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Your boss enters your workplace and looks at you with a twinkle in his eyes. He excitedly tells you that he just talked to a client and they are interested in knowing more about your project. Your boss then drops the bomb and says that you will be presenting to them in an hour. You get suddenly tense and feel the pressure building up. A good presentation could very well be the key to a successful sale. You have some standard presentation materials but it might not be appropriate for the client. What kind of presentation could bring in the sale? Here are some suggestions to help you prepare for the presentation.
Check who the audience will be. There may be other people joining the presentation that act as advisors to the client. They may be the key people who will assist your client in making the final decision. The major consideration in any presentation is knowing your audience. Check on who are the audience. Find out who are the key people and their level of expertise or knowledge on the subject matter.
Pay heed to the other people attending the presentation. The other members in the audience may not be decision makers but they may be the technical people who will provide the inputs for the executives’ decision. Ask yourself “What is the audience looking for in the presentation”. Presentations sometimes take on a shotgun approach and show everything. Based on the reaction of the audience, the presenter then drills down to their interests. This is workable if you have a lot of presentation materials on different aspects of the project and you and the audience have the time to go through a lot of subjects before concentrating on specific topics. A shotgun approach may not be possible for a rushed presentation. Once you know audience, you can prepare your speech and the presentation materials.
Some people like simple desktop presentations while others prefer presentations using high-tech video and audio equipment. The type of presentation is vital as people can get turned off from the very start and leave immediately, regardless of their interest on the topic. Knowing the audience helps you establish the type of presentation that will bring in their attention. Work out how you will start and end the presentation. A good beginning makes the audience feel confident that you are in control and know what you are presenting. Knowing what the audience is looking for will help you establish the ending of the presentation. Your ending message should drive home the point and close the deal. Keep the presentation simple.
Focus on what the audience wants to know about. Don’t give more information than necessary. An information overload might disrupt the flow of thought and confuse the audience. Make a short outline on what you will present and discuss. It can serve as a guide and reference and help you avoid deviating from the subject. Think everything out thoroughly and imagine how the presentation will proceed. If you’ve thought it out carefully, it will be a good presentation regardless of your rush to prepare for it.
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