Chapter 23: Presentations to Clients

Clients may call bidders to attend an interview and present their ideas about an assignment either in place of a written submission - for example, if the contract value does not warrant or require a formal tendering procedure - or as a follow-up to a tender and a further step in the selection process. Presentations give clients an opportunity to judge face to face the quality and professionalism of the people competing for the work, as well as enabling them to pursue questions that may have emerged from an examination of the tenders. In situations where the tenders reveal no clear winner, a presentation can have a decisive effect on the contract award.

Planning and Making the Presentation

The interview commonly has three parts:

• an initial presentation by the bidder;

• a question-and-answer session in which each side may raise points it wishes to have clarified;

• a final statement by the bidder.

The detailed agenda of the meeting and the time available for the presentation will be set by the client: depending on the scale of the contract, an interview may take just half an hour or last a large part of the day. Who attends the interview on the bidder's side is usually left open, though clients generally want to see the people scheduled to do the work or those who will be directly responsible for it. They may indicate that they expect to see key members of a proposed work team - especially the team leader and the partner or director who would be in charge of the work - and they may set a limit on the size of each bidder's delegation.

You risk losing the contract if you turn in a poor and indifferent performance. A competent presentation is not enough - it has to be a winning one! It is essential to plan and rehearse your side's part in the proceedings and prepare for the questions you are likely to be asked, so that you are in a position to answer them fully and directly. At the same time, you have to be sufficiently sharp and alert to respond confidently to any unexpected questions the client may raise.

Planning and preparation

Make sure that each area of the work and each aspect of the tender can be covered by one or other member of your presentation group. Nominate a presentation leader whose role will include developing the structure of the material, defining and coordinating the contributions of individual participants, deciding on the visual aids to be employed, setting up a pre-presentation planning meeting and rehearsal, managing the logistics of the presentation and introducing the members of the group to the client.

When you rehearse the presentation, have at least one member of your team play the part of the client. This does not mean taking an adversarial role or asking awkward questions: it is more important to listen for inconsistencies or gaps in the material and points where the argument may not seem entirely convincing. You can then work out how to communicate these points more effectively.

Putting your message across

On the day itself, keep the initial presentation concise. You can use an executive summary of the bid as its basis, but do not simply repeat word for word what the client has read in the document. Develop the points outlined in the summary in a logical sequence to emphasize your businesslike approach to the work programme, the commitment of your team and your concern for value-for-money performance, delivery and reliability.

Signpost the route through your material and confirm whether the client wants to ask questions at the end of the whole presentation or after each part. Remember that it is open also to you to ask questions ('This is our understanding... is it correct?'). Try to open up a dialogue with the client about the issues inherent in the contract and the responsiveness of your approach.

If the presentation is the sequel to a tender submission, you will normally not be permitted to introduce new material at this stage; but the client may allow you the opportunity to expand on points made in the bid. A final statement should focus on the messages at the heart of the bid, but it should also refer to any comments voiced by the client and show how the approach you have proposed is robust and adaptable enough to accommodate the fine-tuning and amendment that invariably take place as requirements are defined more sharply.

Though you may not be able to do much about the seating, try to make sure your group can maintain eye contact during the interview. A chance comment by the client can occasion an urgent need to communicate with each other!

Remember that in addition to the technical messages in your bid, the presentation has to communicate your professional strength and personality and give a feel of the relationship you will develop with the client. Everyone taking part has to come across as confident, intelligent and enthusiastic to undertake the work. You should enjoy presenting your ideas, and the client should find listening to them enjoyable.