Let’s say you have a room full of people you are looking to train, or influence. You have a lot of information to convey to this group of people, how should you do it? What is the most cost effective, time appropriate, and let us not forget easiest way to do this? Better yet the most important question to ask one’s self is how can I get this group of people interested, gain their trust and keep it throughout the process.

In either instance, a speech would do, but it may come across as tedious or even worse, boring. If you have information that must be conveyed starting with a “boring” speech type proposal is certainly the quickest way to lose the attention of your audience. Once you lose the attention of your audience, it is gone, working on regaining their attention is also a lost cause, start strong and never lose their attention.

Here is a novel idea make your statement(s) via a presentation. Presentations have the ability to hold the attention of your audience as well as “highlight” or pinpoint any information that must be retained. The intriguing idea behind presentations is that they allow mental stimulation as well as visual stimulation. By combing mental stimulation with audio stimulation, you are entertaining two of the five senses; thus allowing the memory retentive area of your audience’s brain to step in and help the brain “absorb” and process the information provided easier.

Before you start your presentation, there are a two key steps to keep in mind:

1. Know the subject you are trying to convey

Who wants to listen to someone that has no idea what he or she is talking about? If you want someone to listen to you, and find your information valid, make an effort and put in the time dedicated to research your topic(s). If someone asks you a follow-up question or questions the last thing you want to say, “Uh I’m not sure,” all creditability is lost from the time you mutter the word “Uh.” Know your stuff, be able to recite the information in your sleep, and make sure that you are ready for any question or questions that may be thrown at you. Keep in mind that the information you are presenting can only be as credible as the person presenting it, and you will be sure to check and recheck the facts as often as necessary.

2. Know your audience

Who is your audience? Who are the people that you will be presenting to? When making a presentation it is important to keep your audience in mind. They are the people you are looking to “convince”, if you are not able to pinpoint your target audience you are not going to be able to tailor the information accordingly. For instance, a younger audience may do better with an Internet based technology chat, whereas an older audience may get lost in the idea of the Internet. Before presenting any information, make sure you aware of your audience, who they are and the best way to convey your message.

Remember our ultimate goal here is mental stimulation, by stimulating our audience’s brain we can keep them interested, entertained, and help the information “sink” in. By following the guidelines outlined above, we can engage our audience in a presentation that not only teaches them but also allows them the opportunity to advance their knowledge.

Marketing a new product can be difficult. There are press releases to write, Internet marketing strategies to research, and a host of other things to consider when marketing a new product. Collective buying is a great way to tell people about your product and generate sales. It’s no secret people love a good deal. In fact, people who love to shop sometimes buy things they don’t need, just to take advantage of a good deal.

Offer a Good Deal

Collective buying websites like Living Social and Groupon are becoming an increasingly popular option. These sites give customers special prices for products, services and even travel packages. Members of these sites can opt-in to email alerts or download a mobile application that will notify them of deals they may be interested in based on their preferences.

Marketing a new product using these sites may cost you, but it is also an opportunity to show customers what you’re worth at little risk to them. When your product is featured on a group-buying site, all of the site’s users in your specified area are notified. Customers who may not generally be interested in your product might come across it when checking their email online or scrolling through their smart phone.

Word of Mouth

Group deals have the added benefit of encouraging word of your product on the streets. A college student, for example, is scanning through her phone and sees an advert for your custom-made ties. She decides to try your product out, since Father’s Day is approaching and you’re offering $50 worth of ties for $25. When she receives the product, she is impressed and tells her friends about your website. If two of her friends purchase ties for $50, you’ve made a $75 profit. Your satisfied customer has taken some of the legwork out of your internet marketing campaign.

Deals typically have a timeline, which puts members under pressure to buy. These sites also offer clients the chance to get their deal free of charge, if a certain number of their friends purchase the product during the promotion. Advertisements are equipped with social buttons so individuals can share your deal via text message, social media and email. When marketing a new product, social media is vital. With collective buying, your customers have an incentive to do some of that social media promotion for you.

Product Placement

Product placement is also an important part of marketing a new product. Group selling allows you to customize your offer by market. In markets that tend to spend more, using the above example it might be better to run a Buy 3 Ties, Get Tie Free promotion. This way, customers still get a deal, but you get a higher profit. For example, if ties are $50 each, it only cost you $50 to make $150. This way you can earn more than the previous approach before the customer even shares your deal online.

