Giving a business presentation to a nonprofit group is very similar to what a sales team does when it pitches its services, ideas or innovations to a corporate Board of Directors. Having done many business presentations in my life it came natural to meet when I was asked to talk to a PTA or parent teacher association about an upcoming fundraiser in which my company would be assisting the washing of cars.

It was amazing to me how the word got out around town and soon I was giving presentations to nonprofit groups all throughout the community and surrounding communities. There of course were all sorts of objections and questions from parents. Such as; how many chaperones will be needed, what do you get out of it, how much money will we make, why should we do a carwash fund raiser?

The funny thing is that we would make no money doing these fundraisers and yet I was defending the carwash fundraiser business plan for their nonprofit group. I learned a valuable lesson that day in that is sometimes not what you are selling or in this case giving away; people have to see your motivation or they do not trust you.

It is the same when giving a business presentation. If you offer to your products or services too low of cost and they don't see what is in it for you they are not interested because they think you are tricking them. It was amazing to me that people could not see what was it for me.

Exposure for my business and a chance to give back to the community which has treated my business so well for so many years. What's wrong with that? Do you know what happened after the fundraiser? They gave $200 to each other crew-members who volunteered that day to work with the kids. Because they still could not understand why we were helping the community. Go figure. Consider all this in 2006.