Consulting
- Over 30 years experience providing communications to business consultants, accountants, investment banks and SMEs
- Strategic business communications
- Brand development
- Software development technologies
- Presentation and communication
- PR support
- Conferences and shows
- Design support – presentation, graphics, video, photography
Presentation
Many businesses must present to potential new customers to win business. Many of those must present to their customers on a deal-by-deal basis.
They also make presentations to win position, asset value or opportunities.
On other occasions, businesses make presentations to debt houses to win debt and other temporary cash boosting processes.
When businesses make such a presentation whether to gain revenue, debt or position, their whole business plan is on the line.
Chalestra specialises in communications of these forms. Chris Power, director of Chalestra, has over a phenomenal 20 years’ experience of businesses pitching for one thing or another. Indeed, his experience is world class since he, and Chalestra, have worked for some of the world’s biggest institutions.
Communications
It is also true of communication. Every business must talk to someone to trade. And not everyone is good at communicating. Even if they are good at communicating, they don't necessarily win the deal.
Chalestra has provided, and continues to provide, solutions that win. It has provided them for instutions, business consultants, investment banks, the legal industry and SMEs. It is true that it hasn't always won, but some say that if Chalestra can't win: no-one can. In the evet that we lose, we do a full post-mortem to establish why. Our reputation is critical to us. Fortunately, losses are rare these days.
Public Relations
Quite often, business have had to talk to media intentionally or otherwise. Unintentional communications have been spectacular when they've gone wrong, and when such communications have gone wrong, it's almost certain that the business will fail.
On the brighter side, PR, intentional PR, can provide massive benefits when used for promotion and awareness as they talk to their communities in bulk, intentionally or otherwise.
Conferences, seminars and shows
We value our communication skills highly. By bringing these skills together, we become a natural choice for any business that has a plan to communicate. In fact, we have produced several stages for groups of all different sizes and for many different purposes.
Design support
Whilst design is not critical in any communication strategy, it will become a useful tool as grade of presentation becomes critical. We have a talented team in our design services who understand business communications, and the degrees of implementation that's necessary.
We have skills that can offer simple to complex presentations. We have the skills to put literature together (though we don't print). We have the skills to make business video and develop websites. And we have people with director level skills, and people with world class audio editing skills, who can bring all these skills together to form what have been some awesome presentations.
Our photographer can be commissioned to hunt for your special photographic, if necessary, particularly if its nature shot that you a looking for.
Side shows
What we look for in presentations
- Minimum of fuss
- Strong key points portraying key arguments
- The argument be focused and portrayed vividly, without using fuss
- Basic design – anything further will be a negative to the argument
- Minimal graphic support
- No untoward assumptions: never provide detail in case your audience might not understand – only provide detail if you know they won't understand. Detail should never be in the presentation – always put it in a supporting document. If, perchance, your audience don't understand when you thought they might, then they'll get in touch
Should you use graphics?
- In principle, no.
- Graphics should be used if it actively supports key messages and should be to that extent only
- Graphics can be used to cheer up an otherwise boring presentation, but should be used sparingly
How should a presentation be focused on the audience?
- Largely, it shouldn't
- It's important to move with the notion that an argument is an argument
- Only the benefits and downsides will depend on the audience – ideally, these should be left to discussion or, if that's not possible, supporting documentation
Winning business
- Your audience will want to know about your capabilities of delivering without issues
- Reference to fees should most certainly not be included: these should be discussed afterwards
- Benefits and downsides: only put these in a presentation if your audience don’t know them. Otherwise, they should be left to discussion or supporting documentation. If you do include them, use strongly phrased key points only – don't labour the points
- Make sure your overall presentation paints a vivid picture: if it does, you won't need supporting documentation and you won't be seen as time-wasting. Time-wasting paints a picture of incompetence
Winning debt
- Debt houses have a legal responsibility to ensure borrowers can repay their debts. That you can is the key message
- A business plan is, of course, a must. But it's a presentation that will build a controlled picture
Winning favour
- You will know what you want to achieve. Everybody else will have different issues that will influence their thought. The key messages for this type of presentation will be to paint a picture of what you are looking for, immediately followed by addressing your audiences' issues
- Don't get wrapped up in detail – stick to strong arguments
PR disaster
- Every business should be clear about the benefits and downsides of their being, services and products
- These will be the essential messages to counter a PR backlash
- Always send positive messages through the channels the negative messages came
- Never directly try to counter negative messages – your audience will perceive you have something to hide
- You will have low-cost access to a marketing opportunity – capitalise on it while your name is on everyone’s mind, but never combine a marketing strategy while recovering from a PR disaster: wait until the recovery is complete