Susan Young's
Amplify Blog

 

 

 

5 Ways to Create Stand-Out PowerPoint Slides

🎯Communication and Presentation Tip: 

Anyone in A/E/C with a PowerPoint slide that resembles the one below gets an automatic tariff of 345 percent. 😮

😮Avoid this at all costs! 

Instead, follow these 5 tips to create reader-friendly engaging slides to WOW (not confuse) your audience. 

1. Pull key data and sections from graphs, using words/nuggets to capture the highlights.

2. Choose the right visuals to complement small amounts of text.

3. Think one slide = one point.

4. Avoid text that is unaligned or too small.

5. Have an emotionally engaging design. 

Reach out if you need support with business development, presentations, and public speaking to capture more pursuits.

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40% of Leaders Say Teams Aren't Asking the Right Questions

Communication, seller-doer challenges, and confidence.

To achieve greater success in the A/E/C industry, a new poll says firms must overcome these three obstacles, beginning with communication.

➡️Nearly 40 percent of respondents said unasked questions hold teams back in sales meetings. 

➡️More than 25 percent cite rushing through conversations as a significant challenge.

Are you working on the right problem?

In A/E/C, this could mean focusing on the most pressing client needs or more profitable projects.

Reach out if you want to transform your teams' communication so you can capture more pursuits, improve productivity, and build trust.

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How to Solve Your Client Problems—and Add Value Every Step of the Way

The most important four-letter word in business and life is CARE.

For me, CARE is an acronym.

🔷Your Communication is based on what you pay Attention to.

🔷Your Attention (focus) determines your Results.

🔷Your Results can be Excellent.

How do you show clients and prospects that you truly CARE about them...as human beings and in business?

Are you focusing on the correct problems they are experiencing?

How can you improve your presentations and conversations?

👉Notice your communication patterns and habits.

It's all about self-awareness.🧨

Success in A/E/C means you're focusing on others, and not yourself or the need for a sale.

If you want better results, show others you can solve their problems.

Show them you CARE more than the next firm.

It's a feeling, not a tech solution.😊

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The Key Way to Managing Heavy A/E/C Workloads

Here's the dealio about productivity and meeting tight deadlines on multiple projects.

🏗️Are you working on the right problem?🏗️

I ask myself this question more than once a day.

And often, the answer is a resounding NO!

🎯A 'NO' response allows you and your team to refocus and prioritize tasks more efficiently.

The result is fewer frustrating meetings and miscommunication.

Being attentive to your attention gets you back on track quickly.

Look, everyone is busy.

The real question is: Busy doing what???😎

If you want continuous business improvement, this is it.

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Solving a Common Communications Conundrum

Consider this if you struggle to introduce yourself, believing you don't need to prepare a 30-second elevator pitch.

➡️Would YOU hire YOU?

😧Rambling.

😧Winging it.

😧Self-serving.

😧Confusing.

😧Missing the mark.

😧Clueless about prospects' needs and desires.

Here's the solution so that your networking generates new business.

🎯Harness the power of your words.🎯

Be intentional with how you articulate your value.

Every word wields power.🧨

When you write your introduction and OWN it, people pay attention.

On we go.

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The Communication Secret to Getting Buy-In From Prospects

 

Who cares?

That's the question you must ask yourself when preparing RFPs and A/E/C presentations.

The only way to develop trust and get buy-in from decision-makers is to be relevant.

To them!🏆🏆

I share my tried and true method in the 90-second clip above. ⬆️⬆️⬆️

🧨🧨📈📈If you like this clip and want the skillset that brings buy-in and winning pursuits, check out our new online training, Top Tier Communicator. In just 3 days, you or the team you manage will have today's communication and confidence for an outstanding 2025! We start Nov. 12th! 

 

 

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Do You Know Enough About the Prospects You're Pursuing?

The phone call was from a 215-Philly area code.

Assuming it was my cousin, Marc, I picked up the phone. 📳

To my surprise, the caller was a woman who knew my first name. 

She asked to speak with the director of technology for my firm.🙃

As an entrepreneur for 24 years, my firm has an agile team of freelancers and part-timers. 

Interestingly, the technology department is my husband. 

He's an IT project manager working in the next room in our home. 🏠

The key takeaway from this encounter is the importance of thorough research before shortlisted interviews and networking events.

🎯Look online for insights about people you'll be interacting with so you know their values, projects, and interests. 🎯

You'll gain valuable information and have more meaningful and memorable conversations. 

This level of preparation not only establishes trust and respect. It also fosters genuine connections with decision-makers. 

🎆Know your audience ahead of time. 

This is how competitive A/E/C firms win ...

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How an Elevator Repairman Taught Me a Huge Communication Lesson

 

Life lessons come in so many different forms.  

Regardless of our expertise or education, seemingly ordinary experiences can bring powerful transformation. 

And they make for fabulous stories.

Can you spare 6 minutes to hear the heartwarming communication lesson I learned from a guy named Lamar? ⌚

It all unfolded in a podcast interview called Resilience in Action with host Erin Brown. 

Click the video above to hear the story, or click here.

🎆And if you want to improve your business storytelling, hit me up. 🎆

 

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Real A/E/C Leaders Aren't Chasing Buy-In

Getting buy-in from senior leadership or younger A/E/C staff isn't a one-off.

Buy-in pales in comparison to trust, loyalty, and honest relationships.

Buy-in feels like you're trying to convince someone or push them over the finish line to close a sale.😯

People who form deeper relationships and have mutual respect don't use this phrase.

They are the leaders who:

✅Brainstorm

✅Talk things through

✅Gather insights

✅Ask for differing opinions

✅Appreciate wisdom

Then they make a decision.

Critical thinkers and responsible leaders have higher-level conversations. 

They don't need others to buy into anything.

Forget buy-in.

🧨Instead, take the time to nurture relationships, listen deeply, be respectful, and be attentive.

Yes, you may get pushback. 

Differing opinions needn't be divisive; they are opportunities to learn and evolve.

If you want to improve communication and build consensus, don't consider it "buy-in." 

Instead, be strategic and welcome others' input.

 

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