you are doing them a favor and it is their best interests to buy now.
Selling Services
If you are trying to sell something more service orientated then try asking these questions:
- Have their priorities shifted over the past few months?
- Where do they see themselves in a couple of year’s time?
- What do they need to accomplish these ambitions?
By asking this sort of question you can more easily decide on what your client is looking for. With this information what you then need to do is find how your service will suit the clients interests and relate it back to them. For example the house or car you are selling may not actually be as interesting to the client as the status that a car or house will provide. Similarly with insurance, as whilst it maybe the case that the client may not want insurance per say; they may actually want the security that an insurance policy will give them.
If you have had success in your client’s area of interest in the past then tell them about it. A client needs to be reassured that you know what you are doing and past experiences, especially positive ones, can serve as a massive advantage. Don’t be afraid to show off little and make sure to use proper names and times etc, as this will help you client envision themselves having received the same benefits your previous client did.
When you are closing you pitch or sale, make sure not just to give your client a reason to buy now but also a reason why not to wait. A good way of doing this is to give them options (so as to not make them feel like they are being pressured or bullied.) Give them alternatives as to what will happen if they wait, make sure that buying now offers benefits that greatly outrank the other options. Make sure they know what they are going to miss out on if they wait and how circumstances might have changed by then. Most, when confronted with an honest and straightforward argument such as this will choose to buy now.
With this advice in mind you should now be far better equipped to shorten you selling cycle. But remember it is the end the client’s choice; don’t be so pushy you drive a potential buyer away, it’s better to have to wait than nothing at all.
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Posted by Aaron Charlie in Sales Resources on April 24th, 2009 | No Comments »
Silicon Beach Training offer a great telephone sales training.
Telemarketing or any over the phone sale, is obviously different from any other type of sale in as mush as you cannot see your client and they cannot see you. Although many of the same principles apply to over the phone sales as with normal sales there are certain techniques you will need to utilise in order to help you achieve the best results.
Perhaps one of the biggest differences in telemarketing is that on the whole your audience will often have very little time for you and maybe annoyed that you have phoned them. Essentially, if you are a telemarketer, you have interrupted and maybe even inconvenienced your potential buyer. So it is often the case you will have your work cut out for you from the very beginning as your prospect will no doubt be predisposed to saying no even before you have started.
First Impressions and Using Your Voice
First impressions are vital. You need to get your point across quickly, clearly and politely, fitting in as many keywords and phrases as possible to get the interest of the customer. Realistically you will have about two or three sentences to grab the customer’s attention before they tell you that they do not want your product, so make sure that you make them count. Don’t be too aggressive or pushy either as this will only put off your customer, instead ask questions and explain how your service or product can help.
In a telephone sale the only tool you have is your voice and it is the only thing that will either lose or gain you a sale. It is what a customer will judge you on, for instance if they feel that you are friendly and trustworthy they are much more likely to listen. With this in mind it is vital that you address the customer in the right tone of voice, finding a balance between friendly and professional. One thing that will help is to relax and talk naturally; studies have shown that although they can’t see you, any negativity in your body language will get passed on in your voice, so bear that in mind.
Preparation and Organisation
As with any sales pitch it is essential to practice before hand, this will help you correct any mistakes and build your confidence. Be prepared for what a customer might ask you or you might give the customer the impression you don’t know what you are talking about. You may learn more about the questions customers may ask as you go along but try and anticipate as many as you can.
Have notes prepared before you start; this is one of the advantages to selling over the phone. Make notes whilst you are talking to your potential buyer to avoid getting lost or irritating them by asking them to repeat details.
Selling over the phone can be a difficult skill, but with the proper preparation and confidence it is a skill that can be mastered.
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Posted by Aaron Charlie in Sales Resources on April 24th, 2009 | No Comments »
