Presentations allow an evaluation committee to further scrutinise shortlisted firms – to delve deeper.

When legal technology will play a key role, a presentation can double as a system demonstration.

Presentations provide an evaluation committee with the opportunity to ask detailed and technical questions about a firm’s written submission – to clarify any gaps or ambiguities.

Presentations are a chance to assess fit. Are the tenderer’s key people likable? Is there good rapport? Will the buyer and the tenderer be able to work well together, even when things don’t go to plan?

And when a tender has been submitted by a joint venture, or involves subcontractors, a presentation allows the evaluators to assess how well the various parties relate. Will the involvement of multiple parties help or hinder the achievement of the desired outcomes?

When you reach the presentation stage of a procurement process, you must take it seriously. This is your chance to convince and connect. In these situations, complacency and arrogance are your enemies.

Here’s how to avoid being pipped at the post:

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Understand the purpose of the presentation

Don’t go in blind. Sometimes a formal presentation is not what a buyer desires during the “presentation stage”.

Quite often, these sessions are dedicated to Q&A or designed to be panel interviews. Clarify what the buyer needs and wants. And, if you are required to, or decide to, deliver a formal presentation, make it worthwhile.

Elaborate, don’t regurgitate – it’s reasonable to assume everyone in the room has read your proposal.

Consider who is attending – and why

Consider the makeup of the evaluation committee as this could signal the buyer’s priorities and each individual assessor’s agenda and interests. Knowing who will be in the room will also help you to select your presenters. Who in your firm is best placed to speak to the buyer’s pain points?

Understand that sometimes a buyer will limit the number of people who can attend a presentation. You may need to make sacrifices.

Don’t underestimate any buyer representative. The person who might appear to be the most unassuming could influence the tender outcome.

D&I is not a hashtag

International Women’s Day was born as a call for gender equality. Yet, in 2022, IWD felt like little more than an opportunity for patriarchal firms to promote hand gestures and hashtags on social media.

These days, almost every request for tender contains pointed questions about diversity and inclusion. Reflect your firm’s commitment to diversity in the composition of your presentation team. Gender diversity is the obvious place to start.

Take care to give every presenter a meaningful role – there’s no place for ornaments.

Nominate a team leader

Have you ever observed a group presentation in which one or more members of the team remained mute throughout? Or where one person was so dominant that the other presenters were barely able to speak? These situations are awkward for everyone and tend not to reflect well on the presenters.

Someone must lead your team. This is particularly important during the Q&A component of a presentation. Your team leader should be responsible for fielding questions to the appropriate person and, when necessary, for prompting presenters to elaborate to ensure key messages are delivered and nothing important is overlooked.

Without a leader, you risk everyone talking over the top of each other or nobody talking at all.

Rehearse and role-play

You will have been allocated a fixed period of time. Make every moment count.

What do you want to achieve? What lasting impression do you want to make? What key points do you want to reiterate, emphasise?

Don’t allow your presenters to make excuses for being unable to rehearse. Yes, they’re busy people. And, yes, preparing for a presentation is a good use of their time.

Role-play Q&A to put your team through their paces. Test how well the team knows your submission. See how well they cope under pressure.

Rehearsing will make each presenter feel more confident and will help your team to project as a cohesive, respectful and inclusive group.

Jacqueline Burns is the chief marketing officer at Market Expertise.