New Friends

Check out our latest fun project! Life size cut outs! These cut outs are for a national fraternity that will be attending a trade show in July. With special care, these were able to be delivered via Fedex Freight to the headquarters of the fraternity.

Top 10 Hints and Tips for Presentations

As everyone who follows me on Twitter, this past Wendesday, I had the pleasure on attending the HSMAI Luncheon with Guest Speaker, Renee Walkup. Renee is national recognized as "an expert in phone sales, consultative selling, and persuasive presentation skills. Using her skills from 17 years of corporate experience in sales, management, and training, allows her to assist clients in building their businesses through the implementation of methods that have proven successful time and again."

With this in mind, I able to pick up a helpful flyer that I thought my audience might be interested in:

Top 10 Hints and Tips for PEAK Presentations

By Renee Walkup

1. Plan with your audience in mind. Think of your group before you plan your content and delivery. Who will be there, how interested are they in your service, what are the demographics of the group, etc.

2. Get there early, set up, and greet your audience members. Make sure you are prepared to warmly engage each and every audience member that you can. With small groups, that's easy. For larger groups of over 50, make as many connections as possible.

3. Include your audience in your delivery. Ask questions. Use people's names and examples. Make effective eye contact with each audience member through a thought.

4. Respect your group. If someone has a question or needs clarification, pay attention by listening and responding accordingly. Even if the question is out of context with your agenda, make sure you handle the exchange with professionalism and tact (or humor if you are comfortable with that).

5. Avoid "mood lighting". You're not on a date! If using PowerPoint, make sure your lights are on full. The newer LCD projectors are fine with it's light and the audience can see YOU! Remember, it only takes the brain about 3 seconds to read and digest a slide. No need to speak in the dark.

6. Move around. When you move, not only do your audience's eyes move with you, this is more engaging. Your audience will hear you differently as you walkaround and that helps to keep their interest, as well.

7. Leave your stuff in the hall. Take your phone off your hip when you are presenting. The reason is, the phone's non-verbal message is, "this thing is more important than YOU". Even if you have the phone turned off, seeing the phone IS a turn off to your presentation and reminds everyone watching you that the,too have calls they need to make.

8. Don't compete with food. If there is pizza and lasagna sitting around, it's impossible to keep your audiences' attention while their stomach's are growling. Let them eat, first. Then present. Believe me, it's far better to have an audience within a normal blood sugar range than people wondering when you're going to shut up so they can eat.

9. Get creative. Bring in some props, a sample, colored paper, a "costume", music, video, or develop an interactive exrcise. Shake up the presentation and you'll remain memorable.

10. Remember to close with PUNCH. If it's a sales presentation, get a commitment at the end or create a plan for next steps in the process. With an internal audience, make sure everyone knows the deadline and expectation. Everyone leaving your presenation should feel like, "Yeah. THAT was good."

For more information on Renee Walkup of SalesPEAK, INC, please click here.

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Interesting Ways To Get Your Booth Noticed

With 200 competitors under one roof during a trade show, there are many ways to get your trade show to stand out. Here are four helpful tips:

1. Contests, giveaways, a prize, etc. This method is a great way to get business cards and referrals. Many people will just pass by booths, not wanting to talk to anyone. However if there's a contest or giveaways going on at the booth with the fish bowl technique, then attendees seem to be more responsive to drop their business card off.

2. Interesting talent in the booth: Dancers, Pianists, Magicians, Acrobats - doing something off the wall and attention getting with live performers will gain the interest of your prospects, especially if you have them doing the same thing.

3. Effects: 3D TV's, reflective trade show, foam structures (used often in studio sets and movies), lighting, fog machines, etc. Nothing gets a person's attention then flashing lights and heavy fog.

4. Themes: Brainstorm for an interesting theme, some exhibitors come up with the craziest ideas, I say the sky is the limit. Whether it is a wacky image or a spooky show, having a consistant theme helps attendees to remember and describe your booth faster and easier.

By implementing these ideas into your trade show, we are sure that you will be able to gain attendee's attention and grow your prospect list.

One Sound and Entertainment Presents...

Mark Adams from One Sound and Entertainment came to us "in a pickle". Having had his vehicle wrapped a long time ago, it was time to update the logo and graphics. Because Mark's company features many different DJs and has it's own radio station, it was Laura's job to make it more vibrant and hip. With his logo in hand, we were able to start work.

