Maybe you’ve been hearing what I’ve been hearing a lot lately. Legislators around the United States are weighing in on the recent shooting in Arizona reminding us that “bullets kill.” Now, this is not what you may think... This is not going to be a political blog post, but it certainly is a public service announcement for all of you who give presentations in your normal course of business.

I’ll leave it to the Congress to speculate on the future of gun control. But as I continued to hear those words it actually got me thinking about how businesses so often choose to tell their business story. In a different context what they’re saying is certainly true, bullets do kill. They kill your appeal, your listener’s retention and your effectiveness. Check out these 3 relatively simple ways you can make your presentation killer… in a good way.

Technology has made it possible to quickly learn things you don’t yet know how to do. These days we have the ability to self-diagnose our illnesses, fix our technology when it breaks and learn from the experiences and expertise of others… What makes it all possible? The Internet.

That’s why as I’ve been searching for new employees in my own business and as I pitch my services to prospective clients I emphasize well-roundedness. I think you should too.

I was recently asked my opinion on five changes I saw in the field of marketing over the next five years. Now, I do not profess to have a crystal ball. In fact, I’m the kind of guy who has a terrible time in Vegas because I hate to bet on the wrong things, and I don’t like to lose money.

Nonetheless, I did provide this person with my forecast and thought you might find the information valuable for your business.

It turns out that Iceland is pretty serious when it comes to Christmas. They don’t just have one Santa, they have 13! And every Santa comes bearing gifts in the days leading up to the big holiday.

I’ve taken their lead and will be giving you small gifts each day that if implemented can make a big impact in the New Year. All I’d ask is that if you find the information I share to be interesting please let me know by retweeting this post, leaving a comment or clicking the like button.

Today my gift is to help you think differently. Iceland doesn’t do it like anyone else (13 santas!!) and that helps them stand out. Who says you have to do it like everyone else?