TIPS
- Prepare thoroughly
- Speak factually, coherently, distinctly and not too quickly
- Intersperse your speaking with appropriate pauses to allow your audience to absorb the information
- Be as articulate as possible
- Argue convincingly, objectively and fairly
- Maintain eye contact
- Don’t speak for longer than your audience’s attention span allows
Bad Presentations Can Kill Good Ideas!
A good presentation
- Should be well organized
- Engages the audience
- Is professional
Plan
- Don't overload your slides
- Don't read from your slides. They should be a visual representation of what your talking about
- Nothing- not even your slides, should upstage you and the discussion between you and the client
- Provide an easy to follow story line
- Practice your presentation
Structure
- Recap creative brief
- Present solution
- Discuss how solution works to solve their design problem
- Outline key points and advantages
- Summarize
Slides
- If using a presentation tool, make sure slides look professional and have a consistent look
- Don't read from slides!
- Don't overload with text
- Walk away from the computer
- Don't use built in slide transitions
- Remember: it should be there as a guide, not as your entire presentation!
Client Convincing
- Maintain your status as an expert
- Use an optimistic approach
- EDUCATE YOUR CLIENTS
- Have a convincing presentation
- Discuss the benefits
- Have confidence in the solution
- Try not to be nervous
REMEMBER, YOU ARE THE EXPERT AND THAT'S WHY THEY HIRED YOU!
CLIENTS
TYPES AND HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM
Passive-Aggressive
Communication is mostly one-sided and unhelpful during project development. “I’m not really sure what we’re looking for.”
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Patience is the key.
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Expecting the last-minute requests for revisions.
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Keep your original layered design intact so that you can easily refine and change it later (not that you wouldn’t, but it does happen).
Under-Valuer
Client will devalue your creative contributions. “It’s not like it takes much effort on your part.”
- Confidence is key. The under-valuer will recognize this confidence.
- Don’t back down or concede a point to the client when discussing your role in the project.
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Standing firm will establish the professional and respectful tone you deserve.
The Nit-Picker
Client is never fully satisfied with the work. “I’m really not sure about this element here. It just doesn’t pop!”
- Patience is important
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Try to detach yourself from the project as much as possible, so that the constant nit-pickery does not affect you personally.