Wednesday, December 5, 2012
New Office Officially Open!
Congrats to Sers and the expansion crew that were able to open the doors
to the new location in the DC area this week! They have been planning
the expansion for the last several months and are very excited to begin
the campaign this week. President Matt Griffith traveled with the team
to get the office set up for it’s first official day of business. He
commented “This is a very exciting time for our organization. This team
has been working non-stop for weeks to make sure they were ready to take
on this campaign. We are lucky to be working with such a great client
because we have a great opportunity to expand throughout the area with
them. I know these guys will do a great job.”
Thursday, November 15, 2012
November 2012 Newsletter
Hi Everyone!
Here is the November newsletter, it includes some information about financial planning for young professionals and more!
Enjoy!!!
Here is the November newsletter, it includes some information about financial planning for young professionals and more!
Enjoy!!!
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Richard Branson's 5 Steps to a Presentation
This interview with Richard Branson is very relevant to the main principles we teach at Intrinsic Consulting during training. Although we are not trying to start a new company each day, we have the opportunity to show customers why they should choose our client over the competition. Keeping explanations simple, being confident during presentation and avoiding vague language and doubt words are all key skills that can be used in any situation, whether it be with a potential customer or future investors.
“When billionaire entrepreneur and Virgin Group founder Richard Branson had the idea of launching Virgin Atlantic, he pitched it to his fellow directors who had no previous experience in the airline business. He delivered the idea simply, concisely, and effectively. Branson offers leaders and entrepreneurs this advice: “It is vitally important to present a clear, concise plan that investors can easily understand and repeat to their own people. In the first meeting avoid overly complicated, numbers-laden presentations.”
Branson is a master marketer and communicator. His new book, Like a Virgin, reveals “secrets they won’t teach you at business school.” Many of those secrets involve effective communications and presentations.
In his book, Branson recommends that entrepreneurs who are looking to raise money in these tough economic conditions keep their presentations simple and memorable. He says that the best investment pitches hit five areas. I would take his advice one step further. I believe that any effective pitch or presentation should include these five components.
What’s in it for them?
“Occasionally, an entrepreneur hoping to launch their first business puts so much thought into the concept that he or she neglects the financial and legal plan—and unfortunately, this often becomes apparent early in a meeting, when an investor can lack clarity in what exactly the proposed deal is going to look like.”
According to Branson, investors want to know when they can expect to see a return—what’s in it for them. In my first class at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, my instructor said, “Always ask yourself, ‘why should my readers care?’” I use this journalism principle to teach the art of corporate storytelling. Branson asks the same question of entrepreneurs who pitch him.
Be concrete.
“Winning the trust of an investor means demonstrating a thorough knowledge of your concept or industry and laying out a step-by-step plan for offering something that’s new, innovative and will deliver healthy returns on their investment.”
Branson recommends that communicators avoid ‘wishy-washy’ language, doubt words and phrases such as “It is hoped…”or “With some luck…” He says look your investors in the eye and be specific, concrete, and confident. One way to craft a concrete and confident story is to use a message map.
Be unapologetically disruptive.
“Emphatically explain how your new company will give your customers a better deal than your competitors.”
The key word here is ‘emphatically.’ Branson is unquestionably the most passionate business leader I’ve had the pleasure to interview. I believe his passion for disrupting the status quo is a key component of his charisma. The majority of business leaders who I’ve met underestimate the role of passion in delivering presentations. Branson looks for passionate entrepreneurs who understand the competition and “irreverently explain” why their business will do better than the competition.
Prove that growth is sustainable.
“Nothing stays the same for long, so explain how you plan to tackle the inevitable technological changes and market shifts that are heading your way.”
Investors and partners want proof that you understand the environment in which you will be selling your product. One way to get your idea across is to start with a problem before the solution. Every great story has a protagonist. Introducing the villain (problem) before the hero (solution) makes for a compelling business narrative. So take some time to explain how your product or service solves the problem.
Demonstrate bench strength.
“Show prospective investors that you have found the right people to work at your new company.”
I’ve seen investor pitches where CEO’s or founders feel as though they have to carry the show. The best and easiest way to show investors that your company has bench strength is to share the stage. Apple executives—Tim Cook and Steve Jobs—have always done this brilliantly.
The subtitle of Branson’s book is, “Secrets They Won’t Teach You At Business School.” When it comes to communications, he’s right. I’ve spoken to several MBA programs at America’s most prestigious universities. After every presentation students approach me and say, “We never learn stuff like this in class.” It’s time they do.
Read the full article from Forbes here
“When billionaire entrepreneur and Virgin Group founder Richard Branson had the idea of launching Virgin Atlantic, he pitched it to his fellow directors who had no previous experience in the airline business. He delivered the idea simply, concisely, and effectively. Branson offers leaders and entrepreneurs this advice: “It is vitally important to present a clear, concise plan that investors can easily understand and repeat to their own people. In the first meeting avoid overly complicated, numbers-laden presentations.”
