When you present yourself to someone new, basically you have to say three things: something about you, something about what you can do to improve their business of the prospect client and how you can do that.
In Studio Up – Web Agency Milano we like the word storytelling. This is something that drives our websites, our social media strategies and, obviously, our relationship with clients.
Keep in mind that facing a prospect client, not someone who has already accepted you as a business companion, means that your first goal is to be interesting and unique without forgetting who you are.
This is a pretty simple concept, and yet every time we face a new client we struggle to find the perfect way to say everything without being boring.
To make this easier we thought of the 5 things to keep in mind if you want to build a great presentation, and here they are:
1. Know who you are speaking to:
This is key to understand what kind of tone you have to use in the presentation. This can change the presentation completely.
For instance, if you are speaking to a CEO you know that you have to be super clear, express the key concepts of who you are, where can you help, how much does it cost and how fast can you be delivering the solution.
This changes with marketing managers or other high-level execs: they want to know numbers, they want to see what you have done in the past and what exactly you can do right now to solve their issues.
2. Research, research, research:
In the best case scenario you already had a quick chat with the client, or got an email. This means that you somehow know what they are asking or what they want to change.
This is not enough, even in the best case scenario. You’ll have to look and analyze their websites trying to act as a user and write down everything you find unusual or wrong.
To know hypothetical performance issues you can go on websites like Gtmetrix that do a quick audit for free. Then, if you can, request access to Google Analytics or other information regarding users behavior and visits.
Once finished this part, start using images to point out the potential issues for the website, such as screenshots for the bits that you want to analyze.
3. Research, again:
This is the part I like most. Going shopping. We do some stylistic research on websites like siteinspire or awwwards and look at the best websites in the same business of the client.
Then we extend the search to business who work in similar areas. For instance, we also look at property websites when searching for inspiration for an architecture practice company.
Then we try to find how everyone else on the internet solved the same problems we will be facing with this website (how to display many unordered services, how to keep the user entertained, how to filter projects) and try to build some examples of that, too.
4. Be cool:
You’re pitching for something creative like a digital strategy, an innovative idea or a new website. You can’t communicate it with an ugly powerpoint.
Search for inspiration on Muzli, Dribbble, Behance and build the greatest presentation ever (keeping in mind the three rules above).
5. Be brave:
This is the first or (if you’re very lucky) the second time you meet this client, so don’t be shy. Your opinion and skills count (that’s what got you there in the first place, right?).
There is no point on avoiding to say bold things about how great your future relationship will be, because of the talents of your agency.
If you avoid saying an uncomfortable truth now, it probably will be the only chance tell it.
I hope that these suggestions are useful, in Studio Up we use them all the time!
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