Marketing a new product using group buying sites is a great option for growing your profits and customer base. Take this approach and save on pulling together a marketing team, writing a press release or manually promoting your product online. Try it out and be amazed by the outcomes.

In the beginning…the design intent was clear and the project scope understood. But yea, soon the design begat a new design which then begat another which begat a whole new product and a darkness fell upon the faces of the design team. Lo, the prophets of marketing became anxious and waived their pre-printed brochures in distress. The disciples of sales called the design an abomination and wailed over commissions lost. The gods of management gnashed their teeth in anger as the budget runneth over and rained down a plague of interoffice memorandums upon the company.

Sound familiar? The design of a product is usually what defines it not only in functionality, but gives it its life, beauty, and meaning. However, sometimes during the design process something goes horribly wrong as if the product had become possessed by Murphy himself. Below are the Seven Deadly Sins of Product Design that should be avoided in order to keep your design from becoming a disaster of biblical proportions:

Tunnelvision: Meeting a need while creating another

Every good design meets a need or solves a problem. Sounds easy enough, but the catch is, you have to do it without creating another need or problem. Take, for example, a simple pair of pruning shears. Adding a safety lock definitely solves a potential problem. However, unless the user holds the shears a certain way, the lock slips into position and locks the shears, thus frustrating the user. Keep your eyes open for the effects of the design on the use of the product.

Superficiality: Beautiful design, costly or impossible to produce

Anyone who has any interest in product design loves pie-in-the-sky brainstorming, where creativity, spontaneity and fluid thinking abound. It is fun to dream about the future of a product line and all of the “what’s next” ideas. While this fun exercise is stimulating and thought provoking, you also have to keep your eye on the ball. Many product companies engage industrial design firms that are very successful with this approach, but have no engineering background or technical expertise. You end up spending your entire product development budget on great ideas that are either far too costly to bring to market or are not manufacturable as designed. Understand your resources and use them wisely.

Imperceptiveness: Failing to design for the user or need.

Products should be designed for the user. Consider ergonomics and human factors by studying how your product will be used in its intended environment. Do not assume you know what the user needs. Instead, talk to them to understand what works and what does not. Study how the user will interact with the product and note the amount of effort that may go into each use. This approach is particularly effective when redesigning a product or launching a competitive product to the market. The most successful product designs are the ones that the end user can admire for aesthetics, but not think to hard about how to use. Over-design will result in the consumer becoming frustrated and a product that is short lived. Keeping a design simple does not mean sacrificing creativity or coolness.

Safety: Blending in

Of course the world is full of knock off products, but if you are looking for the big win, make your product different. Give consumers something to tell their friends about. Before designing that new product, analyze the competition. Do some research to determine user likes and dislikes about the products they use and develop ways to make it better. Incorporate ideas and features from other industries to give your product a more innovative appeal. Look at industry trends and research to see how you can incorporate the “next big thing” into your product idea. Whatever you do, give the user a reason to choose your product over the competition.

Transience: Designing for the here and now

Designing a product for today is fine if you accept the status quo. But, think of the products that changed the world because they were designed not only for the need at hand, but for the future as well: Computers, Cell Phones, Automatic Drip Coffee Makers–the list is endless. To truly expect the most from a design, you have to look forward. Don’t limit yourself to how users interact with your product today, or the current environment in which your product is used. Think about five years from now–or longer. How will the user’s needs change? Where else will the product be used? Will the product be able to serve a new purpose? Will there be new technology that you should plan for in the new design?

Egomania: Designing for design’s sake

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in what looks “cool” or how beautiful a design is, we begin the design process trying to hit those marks rather than solving the problem. Worry first about meeting the need or solving the problem. The design will come as the sketches and renderings are developed. While award winning designs equate to success in the industry, the true success of a product is measured by the extent to which it meets or exceeds the needs of its user.

Distraction: Solving the wrong problem

Given, product design is usually a fluidic, creative process. But, do not confuse fluidity with “out of control”. Often as a product design evolves, things are discovered and tangents emerge. This is a powerful part of the creative process–but use this power for good and not evil. Stay focused on the original scope and design intent. Do not allow your design to become a monster that controls the project and either solves the wrong problem or none at all. Go back to the root of why the design was needed to begin with. Take the new air actuated corkscrew, for example. The designers observed that the problem was not the original corkscrew design, but getting the cork out of the bottle. Rather than trying to redesign the cork screw, the designers developed the air pump corkscrew, a completely innovative design. In a nutshell, that is the kind of simplicity that encourages good design.