I recently was asked to coach two teams who were bidding on their slice of some $800 million in construction contracts. No results yet; the teams are very optimistic. Stay tuned! Â In the meanwhile, let me share the Presentation Excellence approach to helping win these deals.
We focus on 5 key areas:
Theme – what’s the overriding concern of the judges? Is it:
- Risk aversion – avoiding any problems that could arise
- Achieving a benefit – creating the talent, most iconic building possible
- Problem Solving – demonstrating the ability to solve problems in a world where unexpected events are likely to interfere
- Value – everyone wants the best deal, but will determine value differently; rarely is it absolute pricing
Content  – the team must be succinct, usually each person has around 10 minutes to speak. The proposal described the team’s capabilities; the goal is to focus on those elements that drive home the competence as it related to the theme.
- Style – the presentation has to be authentic – demonstrating passion for the work. It needs to engage the judges through the use of simple “words and picturesâ€. Use stories to demonstrate competence and be engaging. Project a leader presence, since you’ll also need it to address challenges once in the field
- Teamwork – teams usually succeed when, like an orchestra, each individual’s contribution complements the others to produce a superior product. The presentation is an opportunity to demonstrate that they are such a team.
- Competitive Advantage – all the competitors can basically do the job; but what is this team’s distinct advantage that will ensure their ability to do the best job.
What are your major concerns when you prepare your teams for the battle? Share them with us. We’re also working on an e-book describing the process we use to coach and train teams to win such presentations. Send us a note if you’re interested in it.