How Do I Look Professional In Client Meetings?

Browsing for and showing files in front of a client, always makes me feel unprofessional.

I work with branding, design and visual identity, and sharing menu bars, notifications, folders and my desktop with clients, kind of makes me feel beneath my area of "expertise" and does not represent what I stand for (branding, simple clean design, etc.)

Am I the only one feeling this way? Also, can anyone suggest alternatives / workarounds?

 

Take screenshots and put them in PowerPoint or Google Presentation and from there you only have to worry about pressing your space bar to advance your presentation. Nerves go away with practice and confidence, if you're really selling clients something they need, want, and can afford then you'll be fine.

Also it never hurts to ask clients for feedback on your presentation because sometimes you are your worst critic, while your client might think you did a great job.

 

Thanks for your input.

The thing is that in my experience it is hard to plan client meetings. Suddenly they want to see something else, the conversation takes you in a different direction, or if you really listen to the client you realize you should be showing them something else.
Basically it is hard just to stay in a Powerpoint or PDF, and it is when I then have to show them something different or more relevant, that I end up clicking around showing them my desktop, folders, menu bars, etc. Somehow it feels a little too "earthbound" and a bit personal and doesn't feel like I am giving them a slick professional experience.

In others words, in would be nice to be able to stay in Powerpoint fullscreen and still being able to easily open any file on your computer and present it within the Powerpoint. If need be.

Does this make any sense?

 

I do understand what you're saying. I would suggest that you do one of two things.

1. Make small talk between the time it takes you to find the new files and be funny or ask the client a open ended question so the focus is on you.

2. Use of the the techniques that Brian Tracy teaches in his video 24 techniques for closing the sale. Basically he steers the client away from going off presentation and says let's have another meeting about that.

You can watch it here but you'll need to install the Veoh player to watch the whole thing.

 

Show your existing campaign that you have done for your customers and the best is well known one or the most success one.
Tell them more about the stories and solution rather than keep showing data. They can look on data themselves while you only need to brief it only . Use more real time data for them .

Most of the decision maker only want to hear what you can do for them , benefit them , promise to them and result.

 

@ArchAxis is right on target. If there is silence while you're doing you're sharing the room will feel awkward. Try to chat about off topic subjects like the weather or how much you like your computer.

Again, great recommendations from ArchAxis

 

While I agree with @ArchAxis on the "another meeting" thing, if it's just a simple request I'd make a note and promise to pop them the info at the end of (or after) the meeting - or, even better, after a short break within the meeting. Give them two minutes to grab a coffee half-way through and do your frantic clicking around while they're in the loo.

And yes, I know a lot of people think having a break in a meeting is a bad idea but I've always found it helps keep focus by allowing people two minutes to breathe without having to listen to my nonsense.

 

I also think having a break is a great idea. Good points @TIEro

 

Thanks for the comments guys.

Someone once mentioned something to me about a program that works as a customized/personalized interface that you can put on top of mac/pc. Lot simpler, displaying your brand and great for client meetings. Just don't remember the name. Does it ring a bell with anyone?

 

Bumped into this www.pinstriped.com Could solve it