These days companies are using Internet like never before, it is used for advertising, branding and for providing information to customers. The web is saturated with websites trying to market various products and services and with so much competition around there is always a pressing need to stand out of the crowd by presenting information enticingly.

In order to present data in an enticing manner, it is essential to implement data visualization tools while building websites or internet applications. Data visualization tools help in presenting information in an interactive manner and also facilitate display of data in interesting ways such as charts, maps or gauges.

Interactive maps are an excellent medium for presenting data and they can be used in reports, presentations or in real-time digital dashboards. An interactive map allows you to display information about each individual region. The data pertaining to a particular region becomes visible when the mouse cursor hovers over it. These maps have immense potential and they can be implied in many ways.

Companies from various industry segments have come up with innovative implications of interactive Flash maps. Airlines companies use interactive maps to show seat allocation, thereby allowing customers to book a seat of their choice. Travel portals and hotels sites make extensive use of Flash maps to show hotel locations along with other details such as address, contact details and availability. In some cases prospective customers even get to see the layout of the hotel and then book a room of their choice.

Multi-national organizations such as banks use maps for many purposes such as data analysis, product and market analysis etc. Here is a hypothetical situation in which banks can use Flash maps to aid in decision making. Prior to launching a particular product in the global market, banks can easily undertake an analysis of sales of similar products. Here maps may be employed to denote regions of high and low potential.

Most Flash map tools allow automatic coloring of different segments of the data range, so it is possible to automatically generate a color coded map that helps in identifying regions of high and low potential. Flash maps are also used extensively by consumer electronics companies. These companies put up Flash maps on their websites to help potential customers find authorized dealers and service centers.

Flash maps are rapidly gaining popularity and increasing number of designers are implementing them in their projects. One of the reasons behind the phenomenal success of Flash maps is the fact they can be customized extensively.

Effective Sales Presentation

Giving effective sales presentations can be challenging, but also very rewarding. Mastering this skill can mean the difference between a mediocre career in sales, and that of a sales super star. For non-sales professionals, knowing how to give effective sales presentations can be a huge boon to your career. Although you may not be paid on a commission basis that is tied to the purchase price of a product, or the fee of a service, in many ways, sales presentations are a part of our every day life, whether we know it or not. In other words, we all have to “sell” – whether we are selling our position or viewpoint, our information and expertise, or simply ourselves. Whichever of these may be the case, the better we do that, i.e. the more effective our sales presentation is, the better we are perceived and the more rewarded we will be – on the job, and everywhere else too.

What is an Effective Sales Presentation Anyway?

So what exactly defines an effective sales presentation? Well, frankly, there is no one answer to that question. The only thing that really counts is that you convey your message effectively, without losing the attention of your audience or prospects at any point in the process. In other words, your prospects will “get” your point, and they will not have nodded off or lost interest at any point in the sales presentation. If you can accomplish this much, you are off to a great start, but this is not the complete picture yet either.

Influence V. Information

The point of all sales presentations is to influence your prospects to take a desired action, regardless of whether you want them to literally buy something – or just to “buy-off” on it. So, the art of giving an effective sales presentation should not be thought of as a quest to be the most informative person on the planet about your subject or product. If you take this approach, which more closely resembles a lecture than a sales presentation, there is a good chance that won’t have a positive influence on your prospects, and likely the abundance of information you rain down on them will fall on ears deafened by boredom.

So, rather than putting a huge effort into “sounding smart”, think about how to make your presentation interesting, and convey how your product or subject can solve a problem for your prospects. In other words, what’s in it for them? What are the benefits (not just the features) and how can you convey those benefits succinctly, and therefore, effectively?

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

As cliché as this expression may be, it is true. The consensus more and more each day among those who study learning and communication, is the notion that people think in images, not words. The ancient languages of the world were generally pictograms, and the concept of logic conveyed through syntax was a relatively late, and some may argue counter-intuitive, development in the evolution of written language.

As such, people are much more responsive to thought provoking, relevant images than we are towards a “sea of text”, whether it’s being projected on a screen in the conference room, or presented on a web page. If you have the choice between showing and telling, choose to show. You will create much more effective sales presentations with this in mind.

Pull, Don’t Push…

Many salespeople are trained, or somehow programmed, that they have to push in order to get results. The problem with that is, no one likes a pushy sales person, no matter how great the product or service may be. Being pushy usually just equates to pushing your prospects away, literally.

To create an effective sales presentation, focus on solving a problem or providing a benefit for your prospects. Illustrate how your solution does this, and even better, provide good, useful information in your sales presentation. In doing so, you will build immediate credibility and trust, and with any luck, your prospects will also like you. These qualities are all very powerful ingredients in creating effective sales presentations that inspire action on the part of your prospects.

An Experience is Worth a Thousand Pictures

One of the surest ways to make your message stick and have a lasting influence on your prospects is to engage them directly during your sales presentation. In other words, pull them into your presentation, so that they are taking an active role in the process, instead of pushing the presentation on them. If it is possible, allow your prospects to experience a product, rather than just passively observing while you “demonstrate” it.

If you are doing a sales presentation on Italian glass tile, put samples in your prospects hands. If it is vacuums, turn a machine on and let the prospect try it out. This is much more interesting, and takes the old concept of “show and tell” to a whole new level in creating dynamic, memorable, effective sales presentations.

If you are trying to determine if credit card debt negotiation is a workable solution for your credit card woes, do a quick check. Does a large chunk of your monthly take-home pay get funneled towards credit card bills? For that matter, are you falling behind on your credit card repayments? Perhaps your monthly minimum due seems to be growing uncontrollably month-to-month caused by late interest charges and being over the credit limit among others. Have this been going on for more than a year now? Are you desperate to get out of this vicious cycle without regard for possible effects on your credit score? If you answered yes to all if not most of these questions then pursuing credit card debt negotiation may be a real option for you before things get really ugly finance-wise.

Credit card debt negotiation seeks to reduce the total amount payable by a debtor to just a percentage of what is actually owed to the credit card company. This also has the effect of lowering the monthly amount due to a more manageable size. At the same time, interest charges and other fees may be discontinued as part of the terms of the credit card debt negotiation. Some companies offering credit card debt negotiation services may claim they can successfully negotiate to trim down the debt to just 50% of the amount due. On a more realistic scale, 60% to 80% are more common numbers when it comes to favorable settlement.

Just remember that beyond credit card debt negotiation, the only other choice available for a debtor is filing for bankruptcy. Debtors don’t like that option and neither do the credit card companies since it is a much messy course of action than negotiating. There are several, rather notorious card companies who simply just refuse to go into a settlement but in general by employing effective credit card debt negotiation practices, things can turn to a win-win situation for both parties.