With two days of printing and drying, we were able to start working on the installation.

Helpful tip: If you already have pre-exsisting graphics or vinyl on the vehicle, let your vehicle wrap supplier know. If you are unable to get the vinyl off, your vehicle wrap supplier has the supplies and knowledge on how to take it off. It may add additional services charges, but it'll save you time and your paint.

We were able to wrap the hood and back all within budget. Giving us the opportunity to give Mark more promoting areas.

The Places We Live

The image above is a photograph done by Photojournalist Jonas Bendiksen for his exhibit, "The Places We Live." Images likes like the one above recreates the living rooms of 20 families from the slums of Jakarta, Mumbai, Nairobi, and Caracas. With the help of a large format printer, Jonas was able to turn his high resolution photographs into 3-D, life size replicas of the rooms. The thought behind this creative idea was "to create for viewers a virtual experience of visiting the families." Jonas was able to create this feel and environment with the help of a large format printer.

For more information on Jonas Bendiksen, please click here.

To create your own 3-D image, please visit here.

Hexis' New Cast Film

Carbon-fiber look is becoming more and more popular in the car world as well in the print world. Hexis has recently launched a cast vinyl with a carbon-fiber look, which is used to wrapping cars.

As part of the company's HX30000 Series, the Carbon cast is a multi-layered, 5-mil, cast-vinyl film with a carbon-fiber embossed pattern. This vinyl carries a solvent-based adhesive and a structured PE liner. Because of the liner, this enables the vinyl to allow air to egress during application. Also with the high flexibility and conformability attributes, Hexis' cast film is designed for heavily curved surfaces. Great for vehicles, furnitures, laptops, and cell phones.

It is currently available in 54" rolls .

For more information, please visit ilovehx.com.

Talk About Branding

Whether you have an empty wall space, floor space, or car space, make the most out of it. Put your logo or information on it - Brand it.

Let your image POP to the outside world! From store awnings to floor graphics, let customers know and understand what services/goods you can provide them.

One great example was for a floor cleaner. They used floor graphics in a grocery store to show that after using their product the floor was white and shiny, while the other brand left some spots needing to be scrubbed.

Here are some places that you can brand:
- Store Awnings
- Vehicle Wraps
- Floor Graphics
- Window Graphics
- Anywhere you can THINK of!

Using floor graphics to show customers what you can do is a great marketing method that not that many people understand or use. Branding to gain customers' interests or curiosity is one of the BEST marketing ideas one can do.

For more information, please check out our website, www.speedprometroatlanta.com.

Personalizing Favors

Personalize simple champagne glasses with our simple cut decals. Whether it is for a party favor or wedding gift, personalize the glasses with the names or business logos holding the event.

Arranging in different colors, Speedpro Imaging of Greater Atlanta can help you match color schemes and design needs.

Don't stop with champagne glasses!

Gain the interest of sponsors by offering to put their logos on inexpensive favors given to the guests. Thus giving your guests and sponsors a gratifying night.

For more information, please check out our website for more information, www.speedprometroatlanta.com.

Wrapped Up

Check out this full bus wrap for the Copenhagen Zoo. Though we didn't do this wrap, it's always great to appreciate large format creativity like this. Imaging driving down 85 in Atlanta and seeing a 8ft snake looking at you. I know I would be wondering what the image was for!

The Different Types of Vehicle Graphics

When looking for a vehicle graphic, know your options. Going to a print/sign shop that might not have too much experience in vehicle graphics, might not know what suits you the best..



There are many options, styles, and types of vehicle graphics:

• Full Wrap-a full wrap is covering all of the vehicle including roof/hood/and bumpers.
• Partial Wrap-the more economical wrap, doesn’t cover all or most of the vehicle, it may cover half the vehicle.
• Decals-more individual pieces, they can range from bumper stickers to covering a tailgate. Much smaller than a partial and full wrap.
• Perforated Windows-covering your back or side windows with a mesh adhesive film, you will still be able to see through it and great way to promote your business to the person behind you.
• Magnets-magnets with your business information on them, can easily be taken off and stuck back on.

Remember to also see what their warranty is. Sometimes installers forget to put sealer on the graphic vinyl edge causing it to lift up and not stick on right.

However, once said and done, you'll have an amazing graphic to will impact drivers everywhere.