-By Katie Weeks

What does it take to win a project? When it comes to client presentations, chances are strong that you'll need more than awe-inspiring design to seal the deal. So what do clients really look for in successful project pitches? Before you load up your next PowerPoint program or put together that set of presentation boards, consider the following tips:

• Be prepared.

Address the basics: Be on time, make sure your technology functions properly, and dress appropriately for the client's corporate culture. "If you're coming to win, bring your A game," says Yetta Banks, vice president of design and construction for MTV Networks/Viacom. "Some people come to MTV Networks thinking of us as a comfortable, relaxed environment, and they aren't necessarily prepared. But like most companies, we want to be wowed."

• Incorporate Group Participation

Having a firm principal or senior person at the presentation is often essential, if only to signal to the client that the firm is committed to the project—but that person should not be the only speaker. "It's important that we hear from everybody because those are the people we're going to see on a daily basis. We need that connection and have to see how the team works together," Banks notes, and other clients agree. "The lead speaker should be whoever is going to lead the project," says Jennifer Fabrick, AIA, university architect at Emory University in Atlanta. "I look at teams to see whether it's a one man show or if there is some effort to allow team members to express themselves individually…We also prefer it if there's been some pre-planned choreography so that people know when to speak and feel comfortable backing each other up."

In addition to explaining each team member's role on the project, taking it one step further is beneficial. "A name tag really helps because it's hard for us to keep track of who's doing what on the project during the presentation," Fabrick adds. "We always reserve 15 to 20 minutes for questions, and we want to know to whom we should address a specific question and why." Consider giving clients a one-page round up of team members including two or three sentences on each participant's specific role on the project. "Sometimes people give us what we call 'the place mat,' which explains project scheduling and how whiz-bang the firm is, but not the basics," says Fabrick. "Who is the head person? It's not all design, design, design. It's also people."

Group participation also should extend to the audience. "Make sure that everyone is on board. My philosophy is one person can kill it so you want to neutralize anyone who might be sitting there with his arms folded," says Kaye Gosline, creative director at Milliken, who has been on both sides of the presentation table numerous times. "Watch for body language, and try to figure out who is going to be the naysayer. Maybe it's the financial guy who is afraid things are going to cost too much money. Try to address that person from his standpoint and alleviate concerns."

• Visualize

One way to win over skeptics is to help them to visualize your solution through digital flybys or walk-throughs. "We're a creative company, but I find that our end users may not understand the 3-D perspective, so it's important to walk them through it. Technology can present it to them instantaneously," notes Banks. Remember, however, to take it slow. "Everyone tries to impress us with technology, but sometimes the person running the computer just flies through things and you don't have time to stop and look at what you want to see," Fabrick says. "It ought to be interactive so that whomever is presenting stops to ask questions. Ask if we can visualize it. Does it make sense? Give us a chance to absorb it."

• Keep it simple

Don't unnecessarily complicate matters. Eliminate industry jargon from your vocabulary. (Fabrick and her team dub it "archibabble.") "Just for simplicity's sake, the more straightforward you are and the less jargon you use, the better off you're going to be," says Gosline. "You do want to have a certain amount of romance to what you're selling, but enthusiasm and straight talk are the keys to winning the project, even beyond the flash of technology."

• Sell yourself

Last but not least, sell your work and experience. Underneath it all, "first and foremost I look at the quality of their work and their understanding of the project and its unique problems," says Fabrick. No matter how slick a presentation is, the biggest deciding factor is often something uncontrollable: chemistry. "In the end, you want to do business with people who share your passion and have a vision that matches what you want to achieve," Gosline says. "The important thing about chemistry is that it is indefinable. You're dealing with corporate cultures, team cultures, and individuals. In the end, it's all about selling skills 101." And when in doubt, cracking a smile can't hurt, either. Says Fabrick, "We all appreciate a little humor."