Marketing communicators can get juice from handouts

Recently, with my daughter and college-bound granddaughter, I attended a workshop session titled “Financing Your College Education.” The presenter, from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, did an excellent job of scaring the hell out of a lot of folks in the room. But he did provide hope and good advice for jumping through the many hoops of applying for financial aid and how to dig into the cubbyholes to ferret out the numerous programs available.

And yet, we came home without any handouts that could have supported his presentation and served as a follow-up reference with the Web addresses of the many agencies and sources he discussed.  We didn’t forget the handouts; he didn’t provide any.

Now that was a missed opportunity to promote himself and Stockton while helping all those who attended. Sure, you’re supposed to take notes. But isn’t it more effective to give folks your take-home message in an easily digested form like Cliff Notes?

A presenter is in a unique position as a marketing communicator. He has the spotlight and the attention of an audience that wants to know what he has to say. It’s a wonderful opportunity to sell himself and his business or institution.  I’m not talking about a blatant sales pitch. I’m talking about capitalizing on the permission you have…the permission to make an impression about you and the product, person, place or idea that you’re promoting.

In this age of cheap and easy desktop publishing, there’s no excuse for not providing your audience with handouts. But don’t give them out before your presentation or some smarties will breeze through them and get way ahead of you-- and your charisma and ability to communicate.

Tip for the little guy:  The handout—don’t leave home without it. Marketing communicators must be opportunists. Seize every opportunity to juice all communications tools.

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