How do youprocess information? By taking notes. In traditional classes, we learned towrite down everything. But for powerful selling, visual note taking at awhiteboard is much more powerful.
Curious how topump up your whiteboard note taking? In talking with graphic facilitators,whiteboard sellers and creative visual story sellers, 5 practices consistentlysurface. It doesnt seem to matter what the topic is. It doesnt seem to matterwhat their expertise or role is.
All thatmatters is speaking a fluent visual languageone that is ready to go at amoments notice. If this sounds like fun, believe me
it is a blast.
You might haveto pinch yourself when youre in front of a serious group of analyticalbusiness folks and youre mapping things out in pictures and words. And guidingthe conversation to ask the right questions, address concerns and simplifycomplex processes.
Unlike classicnote taking, you wont write down every single word. Instead, youll capturekey ideas and illustrate as you go along.
While there isa huge amount to learn to master the skill of whiteboard selling and impromptuvisual note taking, these 5 top practices will get you started. Instantly.
1. PracticeLike Crazy
Much likelearning a foreign language, practice like crazy. Go wild. Draw, write andsketch ideas. Map information in different ways. Lists. Clusters. Columns.Branches.
The more youpractice, the more fluid youll become.
2. RehearseOn Specific Topics
In addition togeneral practice, focus on the kinds of topics youll be discussing withcustomers and prospects. If youre showing a process flow for working with yourcompany, sketch it out. If you are detailing frequently asked questions,practice visuals that make the concepts memorable.
3. PracticeListening
One of theleast practiced skills is the one youll use the most: listening. There arehundreds of ways to practice listeningand visual note taking. Here are my top7 favorites:
Capturetelephone conversations
Depict aone-on-one interaction with a friend
Custom Lotion pump Manufacturers Illustratean inspirational talk--live or video
Translatethe key ideas from a PowerPoint presentation
Show theflow of a lecture
Take visualnotes during a staff meeting
Create awhiteboard record of a family discussion
Each of theserehearsals helps you develop better listening skills. If you dont like thesesuggestions, come up with your own. Focus on opportunities to learn newinformation, translate ideas into pictures and words, and invent on the spot.
4. BuildSpeed Skills
While manygraphic designers, cartoonists and visual practitioners prefer to sketch in ajournal or at a drafting table, working with a live audience is a differentanimal.
You must beready for one thing: speed. Conversation is fast. You wont have time for tonsof detail, changing your mind, or embellishing what youve drawn. In fact, itsa less controllable than when youre sketching in your studio.
Working infront of an audience is improvisational art. You must come up with ideason thespot. Naturally, this is easier if youve been practicing all the steps wevejust covered.
The trick hereis to have a storehouse of responses so you can flow with fast input andunexpected twists and turns.
5. ImproviseLike A Pro
With moreideas and more options the better. Develop a surplus and you'll feel moreflexible and confident. When youre drawing at the whiteboard, everyone iswatching. They may have preconceived ideas of what you will do. But truly, itsup to you.
Youremanaging the space of the whiteboard. Youre managing the tools, colors andmarkers. And youre managing the depth of detail.
About the onlything that can go wrong are things that you control. Specifically, your mentalstate. By keeping an open mind, non-judgmental attitude, its easier to stay inthe flow of conversation.
If working atthe whiteboard for selling,presenting and training sounds appealing to you, use these 5 tips. Youll bepleasantly surprised. With a small amount of focus, practice and rehearsal,youll always have ideas ready to go.
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