Category: Presentations

Combined meeting

Posted on by Paul Fogg

Todays meeting was combined with Business Connexions, the Chamber of Commerce and Cross Reference. So, yes, a busy morning where everyone really had to keep the presentations to a strict time!

But this is a great way to get more diverse people in the room, renew those connections you might already have and meet s few people who might just be able to make you some interesting connection outside the room.

In fact this is exactly what was happening.

The location was just down the road from our usual location and we all enjoyed a lovely full English breakfast before we went in to a quick fire round explaining our businesses and perhaps who we were looking for.

We had some great presentations and these always give me a few ideas for making changes to my own 1 minute pitch.

Very much looking forward to the next meeting!

When two members get together….

Posted on by Paul Fogg

This week we had an interesting and amusing (because these two are funny people) presentation from John and Robert as they have slightly overlapping areas of expertise – John is about copy in general and Robert is a technical author.

So they approach writing in slightly different ways. They used the example of “How to Tie a Shoelace” to show the different ways to do this. From the initial one where AI answered the question to Johns version then the technical Robert version.

What is most interesting is that it is so important to consider your audience before writing ANYTHING. If its for a technical crowd then loads of information is required, if its for a child then it has to be in a totally different style.

There is no right or wrong way to write anything but aiming it for the right medium is critical.

Do you have any questions? Why not get in touch.

Meeting 17th June 2022

Posted on by Paul Fogg

We had a really great meeting with a good catchup from the members and visitors today.

Steve gave us a short presentation on video with his Four “F”s – Form, Function, Finesse, Finance.

Form – make sure the video fits your brand and the message is aimed at the right audience.

Function – Ensure you plan and script out what you are trying to say so your message is clear and aimed at the correct people. Where will you be putting the video, on a website of YouTube for instance.

Finesse – make sure your video has a hook or a story. Perhaps think about live action or animation.

Finance – A better question idHow much do you want to invest in your brand?

All these 4 are interrelated as they impact on each other.

Sally gave us an exercise in vocal clarity and dicton – getting ready for that first conversation or presentation of the day. Think about being clear and undestood – do not mumble! Use tongue twisters in the car on the way so you hit the ground running! Another great example of simple ways to improve your delivery.

Own your social circle

Posted on by Paul Fogg

Date: 4th October 2019
Speaker: Emma Hollings
Business: Emma Hollings Photography
Topic: Social Media

“Social media is a funny thing – the busier you are, the more people appear to be interested in you!”

3 key points

1. Document what you do
• It’s surprising how many people are interested in what you’re up to and who you’re meeting – the number of times that sparks a conversation is amazing!
• So, don’t ‘overthink’ it – just get into the habit of posting and you’ll soon get a better feel for it.

2. It’s not just about posting – it’s about engaging 
• People love stories…they don’t like selling.
• As you post more, you’ll become much more aware of what generates comments and interaction.

3. Create intrigue
• For example, Emma noted that photos with her in (as a photographer) seemed to attract far more engagement.
• The rationale: clients generally don’t like having picture taken, but view it as a ‘necessary evil’. Therefore, a photographer stepping out of her comfort zone and appearing in front of the camera provides a fresh new angle.

Conclusion

What works in social media? Well, it depends upon your business, but a personal summary from Emma highlights the following:

• Facebook – great for engagement / have a separate business v personal account.
• LinkedIn – great for connections – shows how many views a post has received.
• Instagram – ‘credibility’ (for a photographer) but note that you do have to do it from your phone (you can’t upload photos from your PC apparently).

“I really don’t like social media that much, but I’ve taught myself to be disciplined…and it does work!”

Click here to view Emma’s Cross Reference page.

Cyber Security: Own IT, Secure IT, Protect IT

Posted on by Paul Fogg

Date: 4th October 2019
Speaker: Olly Denhard
Business: IT Trouble Free – IT solutions for small & medium-sized businesses
https://www.ittroublefree.co.uk
Topic: Cyber security

 

“Cyber security is a journey not a destination.”

3 key points

October is the month for ghouls and ghosts (Hallowe’en), so perhaps it’s apt that it’s also Cyber Security month?

Olly outlined some basic housekeeping for our most-oft used electronic devices:

1. Desktop
* Back-up of data – don’t back up to the same device you are transferring from!
* A physical back-up to an external hard disk combined with an automated cloud-based back-up will ensure business continuity
2. Laptop
* Antivirus software – whilst primarily designed to protect computers against viruses, many antivirus programs now protect against other types of malware, such as spyware, adware, and rootkits as well.
* Sophos is a very reputable (free) product which protects both Windows and Mac laptops (yes, Macs are vulnerable to viruses too!)

3. Phone
* Passwords – use 2-factor authentication wherever possible and don’t use the same passwords over and over again.
• LastPass saves your passwords and gives you secure access from every computer and mobile device.

 

Conclusion

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM), “a collaborative effort between government and industry to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity.”

In a rare moment of global co-operation, NCSAM is taking place simultaneously across Europe and the USA.

Europe: https://cybersecuritymonth.eu
USA: https://niccs.us-cert.gov/national-cybersecurity-awareness-month-2019

Remember that if you hold any client data on your electronic devices, under GDPR you are legally required to make sure this data is safe and protected.

 

Click here to view Olly’s Cross Reference page.