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Keeping Upholstered Home Furniture Clean and Presentable

Aside from regular cleaning, the simplest way to maintain the furniture in your home in its most presentable and serviceable condition is to use them with as much care as possible.

In households that have young children and pets, this can be a very challenging task. Chairs, couches and sofas are meant to be sat on – not stood on or jumped on. It is not a venue for rough housing with the family dog. Nor is it for wiping popcorn buttered hands on. But unless you’re maintaining a spinster lifestyle, inevitable mishaps like stains and spillages cannot be avoided.

To maintain furniture upholstered in fabric, it is best to do spot-cleaning as soon as an “accident” happens. Just spray on and scrub in a cleaning solvent on the stain and wipe off with a dry cloth or paper towel. For dust and grime that seem to settle in the fabric from normal daily use, home shampooing on a regular basis is recommended.

Leather and vinyl only need to be wiped clean with a sponge dipped in a soapy solution. Use a soft bristled brush to get stubborn grime off if necessary. Wipe off with a soft dry cloth. Leather needs to be moisturized to retain its sheen. In lieu of commercially available leather moisturizers, colorless shoe polish may be used. Apply the polish evenly, then buff and polish thoroughly. On the other hand, oil-based products should never be used on vinyl as these may cause the material to become brittle.

To avoid nicks, scratches and snags, make sure the furniture have ample space around them. Do not place them flush against the wall or other furniture unless they were designed to do so. Maintain a fair distance from heating vents and direct sunlight. Try not to eat messy, dripping food around upholstered furnishings. Otherwise, be prepared to soot-clean right after your meal.

Of course, hiring a professional cleaning service is always the best choice. Most services have a pick-up and delivery option. Some services will clean your furniture right in your home. If the cleaning required is a hefty task, like a major spill on light-colored upholstery, these are the people to call. They’ll know what cleaning agents or solvents to use that won’t damage the fabric’s design and color. But still, unless your home furnishings are the expensive heirloom type or made by a known designer, these services may also cost a paltry sum.

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How to Take Your Sales Presentations to the Next Level by Using Banner Stands

I have a good number of friends and acquaintances that work or have worked in sales environments, typically for the IT multinationals. Today, I received an email from of one such individual who has just switched companies in an attempt to move upwards in the sales hierarchy. Typically, when you join a new company, each new hiree is called upon to make a product pitch in front of a panel of sales managers and coaches. The idea being, of course, to ensure that all sales representatives have mastered the art of making the perfect sales presentation, well before they ever have the opportunity to step into a corporate boardroom to do a sales presentation or demo. My friend asked for my input, and I wanted to say, quite simply, get a hold of it.
The thing is, today, no matter how rehearsed you sound when doing a sales pitch, it’s gotten stale. Procurement teams have heard it all, from the polished sales pitch, to the mediocre sales pitch and even the dreadful sales pitch. And the good sales pitches are all starting to sound alike. It’s time to Up the Annie, and this means, in part, bringing in the props. What better prop than the Banner Stand.

These are ideal actually because once you’ve set one up, you can literally forget about it. Forget you may, and yet, it will serve as a constant branding statement as you make your presentation. These are literally like colour screen televisions that are frozen on one particular advert – your company’s advert. A typical Banner Stand has the company’s logo, its mission statement or business vision or logo, and reference to your company’s product and/or service range. As soon as it’s set up at the front of the room, a Banner Stand serves to enhance a company’s brand image and reputation.

The most popular Banner Stand is the Retractable Banner, more commonly called the Roll-Up Banner. It’s well-loved by all presenters who have had to walk into a presentation room, and have managed to set the Banner Stand up in a matter of seconds. Quite simply, the Retractable Banner helps make a perfect entrance statement. In today’s marketplace, potential clients want to see results, even before they’ve actually started doing business with a particular provider. This is why, walking into a presentation room, with authority, appeals so much. Quite simply, it suggests ‘we mean business’.

The Retractable Banner Stands are practical to bring along to any trade show or exhibition or even to any of the annual social events. With time, sales teams find that they start to use their Banner Stands as a centrifugal force. The sales rep. may initially step out from behind a sales booth or presentation table to walk towards a potential client. He or she may then do some active listening, and probe into the potential client’s needs or desires. And then, at a well orchestrated moment, the sales representative will turn to the potential client and say something like, “Would it be beneficial for you to see a little more about what we, here, at Company ABC, are about?”, all the while directing the potential client over to the Banner Stand.

Trust you me, if my friend were to present with a Banner Stand, I’m willing to bet that he would walk out of the presentation room, having closed the deal.

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How to Pitch In 2 Minutes for Sales Presenters

It happens too often to ignore. You spend hours working on your elaborate presentation. You spit and polish your pitch with colorful charts, testimonials and a project plan. When you reach the meeting room, your client says, “Bob! I have to rush for an urgent meeting. Show me what you’ve got in 2 minutes.”

What do you say in those 2 minutes to create the impact of a 20 minute presentation?

There is no point searching for words at that point in time. You need to be ready with that pitch – upfront, if you want to make it big as a sales presenter.

Here is my suggestion to make your 2 minute pitch.

Take a sheet of paper and answers these three questions:

1. TANGIBLE BENEFIT: What is the one most important tangible benefit offered by your product? The benefit should be clearly measurable.

2. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE: How is your offering significantly different from any other such offering? The difference should be an obvious one.

3. CLEAR PROOF: What is the proof for your claim? The proof should be credible enough for the customer to accept without question.

Your answers to these questions are the 2 minute pitch.

There is a lot of science behind those 3 questions. They directly influence the decision making process of your customers.

Here is the caveat. Though the questions are simple and direct, the answers to those questions may not be easy to find.

Take the time necessary to come up with the best answers. Call up your existing customers, visit your ‘Product’ department or interview the highest producing sales people to get the clues. The time spent on this is worth its weight in gold.

In fact, creating this pitch should be your first priority as a sales presenter. The process will give you a lot of clarity about your product or service, which in turn will reflect as conviction in your voice when you make your next sales presentation.

Happy selling!

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