Presentation – Ten Tips For a Winning Team Presentation
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Your company has just made the short list of vendors invited to make a presentation on a major new contract. You’re undoubtedly pleased, because it means the client is impressed with your skills and experience.
But, while your ability and related experience can get you on that short list, it’s invariably the power of your team’s presentation that will win or lose you the business.
In fact, your challenge is the double header of not just demonstrating your fit for the job through a comprehensive and compelling team presentation, but also projecting the “softer” skills of attitude, enthusiasm, responsiveness and client orientation.
This article deals with the technical effectiveness of your team’s presentation.
1. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Know the prospect’s business, their needs and hot buttons.
2. SELECT TEAM MEMBERS BASED ON COMPLEMENTARY AREAS OF EXPERTISE. Most team presentations are best handled with three to five members. This is decided primarily by the size of the prospect’s team (you don’t want too many to their small group nor too few to their greater numbers) and the amount of time you have — less time means you go with fewer presenters.
3. CHOOSE THE TEAM LEADER STRATEGICALLY. It may not always make sense for it to be the highest ranking person on the team, especially if that person will have absolutely no role when your company actually gets the business. A more meaningful choice might be the person who would have the most contact with the client.
4. ADAPT TO THE PRESENTATION LOGISTICS. Find out ahead of time if this will be a formal, stand-up presentation, or a more informal, seated discussion approach. Learn about the A/V set-up if you’ll be using visuals. Try to determine the seating arrangements.
While there may be a benefit to being seated among your prospects, keep in mind that being seated across from them is not necessarily a divisive gesture. This is a great opportunity to be seen as a team, to capture the spotlight and show your stuff.
5. OUTLINE THE PRESENTATION. This includes what each person will speak on, when and how long each one speaks, and the leader’s role in all of it. The leader, as the key facilitator, will: open, make introductions, direct the flow, conclude, manage the Q&A, and wrap it all up.
6. PREPARE YOUR CONTENT. Make sure you are responding to the prospect’s criteria, that you meet time limits, and that each person knows his/her topic well.
7. REHEARSE: First, to make certain that you come in under your time limit, and secondly, to ensure that every presenter is confident and credible. Videotape and candidly critique yourselves.
8. PLAN FOR Q&A. Anticipate the possible questions you’ll get (especially the ones you’d rather not be asked!) and know how you’re going to answer them. It’s smart to assign each team member a subject area responsibility for Q&A. This helps prevent either everybody answering at once or a long pause while everyone waits for someone else to tackle it.
9. LOOK AND ACT LIKE A COHESIVE TEAM. Remember that even when you’re not presenting, you’re still “on.” Your facials and body language are sending signals about whether you’re bored or engaged. Resist grimacing or interrupting a team member if someone has said something incorrect. Project positive nonverbals throughout the whole presentation-look interested and supportive and affirming.
10. DEBRIEF AFTER PRESENTATION. Why did you — or did you not — win the business? Ask the client why they made the decision they did. Request — and be prepared for — honest feedback. That way you can learn how to win (again) the next time.
Barbara Busey, president of the training firm Presentation Dynamics, has been a professional speaker, trainer and author since 1990. She does training and speaking on the “dynamics” of how people “present” themselves, is the author of the book, “Stand Out When You Stand Up,” and is the creator of The Compelling Speaker, a unique presentation skills training program that combines advance audio CD instruction with a hands-on, ultra participative workshop. She now offers the Compelling Speaker Certification, a turnkey system — complete with training content & technique, business strategies, and marketing guidelines — that positions communicators to make a living training other business professionals to become more compelling speakers. Go to Compelling Speaker Certification to see her video, listen to her audio, and learn when the next Certification training is.
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