Chapter 8: Making Client Presentations PROPOSAL WRITING Chapter 8: Making Client Presentations

MAJOR CONTENTS Step 9: Presenting the Proposal to the Client Planning Steps Organizing the Presentations Practicing the Presentations Survival Tips

Step 9: Presenting the Proposal to the Client A client presentation is actually a sales talk. You are selling the client on three major points: You have a thorough understanding of the client’s situation You have the best solution for the client’s needs Your firm is the best one to do the job

Step 9: Presenting the Proposal to the Client Good presentations are a matter of planning, organization, and practice

Planning Steps Why Are You Giving the Presentation? Who Is the Client Audience? What Do You Plan to Say? When and Where Is the Presentation?

Planning Steps Why are you giving presentation? Education or information Propose recommendations and gain acceptance Initiate action Evoke interest Interpret, clarify, evaluate Introduce new ideas Sell or persuade To write a good objective, there are three criteria to keep in mind: Attainable Measureable Reaslistic

Planning Steps Who Is the Client Audience? In general, companies are interested in five main ideas: Reduce costs Increasing return on investment Saving time Improving quality and performance Raising productivity Planning step is more important than you may think. Many outstanding proposal ideas die on the presentation floor simply because the proposal team forgot about tailoring its talk to the client’s needs.

Planning Steps What Do You Plan to Say? Separate what the client needs to know from what is simply nice to know Do not bring up sensitive issues in the presentation What the client doesn’t need to know What areas you should avoid When and Where Is the Presentation? By knowing when and where the presentation will be given: you know how much lead time you have to develop the talk. you plan where to place your visual aids and what seating arrangement You can estimate how much travel time to allow for yourselves and your material

Organizing the Presentation Organizing the Topic Creating Text and Visual Aids Organizing Your Team Take Care of the Details

Organizing the Presentation Organizing the Topic You need to use an organizational approach tailored to captivate an audience’s interest and hold its attention throughout the talk. The problem-solution approach The descriptive approach The best alternative approach The events approach The technical approach By dividing the topic into categories, you can develop a concise, informative outline that addresses all the main points without bogging you down in excessive detail.

Organizing the Presentation Creating Text and Visual Aids Think about the best combination of text and visual aids to convey Visuals are essential to any presentation as being more supplement or enhance your presentation, not serve as the main focus or substitute for content that should be communicated verbally (main points are lost).

ORGANIZING THE PRESENTATION Organizing Your Team Do for the presentation and when and how they are supposed to do it Be sure to have backup team members available about his or her particular area responsible for handling client questions

ORGANIZING THE PRESENTATION Taking Care of the Details Pay attention to the details Do not assume that the client will be able to supply what you need Extra markers Spare light bulbs for the projectors Scissors Tape and the countless other supplies

Practicing the Presentation Practicing Individual Talks Roleplaying with a Live Audience Dress Rehearsals Learning How to Relax

PRACTICING THE PRESENTATION Practicing Individual Talks All team members should practice their individual talks with other team members to refine the content and to coordinate visual aids Roleplaying with a Live Audience The entire presentation should be given in front of an in-house management audience The audience’s role is to critique the presentation and provide realistic feedback for the team Dress Rehearsals Put all the talks and visual aids together in a setting that resembles the actual client meeting room as closely as possible Develop the best arrangement of seating, equipment and speaker position Learning How to Relax Secret: it is impossible to be physically relaxed and emotionally terrified at the same time. Follow three guidelines: Breathe Move Get Support (emotional support)

Survival Tips Handling Troublesome Questions Turn the situation to your advantage First and foremost, remain calm Receive all questions cordially Listen carefully to the question Avoid flip or off-listen carefully to the question he-cuff answers Avoid trying to impress or please your audience with a fast rejoinder Keep the statement “I” centered instead of “You” centered If questioner appears to be openly hostile or aggressive Use a bridging technique follow with positive points Question the questioner Use humor to defuse the situation Stay in control of the exchange