On Presentations

Think-on-your-feet presentations are as important to architects as to business persons. You need to be able to convince and persuade people that your way is best.

Architects need to take the clients program and change it. They need to provide leadership. They need to go to that special place where only artists and artisans can go and come back from there with fully formed great design work.

They are looked at as leaders of teams to design the urban environment. They need to deal with clients, municipal councils, planners, community associations, builders, suppliers, building inspectors and many other constituents of their profession.

Here are some tips for presenting your work:

1. Rehearse the night before a presentation with an audience-- verbalise. Use an agenda or outline-- tell your audience about it then do your presentation and then restate or summarize 2 or 3 points. Most people can't remember more than this anyway.

2. Rehearse again alone in the am.

3. Get something to eat and some fresh air before going 'on'.

4. Five minutes before, go over your first two or three points so you can get past the first five minutes.

5. Take a breath.

6. Make eye contact with everyone in the room.

7. Smile.

8. Take your time.

9. Never read your notes.

10. Underline or highlight key words in your material and speak to them.

11. Use humour where appropriate.

12. Never tell off colour jokes.

13. Use neutral words like person-years rather than man-years.

14. Ask your audience questions.

15. Sample them (eg. "How many of you have ever ...")

16. Ad lib from time to time.

17. Tell stories.

18. Personalize things with words like: "It is my belief that ...

19. Make it a two way conversation- let people ask you questions as you go.

20. If you get stuck or forget where you are, tell the audience. If necessary, ask for a short break even.

21. Talk downhill-- ask some of your friends to come to the meeting for moral support.

23. Leave before your story gets old.

24. In business meetings, know when it is time to stop. When you hear "yes", it is time to stop. Talk with the windows behind you so that you can clearly see the faces of the other attendees.

25. Never drink alcohol the night before or the day of a presentation. You should be like pilots: "48 hours between bottle and throttle."

26. "Stack" the audience with someone who is familiar with the main idea you want to get across. Sometimes in nervous situations you can get off track. Iif it appears to be happening, pre-cue your plant to ask a question or reiterate a point of your presentation that will get you back on track. (Brad Hutt)

27. If you are asked a question that catches you off guard and you don't know the answer to, don't bluff. Tell them that it as a good question and you are not sure of the answer at that time, but will find out and answer it later when you are. (Brad Hutt)

28. When standing, stand straight, keep your hands out of your pockets and don't lean on walls, chairs, tables, etc. If all else fails sit facing your jury in a proper postured position, be confident. (Brad Hutt)

29. Presentation, of the material and yourself, is very important. Dress appropriately, but comfortably. If you are uncomfortable or fidgeting with something the nervousness will portray uneasiness about your content to the audience, rather then the fact that your shoes are too tight. (Emily Greenfield)

30. Know when to refuse a project, when to stop trying to convince, when to put your foot down, when to fire your client. Know what your limits are, what is important to you, what you will not gamble. Also know when you are hearing "yes" from the client and stop talking and take the commission. (Dominique Tonetti)

Dramatis Personae