Branson is a master marketer and communicator. His new book, Like a Virgin, reveals “secrets they won’t teach you at business school.” Many of those secrets involve effective communications and presentations.
In his book, Branson recommends that entrepreneurs who are looking to raise money in these tough economic conditions keep their presentations simple and memorable. He says that the best investment pitches hit five areas. I would take his advice one step further. I believe that any effective pitch or presentation should include these five components.
What’s in it for them?
“Occasionally, an entrepreneur hoping to launch their first business puts so much thought into the concept that he or she neglects the financial and legal plan—and unfortunately, this often becomes apparent early in a meeting, when an investor can lack clarity in what exactly the proposed deal is going to look like.”
According to Branson, investors want to know when they can expect to see a return—what’s in it for them. In my first class at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, my instructor said, “Always ask yourself, ‘why should my readers care?’” I use this journalism principle to teach the art of corporate storytelling. Branson asks the same question of entrepreneurs who pitch him.
Be concrete.
“Winning the trust of an investor means demonstrating a thorough knowledge of your concept or industry and laying out a step-by-step plan for offering something that’s new, innovative and will deliver healthy returns on their investment.”
Branson recommends that communicators avoid ‘wishy-washy’ language, doubt words and phrases such as “It is hoped…”or “With some luck…” He says look your investors in the eye and be specific, concrete, and confident. One way to craft a concrete and confident story is to use a message map.
Be unapologetically disruptive.
“Emphatically explain how your new company will give your customers a better deal than your competitors.”
The key word here is ‘emphatically.’ Branson is unquestionably the most passionate business leader I’ve had the pleasure to interview. I believe his passion for disrupting the status quo is a key component of his charisma. The majority of business leaders who I’ve met underestimate the role of passion in delivering presentations. Branson looks for passionate entrepreneurs who understand the competition and “irreverently explain” why their business will do better than the competition.
Prove that growth is sustainable.
“Nothing stays the same for long, so explain how you plan to tackle the inevitable technological changes and market shifts that are heading your way.”
Investors and partners want proof that you understand the environment in which you will be selling your product. One way to get your idea across is to start with a problem before the solution. Every great story has a protagonist. Introducing the villain (problem) before the hero (solution) makes for a compelling business narrative. So take some time to explain how your product or service solves the problem.
Demonstrate bench strength.
“Show prospective investors that you have found the right people to work at your new company.”
I’ve seen investor pitches where CEO’s or founders feel as though they have to carry the show. The best and easiest way to show investors that your company has bench strength is to share the stage. Apple executives—Tim Cook and Steve Jobs—have always done this brilliantly.
The subtitle of Branson’s book is, “Secrets They Won’t Teach You At Business School.” When it comes to communications, he’s right. I’ve spoken to several MBA programs at America’s most prestigious universities. After every presentation students approach me and say, “We never learn stuff like this in class.” It’s time they do.
Read the full article from Forbes here
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
October 2012 Newsletter
Hey,
Check out our October Newsletter! Articles include "Leadership for the New Age" and a spotlight on Daniel Kish. Also a couple of special announcements
Newsletter
http://intrinsicconsultinginc.com/october-2012-newsletter/
Check out our October Newsletter! Articles include "Leadership for the New Age" and a spotlight on Daniel Kish. Also a couple of special announcements
Newsletter
http://intrinsicconsultinginc.com/october-2012-newsletter/
Thursday, September 27, 2012
R&R Miami 2012
The management team was able to participate in the annual Rest & Relaxation trip, which was held in Miami over this past weekend. We were able to stay at Eden Roc Renaissances Hotel in Miami Beach and enjoyed the many activities provided, such as a talent show, wave runners, a neon party, and the hotel pools and private beach! After working hard for the past year this weekend was a chance to relax and get together with friends we haven’t seen in quite a while. The trip also included charity dodgeball and cornhole tournaments that benefited Operation Smile. This was a great way to get some good ideas for our company to raise money for this great cause again this year.
For pictures, check out our Facebook Page!
Friday, September 7, 2012
Food Drive Begins!
August 28, 2012
This week marked the kickoff of our office food drive! During the summer months food panty’s experience a drop in donations that can hurt families in need. After reading an article about this and learning that the metro-west area food banks were struggling we decided to get involved. We formed teams to have a little fun with the project so for the next 2 weeks we will keep track of which team brings in the most items to donate. So far everyone has been participating, from sales reps to managers to the administration, so this should be a challenging competition! We are planning to have fundraising barbeque to signal the end of the food drive and raise some money with fun activities.
All of our donations will go to A Place to Turn, an emergency food bank in Natick. After speaking with the director she was very happy to hear of local companies getting involved to make a positive change in the community.
Good luck everyone! I hope we can collect enough donations to really make and impact.
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