We have just published new case studies highlighting some of the recent work we have done. Blue Sky – preparing the ceo and team for important new business pitches Olswang – building business development skills in this distinctive international law firm Impetus – Clarifying messages and Building fundraising skills …
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  When you give a conference talk (or any other bit of public speaking) you want to sound impressive. But, too many people fall into this trap:  The way we speak and the way we write are very different.  What looks good when written is unlikely to sound good when spoken. So, if you prepare by writing a script, do it differently.  The rule of thumb is “Speak then Write”.  Say your words out loud and then capture them on paper. Then, with your spoken script as a first draft,  spend time practicing.  Get a critical audience and ask for feedback on how well you come across.  Keep changing: fixing your words and your performance. If you can. get a …
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  When they work well, panel sessions are the lifeblood of any conference.  When bad, they are a disaster. But what makes a great panel session? At BBA we prepare a lot of people for panel sessions.  The real value comes from good planning. But,  if you are heading for a panel session now and want to ensure a performance that will make you stand out, do just these three things: Focus only on what really matters to this audience and give lots of practical advice.  Tell stories and give examples. Create a debate.  Disagree. Have an opinion and argue your corner.  Use lines that are quotable. Sit forward, speak up and talk directly to the audience.  Show your passion; make sure every word and every phrase …
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There is one simple mistake repeated by too many conference speakers, especially in the financial world.   We want to make sure you do not fall into the same trap. To accompany your conference talk you may want to use visual aids.  What some people do is re-use their PowerPoint slides which have worked well in their pitch books. This is a huge mistake. It’s the equivalent of making a movie by filming pages from a book. IMPROVE YOUR VISUAL AIDS If you want to use visual aids in your conference presentation then make sure these really are visual aids.  I.e. do they really help your audience understand what you are saying? Are they clear, simple and can they be read at the back …
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Investors managing over $10bn in Private Equity judged the 2011 Superinvestor Quick fire Showcase in Paris yesterday. Seven funds competed by pitching their investment ideas for no more than 90 seconds  to a room packed with potential investors. QUALITY NOT QUANTITY Demonstrating that quality beats quantity every time , Simone Balch of DW Markets secured second place in this popular competition. Speaking to a packed conference hall Simone gave her carefully crafted pitch in just 45 seconds -  half the allotted time. But first prize was secured by John Cheuk of Ant Capital.  Using the whole 90 seconds he clearly laid out why there was value to be found in Japan and how Ant Cap was well placed to capture this value. …
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Private Equity firms need to communicate better with their investors (LPs) to ensure fundraising success.  This was the conclusion from the Fundraising Summit at SuperInvestor 2011 in Paris. “Communication and transparency is absolutely key” states Mark O’Hare, CEO of private equity experts Preqin.  Throughout the day funds, investors and IR experts repeated the message that times had changed. “Make your story as clear and simple as possible. Complex stories are not selling in this market” said Gordon Hargreaves of Private Advisors.  “You Never Stop Fundraising. You should always remind your investors what makes you special” GPs need to re-think how they handle investor meetings according to many LPs. Mounir Guen of MVision summed it up ”Going to a meeting and …
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Imagine I came to ask you for some help. What would you think if  I did not look you in the eye? Or if I avoided your gaze? Or if I looked down every time I said something? What impression do you get? We like people who can make eye contact (remember the last time you were flirting with someone?). We trust people who can  ”look you in the eye”. We want to see people “eye-to-eye”. When presenting or speaking in public you will get a better reaction  if you improve your eye contact. Eye contact is a learned skill which takes a bit of practice.  From extensive work with our clients, here are some easy tips you can apply: For small groups, only talk …
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If you are a growing SME (2-250 employees) you can get Goverment money to help pay for your training. The Skills Funding Agency has a scheme where they will match training contributions up to £1000 per company. Details are available at:  Business Link Training Subsidy While the process does involve a bit of paperwork – the local representatives listed at BusinessLink will help  fill in  the forms for you. Contact us to discuss the presentation training to help with your leadership development and we can direct you to a suitable contact to access this subsidy. …
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If you want really effective presentations, you need to re-think how you prepare them.  If you, like most people, switch to PowerPoint as soon as you hear the word ‘presentation’, then we have something to show you. We suggest you completely re-engineer how you approach your presentations.  Forget PowerPoint. The best presentations start with a lot of thinking and a blank sheet of paper.  Before you write anything, you need to: Work out exactly who your audience is (e.g. it it really everyone in the room, or just those 5 people who matter? ) Be clear on what you want to achieve with your presentation (am I really going to sell the idea at this stage, or do I …
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