The house lights dim, some music begins from the orchestra in the pit, and in a couple of minutes, the curtain goes up. Who is on stage?
You are, and your audience is watching.
As a kitchen and bath designer, you rely on interacting with your clients, whether this is in real life, over the phone, or on a video screen during a virtual chat. You are the actor and you are on stage. Now is the time for the performance that your client is, or soon will be (hopefully), paying money for.
Have you done all the preparation necessary for this moment? Many designers could use more “rehearsal” time to get ready.
Do You Have a Script?
When you are presenting your work, ideas, choices, etc., what are you going to say? Don’t expect that you will figure out what to say on the spot. Have it scripted out, write it down. If you are presenting a final design, for example, plan what you are going to say to effectively communicate the important elements of the design. Once you have done this the first time, you can easily adapt this to all your projects. This will help you to memorize the routine.
Have you rehearsed?
Even the most talented actors in theatre engage in rehearsals daily for weeks, sometimes months prior to the performances, even if it is a role in a play that they have performed countless times over. First, of course, they need to re-familiarize themselves with the lines and the script. Secondly, they will most likely be performing with other actors they have not worked with before and therefore, will experience different interactions with them in each of their scenes.
Your script will need to be honed, polished, and practiced over time, so you need to keep this fresh in your mind. In addition, each project is very different, one to another, so you will need to rehearse in advance how you will present each portion (or scene) of it for this particular project.
Have You Practiced Your Improv Skills?
Improvisation is an important skill for an actor. Most of us think of improv as something that is used heavily in comedy and this is true, but a good actor uses these skills in every performance also. All actors on occasion make errors in their lines when performing. Forgetting to say certain words, or altering or forgetting a line altogether can sometimes happen. One skill that a talented actor has is how to continue the scene flawlessly when this happens to themselves or the other performers on stage with them.
When you are presenting solutions and ideas to your client, it is common that they will throw you a curveball in the form of a question or statement. How well prepared are you to react to this? Of course, there are many reactions that you will commonly get, frequently when it comes to price for example, from your client. Do you have possible scripted statements prepared for such an occurrence? If you receive common statements from people; “This is more than I was hoping to spend.”; for example, you should have a few statements prepared in advance for this occurrence.
Now, of course, you cannot be prepared for everything a client might say to you, and this is where your improv skills will come in handy. These can be practiced with a friend to hone these skills. It is best to practice them with someone not familiar with your industry because they will react most like one of your clients and will ask questions that a co-worker wouldn’t since a co-worker understands what you do.
Why Rehearse?
Many sales people hate scripts because they don’t want to sound like they are reading a script and don’t want to sound phony. It may remind you of a bad telemarketing phone call.
This is why rehearsal is so important. Think of your favorite actor and a great movie they are in. Did they sound scripted? You probably didn’t think so at all, but guess what? There was a script! Sure, occasionally actors improvise moments and go “off-script” and sometimes that works, but there is a script.
Rehearsal is important so that the delivery of your lines sounds perfectly natural, but you have one benefit that most actors don’t have. You are also the writer! When crafting your own script, write down and rehearse your lines so that they are phrased how you would naturally say them, as though you are discussing things with a friend, relaxing at your house. The more you rehearse, the more natural-sounding it will be. If you forget a “line”, don’t worry because your client does not know the script! If it is an important point or idea, just be sure to come back to it.
You Are on Stage
Keep in mind that when you are communicating in any way with your client, you are on stage. Your client is not only listening to what you say, they are listening to how you are saying it, the inflections in your voice, and your body language in your “performance”.
Rehearse and practice your own performance to be sure you are delivering the most effective presentation possible.