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One of the things that many business people say when they’re
interviewing business partners is “We’re looking for the best
team.”
So the question is this: how can you come across as a great team
during a 30-45 minute presentation?
In coaching many of these presentations we’ve learned a few things.
1. It’s
not something you can declare. You
can say “we are a team” all you want, but if you don’t present like
a team, then you’re not going to seem like a team. Of course, you
should give examples of where you have all worked together in the
past. But that is no substitute for presenting like a well-oiled
machine.
2. Be
well-rehearsed. The most import thing is
simply to rehearse the presentation carefully so that everyone plays
their roll well during the presentation. Good teams deliver
presentations that don’t go over the time limit because one of the
team members has spoken too long. That long-winded speaker reveals
that the group didn’t practice much together. How can you come
across as a good team if you didn’t rehearse?
3. Each
presenter must fulfill an important and distinct role for the client.
On a football team, every player has a role. There is no duplication
of purpose. On a good presenting team, each player must address a
different issue that is important to the client. In construction
presentations, often we’ll see two firm principles present because
“we want to show the client that we care.” One firm principle is
enough. The estimator should address the budget. The project
manager should address the schedule. The superintendent should
address issues of safety and site logistics.
4.
Everyone should appear to like each other. While
it’s a hard quality to quantify, you want to give off the sense
that everyone knows each other well. During the presentation,
everyone should be watching the other presenters carefully. You
don’t want to be looking at your shoes or, worse, thumbing your
Blackberry. When you hand off to a team member, you should find a
nice thing to say about him. “Now I’d like to turn it over to Jack,
our superintendent. Jack and I have worked together for 15 years. I
call him The Captain because of the way he runs a job site. No one
is better.” And smile at your colleague as you do that introduction.
5. Everyone
should speak with passion. When all
the team members speak with enthusiasm, they give off a sense of
unity of purpose. If some of the members of the team are excited
and others seem bored, there is the sense that some of the team
members are committed when others aren’t.
6.
No second guessing during Q&A. One of
the easiest ways to show that you’re not a team is to second guess
your colleague as they answer questions. If someone answers a
question, then everyone needs to act like that’s the team answer.
No second guessing allowed. Period! If someone gives out wrong
answers and you second guess them, it says a lot that’s bad about
your team. First, it says that you didn’t prepare for the questions.
Second, it says that you don’t really trust each other.
At Speechworks we
help our clients learn how to communicate in a way that connects and
persuades. If you’re interested in becoming a great communicator
give us a call at 404-266-0888 or check out our website at
www.speechworks.net.
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