Presentation Coaching

You've written your proposal, and now you've been asked to come in and give your oral presentation. You know that you can’t just stand there and simply restate what you said in the proposal. If nothing else, you simply don’t have the time. The following table details what we will do to help you, how we will do it, and the benefits our approach will bring you.

What We’ll Do

Revisit your proposal strategy. The strategy you used with the proposal may still be the one to go with. But we need to revisit it and tailor it for the presentation.

Help select the key theme(s) we want to build the presentation around. The interview is severely time restricted. For that reason, the client is looking for a much tighter focus on why he should select you.

Help identify & develop effective visuals. Clients need visuals to see the points you make. Your team needs visuals to give them something to talk to.

Conduct presentation skills training sessions. It’s critical to appear as polished as possible at the interview. Some members of the presentation team may need to learn the basics of presentation skills; some may need a refresher.

Coach the dry-runs. You need to practice the presentation. Again and again.

How We’ll Do It

We will conduct post-proposal Strategy Sessions to re-visit the client’s hidden "hot buttons."

We will work with your team to select the most important theme(s) from the proposal. Then we’ll tie all the other details in the presentation to that theme(s).

We will work with you to develop graphics that are appropriate to the presentation. We will look at many options, from bullet charts to animated PowerPoint slides to video.

We will conduct several training sessions that focus on actual delivery. These include:

• How to make and sustain eye contact.
• How to use your voice effectively.
• How to use gestures to make your point.
• How to deliver your visuals.

We will videotape several sessions for the participants to gauge how well they are mastering the techniques.

We will coach the team during dry runs, focusing on the skills taught during the training sessions. We videotape the dry runs, review it with you, and point out ways to improve.

Benefits to You

The client will once again get the message that you truly understand his needs He will be convinced— again—that you can deliver what he needs.

Your presentation will be tightly organized around a consistent message. It will not ramble along. You will appear as professional as you are.

The visuals will dramatically drive home the points you want to make. The client will be left with a clear visual image of your strengths and the benefits you bring.

Your team will look professional and competent (but not "slick"). The client will feel he is in competent hands when he selects you. Your team can use the skills in other presentations they make.

Your team will be confident of what they have to say. They will be comfortable with the techniques they have learned.

The main thing the client wants to find out in the interview is, "Can We work with this team?"

You have already made your case that you are technically competent to do the job; that’s why you’re at the interview. The client will always have technical questions on his mind, but now he is asking, How easy will you be to work with? Will you fit in with the personality of his organization? Are you personable, yet still professional?

Your mission: Present your best case why the client should select you.

It’s that simple. And that difficult. This means you must keep showing the benefits you bring to the client. You must appear confident and competent, which means you must be as comfortable as possible while speaking. Your information must be on point, and you must present it all within a restricted time frame.

We can help.

We will help your team revisit and tweak the proposal strategy if necessary. We will select the key themes we want to mold the presentation around. We’ll help you prepare visuals that get the point across without being too busy or overwhelming. And we will train and coach your people in key presentation techniques, skills that they can use well beyond the current project.