DESIGN SPECIFIERS TECHNIQUES TO ENGAGE YOUR AUDIENCE THE TRUTH BEHIND - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

How to present to DESIGN SPECIFIERS TECHNIQUES TO ENGAGE YOUR AUDIENCE THE TRUTH BEHIND COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS & An article by:

How to present to DESIGN SPECIFIERS TECHNIQUES TO ENGAGE YOUR AUDIENCE THE TRUTH BEHIND COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS & Success in selling your product depends not only on the quality of your product limiting their ability to give a powerful presentation and effectively showcase but also on how well your product is presented to your target audience, in this their products. As a product supplier your main objective should be to enlighten , to inspire , case architects and those infmuencing the design of a project. to challenge and to excite your audi This audience in particular values a well prepared presentation, delivered in ence by providing them with a a professional setting showcasing materials and products that are relevant solution to their problems through visual imagery, tactile experiences and to them. Architects and design specifjers are creative by nature and want to most importantly through people skills. feel inspired. Their expectation for and appreciation of a polished, informative Having attended numerous product presentations and spoken with both and engaging presentation is especially high. suppliers and designers, BCI Academy and AIS have seen some of the best Unfortunately, many product presentations are given by sales representatives and worst in the industry. When it comes to product presentations for design who have not received any real training in public speaking, consequently specifjers, here are our top three tips to really engage with your audience:

2. 3. 1. Know who you are Use Samples Know your products presenting to Architects are tactile people who want to You should know your product inside & out – Do your homework to fjnd out what projects the touch, feel and see. They are creative and more than just what’s in your catalogue. Know architects focus on (BCI LeadManager or AIS want to be inspired, so samples are a great your product not only from the specifjcation website can both help with this) so you don’t way to engage them. Make sure however that side but also how it is manufactured, how it waste your or their time on irrelevant products these are used to support your presentation, is installed, and how it works in relation to the that do not relate to their project portfolio. not to be the presentation. They should not local industry and competes in the market. There is no excuse for not being prepared distract but instead support your overall on this, as it’s all about creating a point of message. Make sure they are good quality difference. and relevant.

“ It’s important that the supplier looks at the company website and focuses their attention directly on our firm and what we do as a business. Definitely doing your homework is paramount. ” - Associate Architect at Peddle T horp

To Enlighten, Inspire, Challenge and Excite your audience, why not consider one or two of these topics and incorporate them into your presentations: h a s p ’ p t a e HERO h n W i n - Perhaps focus on g your most popular - Speak on a global scale product and what product with environmentally makes it so good Current trends friendly products y G l l o a l specifically b in the industry New Installation tips Innovative & T opics to consider when products PRESENTING Common Manufacturing Challenges process - Why is your product Lessons learnt manufactured in a certain way? from previous projects – don’t skip over problems you have faced, use these as a positive to show how they were overcome and what came from that

3. Maintain eye contact Common Misconception written by Sarah Findlay When we are relaxed, comfortable squashed and confjdent we actually look away often. It should be no different when presenting. Looking away gives us time to access information and Here is what BCI Academy sees as the 10 most think, especially when asked tough common misconceptions when presenting, which questions. you should stop believing NOW: 4. Don’t move your hands. Whilst moving your hands excessively may distract from your words, if this is natural to you it’s not a bad thing when presenting. It is important to be relaxed, comfortable and confjdent, so don’t 2. Imagine the audience naked over think this. Often we Really? If anything that makes things worse, and use our hands naturally you will get distracted! Not a technique worth to emphasise. mastering. 1. Confident presenters don’t get nervous Of course they do, but nerves are not bad. They mean you care. Confjdent people are nervous 5. Speak louder often, but have simply learnt to overcome their Many people talk far too loud when public speaking. The audience nerves while talking. If you are nervous don’t then has the impression of being talked “at”. Speak loud enough for the be afraid to have notes with you, and perhaps person who is furthest from you to comfortably hear you as if you are get feedback from a colleague whilst practising having a conversation with them alone. You will know they can hear you from the look on their face.

8. Put a lot of content on PowerPoint PowerPoint slides that say everything - say nothing. Less is more . If the PowerPoint is saying it all then what value do you have to add? If you are concerned about remembering what you planned to say and require a prompt, learn to use the Presenter View on PowerPoint. In this way you can see your notes and the slides while the audience will only see the slides. 9. Give a detailed 6. Speak slower. Lastly , never forget that your presentations overview of your Whilst it is important to be understood, slowing company are only as good as the follow-up you do down language is not the way to achieve it. Use afterwards. Ride the success of a great your normal broad range of speaking speeds You can say a presentation by following up afterwards and few sentences so when you present.The good thing is, as soon ensuring that you are actively building a people are aware of as you feel comfortable in the room your will do what you do but you need to be concise on this. You are there to long-term relationship with your audience. this naturally without thinking. solve their problems so spend more time on that than telling your We recommend following up within 24-48 audience your history. hours of your presentations – strike while the iron’s hot! To learn more about how to present successfully to architects and design specifjers, attend our Yes. Presentation Skills Masterclass and we’ll help 10. Bring lots of yah! you make sure you’re putting your best foot samples forward each and every time. As mentioned earlier Click here to fjnd out more about this course samples are a great way For opportunities to get in front of the right to help your audience audience, take a look at BCI’s Technology 7. Use formal language. visualise your product. Briefjngs in Indonesia and the Philippines, However you need to make Changing your language to be more formal than specialising in holding a range of face-to-face sure you only bring in those you usually do really isn’t needed and creating it will events with architects on a regular basis. Click that are relevant to projects the company is working on, actually use a lot of unnecessary brain power. Your here for more information on Indonesian and perhaps focus on just one ‘hero product’. normal business based language will do. events. Click here for more information on Philippines events .

EDITORIAL TEAM CONTENT WRITTER GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sarah Findlay Ms. Pia Marie Tandog s.fjndlay@bciaustralia.com p.tandog@bciasia.com